Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 84

The Year of Marie Antoinette – The proxy wedding

On 17 April 1770, Marie Antoinette swore on a bible to renounce her rights to the Austrian hereditary lands through her mother and to Lorraine through her father. This was done to ensure that no claims were made through the female line should the male line fail.

That evening, her brother Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor, threw a supper party for 1500 people at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna. Over 800 firemen stood guard as a party of this magnitude required over 4,000 candles. Even more surprising was the presence of several dentists in case of a sudden toothache.1 Dinner was served in stages of 100 people at the time while the drinks were free flowing. The party ended up lasting until seven in the morning, although the family had withdrawn at around 3 in the morning.

The following day, Marie Antoinette was received by the French Ambassador at the Liechtenstein Palace just outside Vienna. He would be forbidden to receive her once the proxy wedding had taken place, so it had to be done before the wedding. This time 850 guests were invited, but Count Khevenhüller, the Court Chamberlain, reported that the entertainment had not nearly been as good as the night before.2

On 19 April 1770, at six in the evening, it was finally time for the proxy wedding. This was done to ensure that the woman in question could travel with her new rank. Marie Antoinette’s own brother Ferdinand would stand in for Louis Auguste, and he took the Latin vow, “I am willing and thus make my promise.”3 He knelt beside his sister and had supper by her side that evening. The proxy wedding took place in the Augustinian Church in Vienna, and Marie Antoinette was led up the aisle by her mother, Maria Theresa. Her mother and brother Joseph sat on a special dais to the right of the altar, while Marie Antoinette and Ferdinand sat at a lower level.

For this proxy wedding, Marie Antoinette wore a gown of cloth-of-silver, and her train was carried by Countess Trautmannsdorf. The wedding was officiated by the Papal Nuncio, Monsignor Visconti, as the vows were said and the rings were blessed. As the ceremony concluded, salvoes were fired outside. At nine in the evening, the official marriage supper began. This was to last for several hours and would not even be the end of the festivities in Vienna. The following night another gala would take place, but this time Marie Antoinette was “Madame la Dauphine.”

Marie Antoinette also wrote to “her very dear grandfather”, King Louis XV (her husband’s grandfather), to say that thanks to the proxy wedding,  she now “belongs to Your Majesty.”4 She signed the letter as “Antoine.”

Marie Antoinette was scheduled to leave for France on 21 April at 9 in the morning. Shortly before her departure, Maria Theresa held her daughter tight and told her, “Farewell, my dearest child, a great distance will separate us… Do so much good to the French people that they can say that I have sent them an angel.”5 Marie Antoinette reportedly continued to crane her neck as the carriage departed to see her home for the last time.

A procession of 57 carriages would bring the new Dauphine to France.

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The Year of Marie Antoinette – An unusual marriage counsellor arrives

The marriage of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI famously remained unconsummated for seven years.

The traditional bedding ceremony had taken place following the wedding. The nuptial bed was blessed by the Archbishop of Rheims as King Louis XV handed his grandson his nightgown. Marie Antoinette received hers from the Duchess of Chartres. Both now took their place in the bed, and everyone who had the Rights of Entry to the chamber bowed or curtseyed and withdrew.1 The next morning, Marie Antoinette’s husband wrote in his diary, “Rien”(Nothing).2 Nothing had happened, and nothing would happen for several years.

There are several theories for this. One was that Louis suffered from phimosis, a tight foreskin, which would have made erections painful. This was resolved in 1777 with surgery. However, there were several medical examinations ordered by Louis’s grandfather which revealed nothing abnormal. The second theory seemed to combine Marie Antoinette’s supposed coldness towards her husband to Louis’s lack of knowledge. This theory gained the most traction and led to the arrival of an unusual marriage counsellor on 18 April 1777 – Marie Antoinette’s brother Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor.

