Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 154

Empress Hermine’s descendants

*contains affiliate links*

Empress Hermine, born Hermine Reuss of Greiz, did not have any children from her second marriage to the exiled Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany. However, her first marriage to Prince Johann George of Schönaich-Carolath produced five children and through her daughter’s marriage with the Emperor’s grandson, the bloodlines intertwined anyway.1

For more information about Empress Hermine,  you can buy my book here (US) and here (UK).

Bundesarchiv Bild 102-05029 (L-R Georg Wilhelm, Hans Georg, Hermine, Henriette, Hermine Caroline, Ferdinand)

Hans Georg

Born 3 November 1907 –  Died 9 August 1943

Her eldest son was Hans Georg and he married Baroness Sibylle von Zedlitz und Leipe in 1939, and they had two children before he was killed in action on the Russian front.

Marina was born on 8 May 1940, and she married Peter, Baron Wiedersperger von Wiedersperg in 1967. They have two daughters and a son, Marietta (1968), Axel (1972) and Donata (1977).

George was born on 4 January 1943, and he married Monika Basselot, Comtesse de la Rosee in 1979.

Georg Wilhelm

Born 16 March 1909 – Died 1 November 1927

Her second son Georg Wilhelm died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 18, leaving no descendants.

Hermine Caroline

Wedding of Hermine Caroline and Hugo – Bundesarchiv Bild 102-17735

Born 9 May 1910 – Died possibly 19922

Hermine Caroline married Hugo Herbert Hartung in 1936. They had no children together and he died in 1945 as a prisoner of the Russians. If she ever remarried or had children, it has not been recorded. The date of her death is quite a mystery, but the date of 1959 as sometimes given appears to be incorrect as it leads to an American-born woman.

Ferdinand

Born 5 April 1913 – Died 17 October 1973

Ferdinand married three times but twice to the same woman. In 1938, he married Rose Rauch. They were divorced in 1941 and remarried in 1947 before divorcing again in 1961. He remarried to Baroness Margarethe von Seckendorff in 1963. There were no descendants from either marriage.

Henriette

Born 25 November 1918 – Died 16 March 1972

Henriette made perhaps the grandest match of all. She married her mother’s step-grandson Prince Karl Franz of Prussia in  1940. They went on to have three sons together, of which one died young.

Franz Wilhelm was born on 3 September 1943, and he married Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia (claimant to the headship of the Imperial Family of Russia) in 1976. They had one son together, Grand Duke George Mikhailovich, who was born on 13 March 1981, before divorcing in 1985.

Embed from Getty Images

Friedrich Christian, the twin of Franz Wilhelm, lived for just three weeks and died on 26 September 1943.

Franz Friedrich was born on 17 October 1944, and he married morganatically married Gudrun Winkler in 1970. They had one daughter named Christine together; she was born in 1968. They were divorced in 1996, and he remarried Susann Genske in 1998.3

Embed from Getty Images

Henriette also appears to have had a fourth son with an unknown man – Udo Ernst Prinz von Schoenaich-Carolath-Schilden who was born in 1956.4 He has four children with his wife Jacqueline.5

The post Empress Hermine’s descendants appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Richildis – The warrior Countess

This article was written by Carol.

Richildis is believed to be the daughter of Rainier of Hanson and Adelaide von Egisheim, an Alsacian family related to the Holy Roman Emperor. It is believed Richildis inherited the county of Valenciennes from her father which was merged with the county of Hainaut when she married Herman of Mons.

With Herman, she had two children, Roger and Gertrude. When her husband died around 1050, Baldwin V, Count of Flanders, who very much wanted to annex Hainaut, wasted no time in forcing her to marry his son Baldwin. However, this marriage caused trouble for both Baldwins with Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor. Henry had been engaged in a war with Baldwin V and his ally the Duke of Lorraine for almost a decade. He claimed that he had the right to determine who would be Count of Hainaut. Pope Leo IX chimed in as well. He claimed the marriage was forbidden because the two were related within the prohibited degree. This Pope happened to be the Emperor’s cousin. He also was uncle to Richildis.

The younger Baldwin was even excommunicated for a period of time. Herman of Tournai claimed that Pope Leo predicted that as a result, the children of this marriage would never rule both Flanders and Hainaut. It is possible that Richildis encouraged this argument in order to annul her forced marriage. Baldwin V also arranged to disinherit her children
by Herman of Mons by having them enter the church. Her son was made a cleric and he became a Bishop. Her daughter became a nun. This enabled Richildis’ children by Baldwin to be set up to inherit both Flanders and Hainaut.

Baldwin V had one last trick up his sleeve. He must have known that his younger son Robert could not be trusted. He made Robert swear on holy relics and in front of many nobles, that he would support his brother and his brother’s children in their inheritance. Baldwin V died in 1067 and Richildis’ husband became Baldwin VI of Flanders and Baldwin I of Hainaut. They had two sons, Arnulf and Baldwin. They planned to give the eldest son the county of Flanders and the younger one the county of Hainaut. Prior to his death Baldwin VI once again had his brother Robert swear loyalty to Arnulf who was still a minor. However, as soon as Baldwin was dead, Robert raised an army in an attempt to wrest Flanders from Richildis and Arnulf.

