Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 142

The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – The China dossier and a botched abortion

In 1924, Wallis was estranged from her first husband, Earl Winfield Spencer Jr., known as Win. While they were apart, Wallis had an affair with an Argentine diplomat named Felipe de Espil, but this soon ended. Wallis was then asked to accompany her recently widowed cousin Corinne on a trip to Paris, and when they returned home, Wallis found a stack of letters from Win asking her to join him in China. And so, on 17 July 1924, Wallis boarded the USS Chaumont at Norfolk and set off for China.

The journey seemed to take forever, and Wallis suffered from a terrible cold throughout. It took six weeks for the ship to reach Manila, where Wallis boarded the Empress of Canada for the voyage to Hong Kong, where she arrived on 8 September. She found Win waiting for her at the dock. “He looked better than I had ever seen him since our first meeting in Pensacola – tanned, clear-eyed, and charming.”1 Having been a heavy drinker before, he now told her he had not had a drink since he had received word that she was coming. For the first few weeks, everything seemed to go well. Then he returned home completely drunk. She put him to bed, and they spoke little of the incident. In October, Win was despatched to Canton, which now lay in the heart of the beginnings of a civil war. Nevertheless, Wallis was desperate to save her marriage and she followed him there a few days later.

This was when things truly went south. He accused her of having affairs with his fellow officers and began drinking heavily again. While Wallis wrote in her memoirs that she suffered a kidney infection at this time, a friend of hers later wrote that Win had beaten her to such an extent that she suffered from internal bleeding.2 In any case, Win accompanied her back to Hong Kong, where she received medical treatment. Once she had recovered, she made up her made to seek a divorce. Win reportedly retaliated by dragging her along to brothels, where he made her watch and threatened to kill her.

The rumours that Wallis was somehow connected to these brothels probably came from these episodes. The so-called China dossier – reportedly made in 1935 at the request of the British Prime Minister – supposedly claimed that she visited these brothels with her husband and was also trained in various techniques, such as the “Chinese grip.” She supposedly not only used these techniques on her husband but also on other men, and the dossier concluded that she had become a prostitute. In any case, no one has ever been able to reproduce the China dossier, and there is no record of it in the Royal Archives. The Countess of Romanones, a friend of Wallis, declared that it was “absolutely preposterous, absolutely no truth in that whatsoever.”3

Wallis soon packed her bags and joined a friend of hers by the name of Mary Sadler, who was on her way from Hong Kong to Shanghai. She looked up a British diplomat named Harold Robinson while in Shanghai, and he took her under his wing. Despite being swept up in parties, the sound of gunfire was never far away. She persuaded Mary to come with her to Peking, where a friend of hers, Col. Louis Little, was serving, and he could help her return to America. A steamer took them to Tientsin, and there they boarded a train in the midst of a regional civil war. The train took almost two days, and thankfully Louis was there to pick them up when they finally arrived. Wallis took a room in the Grand Hotel de Pekin – an oasis of peace.

One evening, she ran into an acquaintance of hers by the name of Katherine Rogers, and they immediately renewed their friendship. Katherine (then Bigelow) had married Herman Rogers in 1920, who was so wealthy he lived a retired life. They asked Wallis to stay with them, and she insisted on paying them rent. Wallis had a great time there. Mornings were for sleeping in, afternoons for shopping and evenings for dining out. Weekends were spent in the country where the Rogers had a rented summer house. She would spend a full year with the Rogers before leaving for Shanghai in the spring. However, during her stay there, she became very ill – another episode which turned into a nasty rumour.

The gossip was that Wallis had had an affair with an Italian Count by the name of Galeazzo Ciano and that she had become pregnant by him. An abortion was then reportedly performed, which went terribly wrong and left her permanently infertile. However, there is no evidence to support this at all. She was still sick when she boarded the President McKinley, and upon arrival in Seattle, she had to have emergency surgery for an intestinal blockage. She was now alone and sick in a strange city, and she called Win, who was also back in America. He met up with her in Chicago and accompanied her to Washington. It would be their last meeting.

Wallis spent the following months with her mother and learned that she could obtain a decree of desertion after three years’ separation if she had a year’s residence in Virginia. So, she moved to Warrenton to the Warren Green Hotel, where she rented a single room. She waited out the year at the hotel and decorated her room with memories of China. Finally, on 10 December 1927, her divorce from Win was finalised.