Joseph later wrote to his younger brother Leopold, “Here is the mystery of the conjugal bed. There are strong erections… he introduces his penis, leaves it there for maybe two minutes without agitating it, takes it out, still hard, without ever ejaculating, and says goodnight. This is incomprehensible since he has spontaneous emissions alone… He says frankly that he is satisfied and that he only does it out of duty and takes no pleasure in it. Ah! If I could have been present just once, I could have sorted it out. He should be whipped like a donkey to make him ejaculate out of anger!”3

In any case, the situation probably wasn’t helped by the immense pressure to produce an heir. Nevertheless, less than six months after Joseph’s visit, Marie Antoinette wrote to him, “I had great hopes, my dear brother, of telling you this time that I was pregnant. My hopes have once again receded, but I have great confidence that it will not be long since the King is living with me in the fullest sense, especially since our return from Fontainebleau when he has hunted less.”4 Their daughter Marie-Thérèse was born in December 1778.

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The Loo Palace reopens its doors

The Loo1 Palace in the Netherlands began its life in 1684 when William III, Prince of Orange, and his wife, Mary, Princess Royal, bought the estate with The Old Loo Palace with the intention of building a new hunting lodge Just five years later, they became the joint monarchs of England, Scotland, and Ireland, which lead to the further expansion of the building, to make it fit for a King and Queen.

Mary would die of smallpox at the age of just 31, while William continued to rule solo until his death in 1702. They would have no children together, which meant that William was succeeded by his sister-in-law Anne. The Loo Palace passed into the hands of his Frisian cousin, John William Friso, who also succeeded him as Prince of Orange.

It became a royal residence again in the 19th century with the arrival of King William I. Queen Wilhelmina loved the palace and largely grew up there. She would die at the palace in 1962. The last inhabitants were her granddaughter Princess Margriet and her husband with their children until 1975. The government designed the palace as a museum, which led to a thorough renovation until 1984.

In 2018, it was once again decided that a renovation was necessary, which asbestos being the main challenge. To prepare for the future, a brand new exhibition space of 5000 m22was to be constructed underneath the main courtyard. After five years of hard work, the palace will now reopen completely.

One part of the new exhibition space will host a permanent display about the House of Orange, while the other part will host a range of temporary displays. This space is currently used for a display about the renovation, and it houses a large art piece.

Click to view slideshow.

The palace itself has been open for a while now. It is now split into two tours, complete with an audio guide. You can follow the William & Mary Tour or the Wilhelmina Tour (or both!). I’m not the biggest fan of audio guides and would have preferred some more information on-site as well. However, if you prefer audio guides, you’re in luck.

Click to view slideshow.

The Loo Palace has certainly put itself back on the map as a tourist destination. Even as an English speaker, you will not be disappointed as everything is in English as well. The Loo Palace will reopen to visitors on 22 April 2023.

Plan your visit here.

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Netflix releases Queen Cleopatra trailer

Netflix has released the new trailer for the Queen Cleopatra documentary as part of the African Queens series.

“From Executive Producer Jada Pinkett Smith comes a documentary series exploring the lives of prominent and iconic African Queens. This season will feature Queen Cleopatra, the world’s most famous, powerful, and misunderstood woman — a daring queen whose beauty and romances came to overshadow her real asset: her intellect. Cleopatra’s heritage has been the subject of much academic debate, which has often been ignored by Hollywood. Now our series re-assesses this fascinating part of her story.”

It will be released on 10 May 2023.

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Tan Yuling – Was Emperor Puyi’s Imperial Consort murdered by the Japanese?

Tan Yuling (formally known as Noble Consort Mingxian) was the third and favourite wife of Puyi, the Last Emperor of China. However, she died tragically at the young age of twenty-two. Tan Yuling’s death has always been one of history’s greatest mysteries. It has long been assumed that Tan Yuling was murdered by the Japanese.[1] Could there be another explanation for her death? This article examines Tan Yuling’s death and whether she was murdered at the hands of the Japanese.

On 11 August 1920, Tan Yuling was born in Beijing. Her surname was originally Tatala, but the Tatala clan changed their name to Tan to blend in with the Han Chinese.[2] Her father’s name was Zhaoxu, and her mother was of Korean descent. She had an older brother. Tan Yuling had connections to royalty. Two of her aunts were the Imperial Consorts of Emperor Guangxu. They were Consort Jin and Consort Zhen.[3]

In 1937, Puyi (the puppet Emperor of the Japanese state of Manchukuo) had sent Empress Wanrong to the cold palace because she gave birth to an illegitimate daughter.[4] Therefore, he needed another wife.[5] He looked through the photographs of suitable candidates, and his eyes settled on Tan Yuling’s photograph.[6] He selected her to be his Imperial Concubine. When Tan Yuling learned that she was to be Emperor Puyi’s Imperial Concubine, she was a seventeen-year-old middle school student in Beijing.[7] She left Beijing and travelled to Changchun to marry Emperor Puyi.

