Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 200

Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo – Queen of the poor

Maria Vittoria dal Pozzo was born on 9 August 1847 In Paris as the daughter of Carlo Emmanuele dal Pozzo, 5th Prince of Cisterna – a nobleman in the Kingdom of Sardinia – and his wife, Countess Louise de Merode. Her mother’s sister Antoinette de Merode would become the Princess of Monaco following her marriage to the future Charles III, Prince of Monaco. Maria Vittoria grew up to speak six languages. She spent most of her youth at the Palacio della Cisterna in Turin. She also often spent the summers of Reano Castle.

Maria Vittoria had just one younger sister named Beatriz who died at the age of 13. She was now her parents’ only parent, and when her father died in 1864, she succeeded as 6th Princess of Cisterna. Her mother dragged the family into excessive mourning and even refused to have her husband’s body buried.

Maria Vittoria attracted the attention of Amedeo, Duke of Aosta, the second son of King Vittorio Emanuele II of Italy and Adelaide of Austria. At first, it was considered to be a flirtation, and it did not seem feasible that Maria Vittoria would marry into royalty. Her mother actively discouraged Amedeo, but he was truly in love with Maria Vittoria. Amedeo turned to the President of the Chamber of Deputies, who pleaded for him with his father, the King. His father then asked, “Do the young people love each other?” The President replied, “They idolise one another.” The King then said, “Very well, they shall be married. It is not for me to stand in opposition to the sentiment of my news.” The news of his engagement to a non-royal bride caused some surprise, but most of the people were pleased. Shortly before the wedding both Maria Vittoria and her mother were bestowed “Her Highness” as a style of address.

Maria Vittoria and her husband

The wedding was celebrated on 30 May 1867 in the chapel of the Royal Palace of Turin. Tragically, Count Castiglione, a personal friend of the couple, was thrown from his horse and killed during the procession. Maria Vittoria was said to be deeply affected by his death. After their wedding, Amedeo returned to the navy, and he received a commission as Vice-Admiral in 1868. On 13 January 1869, Maria Vittoria gave birth to her first son. He was named Emanuele Filiberto, and he received the title of Duke of Puglie. Just a few months later, Maria Vittoria and Amedeo boarded the Castelfidardo to represent the King in Egypt for the opening of the Suez Canal. They also visited the Holy Land where Maria Vittoria presented the Church of the Holy Sepulchre with all of her personal jewels of around half a million Francs. On their return journey, a boiler exploded, killing and wounding several crew members. Amedeo was later praised for his level-headedness during the disaster.

Maria Vittoria was heavily pregnant with their second child when Amedeo was elected of King of Spain in place of the deposed Queen Isabella II. He was elected on 16 November and their second son – Vittorio Emanuele –  was born on 24 November. Amedeo set out alone to his new country, while Maria Vittoria recovered her strength at home. She was soon to follow with their two sons. He reached Madrid on 2 January 1871, and Maria Vittoria followed him in the middle of February. However, she fell ill with a fever during the journey, and her condition was soon so serious that she was given last rites. It took her three weeks to recover, and she was finally able to continue her journey. Amedeo came to meet her and their sons and accompanied them to Madrid.

They soon fell into a familiar routine. They often lunched with just one Lady of Honour and a Chamberlain. After lunch, Amedeo had a cigar before going to his study to occupy himself with affairs of state. Maria Vittoria was kept included in matters of government, and Amedeo often sought her advice. Their family life was lived in just a few rooms of the vast palace, and the state apartments were used for official occasions only. Every Sunday, the court threw dinner parties. Maria Vittoria was known to talk with everyone and was often praised for her intelligence. She developed an interest in her adopted country and spoke Spanish fluently.

Nevertheless, she was aware of the challenges ahead. She had written to a friend before her departure, “We are not going with any intention of imposing ourselves upon the country, and the day on which our labours are proved vain, we will return the crown to those who gave it to us.” Maria Vittoria founded a school for the children of washerwomen, which was in view of the palace, and an orphanage. She also spent plenty of her private fortune on charitable donations.