Richildis and Arnulf, however, had connections. Through Baldwin V, Arnulf was related to both the French King Philip and the English Queen Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror. Both groups sent troops. Matilda, at this point, was in Normandy administering William’s duchy. Around Christmas 1070, William sent one of his most trusted lieutenants, William Fitzosbern, back to Normandy to assist her. Fitzosbern was thus close by to offer assistance. Richildis offered to
marry him if he would take on Robert. The two were married shortly before the battle. It is unclear if perhaps they had met previously. The Battle of Cassel took place in February 1071. Initially, the battle went well. But then Fitzosbern and Arnulf were killed. Both the principals, Robert and Richildis, were captured by the opposing side. In order to obtain her freedom, Richildis had to agree to release Robert.

Richildis did not yet give up. She borrowed money from the Bishop of Liege and raised some more troops with the local lords. She tried and failed again. Robert the Frisian became Robert, Count of Flanders and Richildis retreated to Hainaut, three times a widow, with her younger son Baldwin. Pope Leo’s prediction had come true.

Richildis served as regent of Hainaut until her son Baldwin reached his majority. She is credited with having built the Fortress of Beaumont, where Napolean rested on his way to Waterloo. She died in 1085 or 1086 and was buried at the Abbey of Hanson with her family. Her son Baldwin disappeared during the first crusade leaving nine children, among them a daughter Richildis.1

The post Richildis – The warrior Countess appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Joanna of Bavaria – Beloved or Neglected?

Very little is known about Joanna of Bavaria, the first wife of King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia.  She did not play a big role as queen, and she never had any children.  Information about her life is so sparse, that even her sudden death is talked about more than her life.

Joanna of Bavaria was a daughter of Albert I, Duke of Bavaria and Count of Holland, Hainault and Zeeland, and Margaret of Brieg.  She was probably born in The Hague.  The date of her birth is uncertain, it is said to be 1356 at the earliest or 1362 at the latest.

Queen of Bohemia and Germany  

In August 1370, Joanna anywhere between the age of eight and fourteen, left The Hague and traveled to Prague for her wedding.  On 29 September 1370, Joanna was wed to nine-year-old Wenceslaus, the eldest son of Charles IV, King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor.  Wenceslaus had been betrothed twice before marrying Joanna.  The marriage between Wenceslaus and Joanna was arranged to break an anti-Bohemian alliance between the Hungarian and Polish kings and Joanna’s family.  Wenceslaus had already been crowned as King of Bohemia at a very young age to confirm his place as his father’s heir.  On 17 November 1370, Joanna was crowned as Queen of Bohemia.

The marriage was consummated in 1376 when Wenceslaus was fifteen, and Joanna between fourteen and twenty.  After that they started living together regularly.  That same year, the couple were crowned as King and Queen of the Romans, in Frankfurt am Main.  The title ‘King of the Romans’ was also called ‘King of Germany’, and was often used for the heirs of the Holy Roman Emperor.  Joanna learned Czech really quickly.  Her closest advisor would have been the Empress, Wenceslaus’ stepmother, Elizabeth of Pomerania.  However, relations between them were not good.  Elizabeth did not like Wenceslaus and was bitter about the fact that he was heir over her own children.

King Charles IV died on 29 November 1378.  On his death, Wenceslaus became the sole King of Bohemia and Germany.  Although his father was Holy Roman Emperor, Wenceslaus was never crowned as such.  Joanna is known to have attended Charles’ funeral.  Soon after Charles’ death, Joanna left the royal court in Prague, and lived at the castle of Pisek for about a year.  Apparently this had to do with a disagreement between her and Elizabeth of Pomerania.

Joanna did not play a big role as Queen of Bohemia, but she had her own royal seal.  According to chroniclers she was no great beauty, but was known for her friendly and cheerful nature.  Accounts are divided on whether the marriage was happy or not.  All accounts seem to agree that Wenceslaus loved to drink and was ill-tempered at times.  Wenceslaus also loved hunting, and kept a pack of hounds that slept in his bed chamber.  He was known to have devoted most of his time to hunting, eating, and drinking.  Apparently, Joanna tried to intervene with Wenceslaus about his lifestyle, and tried to get him to take his role as king more seriously.  It is said, that despite Wenceslaus’ character, there was a strong emotional bond between him and his wife.  The marriage was childless, and the couple’s infertility is usually blamed on Wenceslaus instead of Joanna.  Wenceslaus was thought to be infertile because of his alcoholism.

