Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 63

Marie Thérèse of France – Daughter of the King (Part three)

Read part two here.

Marie Thérèse was deeply affected by the scene at the Tuileries, and the situation only became worse. In the following weeks, the quality of their life at the Tuileries went down considerably. The family no longer walked in the gardens as the insults were so terrible. Calls for the end of the monarchy were growing stronger with each passing day. An assault was to be expected, and it came on 10 August 1792.

A mob of an estimated 10,000 men was headed towards the Tuileries Palace, and King Louis XVI was sent to inspect the defences to boost morale. Once outside, the King was subjected to insults and jeers. As the situation deteriorated, the question arose if the National Guards could be trusted to defend them or whether they would need to flee to the Legislative Assembly. She was eventually convinced to leave when she was prevailed upon for the safety of her children. As she left, she told the National Guards and aristocrats fighting with them, “Gentlemen, we all have the same interests… These generous servitors will share your dangers, fight with you and for you to the last extremity.”1

Despite the crowd gathering around them, the small group made their way to the Assembly. Once there, they were met by deputies who formally offered the King asylum. They were put into the reporters’ box with its grating exposed to the sun. For the entirety of the hot day, they were left there. Meanwhile, hundreds were massacred in the palace, and the palace was ransacked. Later that night, the family was offered accommodation in a convent. However, they could not stay there, and after a debate about what place could provide the best security, they settled on the Temple, a medieval fortress used as a prison.

Marie Thérèse wrote, “We drove through the streets leading to the Temple in great peril and loaded with insults; our conductors themselves feared the people so much that they would not let the carriage stop for a moment; and yet it took two hours before we could reach the Temple through that immense throng.”2 She added, “And yet, in the midst of so many sights which might well break down the strongest soul, my father and my mother preserved the tranquillity and courage that a good conscience can alone inspire.”3

The family would now be housed in the Small Tower while lodgings were prepared for them in the Great Tower. King Louis XVI received a bedroom on the third floor and a study in the turret. Marie Antoinette, Elisabeth, Marie Thérèse, Louis Charles, the Princess of Lamballe, the Marquise de Tourzel, her daughter Pauline and the waiting woman Madame Navarre slept on the floor below him. They had an antechamber, a dining room and a turret lined with books on the first floor. They arrived with very little but were able to order some items.

The family settled into a routine, but on 19 August, the Princess of Lamballe, the Marquise de Tourzel, Pauline and the waiting woman were removed from the Temple for interrogation. It was no use, and the Princess of Lamballe, the Marquise de Tourzel and Pauline were taken to the La Force prison. By some miracle, the Tourzels were rescued during the September Massacres, where prisoners were targetted. The Princess of Lamballe was not so fortunate. She was hastily brought before a tribunal, where she refused to denounce the King and Queen. She was taken outside, where she was lynched by a mob.

Varying stories survive regarding the brutality, but what is certain is that her head was cut off and put on a pike. Her naked body was also ripped open and put on another pike. These were then paraded through Paris and taken to the Temple, where it was paraded in front of the window of the dining room. By some mercy, Marie Antoinette did not see her friend’s head. Marie Thérèse wrote, “My father, having asked what was happening, a young officer replied: ‘Well if you want to know, it is the head of Mme. de Lamballe they wish to show you.’ My mother was seized with horror; that was the sole moment when her firmness abandoned her.”4

Following the horrors, the family tried to keep a routine in the Temple. The Dauphin received lessons from his father, while Marie Thérèse received lessons from her mother. They were permitted to take walks in the compound and exercised there as well. Finally, in September 1792, the monarchy was abolished, and France was proclaimed a republic. In October, the family was moved to the other Tower. The King and the Dauphin were on the second floor, while Marie Antoinette, Marie Thérèse and Elisabeth were on the third floor.

On 11 December, Louis Charles was taken from his father to his mother, and he certainly sensed that something was wrong. The King’s trial had begun, and he was told he could see his children, but only if they did not see their mother or aunt as long as the trial lasted. Thus, he refused. The trial continued throughout December and early January. Marie Thérèse wrote, “I shall not speak of my father’s conduct before the Convention; all the world knows it; his firmness, his gentleness, his kindness, his courage, amid assassins thirsting for his blood, are traits which will never be forgotten and which the most remote posterity will admire.”5 

The vote for his execution ended with 361 in favour – a majority of just one. Due to this close majority, another motion for a reprieve was made, which was rejected with a majority of 70. 20 January 1793, he was informed that he would be executed within 24 hours. Later that day, he was finally reunited with his family.

Marie Thérèse wrote, “At seven in the evening, a decree of the Convention arrived, permitting us to go to my father; we hurried there and found him much changed. He wept for sorrow over us and not from fear of death; he related his trial to my mother, excusing the wretches who caused his death; he told her that it was proposed to appeal to the primary assemblies, but he opposed it because that measure would bring trouble into the State. He then gave religious instruction to my brother, told him above all to pardon those who were putting him to death, and gave him his blessing, also to me. My mother ardently desired that we should pass the night with him; he refused, making her feel that he had need of tranquillity. She begged him at least to let us come the next morning; he granted that to her, but as soon as we were gone, he told the guard not to let us come again because our presence pained him too much.”6 

Read part four here.