The post The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – The China dossier and a botched abortion appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Margaret Theresa of Spain – The Imperial Pawn

Margaret Theresa of Spain was born on 12 July 1651 as the first child of King Philip IV of Spain from his second marriage with his niece Mariana of Austria. At the time of her birth, just one elder half-sibling from her father’s first marriage to Elisabeth of France was still alive – Maria Theresa – who would marry King Louis XIV of France in 1660.

Margaret Theresa’s birth had endangered the life of her 16-year-old mother, and it took her mother several weeks to recover. Her father called the new addition to the family “gorgeous and so splendid that she looks more like a sister of her mother than her daughter.”1 However, she was not the longed-for boy. Her mother would go on to have four more recorded pregnancies and several miscarriages during her tenure as Queen. After Margaret Theresa’s birth in 1651, her mother did not have any children for several years. A short-lived daughter was born in 1656, but the much-longed-for boy arrived on 28 November 1657 to great relief.

He was named Philip Prospero, and his birth also made it possible to now have peace with France as Maria Theresa was no longer the heiress presumptive and could now more safely be married off. A second son named Ferdinand Thomas was born on 21 December 1658, further securing the succession. However, Ferdinand Thomas died the following year, but the marriage between Maria Theresa and the King of France went ahead. Maria Theresa renounced her succession rights to the Spanish, but this was made conditional on the grounds of the payment of a large dowry (which France would never receive). The following year, Philip Prospero died shortly before his fourth birthday, leaving Margaret Theresa as the heiress presumptive. However, her mother was pregnant at the time, and just five days after Philip’s Prospero’s death, another son was born – the future King Charles II. It was practically a miracle.

Meanwhile, Margaret Theresa was growing up in the Queen’s chambers in the Royal Alcazar of Madrid. She received an excellent education and was considered to be physically attractive. She did not suffer from the disabilities her brother had due to the closeness in the relationship between her parents. As early as April 1663 – when Margaret Theresa was 12 – she was being considered as a bride for her uncle, Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor. He was her mother’s younger brother and was 11 years older than her. Though this would be yet another very close marriage, its main goal was to ensure the defence of the Low Countries. Also, it didn’t hurt to keep a potential heiress to the crown in the family. Councillors of State later wrote that Leopold was in the best position to guarantee “the rights of the Lady Infanta to this Crown [of Spain]” and had the best claim to the “title of son of Your Majesty.”2 Not only were Mariana and Leopold siblings, King Philip IV and Leopold’s mother were also siblings – making King Philip Leopold’s uncle as well.

The marriage treaty was ratified on 7 September 1663, but both sides were still unsure. Throughout the next year, King Philip stalled sending his daughter to Vienna. Leopold was desperate for an heir and pleaded for Margaret Theresa to be sent to Vienna. He finally set the departure for August 1665, but he was more concerned with the war with the Portuguese. The Spanish suffered a defeat in July, and it also became clear that the King would not live for much longer. Margaret Theresa’s mother would soon take centre stage as regent. On his deathbed, he urged his daughter to be “obedient” to her mother.3 He died on 17 September 1665 at the age of 60.

Click to view slideshow.

Margaret Theresa was included in her father’s will as a potential heiress to her brother – based on the renunciation of her sister Maria Theresa. Another line of succession was also confirmed – the line of Philip’s younger sister Maria Anna of Spain, whose only surviving son happened to be Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor. Margaret Theresa’s wedding would strengthen that line even more. Finally, the proxy marriage was celebrated on 25 April 1666. Mariana wrote that she would miss her “as I was so used to having her close to me at all times.”4 Margaret Theresa left for Vienna a few days after the proxy ceremony.

Her arrival in the capital in December 1666 was magnificently staged with a Hungarian guard of 1,500 horsemen, a German guard of 1,000 horsemen, all the gentlemen of the bedchamber, ministers of state and the members of the Order of the Golden Fleece. Margaret Theresa adapted well to her new surroundings, and the official wedding ceremony took place on 12 December 1666. She reportedly got on well with Leopold, and she continued to call him “uncle” while he called her “Gredl.” They shared a love of music, and for her 17th birthday, Leopold worked with Antonio Cesti to compose an opera. Her piety reportedly inspired Leopold to compel the Jews to leave Vienna in 1669/1670.