Joanna’s sudden death

Joanna’s life came to a sudden end on the last day of 1386, at the royal castle of Karlstein, when she was between the ages of 24 and 30.  There are several theories of her death, the most common one is that she was bitten or strangled by one of Wenceslaus’ hounds.  According to a chronicler, she got up in the middle of the night to use the chamber pot.  As she searched for the chamber pot under the bed, the noise startled and woke one of the hounds, and the dog jumped on her and bit her in the throat.  Some wonder how this could have happened, and if the animal was used to Joanna.  About a year before, one of the dogs had bitten a royal master that they would have been used to.  Sometimes Wenceslaus’ recklessness is used to explain the aggression of his dogs.  It is also suggested that the dog could have had rabies.  These hounds were used to hunt and kill large animals, and protect their master.

Some question this story because in the middle ages it was customary for kings and queens to have separate bedchambers.  However, it is not impossible that they could have still spent some nights together.  Perhaps the hounds were not used to Joanna sleeping in the bedchamber with their master.  Some other theories say Joanna, miserable in her marriage starved herself to death.  This seems very unlikely, however.  There is also a suggestion that she died from the plague, but that disease seems to have not been active in the area at the time of her death.  Therefor, it seems most likely that she was killed by one of Wenceslaus’ hounds.

Wenceslaus arranged a magnificent funeral for Joanna, but he did not attend.  Again, there are opposing explanations to why he wasn’t there.  One says that he was too ill with grief over the loss of his wife, others say that he left to indulge in his favourite pastimes.  Joanna was buried in St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague.  Whether he mourned for her or not, Wenceslaus eventually had to marry again.  He did so two years later to Sofia of Bavaria, Joanna’s first cousin once removed.1

The post Joanna of Bavaria – Beloved or Neglected? appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – The press and the hate mail

Initially, the British press reported little on Wallis due to a gentlemen’s agreement, which lasted nearly the entire abdication crisis. The American press, however, had been hounding her but her name and references to her were censored in the American newspapers available in England.

During her divorce court case, the international press had assembled at Ipswich, but few British journalists were there. In 1926, an act had been passed to restrict reports on divorce cases, and only 30 tickets had been issued to the press. Their seats had been placed in such a way that they could only see the back of the witnesses’ heads. As Wallis arrived, she still had to run through a crowd of journalists that lined the sidewalks. When it was over, she spoke briefly to a reporter from United Press International, who asked if she’d be returning to America. She told him, “I will never return to the United States. After all the nasty things said about me, I could never show my face there again. I have never experienced anything like it in my life. I don’t know why they should talk about me that way. I certainly am not that important… The things that have been said about me are almost beyond belief. I have never seen or heard anything like it. I feel terribly hurt and humiliated.”1

As the crisis came to a head at the beginning of December 1936 and the British press tethered on the brink of breaking the gentlemen’s agreement, Wallis decided to leave for France. Wallis later recalled, “I was braced for a blow, but nothing had equipped me to deal with what faced me on my breakfast tray in the morning. There in big black type in paper after paper were the words ‘Grave Constitutional Issue’, ‘Grave Crisis’, and ‘Constitutional Crisis.’ The dam was broken.”2 That day, Wallis called her friends Herman and Katherine Rogers, who lived in Cannes and asked to stay with them. The roads around Fort Belvedere were now under constant press surveillance, and Wallis left under the cover of darkness. Edward told her, “It will be some time before we can be together again. You must wait for me, no matter how long it takes. I shall never give you up.”3

Within hours of her leaving, word had reached the French press, and they began to follow her on her way to Cannes. During a stop at a hotel, an altercation broke out, and the Inspector accompanying Wallis broke a camera – believing it could have been a weapon. Escaping from the second hotel in Blois went a little easier as they left at dawn and crept past dozing reporters. Nevertheless, her car was eventually being trailed by several other cars. On 6 December, Wallis lay on the floor of the car as they passed through a mob of reporters through the gates of the Rogers’ villa. Reporters crawled over the gates, looked into the windows and even managed to tap the phone lines.

Wallis later wrote, “Directly upon my arrival at Cannes there followed a fantastic volume of mail, a great deal of it from strangers, much of it anonymous and threatening in tone.[…] An anonymous writer, who identified himself only as an Australian, swore that he was on his way to France to kill me. He sent half a dozen such letters, spaced a day or so apart, all postmarked London, but from different districts.” She added, “I did not lack examples of the fury and hatred that the human race is capable of mustering in a flash. Of all the strange and dismaying things connected with the coupling of my name with the King’s, nothing shook me so much or hurt me more than the discovery of the scorn, even hatred, that many felt for me. I do not wish to suggest that no friendly voices were raised in my behalf. Many were. From strangers all over the world, and even from Britain, came warming letters of sympathy.