The post Marie Thérèse of France – Daughter of the King (Part three) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Year of Marie Antoinette – Marie Thérèse, Daughter of the King (Part three)

Read part two here.

Marie Thérèse was deeply affected by the scene at the Tuileries, and the situation only became worse. In the following weeks, the quality of their life at the Tuileries went down considerably. The family no longer walked in the gardens as the insults were so terrible. Calls for the end of the monarchy were growing stronger with each passing day. An assault was to be expected, and it came on 10 August 1792.

A mob of an estimated 10,000 men was headed towards the Tuileries Palace, and King Louis XVI was sent to inspect the defences to boost morale. Once outside, the King was subjected to insults and jeers. As the situation deteriorated, the question arose if the National Guards could be trusted to defend them or whether they would need to flee to the Legislative Assembly. She was eventually convinced to leave when she was prevailed upon for the safety of her children. As she left, she told the National Guards and aristocrats fighting with them, “Gentlemen, we all have the same interests… These generous servitors will share your dangers, fight with you and for you to the last extremity.”1

Despite the crowd gathering around them, the small group made their way to the Assembly. Once there, they were met by deputies who formally offered the King asylum. They were put into the reporters’ box with its grating exposed to the sun. For the entirety of the hot day, they were left there. Meanwhile, hundreds were massacred in the palace, and the palace was ransacked. Later that night, the family was offered accommodation in a convent. However, they could not stay there, and after a debate about what place could provide the best security, they settled on the Temple, a medieval fortress used as a prison.

Marie Thérèse wrote, “We drove through the streets leading to the Temple in great peril and loaded with insults; our conductors themselves feared the people so much that they would not let the carriage stop for a moment; and yet it took two hours before we could reach the Temple through that immense throng.”2 She added, “And yet, in the midst of so many sights which might well break down the strongest soul, my father and my mother preserved the tranquillity and courage that a good conscience can alone inspire.”3

The family would now be housed in the Small Tower while lodgings were prepared for them in the Great Tower. King Louis XVI received a bedroom on the third floor and a study in the turret. Marie Antoinette, Elisabeth, Marie Thérèse, Louis Charles, the Princess of Lamballe, the Marquise de Tourzel, her daughter Pauline and the waiting woman Madame Navarre slept on the floor below him. They had an antechamber, a dining room and a turret lined with books on the first floor. They arrived with very little but were able to order some items.

The family settled into a routine, but on 19 August, the Princess of Lamballe, the Marquise de Tourzel, Pauline and the waiting woman were removed from the Temple for interrogation. It was no use, and the Princess of Lamballe, the Marquise de Tourzel and Pauline were taken to the La Force prison. By some miracle, the Tourzels were rescued during the September Massacres, where prisoners were targetted. The Princess of Lamballe was not so fortunate. She was hastily brought before a tribunal, where she refused to denounce the King and Queen. She was taken outside, where she was lynched by a mob.

Varying stories survive regarding the brutality, but what is certain is that her head was cut off and put on a pike. Her naked body was also ripped open and put on another pike. These were then paraded through Paris and taken to the Temple, where it was paraded in front of the window of the dining room. By some mercy, Marie Antoinette did not see her friend’s head. Marie Thérèse wrote, “My father, having asked what was happening, a young officer replied: ‘Well if you want to know, it is the head of Mme. de Lamballe they wish to show you.’ My mother was seized with horror; that was the sole moment when her firmness abandoned her.”4

Following the horrors, the family tried to keep a routine in the Temple. The Dauphin received lessons from his father, while Marie Thérèse received lessons from her mother. They were permitted to take walks in the compound and exercised there as well. Finally, in September 1792, the monarchy was abolished, and France was proclaimed a republic. In October, the family was moved to the other Tower. The King and the Dauphin were on the second floor, while Marie Antoinette, Marie Thérèse and Elisabeth were on the third floor.

On 11 December, Louis Charles was taken from his father to his mother, and he certainly sensed that something was wrong. The King’s trial had begun, and he was told he could see his children, but only if they did not see their mother or aunt as long as the trial lasted. Thus, he refused. The trial continued throughout December and early January. Marie Thérèse wrote, “I shall not speak of my father’s conduct before the Convention; all the world knows it; his firmness, his gentleness, his kindness, his courage, amid assassins thirsting for his blood, are traits which will never be forgotten and which the most remote posterity will admire.”5 

The vote for his execution ended with 361 in favour – a majority of just one. Due to this close majority, another motion for a reprieve was made, which was rejected with a majority of 70. 20 January 1793, he was informed that he would be executed within 24 hours. Later that day, he was finally reunited with his family.

Marie Thérèse wrote, “At seven in the evening, a decree of the Convention arrived, permitting us to go to my father; we hurried there and found him much changed. He wept for sorrow over us and not from fear of death; he related his trial to my mother, excusing the wretches who caused his death; he told her that it was proposed to appeal to the primary assemblies, but he opposed it because that measure would bring trouble into the State. He then gave religious instruction to my brother, told him above all to pardon those who were putting him to death, and gave him his blessing, also to me. My mother ardently desired that we should pass the night with him; he refused, making her feel that he had need of tranquillity. She begged him at least to let us come the next morning; he granted that to her, but as soon as we were gone, he told the guard not to let us come again because our presence pained him too much.”6 

Part four coming soon.

