Moniek Bloks's Blog, page 90

The grave of Elisabeth of Hohenzollern-Nuremberg

The city of Heidelberg is perhaps most famous for the ruins of Heidelberg Castle, but there is plenty more royal history to explore. One of these places is the Heiligengeistkirche or Church of the Holy Spirit.

This church houses the remains of the Palatinate and Palatinate-Simmern family, a branch of the Wittelsbachs. It is also the final resting place of Dorothea of Denmark, a niece of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. Unfortunately, many of the tombs were destroyed during the Palatinate War of Succession. The only one to survive was that of Rupert I, German King (this title was later known as King of the Romans) and his wife, Elisabeth of Hohenzollern-Nuremberg.

The tomb was originally in a different place in the church, and the faces are idealised. Rupert is portrayed with a sceptre, crown and orb. Both are portrayed as wearing heavy robes, and at Elisabeth’s feet lies a dog as a sign of loyalty.

Click to view slideshow.

Elisabeth was born in 1358 as the daughter of Frederick V, Burgrave of Nuremberg and Elisabeth of Meissen. She was the eldest of their nine children. Her brother Frederick was the last Burgrave of Nuremberg, and he became the Elector of Brandenburg in 1415. Elisabeth married Rupert on 27 June 1374, and he succeeded his father as Elector Palatine in 1398. He was elected German King in 1400, making Elisabeth a Queen.

The couple went on to have nine children together, though not all survived to adulthood. One of her great-grandchildren was Margaret of Anjou, later Queen of England. Her husband died on 18 May 1410, and Elisabeth followed him to the grave just over a year later on 26 July 1411.

The Heiligengeistkirche in Heidelberg is free to visit and is not far from Heidelberg Castle.

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Empress Xiaozhuangwen – The first matriarch of the Qing dynasty

Empress Xiaozhuangwen was one of the most respected Empresses in the Qing Dynasty. She was influential in the reigns of three emperors in the early Qing dynasty. Empress Xiaozhuangwen was a consort of Emperor Hong Taiji. Her son became the Shunzhi Emperor. She also raised and taught Emperor Kangxi politics which would help him to become one of China’s greatest rulers.[1] Through her wisdom and talent for statecraft, Empress Xiaozhuangwen helped stabilize the Qing Dynasty throughout China.

Empress Xiaozhuangwen was born on 28 March 1613 C.E. Her first name was Bembutai.[2] She was from the noble Khorchin Mongolian Borjigit clan. Her father was Prince Jaisan. Borjigit Bembutai grew up to be very beautiful, clever, and obedient.[3] She also had a strong interest in politics.[4]

On 10 March 1625 C.E., Borjigit Bembutai’s brother named Uskan accompanied her to Postzing to marry Hong Taiji, who was also the husband of her aunt, Jerjer (the future Empress Xiaoduanwen).[5] Bembutai Borjigit married Hong Taiji. She was thirteen, and he was twenty years her senior.[6] In 1628 C.E., Hong Taiji became King of Nurhaci’s Jin Dynasty. Hong Taiji made Borjigit Bembutai his Imperial Consort. Consort Borjigit bore three daughters to Hong Taiji. In 1634 C.E., Consort Borjigit’s elder sister, Harjol, married Hong Taiji and became an Imperial Consort. In 1636 C.E., Hong Taiji became Emperor of the new ruling Qing Dynasty. Hong Taiji gave her the title of Consort Zhuang of West Yongfu Palace.[7] On 15 March 1638 C.E., Consort Zhuang gave birth to Hong Taiji’s ninth son named Fulin (the future Shunzhi Emperor). During Hong Taiji’s reign as Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, Consort Zhuang assisted him with internal affairs and helped him consolidate his throne among the Manchus.[8]