“But these were in the minority. The most abusive, oddly enough, came from the Canadians, from English people residing in the United States, and from Americans of British birth or connections. During my first weeks at Cannes, I must have read several thousand letters. With my breakfast would two or three trays heaped high with the day’s delivery. It is no exaggeration to say that my world went to pieces every morning on a tray. Everything that I stood for was condemned. The presumption was that I had in some way, gained an ascendancy over a beloved King. The vocabulary of vilification and abuse is a good deal more extensive than I had until then supposed; there can be few expletives applicable to my sex that were missing from my morning tray.”4

“The enormity of the hatred I had aroused, and the distorted image of me that seemed to be forming in minds everywhere went far beyond anything I had anticipated even in my most depressed moments. Whatever else may have been absent from my make-up, spite and envy certainly were; and I had assumed the same of others. But the daily bombardment to which I was subjected at Cannes taught me that my judgment of human nature had been woefully innocent. The human race, or at least that segment given to firing letters at public figures, includes an astonishingly high proportion of jealous, vindictive people, some of whom appear to be actually crazed. 5

There was also a letter from Ernest who wrote, “My thoughts have been with you throughout your ordeal, and you may rest assured that no one has felt more deeply for you than I have.”6 It was the little glimmer of gentleness that Wallis needed so badly at the time.

The Duke of Windsor was furious about the hate mail but there was little he could do. In early March 1937, he wrote to her from Austria, “God’s curses be on the heads of those English bitches who dare to insult you. Oh, it makes me so sick and scared and I’m so far away and can’t protect you.”7

The post The Year of the Duchess of Windsor – The press and the hate mail appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Margaret of Nevers – A pawn in the Hundred Years’ War

This article was written by Carol.

Margaret was the daughter of Margaret of Bavaria and John of Nevers, who became Duke of Burgundy in 1404 upon the death of his father Philip the Bold. Margaret’s life was played out among the background of the strife between Burgundy, France and England in the early 15th century.

Margaret’s grandfather was the uncle and sometime regent to the mad King of France, Charles VI. He was determined to marry her to King Charles VI’s eldest son so that his descendants might sit on the throne of France. Accordingly, she was betrothed to the Dauphin Charles when she was only two years old. In 1400, the Dauphin Charles died. Philip then proposed that she become affianced to the King’s next son, Louis. However, by this time the King’s brother Louis of Orléans was also a major player and wanted Margaret for his son. The poor mad King would sign a marriage contract with one party one day, and the next day he would sign a different one with a different groom, cancelling out the previous one. Philip of Burgundy’s contract was in force when he died, and his son John of Burgundy wasted no time in getting Margaret and the new Dauphin, Louis, Duke of Guyenne, to the altar in August 1404. Ten-year-old Margaret was then sent to live with her mother-in-law the Queen, Isabeau of Bavaria. The celebrated writer Christine de Pizan dedicated her book the Treasures of the Three Virtues to Margaret as an education on how to be a Queen.

In 1407, the feud between Louis of Orléans and John of Burgundy came to a head when Burgundy had Orléans murdered. Thus began a decade long struggle between their two factions for control of the French monarchy. This worked well for Margaret when the Burgundians were in charge but not so well when the Orléans group was in control. In 1413, the couple were now living together at the Hotel-Neuf, but Paris was on edge. In an effort to consolidate his power over the Dauphin, John of Burgundy had managed to whip up the mob against the Dauphin’s supporters. The Dauphin decided to remove himself and his father to the Loire Valley. Unfortunately, the plan was exposed, and the mob turned against those behind it. After jailing the captain who was to escort Louis out of the city, the mob arrived at the Hotel-Neuf. Louis
leaned out the window to try and placate them. They had a list of people they wanted to be arrested. The mob ended up smashing the glass and breaking in. They started calling out names and dragging individuals away. Poor Margaret tried to hold onto one of Louis’ valet de chambre who was torn from her arms.

The reign of terror got worse before it got better, and in the aftermath, the Burgundians were discredited. John of Burgundy fled Paris in November in fear for his own life. Louis had never been particularly fond of Margaret and may have used the anti-Burgundian sentiment as an excuse to move her aside. By January, Louis and Margaret were no
longer living together. Louis was at the Louvre, and Margaret was at the Hotel St. Pol with the Queen. And Margaret’s father was once again raising an army. To justify his breaking the peace he claimed, among other things, that his daughter was being injured “which is notorious to the whole kingdom, without further going into particulars.” Most likely, the Duke had taken a mistress.

In early 1415, Louis was 18 and tired of the endless warring between his relatives. He denounced them all for having had their hands in the royal treasury and kicked them out of Paris. He also took the opportunity to separate Magaret from his mother. One day he arrived at the Hotel St. Pol and at his side was Arthur, Count of Richmond, his best friend, leading a group of troops. Margaret was forced to move to the Chateau St. Germain en Laye. Later she was moved to the Fortress of Marcoussis. In her place, he installed his mistress. Just a few months later in December 1215, Louis suddenly became ill.