The post The Year of Marie Antoinette – Marie Thérèse, Daughter of the King (Part three) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Marie Thérèse of France – Prisoner (Part two)

Read part one here.

Early the following morning, some in the crowd found a way into the palace. Marie Thérèse wrote, “At the same moment, the wretches forced the door of my mother’s room; so that one instant later, she would have been taken without means of escape. As soon as she entered my father’s rooms, she looked for him but could not find him; having heard she was in danger, he had rushed to her apartment, but by another way. Fortunately, he met my brother, brought to him by Mme. de Tourzel, who urged him to return to his rooms, where he found my mother awaiting him in mortal anxiety. Reassured about my father and brother, the queen came in search of me; I was already awakened by the noise in her rooms and in the garden under my windows; my mother told me to rise, and then took me with her to my father’s apartment.”1 The violence eventually subsided with the help of the Marquis de Lafayette’s National Guard, and he convinced the King to address the crowd.

That afternoon, a large procession, including the royal family, headed for Paris. The King’s sister who had told him, “It is not Paris, Sire, that you should go. You have still devoted battalions and faithful guards to protect you. I implore you, my brother, not to go to Paris.” As their carriage passed Montreuil, she bent forward to look at the trees. Her brother asked, “Are you bowing to Montreuil, sister?” She answered, “Sire, I am bidding it farewell.”2

The family was taken to the Tuileries, where they would live under guard. Marie Thérèse wrote, “Thus passed that fatal day, the opening epoch of the imprisonment of the royal family and the beginning of the outrages and cruelties it was to bear in the end. The rest of this year, and the year of 1790 were passed in a continual struggle between the Eoyal Power and that arrogated to itself by the Assembly, the latter always gaining the upper hand, although no very remarkable events happened during that time relating to the personal situation of my family.”3

During this time, Marie Thérèse became increasingly quiet and withdrawn, and she slept by her mother’s side, for everyone’s safety. The children’s lessons continued, and Marie Thérèse continued to work on her embroidery. On 4 April 1790, Marie Thérèse had her first communion, and although the event was enormously scaled down, it was still a special day. Her playmate Ernestine also had her first communion that day. Marie Thérèse’s family had not been allowed to attend, but Marie Antoinette managed to be there in disguise. Later, the King wrote to the Duchess of Polignac, “We have all been content with the way she comported herself. I also see with pleasure that she remembers you, as she should.”4

Marie Antoinette became convinced that the family needed to leave France as time passed. She began formulating a plan with Axel von Fersen and her brother, Emperor Leopold II. By February 1791, Marie Antoinette wrote that an escape plan was now underway. The flight eventually took place on 20 June. Marie Thérèse wrote, “On the 20th of June, 1790, my father and mother seemed to me greatly agitated during the whole day and much occupied, without my knowing the reason. After dinner, they sent us, my brother and me, into another room, and shut themselves into their own, alone with my aunt. I knew later that this was the moment when they told the latter of their plan for escaping by flight from the durance under which they were living.”5

The family escaped from the palace itself on foot through an unused and unguarded ground-floor apartment. Axel von Fersen and the carriage waited for them in a side courtyard on the north side of the Tuileries, known as the Cour des Suisses. The plan went awry, and they were stopped at Varennes. Marie Thérèse wrote, “At last, at six in the morning, seeing there was no remedy or help he looked for, we were absolutely forced to take the road back to Paris.”6 About their return to the Tuileries, she wrote, “My father and mother could not leave their rooms, not even to go to church, and mass was said in their apartments. No one could enter the Tuileries unless by cards of permission, which M. de la Fayette granted to few. Such was the state of my parents’ captivity during more than two months until the acceptance by the King of the Constitution. After that, we had several months of respite and apparent tranquillity, but the King found himself in a constant struggle with the Assembly, which ulcerated all minds more and more, daily.”7

For the next year, they were kept under strict guard at the Tuileries. During this time, Marie Thérèse turned 13 years old. On 20 June 1792, a terrifying mob was allowed into the gardens of the palace by the National Guard. They carried pikes and hatchets and eventually broke into the palace itself. They made their way to the King’s apartments and confronted Louis. A reluctant Marie Antoinette and the children were brought to safety. Marie Thérèse wrote, “There we awaited, in the silence of profound anxiety, for news of what had happened to my father.”8

Upon finally being reunited when the danger passed, she wrote, “It was, as I have said, about eight o’clock when this dreadful procession of rioters ceased to pass, and we were able to rejoin my father and aunt. No one can imagine our feelings at that reunion; they were such that even the deputies from the Assembly were touched. My brother was overcome with fatigue, and they put him to bed.”9

Read part three here.

The post Marie Thérèse of France – Prisoner (Part two) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Year of Marie Antoinette – Marie Thérèse, Prisoner (Part two)

Read part one here.