Maria Antonia of Austria (public domain)

She became pregnant almost immediately, and by March, she was being carried around in a litter. She gave birth to a short-lived son named Ferdinand Wenceslaus on 28 September 1667. She would go on to give birth three more times and also suffered at least two miscarriages. Of all her children, only her daughter Maria Antonia survived to adulthood. Margaret Theresa had pushed her body to the limit with so many pregnancies, and she was often up and walking shortly after childbirth to please her husband.

Photo by Moniek Bloks – Margaret Theresa’s coffin is on the right

Margaret Theresa died on 12 March 1673 – still only 21 years old – of bronchitis after suffering from a fever for eight days. She was also four months pregnant.5 An autopsy revealed that the child had been a boy. Her husband wrote in his diary, “My heart breaks… but always may Your Will be done.”6 When the news reached Madrid, her brother Charles consoled their mother “like an angel”, helping her take the news with “perfect resignation.”7 She left behind a four-year-old daughter who inherited her claim to the Spanish throne. Leopold would remarry that same year, but he found his new wife “not like my only Margareta.”8

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Eleonora Gonzaga the Younger – The influential widow

With the death of his second wife, Maria Leopoldine, in 1649, Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, needed to find a third wife. The name of his future third wife would have sounded familiar to him, as she was the namesake of his stepmother, Eleonora Gonzaga (known as the Elder). In fact, the two Eleonoras were great-aunt and great-niece.

Eleonora (known as the Younger) was born on 18 November 1630 as the daughter of Charles Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers – heir to the Duchy of Mantua, but he died before succeeding – and Maria Gonzaga, Duchess of Montferrat in her own right. Her father died before Eleonora’s first birthday, and so she never knew him.

Eleonora lived with her mother in the Monastery of Sant’Orsola until 1637, when her elder brother succeeded their grandfather as Duke of Mantua, and her mother had to take up the regency for him. Her mother made sure she received an excellent education, and she was known for her poem-writing.

It was her great-aunt who negotiated the match between Eleonora and the now twice-widowed Emperor Ferdinand III. The court of Vienna was taken aback by this, believing the elder Eleonora to have too much influence. It was also believed that the younger Eleonora was deformed after having been bitten by a monkey in 1643. Another issue was the dowry. The Emperor could do with a large dowry, but after the Thirty Years’ War, the Gonzagas were unable to pay the dowry requested of them. Nevertheless, negotiations were concluded, and the official wedding took place on 30 April 1651. The wedding celebrations were overshadowed by the death of a trumpeter who had suffered burns from a fireworks display.

Eleonora was accompanied by her mother, brother and sister-in-law Isabella Clara of Austria into the care of her great-aunt and now also her step-mother-in-law. The elder Eleonora was glad to see her great-niece as it somewhat rehabilitated her own position at court after having been unjustly accused of having caused the death of Maria Leopoldine.1 The young Eleonora got on well with the children from her husband’s first and second marriage and also gave birth to four children of her own in quick succession. Two daughters, Eleonora and Maria Anna Josepha would survive to adulthood. She also had at least one miscarriage.

Tragedy struck in 1654 when her eldest stepson Ferdinand (known as Ferdinand IV, King of the Romans as his father’s heir) suddenly became ill with smallpox. Everyone who had not yet had the disease quickly fled from the court, including his father, stepmother and the other children. Ferdinand quickly worsened, and he died on 9 July 1654 at the age of 19. The Emperor was devastated and withdrew from the court for several weeks. He wrote sadly to his sister, “The loss is great.”2 Her second stepson Leopold now became his father’s heir, even though he was being prepared for a bishopric. When Eleonora gave birth to a third daughter in December 1654, many were disappointed that it was not a boy, considering the circumstances.

During the early years of her marriage, Eleonora spent quite a bit of time with the elder Eleonora, but the elder Eleonora was often sick and had to leave the court for her health. The elder Eleonora died on 27 June 1655. She had named her great-niece as her heiress. She was initially buried in the monastery where she had died, but in 1782, her remains were transferred to the St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. Her heart was removed from her body and interred with her husband.

The younger Eleonora was pregnant with her fourth child when her husband entered the last year of his life. He had been ill on and off since they had been married, but it was becoming more serious now. At the end of November 1656, he was suffering from gout and stomach problems. He spent two weeks in bed and seemed to recover, though he remained in pain. On 11 February 1657, “the court was particularly pleased” when Eleonora gave birth to a son named Ferdinand Joseph Alois.3 It did not appear that the Emperor anticipated his death would come soon, and life continued as normal. On 17 March, he joined Eleonora for her first public appearance after childbirth, but he had been vomiting the day before. From then on, he continued to grow weaker, and Eleonora informed her husband that the doctors told her he should make his last confession. He told her not to cry and that he had hoped to be with her for a few more years. He also called his brother Leopold to him and asked him to take care of the Empress and his son.