As Margaret’s husband lay dying, her father was camped outside Paris with his army trying to get back in. He sent ambassadors asking that his daughter be allowed to come to her husband’s side. When that was refused, he began to negotiate for her widows’ portion. He was unsuccessful in both goals and in January 1416 a widowed Margaret
was sent back to her parents empty-handed. Her life as Dauphine of France was over.

In 1419, Margaret’s father was killed by orders of the new Dauphin, the future King Charles VII. The Orléans faction had enacted their revenge. The new Duke of Burgundy was now Margaret’s brother Philip. After supporting the Treaty of Troyes, which disinherited the Dauphin Charles and made the King of England the heir to the throne of France, Philip
was working on a treaty with Brittany, Burgundy and England. In this treaty, his sister Margaret would marry the Duke of Brittany’s brother Arthur, Count of Richmond. Margaret immediately baulked. She complained that Arthur still owed his ransom from the Battle of Agincourt to the King of England. She objected to marrying a mere count when she had been a Duchess. Even worse, her sisters were all Duchesses! Perhaps she also remembered who had helped kick her out of the Hotel St. Pol.

Philip sent his ambassador to make the case. He argued that Arthur was “a valiant knight, renowned for his loyalty, prudence and prowess, well-loved and likely to enjoy much influence and authority in France.” Arthur was also made a titular Duke of Touraine and the English forgave his debt. Bowing to pressure, she and the Count of Richmond were married in Dijon in October 1423. Arthur’s biographer insists that this was actually a love match. He claims it was Arthur who first broached the idea of marriage to Philip and that he had been enamoured of Margaret for many years. He also claimed that Margaret was anxious for the marriage to go forward. Her reluctance was just a ploy to negotiate for a better dowry. She did, however, call herself the Duchess of Guyenne for the rest of her life.

However it started; this second marriage seems to have been more successful than the first. Arthur was ambitious, and his career had various ups and downs, but Margaret remained supportive of both her husband and Burgundy. Initially, Arthur was an ally of the English, but he soon became a supporter of King Charles VII. He had a falling out with him, and at one point Margaret was encircled by enemy soldiers at the Chateau of Chinon. King Charles told her she could continue to live
there as long as she did not receive Arthur. Margaret wrote to the King that she had no interest in living somewhere where her husband was not welcome. After a brief stand-off, she was given a safe passage back to Arthur. Eventually, Arthur reconciled with King Charles. Margaret played a role in the negotiations between her former brother-in-law King Charles and her brother the Duke of Burgundy that led to the Treaty of Arras and allowed Charles to take the throne eventually.
Margaret and Arthur returned to Paris in 1436 with King Charles VII when he drove the English out of the city. Charles had a horror of Paris due to his memories of riots in 1418. He chose to live mainly in the Loire Valley. He asked Margaret to live in Paris to represent the royal family. This she did and died there in 1442.

Upon her death, King Charles reclaimed many of the lands she had been given as Dauphine and gave them to his wife and his brother-in-law.1

The post Margaret of Nevers – A pawn in the Hundred Years’ War appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Zubaidah bint Ja’far – The road to Mecca

Like her mother-in-law and aunt al-Khayzuran before her, Zubaidah bint Ja’far has all but disappeared from history. Her birthdate is unknown, though she was at least one year younger than her future husband, Harun al-Rashid. Her birth year is estimated to be around 766. Zubaidah was the daughter of Ja’far, a half-brother of al-Mahdi, the third Abbasid caliph, whose favourite wife was Khayzuran, and Salsal, Khayzuran’s elder sister. Her future husband Harun was the son of Mahdi and Khayzuran – making them first cousins.

Around 781/782, Zubaidah became the legal wife of Harun. As was the custom, he had a harem of concubines and several other legal wives. In one instance, Zubaidah herself presented her husband with ten slave girls by way of an apology. Zubaidah remained childless for several years. In 786, Harun succeeded his brother as the 5th Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate. During that same night, one of the slave girls gave birth to a son, and she died shortly after. Zubaidah reportedly helped to raise the boy – named al-Ma’mun. By then, she was also finally pregnant herself, and she gave birth to her only child, a son named al-Amin, in 787. Because of Amin’s double royal background, he was in a better position than the elder al-Ma’mun. Despite the women in the harem that came and went, Zubaidah had a special place with Harun.

In addition to the harem, Zubaidah had a large retinue of eunuchs and girls, and she devoted her time to training them. She reportedly had over 100 slave girls who were experts at chanting the Qu’ran and the hum continuously echoed from her palace. Zubaidah also had a pet monkey, which wore a girdle and sword, and which had 30 men to wait on him. She required all those who came to court to pay homage to her to also kiss the monkey’s hand. This went on until one particular General was outraged at the demand and he cut the monkey in half with his sword. Though the General was not punished by Harun, Zubaidah was heartbroken.