Early the following morning, some in the crowd found a way into the palace. Marie Thérèse wrote, “At the same moment, the wretches forced the door of my mother’s room; so that one instant later, she would have been taken without means of escape. As soon as she entered my father’s rooms, she looked for him but could not find him; having heard she was in danger, he had rushed to her apartment, but by another way. Fortunately, he met my brother, brought to him by Mme. de Tourzel, who urged him to return to his rooms, where he found my mother awaiting him in mortal anxiety. Reassured about my father and brother, the queen came in search of me; I was already awakened by the noise in her rooms and in the garden under my windows; my mother told me to rise, and then took me with her to my father’s apartment.”1 The violence eventually subsided with the help of the Marquis de Lafayette’s National Guard, and he convinced the King to address the crowd.

That afternoon, a large procession, including the royal family, headed for Paris. The King’s sister who had told him, “It is not Paris, Sire, that you should go. You have still devoted battalions and faithful guards to protect you. I implore you, my brother, not to go to Paris.” As their carriage passed Montreuil, she bent forward to look at the trees. Her brother asked, “Are you bowing to Montreuil, sister?” She answered, “Sire, I am bidding it farewell.”2

The family was taken to the Tuileries, where they would live under guard. Marie Thérèse wrote, “Thus passed that fatal day, the opening epoch of the imprisonment of the royal family and the beginning of the outrages and cruelties it was to bear in the end. The rest of this year, and the year of 1790 were passed in a continual struggle between the Eoyal Power and that arrogated to itself by the Assembly, the latter always gaining the upper hand, although no very remarkable events happened during that time relating to the personal situation of my family.”3

During this time, Marie Thérèse became increasingly quiet and withdrawn, and she slept by her mother’s side, for everyone’s safety. The children’s lessons continued, and Marie Thérèse continued to work on her embroidery. On 4 April 1790, Marie Thérèse had her first communion, and although the event was enormously scaled down, it was still a special day. Her playmate Ernestine also had her first communion that day. Marie Thérèse’s family had not been allowed to attend, but Marie Antoinette managed to be there in disguise. Later, the King wrote to the Duchess of Polignac, “We have all been content with the way she comported herself. I also see with pleasure that she remembers you, as she should.”4

Marie Antoinette became convinced that the family needed to leave France as time passed. She began formulating a plan with Axel von Fersen and her brother, Emperor Leopold II. By February 1791, Marie Antoinette wrote that an escape plan was now underway. The flight eventually took place on 20 June. Marie Thérèse wrote, “On the 20th of June, 1790, my father and mother seemed to me greatly agitated during the whole day and much occupied, without my knowing the reason. After dinner, they sent us, my brother and me, into another room, and shut themselves into their own, alone with my aunt. I knew later that this was the moment when they told the latter of their plan for escaping by flight from the durance under which they were living.”5

The family escaped from the palace itself on foot through an unused and unguarded ground-floor apartment. Axel von Fersen and the carriage waited for them in a side courtyard on the north side of the Tuileries, known as the Cour des Suisses. The plan went awry, and they were stopped at Varennes. Marie Thérèse wrote, “At last, at six in the morning, seeing there was no remedy or help he looked for, we were absolutely forced to take the road back to Paris.”6 About their return to the Tuileries, she wrote, “My father and mother could not leave their rooms, not even to go to church, and mass was said in their apartments. No one could enter the Tuileries unless by cards of permission, which M. de la Fayette granted to few. Such was the state of my parents’ captivity during more than two months until the acceptance by the King of the Constitution. After that, we had several months of respite and apparent tranquillity, but the King found himself in a constant struggle with the Assembly, which ulcerated all minds more and more, daily.”7

For the next year, they were kept under strict guard at the Tuileries. During this time, Marie Thérèse turned 13 years old. On 20 June 1792, a terrifying mob was allowed into the gardens of the palace by the National Guard. They carried pikes and hatchets and eventually broke into the palace itself. They made their way to the King’s apartments and confronted Louis. A reluctant Marie Antoinette and the children were brought to safety. Marie Thérèse wrote, “There we awaited, in the silence of profound anxiety, for news of what had happened to my father.”8

Upon finally being reunited when the danger passed, she wrote, “It was, as I have said, about eight o’clock when this dreadful procession of rioters ceased to pass, and we were able to rejoin my father and aunt. No one can imagine our feelings at that reunion; they were such that even the deputies from the Assembly were touched. My brother was overcome with fatigue, and they put him to bed.”9

Part three coming soon.

The post The Year of Marie Antoinette – Marie Thérèse, Prisoner (Part two) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

Infanta Elena at 60 – A supporting role

Infanta Elena of Spain was born on 20 December 1963 as the eldest child of the future King Juan Carlos I of Spain and Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark. She was born in Madrid and was baptised in the Zarzuela Palace, with her paternal grandmother,  Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, and Don Alfonso de Orleans y Borbón standing as her godparents.