Easter Sunday would be the last day of his life. He was given the last rites, and eventually, Eleonora was persuaded to go to sleep. Around midnight there was a small fire in the kitchen directly below the Empress’s chambers. She and the children were rescued by the Emperor’s brother, and the fire was put out by soldiers. The Emperor died around 4 A.M. on 2 April 1657. He was buried with his previous two wives and the six children that had predeceased him. His heart was taken from his body and buried at Graz. Just one year later, Eleonora’s young son passed away.

Her brother-in-law Leopold Wilhelm may have taken his brother’s request to care for Eleonora a little bit too seriously as he sought to marry her in the hopes of being elected Holy Roman Emperor himself. However, Eleonora was a strong supporter of her stepson Leopold, and he was duly elected Emperor Leopold I in July 1658. Per the will of her late husband, Eleonora received the guardianship of her children and stepchildren. She had a separate court and lived at the Favorita Palace, Schönbrunn, Laxenburg and the Hofburg. She also enjoyed great respect from her stepson.

Eleonora remained the first woman at court until the arrival of Leopold’s first wife, Margaret Theresa of Spain, who was both his first cousin and his niece, in 1666. She got along with Margaret Theresa, but tragically Margaret Theresa died at the age of 21 in 1673, leaving one surviving daughter. Eleonora did not get along quite so well with her successor, Claudia Felicitas of Austria. This appears to be mostly because Eleonora had preferred another woman for Leopold, Eleonore Magdalene of Neuburg. Claudia Felicitas died in 1676 of tuberculosis, having given birth to two short-lived daughters. The much-preferred candidate Eleonore Magdalene became Leopold’s third wife later that same year.

In 1678, both of Eleonora’s daughters married. The elder and her namesake married Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, and she was briefly Queen of Poland. After her husband’s death in 1673, she remarried Charles V, Duke of Lorraine, in 1678 and had four surviving children by him. Her younger daughter Maria Anna Josepha married Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine, but the marriage produced just two short-lived sons. As Eleonora entered the last decade of her life, she often withdrew from court due to ill health.

Photo by Moniek Bloks

Eleonora died on 6 December 1686 in Vienna, and she was interred in the Imperial Crypt. When her sarcophagus was restored in 1990, a piece of jewellery was found with her remains with the inscription “Sola ubique triumphat ” – she alone (virtue) triumphs.” This refers to a forgotten order founded by Eleonora in 1662, which was later replaced.4

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Maria Leopoldine of Austria – Empress of 401 days

After the death of his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain, Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, sought to marry again. Like his first wife, his second wife would be another first cousin. Maria Leopoldine of Austria was the daughter of Leopold V, Archduke of Austria, and Claudia de’ Medici. Born on 6 April 1632, Maria Leopoldine was just one year older than her eldest future stepson and 24 years younger than her future husband. Maria Leopoldine had three older surviving siblings; Ferdinand Charles (born 1628), Isabella Clara (born 1629) and Sigismund Francis (born 1630). She also had an older half-sister from her mother’s first marriage, Vittoria della Rovere. Her father had arranged for Pope Urban VIII to be her godfather but due to tensions between the two bishops asked to represent the Pope at the baptism, it was postponed for the time being.

Maria Leopoldine was born in the midst of a war with Sweden, and she was still in the cradle when her father died in September 1632 after he became ill while taking a rest from battle. Her mother, Claudia, now had to act as regent for her eldest brother until he came of age in 1649. It was only at the end of November that Maria Leopoldine was finally baptised. In addition to the Pope, Marie de’ Medici, Queen of France, was also one of her godparents. She was presumably named Leopoldine to honour her late father.

Her mother consulted Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, on how best to raise her young son. Should he perhaps be separated from the women and given his own household? Her husband’s will had stated that he wanted him to be raised by Jesuits. The Emperor responded that Claudia should do what she thought was best and that he did not believe that the five-year-old should be separated from his siblings yet. All four siblings received their education from the Jesuits. Theatre became a great part of their childhood, and the siblings were not only spectators but also actors. In 1636, all four performed for their mother’s birthday.