When Zubaidah’s son was five years old, he was officially nominated as Harun’s heir, but some thought him to be too young to be considered at this time. Despite this, he became the heir and his education, and that of his half-brother, became Zubaidah’s major concern. Tutors were carefully selected, and punishments were not uncommon if the boys misbehaved. Once when Ma’mun was late to the lesson, he received seven strokes of the whip. As the years progressed, the rivalry between the two brothers grew, and Zubaidah became more and more involved in this. Ma’mun was eventually nominated as the second heir after Amin, and Harun even contemplated making him the first heir – much to Zubaidah’s concern. The situation was not helped by the presence of a third son – younger than the elder two by three or four years – by the name of Qasim. He was nominated as third in the line of succession in 802.

On 24 March 809, Harun died after an illness. Zubaidah’s son Amin had been preparing for his father’s death for around eight months, so it’s possible that he was ill for quite some time. Together they had prepared letters of instructions for the event of Harun’s death. Upon receiving the news of her husband’s death, Zubaidah gathered all the daughters of all the caliphs and all the Hashimite women for a session of public mourning. Zubaidah’s 22-year-old son Amin succeeded his father as the 6th Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate. His brothers were later excluded as heir in favour of his own son Musa, leading to a deteriorating relationship. Zubaidah remained somewhat out of the records during this time, but she was listed as being present to comfort him after the death of his favourite concubine – the mother of Musa. Amin soon began to withdraw from the company of his harem and his family and spent more and more time with the eunuchs. His behaviour was soon the talk of the empire.

Zubaidah attempted to distract him from the eunuchs by presenting him with the most gifted and beautiful women whom she dressed in costumes of page boys, and the costumed women soon became quite the hit. However, Ma’mun was soon in open rebellion, and Amin responded by taking his wife and two sons hostage. During the following war, Zubaidah and Amin’s two young sons were also taken as hostages. The rebels managed to depose Amin and declared for Ma’mun, and they eventually took the city of Baghdad. The story goes that Amin was on a boat that capsized and that he was discovered as he swam to shore. He was decapitated, and his head was displayed on a spear at the city gates.

Zubaidah went into deep mourning for her son, wearing clothes made of black cloth of hair. She wrote long verses of poetry and one of these reached Ma’mun who wrote back to her with promises to be a real son to her. Zubaidah eventually returned to the capital, but we don’t know when this happened exactly. Her properties were restored to her, and Ma’mun did not insist on her joining him. For six years, the records remain silent on Zubaidah. Upon her first meeting with Ma’mun, he claimed not to be responsible for Amin’s death, and she told him, “There is a day on which you two will meet again, and I pray Allah that he will forgive both of you.”1 A somewhat cordial relationship developed between them over time. She probably saw little of her grandsons. Musa died in 823, while the younger Abdallah lived to carry on her line.

Zubaidah became well-known for her philanthropy, which stretched far and wide. She famously made a water source available along the road to Mecca for the pilgrims and even went on five pilgrimages to Mecca herself. She had at least two establishments in Mecca. Providing the water sources had not been easy because the terrain was mountainous and hard rock and ended up costing almost 2 million dinars.

Zubaidah died on 10 July 831 during the reign of Ma’mun. Unfortunately, he was away from the capital at the time, and the chief mourner at her funeral was possibly her surviving grandson Abdallah. A cause of death has not been recorded, nor the place of her burial.2

The post Zubaidah bint Ja’far – The road to Mecca appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Princess Poedua – James Cook’s hostage

Princess Poedua would have probably remained a mystery to us if she hadn’t crossed paths with the British explorer Captain James Cook.

On 3 November 1777, James Cook moored his ships at Raiatea (French Polynesia). On 24 November, a midshipman named Alexander Mouat and a gunner’s mate named Thomas Shaw deserted from the ‘Discovery.’ To ensure that they would return, James Cook enticed Raiatea’s chief Orio, his 19-year-old daughter Poedua and her husband Moetua, and his son Ta-eura on board. They were held hostage in a cabin until the two men were returned. Also on board was John Webber, who documented the landscape, its inhabitants, costumes and houses they saw.

John Webber used the opportunity to sketch Poedua for a painting though it is unlikely that he finished the entire painting on board. Poedua appears with bare breasts, wearing a white drape of tapa cloth as her long hair falls over her shoulders. She also wears jasmine blossom in her hair and holds a so-called fly whisk in her right hand which signifies chiefly rank. She has tattoos on her arms and hands. The background is imaginary. It is known to be one of the earliest images of a Polynesian woman produced by a European painter for a western audience. A total of three paintings were produced; one is in private hands, one is in the National Library of Australia, and one is in the National Maritime Museum in London.

(public domain)

It is known that Poedua was pregnant when she was sketched by Webber. Nevertheless, the painting was made to represent all women of her race, despite her married status and pregnancy. Her expression is one of mystery – is she indignant at being held captive or has she submitted?

Unfortunately, we don’t know more about Poedua, but her image lives on.1

 

 

The post Princess Poedua – James Cook’s hostage appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Gunnora – An influential regent

This article was written by Carol.