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The New York Times reported, “Princess Sophia, 25-year-old elder daughter of the King and Queen of the Hellenes, gave birth to a daughter today. The healthy blue-eyed baby weighed 9.4 pounds. Queen Frederika of Greece has been in Madrid since late November for the birth of her first grandchild. The Princess is the wife of Prince Juan Carlos, 25, son of the official pretender to the Spanish throne, Don Juan of Bourbon, who lives in exile in Portugal. Monarchists here said they expected the pretender to make a short visit to Madrid with authorisation from Generalissimo Francisco Franco for the christening of the baby, his first grandchild. King Paul of Greece also may attend the ceremony.”1

Her grandfather indeed came to Spain to attend her baptism as the New York Times reported on 31 December that he returned to his exile in Portugal after a three-day visit.2 Her other grandfather, the King of Greece, did not attend and died in March 1964. Elena’s younger sister, Infanta Cristina, was born in 1965, and her younger brother, Felipe, now King Felipe VI, was born in 1968.

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At the time of Elena’s birth, the Spanish royal family were not reigning as her great-grandfather, Alfonso XIII of Spain, was deposed in 1931. Her grandfather Juan was actually King Alfonso’s third son. The eldest son, Alfonso, Prince of Asturias, renounced his rights to marry Cuban commoner Edelmira Sampedro, while the second son, Infante Jaime, Duke of Segovia, renounced his rights because he was deaf. King Alfonso XIII renounced his rights to the defunct Spanish throne in favour of Juan in 1941 and died shortly after. Dictator Francisco Franco ruled over Spain from 1939 to 1975.

Franco appointed Juan Carlos as his heir apparent in 1969, skipping over his still-living father, and granted him the title of Prince of Spain. Following Franco’s death on  20 November 1975, Juan Carlos was officially proclaimed King of Spain. Elena was then 11 years old. As Spain practised male-preference primogeniture, her brother Felipe became the Prince of Asturias in 1977.

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She finished her secondary schooling at Colegio de Santa María del Camino. She studied to become a teacher at the ESCUNI University School in Madrid and graduated as a teacher of Basic General Education in 1986. She began working as an English teacher and took a course in Sociology and Education at the University of Exeter. She eventually obtained a bachelor’s degree in Educational Sciences in June 1993.

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On 18 March 1995, she married Don Jaime de Marichalar y Sáenz de Tejada, a younger son of Amalio, 8th Count of Ripalda, and his wife María de la Concepción Sáenz de Tejada y Fernández de Bobadilla, Lady of Tejada. She was created Duchess of Lugo for life on her wedding day, and her husband was entitled to call himself Duke of Lugo. They went on to have two children together, Felipe Juan Froilán de Todos los Santos, born on 17 July 1998, and Victoria Federica, born on 9 September 2000. She and her children are in the line of succession and currently follow directly behind King Felipe’s two daughters. Her separation from her husband was announced in 2007, and they were officially divorced in January 2010. He is no longer entitled to be called Duke of Lugo.

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Infanta Elena carries out engagements on behalf of the royal family and has done so since she came of age. She also supports several educational and cultural organisations and has a special focus on sports for people with disabilities. She is also the Honorary President of the Spanish Paralympic Committee.3

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The post Infanta Elena at 60 – A supporting role appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Year of Marie Antoinette – Marie Thérèse, Child of France (Part one)

Marie Thérèse was born at the Palace of Versailles on 19 December 1778 as the daughter of King Louis XVI of France and his wife, Marie Antoinette. Crowds had surrounded the bed Marie Antoinette laboured in, and in an attempt to give his wife some privacy, King Louis constructed a tent, but it proved useless.

At 10.30 a.m., in view of hundreds of people, Marie Antoinette finally gave birth. As her daughter was carried away, Marie Antoinette slipped into unconsciousness. She was eventually rerived when the surgeon made a cut in her foot. The baby’s godparents were Empress Maria Theresa and King Charles III of Spain, for whom the Count and Countess of Provence stood as proxy. The Count of Provence also managed to imply that the King was not Marie Thérèse’s father.

Her birth came seven years after her parents’ marriage, and her gender was a disappointment, though not for Marie-Antoinette, who said, “Poor little girl, you are not what was desired, but you are no less dear to me on that account. A son would have been the property of the State. You shall be mine; you have my undivided care; you will share all my happiness, and you will alleviate my sufferings.”1

After the service, Marie Thérèse was handed to her governess, the Princess of Guéméné. The household for the new Madame Royale would employ nearly 100 people, and the expenses totalled 299,000 livres even before her first birthday. King Louis also showered 120,000 livres on his wife to spend as she saw fit. Marie Antoinette and Louis doted on the little girl, and Marie Antoinette even breastfed her for the first 18 days. This horrified her mother, and after being told off by her, Marie Antoinette stopped.

Just four months after Marie Thérèse’s birth, Marie Antoinette was being pressured into becoming pregnant again. Marie Thérèse could not inherit the French throne, and a son was needed. She became pregnant that summer but suffered a miscarriage in the early weeks. Marie Thérèse continued to thrive, and by October, she was beginning to teethe. By the following March, she was walking by herself but not talking very much yet. In June, Marie Antoinette had another miscarriage. Marie Thérèse suffered convulsions as a result of teething in September 1780.

In early 1781, Marie Antoinette fell pregnant again. As the pregnancy progressed, King Louis made arrangements to prevent another crowd in the birthing chamber. On 22 October 1781, Marie Antoinette gave birth to a Dauphin named Louis Joseph. King Louis told Marie Antoinette, “I present the Dauphin to his mother, the Queen.”2 The nation rejoiced at the birth of an heir, and festivities lasted for two weeks.