The country remained unstable under their rule. On 18 August 1872, they were the victims of an attempted assassination attack. As bullets rained down on their carriage, Amedeo stood up and shouted, “Here is the King. Fire at him, not at the others!” An aide-de-camp threw himself on Maria Vittoria to protect her. The carriage quickly sped towards the palace, and by some miracle, none of the occupants were harmed. Maria Vittoria was by then pregnant with their third child. On 23 January 1873, she gave birth to their third son, named Luigi Amedeo. As Maria Vittoria lay ailing with a fever, her husband abdicated the Spanish throne. They were now no longer King and Queen. He wrote, “Be assured that, in relinquishing the Crown, I do not give up my love for this noble and unhappy Spain, and that I bear away with me from hence no other sorrow than that it has not been possible for me to accomplish for her all the good my loyal heart so earnestly desired.” The following year, Queen Isabella II’s son was proclaimed as King Alfonso XII.

Maria Vittoria was actually too unwell to travel, but doctors gave their permission for her to join her husband and sons as they feared a separation would do more harm than good. She was carried out of the palace in a sedan chair with a nurse behind her, holding her newborn son. Amedeo lifted her into the waiting carriage himself. The four carriage procession then departed for the train station upon Maria Vittoria’s order. A first-class train carriage with a bed had been prepared for her. Around midnight the train reached the Portuguese border, and it was finally allowed to cross three hours later. They were received by the Portuguese King and Queen, and they were conducted to the Palace of Belem where Maria Vittoria could finally rest. Amedeo’s father was quick to invite his son and his family to come back to Italy. They stayed in Portugal for three weeks while Maria Vittoria regained her strength.

They returned to Italy onboard the “Roma” as the Duke and Duchess of Aosta, arriving on Italian soil on 9 March 1873. They took up residence on the ground floor of the Royal Palace in Turin but as Maria Vittoria’s health deteriorated – probably due to tuberculosis – she was moved to the Palace of Moncalieri. Amedeo took care of her herself, and he could often be seen wheeling her around in a wheelchair in the gardens. In a last-ditch effort to improve her health, she went to San Remo for the softer air. She died there on 8 November 1873 – still only 29 years old.

She was laid to rest in the mausoleum of the House of Savoy in the Basilica of Superga. Her mourning procession was followed by thousands of poor people – testifying to her charitable heart.1

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Adelheid Marie of Anhalt-Dessau – The first Grand Duchess of an independent Luxembourg

Princess Adelheid Marie of Anhalt-Dessau was born on 25 December 1833 as the daughter of Prince Frederick Augustus of Anhalt-Dessau and Princess Marie Luise Charlotte of Hesse-Kassel. Adelheid was the eldest of three daughters. Her parents were dismissed by Queen Victoria as “very foolish and frivolous people”, but they also happened to be well-connected. Adelheid’s mother was an older sister of the later Queen Louise of Denmark, wife of King Christian IX of Denmark. Adelheid’s first cousins were thus Alexandra of Denmark, the later consort of King Edward VII, and Dagmar of Denmark, the later consort of Tsar Alexander III of Russia. Adelheid was also close to her cousin Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, who would become the mother of Queen Mary. In 1847, Mary Adelaide described Adelheid as “charming, much grown, and much improved… a very pretty amiable girl.”

Adolphe, Duke of Nassau, had been married once before. In 1844, he had married Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mikhailovna of Russia, who would tragically die after childbirth the next year. He was devastated by Elizabeth’s death, and it took him several years to even contemplate remarrying. When his younger brother Moritz died at the age of 29, remarrying seemed imperative. The following autumn, he became engaged to the 16-year-old Adelheid.