Gunnora was the wife of Richard I, Duke of Normandy, grandson of Rollo, the first Duke of Normandy. Gunnora was born around 950 and she died in 1031.

Legend has it that she met Richard when Richard’s eye fell upon her sister Seinfreda while riding in the forest. Seinfreda was the wife of a local Forester (a position of some import) when she was summoned to Richard’s bed. Seifreda came up with the idea of sending her unmarried sister Gunnora in her place. Richard and Gunnora lived together as common-law spouses and had at least 6 children together. Their first child was born in 963, but they did not formally marry in the Christian church until about 990 when their son’s appointment as Archbishop of Rouen was delayed because of his illegitimacy.

Gunnora was a person of much influence at the Norman Court. She served as regent at times for her husband and later for her son. She attested to charters supporting Mont St. Michel, Coutrances Cathedral and others. She outlived her husband by 35 years. After his death, she was a main source of information for Dudo Saint Quentin who wrote the first history of the Norman dynasty. Dudo had been commissioned by Gunnora’s son Richard II to recast his Viking
warrior family into moral, religious leaders. Dudo complements Gunnora’s “prodigious recall” and reimagines her origins as a danish princess who “is descended from a domineering race, beautiful and elegant in her appearance, circumspect and prudent in her deliberations, of devout mind, disciplined heart, discreet speech, gentle comportment, diligent and wise in every matter. “

Gunnora’s daughters married well. Her daughter Emma was twice Queen of England, married firstly to Aethelred the Unready and secondly to Cnut, the new Danish King of England. Her daughter Hawise married the Duke of Brittany, and a third married the Count of Blois. In 1017 Emma’s two sons from Aethelred were exiled to Normandy and Gunnora no doubt was involved in their care. It is during this period that William the Conqueror claimed his cousin Edward, the
future King Edward the Confessor of England, appointed him as his heir to the throne. But arguably Gunnora’s most lasting legacy can be seen in the way she advanced her siblings into positions of power and nobility. Her brother’s and sisters’ children, either through marriage or grants, became important Norman landholders and allies of the Norman Court.

By the time Wiliam, Duke of Normandy set off to conquer England, they had the means to provide him with ships and men. Four of the fifteen proven companions of the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings are descendants of Gunnora’s siblings. (Her grandson and grandson in law are also among the proven companions.) As a result, many of the Anglo-Norman peerages in England were founded by Gunnora’s family. Her brother’s grandson William Fitzosbern became the first Earl of Hereford. Her sister Wevia’s son, Walter Giffard, received lands in Buckinghamshire and his son became the first Earl of Buckingham. His daughter married Richard Fitzclare, and they founded the Clare family, one of the wealthiest in England and Ireland, who at various times were the Earls of Pembroke, Hertford and Gloucester. William de Warrene, first Earl of Surrey, is believed to be the grandson of her niece Beatrice. And Robert de Beaumont, a grandson of Gunnora’s sister Duvelina became the first Earl of Leicester. His brother became the first Earl of Warwick.

Because they had holdings on both sides of the channel, these families play leading roles in the turbulent history of the next few English reigns. 1

The post Gunnora – An influential regent appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Book News March 2021

*contains affiliate links*

Katherine Parr: Opportunist, Queen, Reformer: A Theological Perspective 

Hardcover –15 March 2021 (US) & 15 December 2020 (UK)

Unlike other biographies, which have focused on the court politics of the Tudor era, the romantic desires of Henry VIII that drove his serial marriages, and the military and economic challenges to England at the time, this biography remembers the central influence of religious belief on the king and queen, and explains how Katherine’s devotion to the self-questioning protestant ethos had a directing influence on her actions. In particular, the author identifies her seminal work, “The Lamentation of a Sinner,” as the key to unlocking Katherine’s personality. These were more religious times than secular readers today might at first appreciate, but this book shows it is crucial to our understanding of why the last years of Henry VIII’s reign played out as they did, and how his last queen survived when her predecessors suffered divorce and execution.

Americans and Queen Marie of Romania: A Selection of Documents 

Paperback – 16 March 2021 (US & UK)

This collection of documents, comprised of three parts, illustrates the queen’s relationships with two remarkable Americans. The first selection is the diary of George Huntington, an American professor who visited Queen Marie, together with his family, in 1925. The second part, compiled by the British writer Hector Bolitho, presents the correspondence between Queen Marie and an American admirer, Ray Baker Harris. This text contains extensive quotes from the queen’s letters to the young American. The final section is a selection of letters written by Ray Baker Harris to the queen. Ray Baker Harris, later a librarian at the Library of Congress, compiled an extensive collection of materials relating to the Romanian queen and later donated them to the archives of Kent State University in Ohio.