Although the public’s attention was on the Dauphin, Marie Thérèse was the apple of her father’s eye. When the Dauphin was a year old, the Duchess of Polignac replaced the Princess of Guéméné as governess. Marie Antoinette wished to be personally involved in her children’s education and personally instructed Marie Thérèse in needlework. Princess Elisabeth was given the task of religious and moral instruction while King Louis ordered a giant globe for the children.

Marie Antoinette had another miscarriage shortly before the Dauphin’s second birthday, but by the following summer, she was pregnant again. It also became clear that Louis Joseph had severe health problems, which would worsen over the years to come and would eventually prove fatal. On 27 March 1785, Marie Antoinette gave birth to a second son named Louis Charles. He was given the title Duke of Normandy. On 9 July 1786, a daughter named Sophie was born, although the little girl never thrived and died before her first birthday. Marie Thérèse doted on her little brothers, especially Louis Charles, and he went out of his way to make her smile.

Marie Thérèse also gained a playmate in one of her mother’s adopted children, Ernestine. Ernestine returned home to her parents every evening until her mother died in April 1788. Marie Antoinette then adopted the girl and had her stay at Versailles permanently. Ernestine received the same education as Marie Thérèse, which the Queen happily paid for. The Duchess of Polignac treated Ernestine as one of the royal children. But it was Marie Thérèse who was considered the prize of Europe and was much sought after as a bride. Serious consideration was given to her cousin Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême.

Marie Thérèse was still a young girl when the political situation in France started to deteriorate. On 4 June 1789, Dauphin Louis Joseph died at the age of 7, making Louis Charles the new Dauphin. For a little while, France seemed united in grief, but just two weeks later, the National Assembly, which intended to write a new constitution, was formed. On 14 July 1789, revolutionaries stormed and managed to seize control of the Bastille, a fortress and political prison.

Marie Antoinette was also looking to replace the Duchess of Polignac and found one in the Marquise de Tourzel. Madame de Tourzel came with her daughter Pauline and received plenty of instructions from Marie Antoinette. She told Madame de Tourzel to pay as much attention to Marie Thérèse as she would to do the Dauphin. She wrote that the Dauphin “loves his sister deeply, and with a full heart. Every time that something gives him pleasure, whether to go somewhere or something that someone gives him, his first inclination is to always request that his sister have the same.”3

The Duchess of Polignac, who had left the country for her safety, received a handwritten note from Marie Thérèse, which said, “Madame, I was very angry to learn that you had left. Please know that I will never forget you.”4 It was becoming quite dangerous to be serving the royal family, and on 5 October 1789, the market women of Paris marched on Versailles, intending to demand flour or grain from their King, as well as his assent to constitutional changes proposed by the Assembly.

Marie Thérèse later wrote, “My mother knew that their chief object was to kill her; nevertheless, in spite of that, she made no sign but retired to her room with all possible coolness and courage [after ordering all who had gathered there to retire also]. She went to bed, directing Mme. de Tourzel to take her son instantly to the King if she heard any noise during the night; she ordered all her servants to go to bed.”5

Part two coming soon.

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Book Review: The Daughters of George III: Sisters and Princesses by Catherine Curzon

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*review copy*

King George III and Queen Charlotte had 15 children together, of which 6 were daughters. He has been famously quoted as saying, “I cannot deny that I have never wished to see any of them marry: I am happy in their company and do not in the least want a separation.”1

Several of their daughters either remained unmarried or married so late in life that they were unable to become mothers. The eldest, Charlotte, Princess Royal, married the future King Frederick of Württemberg at the age of 30. Her only pregnancy ended in the stillbirth of a daughter. The second daughter, Princess Augusta Sophia, never married. The third daughter, Princess Elizabeth, married the future Frederick VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg, at the age of 47. The fourth daughter, Princess Mary, married her first cousin, Prince William Frederick, Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, at the age of 40. The fifth daughter, Princess Sophia, never married. The sixth daughter, Princess Amelia, also never married.

The Daughters of George III: Sisters and Princesses by Catherine Curzon explores the lives of these women, who were trapped in a life they wished they could escape. Princess Sophia bitterly gave her address as “the nunnery.”2 There’s no shortage of rumours of illegitimate children and relationships concerning some of these women, but as there is simply no evidence, rumours they shall remain.

You can tell that a lot of research has gone into this subject, and this isn’t the first book about the Georgians by this author either. I enjoyed how easily this book flowed, and it didn’t get boring. However, I am not sure it can top Princesses: the six daughters of George III by Flora Fraser. If you prefer a more chatty read, I’d go for this one.

The Daughters of George III: Sisters and Princesses by Catherine Curzon is available now in the US and the UK.