Adolphe and Adelheid were married on 23 April 1851 at Schloss Dessau. They were 14 years apart in age, and they probably had a rocky start to their marriage. Queen Sophie of the Netherlands – who also happened to be a close friend of Adolphe’s stepmother Princess Pauline of Württemberg – later wrote, “I do not wonder at the Duchess of Nassau being changed. She never was but a mere doll with fine clothes and animal spirits. Alas, with youth, the spirits flag, and if there is no soul and no mind, even beauty does not remain.” Nevertheless, the marriage would eventually become a close one, and she was later described as possessing a “sharp and clear understanding.”

On 22 April 1852, their first child – a son named Wilhelm – was born to them. Tragically, their second son Friedrich – born in 1854 – died just after his first birthday. Their daughter Marie – born in 1857 – died just a month after she was born. A third son – named Franz – survived infancy but he died at the age of 16. Their last child – a daughter, named Hilda – was born in 1864 and survived to adulthood.

Adelheid spent her time raising her children, but she was also a talented painter who specialised in landscapes. She spent a lot of time at Schloss Köningstein with her first cousin Alexandra where she was taught by Hermann Corrodi. She had a shared love of horticulture and hunting with her husband. She was also an expert horsewoman and often accompanied her husband during his military campaigns. She was much loved as Duchess of Nassau. But then in 1866, Adolphe supported the Austrian Empire in the Austro-Prussian War, and after Austria’s defeat, Nassau was annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia. Adolphe and Adelheid were now without a throne.

They were eventually given a million guilders in compensation, and they were allowed to keep several palaces. They first travelled around Europe searching for a place to settle down. Adolphe bought residences in Frankfurt and Vienna. Adelheid also bought her own residence, which had a large studio. Lady Paget, the wife of the English ambassador to Austria, lived near them and wrote, “The Nassaus live just opposite us in a palace they bought after having been ousted from their Duchy after the Prusso-Austrian war. They do not seem unhappy. The Duchess is not unlike her cousin, the Princess of Wales. She is an agreeable woman, she paints and is fond of music. She looks as if she had a bad temper.” Adelheid even befriended Empress Elisabeth of Austria, and they went riding together.

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Adelheid defiantly declared, “I’ve always said that he (Emperor Wilhelm I of Germany) would never come into my house. I was afraid for the Nassau silver.” When he came to visit her once, she would only consent to receiving him on the veranda. On 20 September 1885, their daughter Hilda married the future Frederick II, Grand Duke of Baden. It was a happy marriage, but it would remain childless. Meanwhile, their son Wilhelm had fallen in love with the Infanta Maria Anna of Portugal, a Catholic. Adolphe refused to give his permission for the match because he wanted his line to remain protestant.

In 1890, life changed yet again when King William III of the Netherlands died without a male heir – all his sons had predeceased him. His daughter Wilhelmina succeeded him as Queen of the Netherlands but the Luxembourg lands – then still part of the Kingdom – fell under the Nassau family pact which ruled that if the Dutch line died out without male issue, the Luxembourg throne would pass to Adolphe. Many were in favour of altering this to allow Wilhelmina to succeed her father in Luxembourg as well, but it was her mother Emma who convinced her husband that it would be an injustice to rob her uncle of his rights. Just before King William’s death, Adolphe assumed the regency of Luxembourg, and he entered the country a few days later.

On 23 November 1890, King William died, and Adolphe succeeded him as Grand Duke of Luxembourg, with Adelheid by his side as Grand Duchess. In 1893, he finally consented to the marriage of Wilhelm and Infanta Maria Anna with the promise that any sons would be raised in the protestant faith. Adelheid and Adolphe’s first grandchild – Marie Adelaide – was born in 1894. Five more daughters would follow, including Charlotte.