On 21 September 1643 C.E., Emperor Hong Taiji suddenly died just as he was preparing to attack the last Ming Dynasty fortification. When Consort Zhuang heard the news of her husband’s death, she was deeply heartbroken and wanted to be buried with him.[9] However, the ministers convinced her not to do so because the Qing empire was unstable with no appointed successor.[10] The two rivals for the Qing throne were Hooge (Emperor Hong Taiji’s eldest son) and Dorgon (Emperor Hong Taiji’s younger brother).[11] Consort Zhuang saw that Dorgon’s claim was weaker than Hooge’s claim and proposed an idea to him.[12] She proposed for her son to become Emperor, and Dorgon would become Regent.[13] Dorgon liked this idea and proposed it to the other factions.[14] The factions all agreed. Thus, Fulin accended the throne as Emperor Shunzhi, and Dorgon was appointed Regent. Consort Zhuang became Empress Dowager Zhaosheng. In 1644 C.E., Dorgon commanded the Qing Imperial Army and attacked Beijing.[15] In September 1644 C.E., the Qing Dynasty moved their capital from Shenyang to Beijing.[16] The Qing Imperial Family officially settled into the Forbidden City, and Emperor Shunzhi was formally crowned Emperor of China.[17]

Empress Dowager Zhaosheng assisted Dorgon with state affairs.[18] Some sources claimed that she and Dorgon were lovers and even secretly married.[19] However, there is no evidence that they were lovers.[20] Empress Dowager Zhaosheng summoned noble daughters of the aristocracy to be well-educated.[21] This won her the loyalty of the nobility and generals.[22] Empress Dowager Zhaosheng also arranged strategic political marriages within her family.[23] In 1650 C.E., Dorgon died, and Emperor Shunzhi’s full responsibilities as Emperor were restored to him. His mother was still very influential and continued to assist him with affairs of state.[24] However, some sources claimed that Empress Dowager Zhaosheng had a strained relationship with her son.[25] This is because Emperor Shunzhi deposed his first Empress, whom his mother had chosen.[26] In 1656 C.E., there was a poor harvest in Jifu District, and the Empress Dowager gave them money to help alleviate their hunger.[27] She even lowered their taxes.[28]

On 5 February 1661 C.E., Emperor Shunzhi died. His son, Xuanye, ascended the throne as Emperor Kangxi. Empress Dowager Zhaosheng helped Emperor Kangxi with state affairs and tutored him in politics.[29] When Emperor Kangxi’s mother, Empress Dowager Cihe, died, Empress Dowager Zhaosheng raised the young Emperor. Under Emperor Kangxi’s reign, Empress Dowager Zhaosheng eliminated ineffective ministers and installed capable ministers.[30] In 1673 C.E., a rebellion known as The War of the Three Feudatories fought against the Qing Dynasty. Empress Dowager Zhaosheng carefully picked General Dao Xueshi to suppress the rebels.[31] The rebels were defeated, and the Qing gradually subdued the rebellion.[32]

In September 1687 C.E., Empress Dowager Zhaosheng fell ill. Emperor Kangxi stayed by her side and nursed her.[33] However, she died on 27 January 1688 C.E. Before she died, she asked to be buried near her son rather than her husband, whose body was laid to rest in Manchuria.[34] Emperor Kangxi agreed to her request, and she was buried in the Qing Dynasty’s Eastern Mausoleum in Hebei Province.[35] Emperor Kangxi was so grief-stricken by her death that he mourned her for twenty-seven months.[36] During the period of mourning, he stayed away from his royal chambers and lived in a tent.[37] She was given the posthumous name of Empress Xiaozhuangwen.

Empress Xiaozhuangwen was the most powerful woman during the reigns of three emperors of the early Qing Dynasty. Empress Xiaozhuangwen helped the Qing empire to consolidate its rule in China.[38] She chose capable ministers to run the Qing Empire and chose experienced generals to help suppress the rebellion. Her tutoring of Emperor Kangxi led him to become the greatest Emperor of the Qing Dynasty.[39] Therefore, Empress Xiaozhuangwen was a formidable female leader who helped the Qing Dynasty flourish. Empress Xiaozhuangwen is also an icon in popular culture. She has been the subject of many television series and films. The most recent television series about her is The Legend of Xiao Zhuang in which she is portrayed by Jing Tian. Thus, China will never forget the accomplishments that Empress Xiaozhuangwen achieved for her dynasty.