 

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Book News Week 51

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Book news week 49: 18 December – 24 December 2023

Queen Victoria After Albert: Her Life and Loves

Hardcover – 21 December 2023 (US)

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Julia Domna – The Syrian Empress of Rome

Empress Julia Domna was known for fostering learning and helping to preserve classical Roman culture.[1] She was the wife of Emperor Septimius Severus and the mother of Emperor Caracalla. Empress Julia Domna was said to be politically astute and wielded significant influence over the two emperors.[2] She was also known as the matriarch of the Severan dynasty.[3] Through Empress Julia Domna, the line of the Severan dynasty continued.[4]

In circa 167 C.E., Empress Julia Domna was born in Emesa, a city in the Roman province of Syria. Her father was Julius Bassianus, who was the high priest of the local sun god, Elagabal.[5] Julius Bassainus was descended from a royal line of priest-kings that ruled Emesa from 72-79 C.E.[6] Julius Bassainus’s cousin was also the king of Armenia.[7] Thus, Julia Domna and her younger sister, Julia Maesa, were expected to marry prominent noblemen.[8] Julia Domna was also well-educated. She knew Greek, Aramaic and possibly Latin.[9]

Many historians believe that Julia Domna most likely met her future husband, Septimius Severus, when serving as an officer in the Roman military in Syria during the early 180s.[10] He visited the temple at Emesa and may have become acquainted with Julius Bassainus and his daughters.[11] Septimius Severus still would have been married to his first wife, Paccia Marciana.[12] In the late 180s, Paccia Marciana died, leaving Septimius Severus a widow.[13] He was recently appointed governor of Gaul.

Septimius Severus was in his forties and had no children. He had to remarry quickly.[14] Septimius Severus looked at horoscopes to see who would be his potential bride. The horoscopes told him that it would be Julia Domna, a woman in Syria who would marry a king.[15] Septimius Severus then sent a letter to her father, Julius Bassainus, proposing marriage. Julius Bassainus accepted it. Julia Domna was sent to Gaul and married Septimius Severus in 187 C.E. Septimius Severus was at least twenty-five years older than Julia Domna.[16] He was very pleased with her.[17] He found her to be beautiful and intelligent.[18]

On 4 April 188 C.E., Julia Domna bore a son named Bassainus in honour of her father at Lugdunum.[19] Bassainus would later be renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, though he was better known as Caracalla.[20] In 189 C.E., Julia Domna bore a second son, Publius Septimius Geta, in honour of Septimius Severus’s father.[21] Septimius Severus was appointed governor of a province in northern Italy. After the assassinations of two Roman emperors within the span of three months, Septimius Severus decided to become the next Emperor of Rome. In 193 C.E., he marched into Rome with his army and successfully seized power without any bloodshed.[22] Septimius Severus became Emperor of Rome. Julia Domna became empress.

During Emperor Septimius Severus’s reign, Empress Julia Domna often acted as his advisor.[23] On 14 April 195 C.E., Emperor Septimius Severus gave Empress Julia Domna the title of “Mother of the Camp” [24] at a public ceremony. However, Emperor Septimius Severus also trusted another advisor named Plautianus. Plautianus and Empress Julia Domna became locked in a fierce rivalry for Emperor Septimius Severus’s political influence.[25] In 200 C.E., Empress Julia Domna realised that she could not defeat Plautianus. She then began to devote herself to studying rhetoric and philosophy.[26]

Empress Julia Domna created a literary circle of philosophers and geographers.[27] One member of her inner circle was the sophist philosopher Philostratus. Empress Julia Domna commissioned him to write a biography of Apollonius of Tyana, a legendary miracle worker.[28] Historians believe that Empress Julia Domna commissioned this work in order to stop the rising spread of Christianity by having people worship him instead of Jesus Christ.[29] Empress Julia Domna also participated in philosophical discussions and commissioned works on subjects she was interested in.[30] She would continue her literary circle until her death in 217 C.E.[31]

In 205 C.E., Plautianus fell from power. He was accused by Caracalla of plotting to kill Emperor Septimius Severus and was executed.[32] The marriage between Plautianus’s daughter and Caracalla was annulled.[33] Empress Julia Domna regained the influence that she had lost while Plautianus was in power.[34] However, Empress Julia Domna had to watch her two sons fight with each other for power.[35]

In order to stop Caracalla and Geta from hating the other, Emperor Septimius Severus took Empress Julia Domna and his sons with him to Britain.[36] Emperor Septimius Severus was suffering from gout and arthritis.[37] He had to be carried on a litter throughout the journey. In the winter of 210 C.E., his health grew worse. On 4 February 211 C.E., Emperor Septimius Severus died at Eboracum (modern-day York). Before his death, Emperor Septimius Severus wished for his two sons to rule the Empire together.[38] However, Emperor Caracalla planned to eliminate his brother and become the sole Emperor.[39]

On their return trip to Rome, Empress Julia Domna tried to get her sons to reconcile, but they refused.[40] In February 212 C.E., Emperor Caracalla told his mother he wanted to reconcile with his brother.[41] Empress Julia Domna summoned Emperor Geta to her apartment. Once Emperor Geta arrived, Emperor Caracalla stabbed him to death.[42] Emperor Geta died in his mother’s arms.[43] Emperor Caracalla forbade his people to mourn his brother’s death and killed Emperor Geta’s supporters.[44]