Adelheid became a widow on 17 November 1905. She would survive her husband for 11 years and devoted her time to her granddaughters. She would see her son succeed as Grand Duke, but she would also see him pass away in 1912. He was succeeded by his eldest daughter. Adelheid retired to Köningstein where she still painted often. She died there on 24 November 1916, and she was buried in Weilburg where her husband’s remains would also eventually rest.1

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Princess Norodom Buppha Devi, half-sister of the King of Cambodia, has died aged 76

Princess Norodom Buppha Devi of Cambodia has died at the of 76 of natural causes in a hospital in Thailand, the Cambodian Royal House announced today. The Princess was the daughter of Norodom Sihanouk and the late Neak Moneang Phat Kanthol, the elder sister of Prince Norodom Ranariddh, and a half-sister of current King of Cambodia, Norodom Sihamoni.

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At the age of 5, Buppha Devi became a dancer of the Khmer ballet, a dance created in the royal court for entertainment and ceremonies. This particular art form has been associated with the Cambodian royal court for over 1,000 years. In 1966, she performed a variated called Apsara dance for a film directed by her father.

She fled the country when the Khmer Rouge seized power in 1975, and the Khmer ballet was nearly wiped out along with most of its teachers and performers. She was able to return to Cambodia in the early 1990s and helped to revive the dance. She also served as Minister of Culture and Fine Arts from 1998 until 2004.

“Cambodia will remember that thanks to the Royal Highness Norodom Buppha Devi, the Cambodian Royal Ballet has been enlisted as a part of the world heritage,” her cousin Prince Sisowath Thomico told Reuters.

“What I hope now is that more people will take her legacy and continue her work and just to show how much the royal ballet means for the Cambodian culture,” Prince Thomico said.

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From Queen Victoria to the German Crown Princess – 18 November 1874

Balmoral – 18 November 1874

Accept my warmest and most loving good wishes for many, many happy returns on your dear birthday, and for many, many more in health and happiness, and growing yearly in wisdom, unselfishness, humbleness and trust in God’s love and mercy in all things. Your position is, as every Royal person’s is, a very difficult one for they have not their position to earn, and yet surrounded by flatterers, who are the first to abuse you behind your back!

About dear Charlotte1 I must repeat that you are really not doing her good by forcing her on with her lessons for she will not get stronger and not grow if she is overworked. I assure you that it is of as much importance as the bodily treatment and believe me that education is very much overdone in all classes.

I am very sorry indeed about this article in the Blackwood by H. Knollys. It is very mischievous! People should really be careful. I hear he speak very gratefully of the treatment he received.2

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From Queen Victoria to the German Crown Princess – 18 November 1878

From the Queen to the German Crown Princess – Balmoral Castle, 18 November 1878

My heart is very sad and heavy and I hardly can think of anything but the dreadful misfortunes1 at Darmstadt. Thank God Louis and Ernie (who was at death’s door) and the two others are recovering, but that that precious bright little flower – sweet little May has been taken is terrible, and we were right in fearing for her. But dear Alice behaves so bravely, Mr Sahl say “heroically”, She submits, with true Christian resignation to God’s Will which is the only way to take and bear sorrow. But we must feel very anxious for her afterwards.2

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The curtsey myth and a protocol made for breaking?

Following our Q&A called “What makes a Princess and will Camilla be Queen?“, we now follow up with “The curtsey myth and a protocol made for breaking?” We’ll be taking a look at who curtseys to whom and why so many royal women are accused of breaking protocol.

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Let’s start with curtseying. For some reason, there appears to be some story that women who marry into the royal family must curtsey to those born into it when they are not with their husbands. Women must watch the door closely and curtsey to every born royal that enters. Can you imagine going to a dinner party and just seeing them bop up and down the entire time? What a nightmare! And thankfully, it is also not the case in real-life. Hold on to your hats, if you are a “Royal Highness”, you do not bow or curtsey to other “Royal Highnesses”. Only the sovereign gets a curtsey or a bow from family members. Also, The Queen only gets a curtsey when that particular family member meets her for the first time that day. That is why you’ll sometimes see some not bowing or curtseying while others do. They’ve simply already seen her that day.