Sources:

Benyi, L. (2015). “Empress Xiao Zhuang Wen”. Notable Women of China: Shang Dynasty to the Early Twentieth Century. (B. B. Peterson, Ed.). London: Routledge. pp. 325-328.

McMahon, K. (2016). Celestial Women: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Song to Qing. NY: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Yu, S. & Wang, L. trans. (2015). “Empress Xiao Zhuang Wen of the Borjigit Clan”. Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women v. 1: The Qing Period, 1644-1911 (1st ed.). (L. X. H. Lee, Ed.; C. Lau, Ed.; A.D. Stefanowska,. Ed.; S. Wiles, Asst. Ed.) NY: Routledge. pp. 339-342

[1] Yu and Wang, 2015

[2] Benyi, 2015

[3] Benyi, 2015

[4] Benyi, 2015

[5] Benyi, 2015

[6] Yu and Wang, 2015

[7] Yu and Wang, 2015

[8] Yu and Wang, 2015

[9] Benyi, 2015

[10] Benyi, 2015

[11] Benyi, 2015

[12] Benyi, 2015

[13] Benyi, 2015

[14] Benyi, 2015

[15] Benyi, 2015

[16] Benyi, 2015

[17] Yu and Wang, 2015

[18] Yu and Wang, 2015

[19] McMahon, 2016

[20] McMahon, 2016

[21] Benyi, 2015

[22] Benyi, 2015

[23] Benyi, 2015

[24] McMahon, 2016

[25] McMahon, 2016

[26] McMahon, 2016

[27] Benyi, 2015

[28] Benyi, 2015

[29] Benyi, 2015

[30] Benyi, 2015

[31] Benyi, 2015

[32] Benyi, 2015

[33] Benyi, 2015

[34] McMahon, 2016

[35] Benyi, 2015

[36] McMahon, 2016

[37] McMahon, 2016

[38] Yu and Wang, 2015

[39] Yu and Wang, 2015

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Princess Angela at 65: A Princess out of the limelight

Princess Angela of Liechtenstein was born Angela Gisela Brown on 3 February 1958 in Bocas del Toro in Panama. Her parents were Javier Francisco Brown and  Silvia Maritza Burke.

Angela was just five years old when she and her family moved to New York. In New York, she attended elementary school and high school. She became a student of fashion design at the Parsons School of Design and won an award for her designs. When she graduated in 1980, she began a partnership with a Hong Kong firm to establish her own fashion label called “A. Brown.” She later worked at Adrienne Vittadini as their fashion director.

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Angela met Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein, the second son of the reigning Prince Hans-Adam II, at a party in New York in 1997. In the summer of 1999, he proposed marriage to her, and they were married the following year. Around this time, she also sold her fashion label and planned to move to Liechtenstein.

Angela designed her own wedding dress1 and married her Prince on 29 January 2000 in a religious ceremony at the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer in New York. A civil wedding had taken place on 21 January 2000 in Liechtenstein. She wore the Kinsky Honeysuckle Tiara, which was a Liechtenstein family tiara. Upon marriage, she became Her Serene Highness Princess Angela of Liechtenstein, Countess of Rietberg, and she was the first person of African descent to marry into a European royal family.2

Prince Alfons – Information und Kommunikation der Regierung, Vaduz

Their only child was born on 18 May 2001 in London, and he was named Alfons Constantin Maria. He is currently sixth in line to the throne, behind his father. However, the family has stayed mostly out of the limelight and only attend family occasions, such as the funeral of Princess Marie in August 2021. They currently live in Liechtenstein’s capital as Prince Maximilian is the Chairman of the LGT Group, a private banking and asset management owned by the princely House of Liechtenstein.

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The Year of Marie Antoinette – The Countess of Artois & Marie Antoinette (Part two)

Read part one here.