Even though Empress Julia Domna was angry at her son for killing his brother, Emperor Caracalla made her the most powerful woman in the Empire.[45] He gave her control of the imperial administration and let her retain her Empress status.[46] Emperor Caracalla often relied on his mother’s advice.[47] Empress Julia Domna’s name appeared next to Emperor Caracalla’s name in letters to the Senate.[48] Whenever Emperor Caracalla was absent in Rome, he left his mother in charge of the Empire.[49]

In 216 C.E., Emperor Caracalla launched a military campaign against the Parthians. Empress Julia Domna accompanied him to Antioch to relay communications from Rome to Emperor Caracalla.[50] In 217 C.E., Emperor Caracalla was assassinated by one of his army commanders.[51] It is believed that the person behind the murder was Macrinus, who succeeded him as Emperor.[52] When Empress Julia Domna received news of her son’s death, she was already suffering from breast cancer.[53] Empress Julia Domna was distraught over her son’s death, but due to her illness, she could not openly oppose Macrinus’s accession as Emperor.[54] She committed suicide through starvation.[55]

In 218 C.E., Empress Julia Domna’s great-nephew, Elagabalus, became Emperor. After Emperor Elagabalus’s death in 222 C.E., her other great-nephew, Alexander Severus, became the next Emperor. He reigned until his death in 235 C.E. Thus, the line of the Severan dynasty continued not from Emperor Septimius Severus but through Empress Julia Domna. Empress Julia Domna was seen as the matriarch of the Severan dynasty.[56] Empress Julia Domna influenced two Roman emperors and ruled over their vast Empire whenever they were absent.[57] She is also known for her literary circle, which helped preserve much of Roman culture.[58] It is no wonder she is considered one of Rome’s most powerful empresses.[59]

Sources:

“Julia”. (2005). In J. S. Uglow, F. Hinton, & M. Hendry (Eds.), The Palgrave MacMillan dictionary of women’s biography (4th ed.). Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

“Julia Domna (D. after 217 C.E.)”. (2012). In M. Bunson, Facts on File library of world history: Encyclopedia of ancient Rome (3rd ed.). Facts On File.

Kampen, N. (2008). “Domna, Julia”. The Oxford Encyclopedia Women in World History. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Meckler, M. (2010). Julia Domna. The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece and Rome. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.

Reisman, R. M. C. (2023). “Julia Domna”. Salem Press Biographical Encyclopedia.

[1] Reisman, 2023

[2] Reisman, 2023

[3] “Julia”, 2005

[4] Kampen, 2008

[5] Meckler, 2010

[6] Reisman, 2023

[7] Reisman, 2023

[8] Reisman, 2023

[9] Reisman, 2023

[10] Meckler, 2010

[11] Reisman, 2023; Meckler, 2010

[12] Meckler, 2010

[13] Meckler, 2010

[14] Reisman, 2023

[15] Reisman, 2023

[16] Meckler, 2010

[17] Reisman, 2023

[18] Reisman, 2023

[19] Meckler, 2010

[20] Reisman, 2023

[21] Reisman, 2023

[22] Reisman, 2023

[23] Reisman, 2023

[24] Reisman, 2023, para. 7

[25] Reisman, 2023

[26] “Julia Domna (D. after 217 C.E.)”, 2012

[27] Reisman, 2023

[28] Reisman, 2023

[29] Reisman, 2023

[30] Reisman, 2023

[31] Reisman, 2023

[32] Reisman, 2023

[33] Meckler, 2010

[34] “Julia”, 2005

[35] Reisman, 2023

[36] Reisman, 2023

[37] Reisman, 2023

[38] Reisman, 2023, “Julia”, 2005

[39] Reisman, 2023

[40] Reisman, 2023

[41] Reisman, 2023

[42] Reisman, 2023

[43] Reisman, 2023

[44] Reisman, 2023

[45] “Julia Domna (D. after 217 C.E.)”, 2012

[46] “Julia”, 2005; “Julia Domna (D. after 217 C.E.)”, 2012

[47] Reisman, 2023

[48] Reisman, 2023

[49] Reisman, 2023

[50] Reisman, 2023;  Meckler, 2010

[51] Reisman, 2023

[52] Reisman, 2010; Meckler, 2010

[53] Meckler, 2010

[54] Meckler, 2010

[55] “Julia”, 2005

[56] “Julia”, 2005; Kampen, 2008

[57] Reisman, 2023

[58] Reisman, 2023

[59] Kampen, 2008

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Queen Mary’s Richmond Brooch

Queen Mary’s Richmond Brooch consists of a “pierced and scrolled outline, pavé-set with brilliant, with a detachable oval pearl and brilliant centre, and a detachable pavé-set pearl pendant; with suspension loop at the top for use as a pendant, and with two loops at the bottom for additional pendants.”1

The brooch was given to the future Queen Mary by the town of Richmond to mark her wedding to the then Duke of York. Mary’s family had long resided at White Lodge in Richmond Park, and the brooch was a testament to their long connection.

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She famously wore the brooch at the Devonshire House Ball in 1897 alongside the Kensington and Dorset Bow brooches. Queen Elizabeth II inherited the brooch in 1953 upon Queen Mary’s death. She wore the brooch occasionally, with and without the pearl. For example, she wore it at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2018.

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