Maria Leopoldine was still in her teens when she became the second wife of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor. He already had surviving sons, and Maria Leopoldine was known to be robust and could potentially guarantee further strong offspring. At the time, she was also being considered for the widowed King Philip IV of Spain, but both parties had their doubts about that match. On 29 February 1648, the Pope granted the necessary dispensation and Maria Leopoldine and Ferdinand were married in Linz on 2 July 1648. However, all the major celebrations were cancelled because the court was in mourning for the King of Poland. Her mother, Claudia, died shortly after returning home to Innsbruck.

(public domain)

Maria Leopoldine fell pregnant almost immediately, and she was painted in the final stage of her pregnancy the following year. Maria Leopoldine had been careful throughout her pregnancy. She had avoided taking bumpy carriage rides and allowed herself to be carried in a litter instead. On medical advice, she remained active and was considered to be healthy. There were daily prayers for a happy birth.

On 7 August 1648, Maria Leopoldine gave birth to a son named Archduke Charles Joseph of Austria, but the birth had been extremely difficult for the just 17-year-old Empress. Maria Leopoldine’s condition deteriorated over the day, and she received the last rites before losing consciousness. She died around midnight after the birth of her son, and “such joy suddenly turned into the greatest sadness.”1 It appears that Ferdinand’s stepmother was unjustly accused of having caused her death through a lack of care.2

Maria Leopoldine’s son survived the birth, and he became bishop of Olmütz and Breslau, Passau, before dying at the age of 14. Maria Leopoldine was buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna, and the inscription on her coffin reads, “My hope is the Lord. Locked in this coffin is Maria Leopoldina, the imperial wife of the most noble Emperor Ferdinand III, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia, the noble daughter of the noble Archdukes Leopold and Claudia. As soon as she gave life to an imperial child, for the joy of the world, she passed away. Worthy to live for centuries, she ended hardly a year of government and life at the same time on August 7th, in the year of the Lord, 1649.3

Her coffin was restored in 1988, and a new inner coffin was made from mahogany. Her remains were found to be skeletal, and her high-heeled shoes were still recognisable.

Photo by Moniek Bloks

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Vicereines of Ireland: Portraits of Forgotten Women Exhibition

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Until 5 September 2021, Dublin Castle will shine a light on a group of forgotten women – the Vicereines of Ireland.

Though not necessarily of royal blood or descent, these women were the faces of the British monarchy in Ireland and were often in contact with monarchs, such as Queen Victoria, as part of their work. The exhibition also sheds light on the attitudes of royal women towards Ireland, most notably Queen Victoria and her mother, the Duchess of Kent, through their correspondence with the Vicereines.

Most of the artworks are on a temporary loan from museums and private collections. They are by masters such as Sir Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, John Singer Sargent and Sir John Lavery.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a beautifully illustrated catalogue and volume of scholarly essays. An extract tells the tale of an anti-Irish outburst by the British Prime Minister, Viscount Melbourne, in the presence of the Queen. Written by the Vicereine Maria, Marchioness of Normanby in 1838: “He began abusing the Irish nation yesterday. I told him how ungrateful I thought him… but he went off in his way, you know, ‘a perverse artful false and fickle people – never any good with them, true Celts’!!! It provokes me, his fury… before the Queen… it must prejudice her against a part of her own people that God knows have never received justice from any English sovereign before.” 

Vicereines of Ireland: Portraits of Forgotten Women, edited by Myles Campbell, is published by Irish Academic Press and is available here (US) and here (UK).

Plan your visit to Dublin Castle here.

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Maria Anna of Spain – A much-loved Empress

Maria Anna of Spain was born on 18 August 1606 as the daughter of King Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria. She was their fourth born but third surviving child. Her elder sister Anne became Queen of France, while her elder brother Philip succeeded their father as King of Spain. Four more siblings followed, but only two of those survived to adulthood. Even more tragically, her mother died in 1611 following the birth of her last child.

Maria Anna was an important pawn in her father’s matrimonial projects. She was initially betrothed to her first cousin Archduke John-Charles of Austria, who would die at the age of 14 before the marriage could take place. In 1622, she was the subject of the so-called Spanish Match. Her betrothed would be the future King Charles I of England, Scotland and Ireland. Author Pauline Gregg describes her at that time as “then seventeen years old, a gentle withdrawn girl, devoted to her religion, terrified at the consequences of marrying a heretic.” She had even announced she would rather go into a nunnery.1 In the end, the wedding never took place, and her intended fiance ended up marrying Henrietta Maria of France.