On 5 August 1776, Marie Thérèse gave birth to her second child. It was a daughter who was named Sophie. When the young girl died after a short illness at the age of 7, Marie Antoinette wrote that “the Comte d’Artois was afflicted as he should have been by the death of his daughter, that means very touched at her death, and during her illness. Indeed, this child had a reason and a sensitivity, until her end, beyond her age, but he knew her too little to be in despair, and I find that he was very good and, above all, very natural on that. For the Countess of Artois, who feels nothing, she was no more distressed by the death of her daughter than by anything else.”1

By then, the relationship between the two had cooled considerably. After becoming Queen, Marie Antoinette had “continued to amuse herself almost childishly with the Provences and the Artois, granting them liberties ordinarily given in families, but suddenly, remembering that she was the Queen, ‘she indulged in remarks on the superiority of her rank and slightly mortifying comparisons for the other princes and princess.'” Marie Thérèse and her sister joined forces with the so-called Mesdames (King Louis XV’s aunts) and enjoyed gossiping on all the details of Marie Antoinette’s life and even distorting those details.2

Marie Thérèse gave birth to two more children, another son who was named Charles Ferdinand, Duke of Berry and a short-lived daughter named Marie Thérèse. But it was well known that her husband “neglected his wife and spent a great deal of time with opera girls.” 3 He also continued to spend a lot of time with Marie Antoinette while his wife’s relationship with the Queen had deteriorated. Meanwhile, Marie Antoinette had given birth to a daughter, also named Marie Thérèse, in 1778 and a son – named Louis Joseph – in 1781. Two more children, Louis Charles and Sophie, were born in 1785 and 1786. Marie Thérèse’s brief reign as the mother of the probable heir was over.

At the outbreak of the French Revolution, many members of the French royal family were being publicly mocked. Marie Thérèse was falsely accused of having given birth to an illegitimate child.4 The day after the Storming of the Bastille, the Count and Countess of Artois were advised to leave the country. They ended up in Turin, the capital of Sardinia, where Marie Thérèse’s father now reigned. In Turin, they were also reunited with the sister of King Louis XVI and the Counts of Provence and Artois – Marie Clotilde. She was married to the future King Charles Emmanuel IV of Sardinia, Marie Thérèse’s brother.

Her husband left Turin in 1791, leaving behind his wife and children. Her father was pleased to take charge of the education of her two sons, but by the middle of 1792, her husband wanted to call his sons to him in Koblenz, where a small court in exile had formed. The boys were now in their teens, and he wanted his sons to fight at his side. Marie Thérèse was alarmed by this development, but nevertheless, they left to go be with their father.

Although Marie Thérèse and her sister were both in Turin, their shared exile did not bring them closer. However, Marie Thérèse did find solace with Marie Clotilde. She was so “disillusioned with the attractions of the world” by “the example of the virtues of the future Queen of Sardinia” that she almost joined a convent.5 It was Marie Clotilde who convinced her that the convent wouldn’t be for her.

Marie Thérèse soon “gave way to a sombre melancholy, which of late had developed into an alarming morose condition.”6

At the end of January 1793, rumours began to reach Turin that King Louis XVI had been executed. By early February, the news was confirmed, and Marie Clotilde was described as having shown “great courage.” 7 Marie Thérèse attended a funeral service for her brother-in-law and promptly disappeared from public view for the next few days. Her husband was “overcome with horror when he learnt that the greatest criminals the world has ever known had just crowned their numberless sins by the most horrible of all crimes.” 8 Just nine months later, Marie Antoinette was also executed, and the news reached Turin on 19 November. The Count de Maurienne simply wrote, “We have gone into mourning for the Queen.”9 Marie Thérèse’s response has not been left to us. 

The children of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI were still being held captive. Their son – now the titular King Louis XVII – was held in abominable circumstances and tragically died on 8 June 1795. The empty title now passed to Marie Thérèse’s brother-in-law and sister. Madame Royale, the daughter of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI, would remain in captivity until the end of 1795.

If Marie Thérèse was hoping for peace, she wouldn’t get it. Her father’s army was defeated by the French under Napoleon Bonaparte in 1796, and she and her sister fled to Novara. She was able to return the following month while her sister continued on to Austria. Unfortunately, the return would be brief as nearly the entire kingdom was seized in 1798. Marie Thérèse travelled to Graz in Austria, where she was allowed to stay.