On 6 April 1937, Tan Yuling married Emperor Puyi in Changchun Palace. After the wedding, she was given the title of Noble Concubine Xiang.[8] Emperor Puyi had a deep affection for Noble Concubine Xiang.[9] She was said to be kind, thoughtful, and intelligent.[10] He often ate meals in her room.[11] He also loved taking photos of his Imperial Concubine.[12] Noble Concubine Xiang loved to knit sweaters for Emperor Puyi and often cooked meals for his sisters.[13]

Emperor Puyi also listened to Noble Concubine Xiang’s advice.[14] One day, Emperor Puyi was going to punish a guard who stole a banana from the imperial garden.[15] However, Noble Concubine Xiang pleaded for him, and Emperor Puyi let him go.[16] The only time Emperor Puyi did not listen to her was an issue concerning Empress Wanrong.[17] Because Empress Wanrong was sent to the cold palace, Noble Concubine Xiang never saw her.[18] Noble Concubine Xiang begged Emperor Puyi to free the Empress, but he ignored her plea.[19]

Noble Concubine Xiang’s deepest desire was to have a child. This desire often left her so depressed that she spent the nights crying on her pillow.[20] However, Emperor Puyi could not consummate his marriage.[21] This was because he was sexually abused when he was a child, and it had traumatized him as an adult.[22] Emperor Puyi tried to fulfil her desire by getting hormone injections and medicines, but it didn’t work.[23] It left him extremely disappointed that he could not perform his duties as a husband.[24]

Even though Emperor Puyi loved Noble Concubine Xiang, he would often beat her whenever he was in a foul mood.[25] For no reason, he would often yell at Noble Concubine Xiang.[26] He would throw things at her, push her, and pull her.[27] One time, he tore up the cheongsam that Noble Concubine Xiang was wearing.[28] Noble Concubine Xiang never complained about Emperor Puyi’s mistreatment of her. Instead, she always tolerated it.[29]

In 1942, Noble Concubine Xiang became ill.[30] Her illness grew worse. Emperor Puyi began to be concerned for Noble Concubine Xiang. He sent for Chinese doctors, but they could not cure her.[31] A Japanese officer named Yoshioka Anzhi then suggested to Emperor Puyi to get a Japanese doctor to cure her.[32] Emperor Puyi was so desperate to save her that he agreed.[33] The Japanese doctor examined her and diagnosed Noble Concubine Xiang’s illness as tuberculosis and meningitis.[34] He then gave her an injection. Just before the injection, Yoshioka Anzhi and the Japanese doctor had a three-hour private discussion in the room next door.[35] This secret meeting raised Emperor Puyi’s suspicions.[36] Noble Concubine Xiang died the next day, on 13 March 1942.[37] She was twenty-two years old.

Was Noble Concubine Xiang murdered by the Japanese? Emperor Puyi believed his wife was murdered at the hands of Yoshioka Anzhi.[38] The first reason was that Yoshioka Anzhi and the Japanese doctor had a private three-hour discussion before they treated his wife.[39] The second reason was that right before her death, Yoshioka Anzhi asked Emperor Puyi to look at the photographs of Japanese girls to choose his next Imperial Concubine.[40] Emperor Puyi refused to look at them because Noble Concubine Xiang was ill, and he hoped that she would get better.[41] Thus, Emperor Puyi believed the Japanese murdered his wife.[42] However, Emperor Puyi’s accusations were mere speculations with no solid evidence.[43]