At the end of 1626, she was betrothed to her first fiance’s brother, the new heir and the future Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor. He would be crowned King of Hungary in 1626 and King of Bohemia in 1627. When the marriage contract was finally signed in 1628, Maria Anna was to retain her inheritance rights of the Spanish throne, unlike her sister Anne who had to renounce them upon her marriage in 1615. The proxy wedding took place in Madrid on 25 April 1629 without any ceremonial pomp. Maria Anna left Madrid in December 1629, but the journey would last for almost a year, with many delays. She met her future brother-in-law in Trieste in January 1631, and he accompanied her the rest of the way.

Her first in-person meeting with her husband would not come until almost two years later, on 22 February 1631. He decided to secretly view his wife and was in a group of nobles who received an audience. He was struck by her beauty and reportedly immediately revealed his identity. Maria Anna could also breathe a sigh of relief because she had heard ugly rumours about him that did not turn out to be true. Over the next few days, she met her step-mother-in-law Eleonora and her father-in-law (and uncle). Her father-in-law did not allow her to kiss his hand, and he embraced her and kissed her forehead instead. Afterwards, he led her into a room where all the princes, counts and gentlemen kissed her hand.

The wedding festivities would last for one month. On 26 February 1631, they travelled to Vienna and were married in the Augustinian church. While the Emperor and Empress wore clothes with gold thread, Maria Anna and her husband wore clothes with silver thread. The following wedding dinner took place in the Hofburg.

On 8 September 1633, Maria Anna gave birth to her first child – a son named Ferdinand. The following year she gave birth to a daughter – named Maria Anna. During her husband’s absence in the years 1635 and 1636, they wrote to each other often. Maria Anna was often concerned about her husband’s health and the wellbeing of their children. She reported to her husband on their eldest son when he was teething, in a bad mood or crying. She also reported on his love for horses and how Eleonora rode with him on her lap through the garden. Little Ferdinand was even allowed to scribble things on his mother’s letters so his father could see his writing. She also wrote that Ferdinand appeared to be too lazy to start speaking. Although quite an involved mother, the daily upbringing of their children was in the hands of Countess Trautson.

When her father-in-law died in 1637, Maria Anna was pregnant with her third child. It would be a son by the name of Philip August. Her next child was another son named Maximilian Thomas. Both boys would die within a week of each other in 1639. In 1640, another son followed – he would be named Leopold and was his father’s eventual successor.

In 1646, Maria Anna was pregnant again, but she unexpectedly fell ill on the evening of 12 May, most likely with preeclampsia. She had never been afraid of childbirth, but she had confided in her confessor to being afraid this time and that she had seen the “white woman” several times. This was apparently an omen that a member of the Imperial Family would die.

She died the following morning around 6 am – she was still only 39 years old. In a desperate attempt to save her child, doctors performed a caesarian section. The little girl was born alive but was very premature. She was baptised with the name Maria and passed away the very same day. Maria Anna was dressed in the habit of a Carmelite nun before being placed in her coffin with her little daughter in her arms. Her ladies accompanied Maria Anna’s coffin back to Vienna, while the grief-stricken Ferdinand remained behind in Linz. He became physically ill and refused to speak to anyone. Bells rang out as the barge carrying Maria Anna’s coffin sailed down the Danube.

Photo by Moniek Bloks

Maria Anna was interred in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna. Her husband later wrote, “The Empress dies, the whole world mourns, but she lives happily in her God.” When her coffin was opened in 1852 for restoration work, she was found to be wearing a different dress than what she had been dressed in initially. She was now wearing a red velvet dress with gold embroidery. She was well-preserved, and her hair was still bright red. Only a few bones remained of her little daughter. 2

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Michelle Williams to star as Katherine Parr in Karim Aïnouz’s ‘Firebrand’

Michelle Williams will star as Katherine Parr, the sixth and final wife of King Henry VIII of England, in the English-language debut of Karim Aïnouz called Firebrand.

The film is set to start shooting in the United Kingdom in early 2022. No further casting has yet been confirmed.