The confusion probably stems from the Order of Precedence which dictates, for example, in what order people enter a room or where they are seated during formal or state occasions. The sovereign is always first in the Order of Precedence. The rest of the world – those without royal titles – can bow or curtsey to any member of the royal family, but it is not required. (I met The Duchess of Cambridge and simply shook her hand!) Even the official website states that there are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting The Queen or a member of the royal family.

On to that pesky business of protocol which seems to have gotten a lot of attention since Miss Meghan Markle became HRH The Duchess of Sussex. She closed her own car door, she asked The Queen a question, wore black when not in mourning, used a darker nail polish colour and wore dresses that show off her shoulder. None of these things has anything to do with protocol. There are no rules that state what colour nail polish you can or cannot wear. From the Cambridge Dictionary protocol is: “the formal system of rules for correct behaviour on official occasions.” Does that sound familiar? Once more, I direct your attention to the Order of Precedence, for example. We need to stop trying to find fault in every little thing The Duchess of Sussex – or any woman who married into the royal family for that matter – does. They have the best person to guide them – The Queen herself. Trust me; she knows what she is doing.

Do you have a question that you would like to submit to History of Royal Women? Email us at info@historyofroyalwomen.com or fill in our contact form here.

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Netflix releases final trailer before The Crown’s season 3 release tomorrow

Netflix has released a final trailer before The Crown’s season 3 release tomorrow. Who else is excited? Watch it below:

We can’t be everything to everyone and still be true to ourselves. pic.twitter.com/SmqnE9G8jA

— The Crown (@TheCrownNetflix) November 16, 2019

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Katherine Howard: Henry VIII’s Slandered Queen by Conor Byrne Book Review

Katherine Howard was still in her teens when she became the fifth wife of King Henry VIII. After the death of Jane Seymour, Henry remarried to Anne of Cleves on 6 January 1540 and Catherine was chosen to serve in the new Queen’s household. She was probably around 15 years then. She probably travelled to Greenwich Palace in December 1539 in anticipation of Anne of Cleves’s arrival. Henry was disappointed with his new wife from the start and admitted after their wedding night, “I have left her as a good a maid as I found her.” Their marital issues were compounded by the fact that Henry had fallen in love with her maid, Katherine. It is very possible that they had met before Anne’s arrival, but we do not know this for sure.

Conor Byrne’s Katherine Howard is a fresh look at a much-maligned Queen. It is quite refreshing to have someone not jump to immediate conclusions but rather look at the larger picture of the time that Katherine lived and the perils that she faced as the new Queen of a rather peculiar man. We actually know very little about Katherine, and much of it came from sources after her arrest, making the information rather coloured.

In December, Katherine was condemned to death. On the evening of 12 February, she was told that she was going to be executed the following day. She asked for the block to be brought to her so that she could practice. The following day, Catherine was led to a scaffold on Tower Green. Catherine felt weak and made no speech, only confessing that she deserved to die. She was beheaded with an axe.

Conor Byrne takes us through the information available and gives us a Queen who had no idea what she up against and had no relatives who to protect her. She never did manage to fulfil her primary duty as Queen – bear a son – and lost her head. It was a game Henry had played before, but Katherine had not.

I would highly recommend Katherine Howard: Henry VIII’s Slandered Queen by Conor Byrne as Katherine deserves a better reputation than the one that was left her. Katherine Howard: Henry VIII’s Slandered Queen by Conor Byrne is available now in both the US and the UK.

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The ruins of the Jacoba Fortress

The Fortress of Voorne, also known as the Jacoba Fortress, is in the city of Oostvoorne in the Dutch province of South-Holland. The name Jacoba Fortress comes from its use in the early 15th century by Jacqueline (Jacoba in Dutch!), Countess of Hainaut. She used it as her summer residence.