In 1799, the grand match between her eldest son, the Duke of Angoulême and Madame Royale was made. Even though she and her husband were now completely estranged – he was living in Edinburgh with his mistress – he told her that she was not to attend the wedding, but she did send her new daughter-in-law a present – a dressing case.

As Marie Thérèse’s final illness took hold in 1805, she asked that upon her death, her heart should be enclosed in an urn and placed in the urn of her “saintly friend” – Marie Clotilde. Marie Thérèse died on 2 June 1805 in exile in Graz. Her wish was fulfilled in 1839 by her son, the Duke of Angoulême. The rest of her body rests in the Imperial Mausoleum in Graz. Her husband became King of France in 1824, and thus she was never Queen.

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Tudor jewel associated with King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon discovered

The British Museum has unveiled a gold pendant on a chain, which is associated with King Henry VIII and his first Queen, Catherine of Aragon. The item was discovered in Warwickshire by a metal detectorist.

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The pendant is attached to a gold chain via an enamelled ‘hand.’ It is decorated with the Tudor rose and a pomegranate bush, which were the symbols of Henry and Catherine. The inscription reads TOVS + IORS – a play on the French word for always. The back shows the letters H & K – for Henry and Katherine (spelling was quite flexible). It is most likely dated to be from around 1521.

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The Year of Marie Antoinette – The Countess of Artois & Marie Antoinette (Part one)

Marie Thérèse of Savoy was born on 31 January 1756 as the third daughter and fifth child of the future King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia and Maria Antonia Ferdinanda of Spain. Her parents would go on to have a total of 12 children, though not all of them lived to adulthood. She and her elder sister Marie Joséphine would both marry into the French royal family.

On 14 May 1771, Marie Joséphine married Prince Louis Stanislas, Count of Provence, the younger brother of the future King Louis XVI of France. Two years later, on 16 November 1773, Marie Thérèse followed in her sister’s footsteps when she married the third brother – Prince Charles Philippe, Count of Artois. At the time, her husband’s grandfather, King Louis XV, was entering the last year of his reign. With his eldest son predeceasing him, Marie Thérèse’s new brother-in-law Louis Auguste was next in the line of succession. He married Marie Antoinette in 1770.

Marie Thérèse left many at Versailles unimpressed with her appearance. She was described as “extremely small and burdened, like her sister Joséphine, with an exceptionally long nose.” One English observer even cruelly described her as “a starved witch.” However, King Louis XV was pleased with her “good complexion” and her “good bosom.”1

Marie Antoinette and Louis Auguste’s marriage had famously remained unconsummated so far, and Marie Thérèse was noted for her ability to “please her husband.”2 Shortly before the wedding, Marie Antoinette had confided in her husband that she feared that she would be humiliated before the entire court if the Count of Artois’s new wife fell pregnant before her.3 But before any concerns over pregnancy could be raised, it became clear that the King was dying. On 3 May 1774, the King himself spoke the dreaded words, “It is smallpox.”4 The following day, he regretfully ordered his mistress Madame du Barry, to leave for Ruel. As his daughters continued to nurse him dutifully despite the risk of infection, his condition deteriorated. Marie Antoinette and Louis Auguste were not with him, as they could not risk infection. Instead, they waited together in Marie Antoinette’s apartments.

On 10 May 1774, at three in the afternoon, King Louis XV died, and Louis Auguste and Marie Antoinette became the new King and Queen of France. Courtiers rushed towards them to be the first to kiss their hands, but the King and Queen fell to their knees in prayer, saying, “Dear God, guide us and protect us. We are too young to reign.”5 A new reign had begun, and Marie Thérèse was at the centre of it. That afternoon, the royal family, including the King’s younger brothers and their wives, departed for the Palace of Choisy. The body of the late King was quickly put in a sealed coffin and sent to the Cathedral of Saint-Denis. The mood in the carriages was sombre, but Marie Thérèse reportedly pronounced a word wrong and sent the entire party into a fit of laughter.6