Empress: Queen Victoria and India 

Paperback – 9 March 2021 (US) & 9 February 2021 (UK)

In this engaging and controversial book, Miles Taylor shows how both Victoria and Albert were spellbound by India, and argues that the Queen was humanely, intelligently, and passionately involved with the country throughout her reign and not just in the last decades. Taylor also reveals the way in which Victoria’s influence as empress contributed significantly to India’s modernization, both political and economic. This is, in a number of respects, a fresh account of imperial rule in India, suggesting that it was one of Victoria’s successes.

 

Elizabeth & Margaret: The Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters 

Hardcover – 30 March 2021 (US & UK)

From the idyll of their cloistered early life, through their hidden war-time lives, into the divergent paths they took following their father’s death and Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne, this book explores their relationship over the years. Andrew Morton’s latest biography offers unique insight into these two drastically different sisters—one resigned to duty and responsibility, the other resistant to it—and the lasting impact they have had on the Crown, the royal family, and the ways it adapted to the changing mores of the 20th century.

Cleopatra: The Queen Who Challenged Rome and Conquered Eternity 

Hardcover – 23 March 2021 (US) & 29 April 2021 (UK)

Cleopatra focuses on a twenty-year period that marked a sweeping change in Roman history, beginning with the assassination of Julius Caesar that led to the end of the Republic, and ending with the suicides of Antony and Cleopatra and the birth of the Augustan Empire. Angela brings the people, stories, customs, and traditions of this fascinating period alive as he transports us to the chaotic streets of the capital of the ancient world, the exotic port of Alexandria in Egypt, and to the bloody battlefields where an empire was won and lost.

Meticulously researched and rich with vivid detail, this sweeping history, reminiscent of the works of Simon Schama, Mary Beard’s SPQR, and Tom Holland’s Rubicon, recreates this remarkable era and the woman at its turbulent center.

The post Book News March 2021 appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Al-Khayzuran – A forgotten force (Part two)

Read part one here.

Khayzuran began to plan for her sons’ harems early on. Hadi only lived to be 22, with a reign of barely one year, but at the time of his death, he had seven sons and two daughters who had all been born to concubines. There were at least six concubines, some of whom he had purchased himself while others had been presented to him. He also had two legal wives, both of whom were cousins. Hadi had been appointed the sole heir in 776 while his brother Harun was sent on expeditions against the Byzantium empire. His success led to him being appointed as the second heir in 782/783. Soon, Mahdi and Hadi came into conflict and he resolved to place Harun ahead of his brother in the succession. Hadi had been sent away and refused to listen to his father’s summons to return. In the end, Mahdi went to fetch his disobedient son himself.

During this trip, Mahdi died at the age of 40-41. Several stories around his death exist – ranging from poison to a hunting accident. The end result remained the same but the death of the caliph while not in the capital was quite inconvenient. The change in the succession had not been done yet and so Hadi remained first in line. Hadi returned to the capital as fast as he could, and it took him 20 days still. A record of the meeting between the widowed Khayzuran – who also preferred her second son for the succession – and the new caliph Hadi has not been recorded. However, records indicate that she was allowed the same freedom and privileges as before her husband’s death.

The peace was not to last long. Khayzuran’s political influence remained strong and he refused her nothing. After a serious incident, he told her, “Do not overstep the essential limits of womanly modesty and overdo in person the role of the generous donor. It is not dignified for women to enter upon affairs of state.”1 She did not heed his warning and after another incident, they were now openly at war. Khayzuran rightfully began to fear for her life and was almost poisoned by her son. Her second son Harun was also in mortal danger.

It is unclear how exactly Hadi met his end and what his mother’s involvement was. One night, Hadi became seriously ill and Khayzuran was informed of this. She went to her son as he grew steadily worse in just hours. He reportedly told her, “This night I perish, and my brother succeeds me this very same night; for you know the prediction at the time of my birth at Rayy. I had forbidden you to do some things and commanded you to do certain others out of the demands of state policy and not for lack of filial devotion. I was not in opposition to you but sought only to shield you, filially and sincerely.”2 He reached for her hand, placed it on his chest and breathed his last. He was only 22 years old.

Harun was asleep in Baghdad during all of this and awoke as the new caliph. He received the news of his accession at the same time as a second messenger arrived to tell him that one of his concubines had given birth to a son. Khayzuran broke the news in the harem while awaiting further news. She then travelled to Baghdad where Harun was set to join the midday prayer.

Khayzuran was back in power and now she had a son who did not mind sharing power with her. Her annual income was about the same as one half on the entire land tax and she was – after her son – probably one of the richest persons in the Arab world. She would not enjoy her triumph for long. Just three years after Harun’s accession, she passed away. She was probably not even 50 years old and the records do not indicate what the cause of death was.

Against all tradition, Harun attended her funeral and he was praised for it. One witness wrote, “Barefoot, he accompanied the casket through the mud to the cemetery of Quraysh. Upon arriving, he washed his feet… and intoned the funeral prayer. Then he went down into the tomb to pay final homage to his mother before leaving the cemetery.”3

 

The post Al-Khayzuran – A forgotten force (Part two) appeared first on History of Royal Women.