There have been doubts about Emperor Puyi’s accusations.[44] Li Yuqin (Emperor Puyi’s fourth wife) believed the Emperor had misunderstood the Japanese.[45] She claimed the Japanese treated Noble Concubine Xiang with the same care and concern as the Chinese doctors.[46] Yoshioka Anzhi also stated that the Emperor misunderstood the meeting between him and the Japanese doctor.[47] He claimed that the meeting was about whether they should give her an injection since the Japanese doctor believed that her illness was too late to cure.[48] However, they eventually decided to go ahead with the treatment.[49] Yoshioka Anzhi also denied showing pictures of Japanese girls to Emperor Puyi right before Noble Concubine Xiang’s death.[50] Therefore, many scholars doubt Emperor Puyi’s accusations that the Japanese murdered Noble Concubine Xiang.[51] They believe that Noble Concubine Xiang was so ill that by the time she was under Japanese care, it was already too late to save her.[52] Thus, the Japanese did not kill Noble Concubine Xiang.[53]

Emperor Puyi held a grand funeral for Tan Yuling in Banruo Temple. He gave her the posthumous name of Noble Consort Mingxian.[54] He cremated her and ordered his nephew to guard her ashes.[55] After he married Li Shuxian, he went to where Noble Consort Mingxian’s ashes were stored and brought them back with him.[56] However, Li Shuxian was so afraid of getting Noble Consort Mingxian’s illness that she forced her husband to give the ashes back to his nephew.[57] Emperor Puyi did keep her photograph with him until his death.[58] On the back of her photograph are the words, “My dearest Yuling.” [59] Before he died, Emperor Puyi wished to be buried with Noble Consort Mingxian.[60] Noble Consort Mingxian is buried next to Emperor Puyi near the Western Qing Mausoleum.[61]

Tan Yuling was Emperor Puyi’s favourite Imperial Consort. She was married to Emperor Puyi for five years. However, she died at an early age due to unknown causes. Her sudden death caused Emperor Puyi to place the blame on the Japanese. Yet, it is clear that it was simply a misunderstanding between the Japanese and the Emperor. Emperor Puyi continued to mourn her for the rest of his life. Even though Tan Yuling died young, she became the great love of Emperor Puyi.

Sources:

DayDayNews. (September 4, 2020). “The “pain” of Puyi’s life, his beloved wife Tan Yuling was killed by the Japanese lieutenant general and asked to be buried with her on the deathbed”. Retrieved on 25 September 2022 from https://daydaynews.cc/en/history/amp/....

iMedia. (n.d). “Tan Yuling: The cause of Puyi’s wife’s death is a mystery. After a cold, she died of a serious illness under the care of the Japanese”. Retrieved on 25 September 2022 from https://min.news/en/history/fb4b6c5ab....

iNews. (n.d.). “The woman who only got along with Puyi for 5 years, but let Puyi love her life, they were buried together after death”. Retrieved on 25 September 2022 from https://inf.news/en/history/ed8cc2b7f....

Wang, Q. (2014). The Last Emperor and His Five Wives. (Translated by Jiaquan Han et al.). Beijing, China: China Intercontinental Press.

[1] Wang, 2014

[2] Wang, 2014

[3] Wang, 2014

[4] DayDayNews, 4 September 2020, “The “pain” of Puyi’s life, his beloved wife Tan Yuling was killed by the Japanese lieutenant general and asked to be buried with her on the deathbed”

[5] Wang, 2014

[6] Wang, 2014

[7] DayDayNews, 4 September 2020, “The “pain” of Puyi’s life, his beloved wife Tan Yuling was killed by the Japanese lieutenant general and asked to be buried with her on the deathbed”

[8] Wang, 2014

[9] Wang, 2014

[10] Wang, 2014

[11]Wang, 2014

[12] Wang, 2014

[13] iMedia, n.d. “Tan Yuling: The cause of Puyi’s wife’s death is a mystery. After a cold, she died of a serious illness under the care of the Japanese”

[14] iMedia, n.d. “Tan Yuling: The cause of Puyi’s wife’s death is a mystery. After a cold, she died of a serious illness under the care of the Japanese”

[15] iMedia, n.d. “Tan Yuling: The cause of Puyi’s wife’s death is a mystery. After a cold, she died of a serious illness under the care of the Japanese”

[16] iMedia, n.d. “Tan Yuling: The cause of Puyi’s wife’s death is a mystery. After a cold, she died of a serious illness under the care of the Japanese”