The following December, Marie Antoinette received the news she had been dreading. Marie Thérèse had indeed fallen pregnant before her. The baby was due in December, and meanwhile, plans for the King’s coronation were going ahead. Plans to have Marie Antoinette crowned alongside him were rebuffed, especially as she had not yet produced an heir. Nevertheless, it was an unforgettable day. Two months later, on 6 August 1775, Marie Thérèse gave birth to a healthy baby boy. He was named Louis Antoine and given the title of Duke of Angoulême. According to etiquette, Marie Antoinette was forced to attend the birth and had to witness her own humiliation in person. Upon having been told it was a boy, Marie Thérèse exclaimed, “My God, How happy I am!”7 Marie Antoinette embraced Marie Thérèse tenderly before being allowed to retire to her own rooms. Courtiers called after her, “When will you give us an heir to the throne?”8 Once in the relative safety of her own apartments, Marie Antoinette broke down in tears.

Sarah Tytler described Marie Thérèse as “the more childish and mindless of the sisters; she was the less deceitful, while she could be guilty of the petted behaviour of a spoilt child. After she had been years at the French Court, she still spoke the language of her adopted country in the most deplorable manner. She became the exultant mother of children, while the Dauphiness and the Comtesse de Province, to their keen disappointment, continued childless; but the advantage of being regarded for three or four years as the mother of the probable heir to the throne, did not win the smallest popularity for the unattractive little Comtesse.”9

She wrote of the relationship between the sisters-in-law, “Marie Antoinette pined for fit company of her own age, and all the uncongeniality between her and her sisters-in-law did not come out in a day. The Dauphiness welcomed the Comtesse de Provence and the Comtesse d’Artois with her frank friendliness, and for a time, the increase of privileged young people brought a corresponding increase of sociality and animation in what was apt to be, to the princes and princesses the deadly liveliness of the Court of the blasé old King.”10 The couples spent a lot of time together at first and were very close. During the early years of the new reign, the King and Queen often dined with the Count and Countess of Artois. When Marie Antoinette fell ill with measles, Marie Thérèse was among those who nursed the Queen back to health.

Part two coming soon. 

The post The Year of Marie Antoinette – The Countess of Artois & Marie Antoinette (Part one) appeared first on History of Royal Women.

The Amalienborg complex

The Amalienborg complex in Copenhagen is the official residence of the Danish royal family. It consists of four almost identical palaces around an octagonal courtyard. It was originally built for four noble families, but the royal family purchased the complex after a fire devastated Christianborg Palace.

Christian VII’s Palace

Photo by Moniek Bloks

Christian VII’s Palace was originally built for Adam Gottlob Moltke, and it was the most expensive of the four palaces. From December 1794, the Danish royal family lived here. From the death of King Christian VII in 1808, the palace was used for the Royal Household, and it was also used by the Ministery of Foreign Affairs. Over the years, several members of the family lived here for a short time. For example, from 1971 until 1975, it housed a kindergarten and schoolroom for Crown Prince Frederik and his brother Prince Joachim.

It’s currently occasionally open to the public.

Christian VIII’s Palace

Photo by Moniek Bloks

Christian VIII’s Palace was originally built for Count Christian Frederik Levetzau. Frederick, Hereditary Prince of Denmark, the father of King Christian VIII, bought the palace in 1794, and his son grew up in the palace. The palace saw the deaths of King Christian VIII and his wife, Caroline Amalie. In 1898, it became the residence of the future King Christian X and his wife, Alexandrine. After King Christian X’s death, it became the residence of Knud, Hereditary Prince of Denmark, who would have become King of Denmark if the law hadn’t been changed in favour of Queen Margrethe II. Reportedly, Count Felix, her grandson, currently lives in an apartment there, and an apartment is available for his parents.

Frederik VIII’s Palace

Photo by Moniek Bloks

Frederik VIII’s Palace was originally built for Count Joachim Brockdorff, but it was sold to Adam Gottlob Moltke in 1763. It was later acquired by King Frederik V. It first housed army and naval cadets before it was renovated for the future King Frederik VII and his wife, Princess Vilhelmine. After this, several members of the royal family lived here before it became the home of King Frederik VIII. In 1934, King Frederik IX and his wife Ingrid moved in. Queen Ingrid lived there until her death in 2000. The palace underwent renovations for Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, who live there now.