“I could not be more excited to be bringing the undiscovered story of Katherine Parr to the screen, a ferociously brilliant woman who I am inspired by deeply and has been largely invisible, or certainly under-represented in English history,” Aïnouz said. “Much is known about Henry VIII’s tyrannical reign and those who perished and suffered at his hands, but my focus here is on a woman who not only managed to survive but also, to thrive. This is a reimagining of a ‘period’ film, a psychological horror film set in the Tudor court; a story of intrigue, agency and survival. Having Michelle Williams portray this remarkable woman, an actress of immeasurable talent and passion, is a dream come true.”

The film is based on the novel Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle but was renamed following the Netflix series by the same name.

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Book Review: The Tsarina’s Lost Treasure by Gerald Easter and Mara Vorhees

*review copy*

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In October 1771, the Vrouw Maria merchant ship sank off the coast of Finland. She carried lots of cargo, including several works of art that Empress Catherine the Great had bought at auction in Amsterdam from the collection of Gerrit Braamcamp. The lost works included Paulus Potter’s Large Herd of Oxen and Gerard ter Borch’s Woman at her Toilette.

Several attempts were made to find the wreck until it was finally located by Pro Vrouw Maria in 1999.

The Tsarina’s Lost Treasure brings together several storylines, including those of Catherine the Great, Gerrit Braamcamp, the crew of the merchant ship and the people who eventually located the shipwreck and the ensuing legal battle. The book is very well-written and manages to bring all sides to the story alive throughout the centuries. I liked that it didn’t focus too much on Catherine the Great’s backstory but did include her involvement in the auction and her growing art collection.

Unfortunately, many of Vrouw Maria’s treasures remain lost to us, so perhaps one day, there will be a sequel to the saga.

The Tsarina’s Lost Treasure by Gerald Easter and Mara Vorhees is available now in the UK and the US.

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Eleonora Gonzaga the Elder – The pious Empress

Eleonora Gonzaga, known as the Elder to distinguish her from her great-niece and namesake, was born on 23 September 1598 as the daughter of Vincenzo Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua and Monferrato, and his wife Eleonora de’ Medici. She was the youngest of six siblings.

Eleonora would grow up in one of the most splendid courts in Italy, and it was known for its leading role in the arts, music and science. From the age of ten, Eleonora lived at the monastery of Sant’Orsola, where her education was entrusted to her aunt Margherita Gonzaga, Dowager Duchess of Ferrara and Modena. She received lessons in languages, history, music and painting. Her religious upbringing influenced her later life heavily, and she was known to be extremely pious. She continued to live at the monastery until her marriage in 1622.

Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, had been widowed in 1616 – his first wife had been Maria Anna of Bavaria – and Eleonora was an attractive bride with a rich dowry. She also met all the requirements for the leading lady of the court – she was beautiful, well-educated, pious and had the right age. Ferdinand was not only a relative but also one of Eleonora’s godparents, and so a papal dispensation was requested and granted. A proxy wedding was held on 21 November 1621 in the palace chapel. The official wedding took place in Innsbruck on 2 February 1622 in the chapel of the imperial palace. The celebrations were relatively modest. Despite the 20 year age difference, they reportedly got on well, and if he had any mistresses during the marriage, it has not been reported on. Eleanora and Ferdinand did not have any children together, but she did become the stepmother of his children by his first wife.

She received several coronations; on 26 July 1622, she was crowned Queen of Hungary; on 7 November 1627, she was crowned German Queen and Holy Roman Empress, and lastly, she was crowned Queen of Bohemia on 21 November 1627. She began learning German immediately after arriving in Vienna. Keeping in touch with her piety, she founded a monastery of Discalced Carmelites in Vienna and Graz. She also ordered the construction of the chapel of the Madonna of Loreto in the Augustinian Church and was the founder of the famous Herzgruft (crypt of hearts) in the same church. She also never lost her love of music, and she supported many artists, including those from her home county. She became known for attending opera and ballet performances.

Her marriage to Ferdinand would last just 15 years – he died on 15 February 1637 and was succeeded by her eldest stepson, who became Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor. Eleanor was still only 38 years old, and she settled in the monastery in Vienna which she had founded. She continued to correspond with her relatives, both in Austria and Italy. She was even the proxy in the marriage contract negotiations between her stepson and her great-niece and namesake.

Eleonora survived her husband for 18 years – dying on 27 June 1655. She had named her great-niece as her heiress. She was initially buried in the monastery where she had died, but in 1782, her remains were transferred to the St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. Her heart was removed from her body and interred with her husband.

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The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – The adventuress

One of the more persistent stories that have continued to haunt the Duchess of Windsor after her death is that she had affairs following her marriage to the Duke.