[17] Wang, 2014

[18] Wang, 2014

[19] Wang, 2014

[20] Wang, 2014

[21] Wang, 2014

[22] Wang, 2014

[23] Wang, 2014

[24] Wang, 2014

[25] DayDayNews, 4 September 2020, “The “pain” of Puyi’s life, his beloved wife Tan Yuling was killed by the Japanese lieutenant general and asked to be buried with her on the deathbed”

[26] Wang, 2014

[27] Wang, 2014

[28] Wang, 2014

[29] DayDayNews, 4 September 2020, “The “pain” of Puyi’s life, his beloved wife Tan Yuling was killed by the Japanese lieutenant general and asked to be buried with her on the deathbed”

[30] DayDayNews, 4 September 2020, “The “pain” of Puyi’s life, his beloved wife Tan Yuling was killed by the Japanese lieutenant general and asked to be buried with her on the deathbed”

[31] Wang, 2014

[32] Wang, 2014

[33] Wang, 2014

[34] Wang, 2014

[35] DayDayNews, 4 September 2020, “The “pain” of Puyi’s life, his beloved wife Tan Yuling was killed by the Japanese lieutenant general and asked to be buried with her on the deathbed”

[36] Wang, 2014

[37] DayDayNews, 4 September 2020, “The “pain” of Puyi’s life, his beloved wife Tan Yuling was killed by the Japanese lieutenant general and asked to be buried with her on the deathbed”

[38] Wang, 2014

[39] DayDayNews, 4 September 2020, “The “pain” of Puyi’s life, his beloved wife Tan Yuling was killed by the Japanese lieutenant general and asked to be buried with her on the deathbed”

[40] Wang, 2014

[41] Wang, 2014

[42] Wang, 2014

[43] Wang, 2014

[44] Wang, 2014

[45] Wang, 2014

[46] Wang, 2014

[47] Wang, 2014

[48] Wang, 2014

[49] Wang, 2014

[50] Wang, 2014

[51] Wang, 2014

[52] Wang, 2014

[53] Wang, 2014

[54] Wang, 2014

[55] Wang, 2014

[56] Wang, 2014

[57] iMedia, n.d. “Tan Yuling: The cause of Puyi’s wife’s death is a mystery. After a cold, she died of a serious illness under the care of the Japanese”

[58] Wang, 2014

[59] iNews, n.d., “The woman who only got along with Puyi for 5 years, but let Puyi love her life, they were buried together after death”, para. 10

[60] Wang, 2014

[61] iMedia, n.d. “Tan Yuling: The cause of Puyi’s wife’s death is a mystery. After a cold, she died of a serious illness under the care of the Japanese”

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Royal Jewels – Queen Victoria’s Fringe Brooch

Queen Victoria’s Fringe Brooch began its life after the remodelling of another diamond ornament. This was done in 1856, and Queen Victoria wore the brooch in her Winterhalter portrait in 1859.

The diamonds most likely came from jewels presented to Queen Victoria by the Sultan of Turkey in gratitude for the British support during the Crimean War. However, she did not wear it again after Prince Albert’s death, and some of the diamonds of the fringe were sacrificed to make a new small new crown to be worn on her widow’s cap.

Queen Alexandra wearing the brooch at the neck (public domain)

It was left as a personal jewel to her son, King Edward VII and subsequently passed to Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother and Queen Elizabeth II.1

Embed from Getty Images

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Royal Wedding Recollections – Prince Laurent of Belgium & Claire Coombs

Prince Laurent of Belgium, the younger brother of King Philippe of the Belgians, became engaged to the British-born Claire Coombs on 19 December 2002. She had been living in Belgium since the age of three.

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They were married on 12 April 2003 with a civil ceremony in the city hall of Brussels, followed by a religious service in the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula.

Claire wore a white lace and silk off-the-shoulder gown by Belgian designer Edouard Vermeulen. Her veil of Brussels lace was held in place by a diamond tiara, which had been a gift from her new parents-in-law, King Albert and Queen Paola.

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The religious ceremony took place in front of 1,500 guests, including several foreign royals such as Crown Princess Victoria and Princess Madeleine of Sweden. After the ceremony, 500 guests were invited to a luncheon at the royal palace.