Christian IX’s Palace

Photo by Moniek Bloks

Christian IX’s Palace was originally built for Severin Løvenskjold, but Countess Anna Sophie Schack took over the project after he ran into financial difficulties. In 1794, the future King Frederik VII and his wife Marie moved into the palace. After Marie’s death, it was used by the government and the supreme court. It became the home of King Christian IX until his death in 1906, and it remained empty until 1948. It was renovated in 1967 for the future Queen Margrethe II and her husband, Henrik. Queen Margrethe still lives in the palace.

On Amalienborg square, you can watch the changing of the guards every day.

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Book Review: A Most English Princess by Clare McHugh

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Victoria, Princess Royal was born on 21 November 1840 as the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert. She married the future Frederick III, German Emperor at the age of 17 and went on to have eight children with him. Tragically, his reign would last just 99 days as he was already suffering from throat cancer.

A Most English Princess by Clare McHugh is a novel about the early life of Victoria and the early years of her marriage to Frederick. I am always a little bit afraid of reading historical novels because I fear it will make or break the real-life image of them that I know from biographies.1 Luckily, Clare McHugh reinforces the image of Victoria as the larger-than-life eldest daughter of Queen Victoria. Her intelligence as she grew up, her difficulties at the Prussian court – it’s all there.

I really enjoyed seeing the Prussian court through Victoria’s eyes, and I was surprised to learn that this was the author’s debut novel. I, for one, cannot wait to see more books written by Clare.

A Most English Princess by Clare McHugh is available now in the US and the UK.

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Royal Jewels – The Nizam of Hyderabad Rose Brooches

The Nizam of Hyderabad Rose brooches, three in total, were part of a Cartier tiara.

The tiara was bought by the Nizam of Hyderabad, together with a necklace, as a wedding present for the then Princess Elizabeth in 1947. The tiara was worn over the next 25 years but was eventually broken up in 1973, and the stones, along with 96 rubies, were used to make a new tiara.

The three roses. one large and two small, were used as brooches.1

Queen Elizabeth II has worn all three brooches. Most recently, she wore the larger of the three during the launch of the Queen’s Baton Relay for Birmingham 2022 in October 2021.

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The smaller two were worn during a reception at Sandringham House for the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne.2

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Princess Changping – The survivor of a royal massacre

Princess Changping was one of the most unfortunate princesses in the Ming Dynasty. She was the daughter of the last Emperor of the Ming Dynasty and was the second to last princess who managed to survive to the early Qing dynasty. During the night of the fall of the Ming dynasty, Emperor Sizong of the Ming Dynasty (also known as the Chongzhen Emperor) was forced to make a dreadful choice of massacring his women. Princess Changping was able to survive her father’s massacre but lost an arm instead. Since then, Princess Changping never got over the deaths of her family. Princess Changping’s story tells of how a defeated Emperor was forced to make a horrible decision during the night the Ming dynasty fell.

Princess Changping was born in Beijing on 2 May 1630 C.E. Her personal name was Zhu Meichuo. Her father was Emperor Sizong, and her mother was Empress Xiaojielie. Princess Zhu Meichuo had three brothers and a sister, who was the Princess of Zhaoren. Empress Xiaojielie gave her daughter an excellent education.[1]

In 1644 C.E., Zhu Meichuo was conferred the title of Princess of Changping. She was betrothed to Zhou Xian, a military officer in the Ming Imperial Army.[2] Before the wedding could take place, Li Zicheng attacked Beijing on 24 April 1644 C.E. Emperor Sizong hid his sons with his relatives and hoped that they would escape.[3] However, he had a terrible plan for his wives and daughters. He knew that if his wives and daughters survived, they would be forced into a life of slavery and prostitution.[4] Therefore, he thought that rather than subjecting them to a harsh life, it would be better if he killed them with his own hands.[5]