The oldest part of the fortress probably dates from the 12th century and it was probably used for strategic reasons. It was surrounded by a large moat and consisted of several buildings. Problems with the foundations led to the fortress becoming a ruin in the 17th century.

Click to view slideshow.

The ruins are now a monument.

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Zizi Lambrino – “La misere noire” (Part two)

Read part one here.

During this separation from Zizi, Carol took a mistress which apparently frightened his parents to such an extent that they allowed Zizi to come to Bucharest where they lived together. Carol spent the mornings with his regiment while the afternoons and evenings were for walking or driving with Zizi. However, Zizi soon discovered she was pregnant, and she wrote, “a shadow… fell across that second honeymoon.” Carol was delighted, but Zizi wanted an abortion. In May, his father asked him to go on a mission to the Far East, and Carol responded to this by shooting himself in the leg. Carol and Zizi then moved to Monastirea in the Danube delta to an “unprincely” house, according to Zizi herself. Zizi was not well during her pregnancy, and the heat in Monastirea did not help at all. Carol helped her dress her hair so she would not have to lift her arms and put on her shoes for her.

In July 1919, his regiment was ordered to go to Hungary, but Carol refused to go and considered it a “purely political expedition.” He then considered his options and offered to go if he could remarry Zizi. This was refused, and Carol reluctantly headed for Hungary all while preparing his renunciation of the succession. He arrived in Hungary to find the fighting already over. The regiment returned to their army camp at Bistritza where Zizi was not allowed to join him. Marie wrote to her son, “All we ask of you is to do your soldier’s duty and keep the promise you gave us not to forsake your country before it is out of trouble. Your happiness, like the happiness of many another, must wait till your duty is accomplished. This is not too much to ask of a man & a prince.” He wrote her several angry letters in return. Marie resolved to keep him completely away from Zizi, and they were kept apart for much through the late summer and fall.

Their son Mircea Gregor Carol Lambrino was born on 8 January 1920 and Marie wrote, “The fight with her will be deadly.” A few days later, she added, “The anxiety is still that they should get Carol to recognise the child as his. All this sounds so ruthless, would be so ruthless, if the woman were not quite such a beast.” The baby was registered with the name Lambrino to Marie’s great relief.

Carol wrote to Zizi promising her that soon they would be “the happiest and most united family possible.” This was quickly followed by a letter that stated that a life together would only end in “la misere noire” (black misery). It appeared that Carol had had a change of heart and Marie seized the chance and sent him on an eight-month cruise around the world. She promised him she would help Zizi and the baby. Marie later wrote, “I quite realised that for some I must seem a tremendously ambitious woman who got her way, destroying my son’s happiness because of my formidable pride, crushed another woman, casting her out into darkness…”

Shortly afterwards, Zizi and their son were exiled to Neuilly-sur-Seine with a pocket full of money. Carol refused to see her but wrote to her, “Do not believe that I was disarmed without a struggle. I resisted until the last extremity, and it was only at the moment when I saw I was alone that I declared myself beaten.” Carol never came to see their son and refused to be a part of the discussion over a settlement for her. Marie later wrote, “What she (Zizi) cannot get over and which, from a woman’s point of view I quite understand, is that Carol never came to see the child.”

Marie became determined to find a suitable match for her son, and he eventually married Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark, a marriage which would turn out to be deeply unhappy.

Zizi continued her fight against Carol for many years and later filed a ten-million-franc lawsuit against him for damages incurred by grief over their divorce. By then, Carol was living with Magda Lupescu in Paris, and her lawyer claimed that Zizi had been forced to submit to the divorce on the grounds of state and dynastic interested, which were invalidated by his subsequent abdication (he had renounced his throne for a second time).

Any income she got from Carol stopped in 1948 when communism had taken over Romania. In 1953, Carol received a telegram from his son that read, “Mother died, have no money for funeral.” Carol did not respond to his son’s message. Zizi had died on 11 March 1953. Carol himself died a few weeks later on 4 April 1953.1

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