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Claire was created a Princess of Belgium by her father-in-law ten before the marriage, though it was effective from the date of the wedding. The couple went on to have three children together.

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Book Review: Woman between Two Kingdoms: Dara Rasami and the Making of Modern Thailand by Leslie Castro-Woodhouse

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Dara Rasami was a Princess of Chiang Mai who became one of the princess consorts of King Chulalongkorn of Siam (Thailand). She was still only around 13 years old when she entered the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Her only child with the King was a daughter named Vimolnaka Nabisi, who tragically died at the age of 2.

Despite coming from royalty, Dara was quite low-ranked among the consorts, and her upbringing and mode of dress caused her to be treated like something of an outcast.

Woman between Two Kingdoms: Dara Rasami and the Making of Modern Thailand takes a look at Dara’s life as one of the King’s consorts. The book is a fascinating look at the workings of the Thai monarchy, the differences between the consorts and what their daily life looked like.

The book is very well-researched and quite readable for all types of audiences. I am glad to see more books being published on non-European monarchies, as these are long overdue. Overall, I would highly recommend Woman between Two Kingdoms: Dara Rasami and the Making of Modern Thailand by Leslie Castro-Woodhouse.

Woman between Two Kingdoms: Dara Rasami and the Making of Modern Thailand by Leslie Castro-Woodhouse is available now in the UK and the US.

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Queen Camilla to use Queen Adelaide’s coronation ring

Queen Camilla will receive Queen Adelaide’s coronation ring at her joint coronation with her husband, King Charles III, on 6 May.

The ring is a ruby in a gold setting and has been used for the coronations of Queen Adelaide, Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother.

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The Queen Consort’s ring (left), Queen Victoria’s Sovereign Ring (middle) and the Sovereign’s Ring (right)

She will also receive the Queen Consort’s Rod with Dove, which is symbolic of “equity and mercy”, while the dove itself is symbolic of the Holy Ghost. She will also receive the Queen Consort’s Sceptre with Cross, which was made for the coronation of Mary of Modena, the wife of King James II, and is inlaid with rock crystals.

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Royal Wedding Recollections – Jean, future Grand Duke of Luxembourg & Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium

The then Hereditary Grand Duke Jean met Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium as she visited her godmother, Jean’s mother, Grand Duchess Charlotte, in Fischbach in 1948.

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Their engagement was announced on 26 December 1952, and the New York Times reported, “Their marriage, for which no date was announced, will link members of two of the reigning families in Europe. The 25-year-old princess is the sister of Belgium’s King Baudouin and is the oldest child of former King Leopold of Belgium and the late Queen Astrid. Grand Duke 1 Jean is the oldest child of Grand Duchess Charlotte, ruler of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and her consort, Prince Felix. The princess is popular here. She was hailed by huge crowds when she came to Belgium in 1949 from Switzerland, where the Belgian royal family took up residence after the Belgian Parliament had voted King Leopold off the throne.”2

They were married on 9 April 1953. The civil marriage took place in the Hall of Ceremonies of the Grand Ducal Palace.

© Maison du Grand-Duc/Sophie Margue

Many members of foreign royal families were in attendance, such as King Baudouin of the Belgians and Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. Unfortunately, the British royals were unable to attend as they were in mourning for Queen Mary.

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Princess Joséphine-Charlotte wore a gown of “organza, a light, natural white silk, in two layers, with white tulle between. Pleated flounces lined the neck and the V-shaped décolleté. The sleeves were narrowed to the wrists. Her hand-made lace gloves were spread in gauntlet fashion around the wrists. Her train of hand-made needle-point and pillow lace, with flower motifs on an organza backing, was fourteen feet long and almost as wide. The nuptial veil of tulle, lined with hand-made lace and attached by a platinum diadem studded with 855 diamonds, reached the whole length of the train.”3 Her younger half-brother Prince Alexandre was the trainbearer.

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The religious service took place in Luxembourg Cathedral with 2,500 guests. During the short drive to the cathedral, the royal couple were cheered on by a huge crowd. Afterwards, the couple returned to the palace, where they repeatedly appeared on the balcony. Around 750 guests attended the following reception at the palace.

The couple went on to have five children together, including the current Grand Duke – Henri.

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