Emperor Sizong ordered Empress Xiaojielie and Honoured Consort Yuan to commit suicide.[6] He quickly gathered the rest of his other consorts and his two daughters. He killed his remaining consorts.[7] Then, he turned to his daughters. Princess Changping grabbed her father’s robe, cried, and begged him to stop killing.[8] However, Emperor Sizong cried to her, “Why were you born into an Emperor’s family!”[9] Emperor Sizong aimed his sword and swung it at Princess Changping. Princess Changping avoided the blow, but Emperor Sizong still managed to sever her arm.[10] Therefore, instead of killing Princess Changping, he cut off her left arm. Princess Changping fainted immediately, and Emperor Sizong presumed her to be dead.[11]  Then, Emperor Sizong killed his five-year-old daughter, Princess Zhaoren.[12]  After he killed the women in his family, Emperor Sizong committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree that sat atop a small hill behind the Forbidden City.[13]

Five days later, on 29 April 1644 C.E., Princess Changping regained consciousness.[14] She suffered from the pain of losing her arm, but she had survived. A palace eunuch named He Xin saved her and hid her inside his residence.[15] In 1645 C.E., Princess Changping asked the Shunzhi Emperor of the new Qing Dynasty to allow her to become a nun so she could mourn the loss of her family.[16] The Shunzhi Emperor refused her request. Instead, he ordered Princess Changping to marry Zhou Xian.[17] The Shunzhi Emperor gave the married couple a mansion as well as generous amounts of land and money.[18] However, Princess Changping was still grief-stricken. She died of grief and illness on 26 September 1647 C.E.[19] She was seventeen years old, and she was five months pregnant.[20]

Princess Changping’s tragic story has moved the hearts of millions. She has since become an icon in popular culture. The most popular story of Princess Changping is the famous Chinese opera, The Flower Princess, which tells the love story between Princess Changping and her husband, Zhou Xian. Popular culture has also made Princess Changping a female warrior and a Buddhist nun in many martial arts films and television series.[21] She is also the main subject in the classic television series, Perish in the Name of Love in which she is portrayed by the famous Charmaine Sheh. Due to legends and popular culture, the tragic story of how Princess Changping lost her arm will never be forgotten.

Sources:

iMedia. (9 March 2022). “Why did Emperor Chongzhen have to kill his wife and daughter before he died?Just because they’d be worse off if they didn’t die”. Retrieved on September 2, 2022 from https://min.news/en/history/2adbbd26a....

Lin, Y & Lee, L. X. H. trans. (2014). “Zhu, Princess Changping.” Biographical Dictionary of Chinese Women, Volume II: Tang Through Ming 618 – 1644. (L. X. H. Lee, Ed.; A. D. Stefanowska, Ed.; S. Wiles, Ed.). NY: Routledge. pp. 631-632.

McMahon, K. (2016). Celestial Women: Imperial Wives and Concubines in China from Song to Qing. NY: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

[1] Lin and Lee, 2014

[2] Lin and Lee, 2014

[3] iMedia, March 9, 2022, “Why did Emperor Chongzhen have to kill his wife and daughter before he died?Just because they’d be worse off if they didn’t die”

[4] iMedia, March 9, 2022, “Why did Emperor Chongzhen have to kill his wife and daughter before he died?Just because they’d be worse off if they didn’t die”

[5] iMedia, March 9, 2022, “Why did Emperor Chongzhen have to kill his wife and daughter before he died?Just because they’d be worse off if they didn’t die”

[6] Lin and Lee, 2014

[7] iMedia, March 9, 2022, “Why did Emperor Chongzhen have to kill his wife and daughter before he died?Just because they’d be worse off if they didn’t die”

[8] Lin and Lee, 2014

[9] Lin and Lee, 2014, p. 632

[10] Lin and Lee, 2014

[11] Lin and Lee, 2014

[12] Lin and Lee, 2014

[13] Lin and Lee, 2014

[14] McMahon, 2016

[15] Lin and Lee, 2014

[16] McMahon, 2016

[17] McMahon, 2016

[18] Lin and Lee, 2014

[19] McMahon, 2016

[20] Lin and Lee, 2014

[21] Lin and Lee, 2014

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