Perhaps the most famous story is that of Joachim von Ribbentrop, a German diplomat and later Minister for Foreign Affairs. Wallis was introduced to von Ribbentrop by Lady Cunard, a London hostess known for her lavish dinner parties. At the time, Wallis was still married to Ernest Simpson but also deeply involved with the then Prince of Wales. It has been speculated that she and von Ribbentrop became lovers and that he often sent her roses (or carnations). The affair seems doubtful, especially considering Wallis had witnessed first-hand how jealous the Prince of Wales had become when his previous favourite Thelma, Viscountess Furness, had a flirtation with Aly Khan. In an interview in May 1937, Wallis declared that she had only met von Ribbentrop twice.1 Although he may have sent her flowers in the hope of gaining her favour, the notion that the number of these corresponded with the number of times they supposedly slept together is ridiculous.

Ten years into their marriage, Wallis’s flirtation with the homosexual Jimmy Donahue had tongues wagging yet again. The Duke and Duchess first met Jimmy in 1947, and Wallis was intrigued by him. The Countess of Romanones later recalled, “Jimmy made no bones about the fact that he was a homosexual. Everyone knew of his pursuit of men – it happened all the time, and he never tried to hide it from either the Duke of the Duchess.”2

At the time they met Jimmy, the Duke was busy working on his memoirs, and Wallis was often by herself. Jimmy quickly filled that temporary gap in her life, and many began to assume that he and Wallis were lovers, despite his homosexuality. Jimmy was quite willing to keep the rumour mill going with outrageous alleged remarks such as, “She’s the best cock sucker I’ve ever known!”3 Those around Jimmy knew he was full of it, saying, “Everyone knew he lied and lied and lied – nobody believed a word he said.”4 Wallis herself joked, “Really, David! What could possibly be more harmless? Everyone knows what Jimmy is! Why, his friends call me the Queen of the Fairies!”5 Wallis had plenty of gay friends, and as a socialite, she lived in a world of decorators and couturiers.

Even if there ever was any hint of trouble in the Windsors’ marriage, this would have been the time. But for the outside world, they continued to portray a united front. An incident in 1951 fuelled rumours of an imminent divorce when Walls – while waving a large feathered fan – received flowers from Jimmy. She remarked, “Put the flowers on the fan. Isn’t it amazing? The Donahue roses on the Prince of Wales’s feathers!” The Duke appeared to take the joke as an insult, which gave even more rise to gossip.6 By the mid-1950s, the friendship had begun to turn sour. Jimmy reportedly had been drinking one night and had begun to belittle the Duke, saying he only kept him around to pay the bills. Wallis then told him to be quiet, and in response, he kicked her beneath the table. The Duke rushed to help Wallis, who was bleeding from her leg. He then screamed at Jimmy, “We’ve had all we can take of you, Jimmy! Get the hell out of here!” They never saw Jimmy again.7

Anna Pasternak, the author of The American Duchess, wrote of Wallis’s flirtation with Jimmy, “Wallis’s flirtation with this spoilt hedonist, who once bought her a jeroboam of perfume at a Paris nightclub, was her visible rebellion against the pressures constraints of her marriage and the cloying over-attentive affections of the duke. Donahue shares Wallis’s taste for witty retorts, nightclubs and dancing until dawn. Sadly, though, Walis hurt her husband with this liaison and, uncharacteristically, behaved recklessly, generating ugly rumours.”8

In the midst of the Jimmy Donahue gossip, a man by the name of Russell Nype9also briefly appeared. In January 1951, a columnist wrote, “From New York comes the word that Russell Nype, Manhattan’s new rave – he’s with Ethel Merman in ‘Call me Madam’ – is the Duchess of Windsor’s favorite dancing partner. She and the duke, who are admirers of his, are reported giving a big party at the St. Regis, where he is booked for a midnight stint after the show.”10 Nype was pursued by the press, and in October, he stated, “What could there be romantic between a middle-aged Duchess and a young man who reminds her of an invisible rabbit?”11

It was Queen Mary who had first called the Duchess an “adventuress.” In 1936, her son informed her that he intended to marry Wallis and asked if she would be willing to receive her. Queen Mary refused this and when asked why, Queen Mary replied, “Because she is an adventuress!”12 However, there does not appear to be much truth in Wallis have had affairs during her marriage to the Duke.

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