Messages

1

The Hesse-Darmstadts (Hesse and by Rhine) / Re: Elizabeth (daughter of Ernie)

« on: October 10, 2011, 09:50:32 PM »

I don't think Alice, May or Elizabeth would have had post mortem pictures taken because of the risk of infection.  They all died of highly contagious diseases.

2

French Royals / Re: King Louis Philippe and his family

« on: November 21, 2010, 05:41:17 PM »

Marie Caroline looks much prettier in the hand-tinted photograph than in the painting by Jalabert.  Her expression is less severe.

3

French Royals / Re: The children of Henri II and Catherine de Medici

« on: September 18, 2010, 09:34:52 AM »

Marguerite, called Margot, who married Henry IV King of Navarre and then France. She resembles her sister Claude.



The youngest son, Francis Duke of Anjou and Alençon, born Hercule François.

4

French Royals / Re: The children of Henri II and Catherine de Medici

« on: September 18, 2010, 09:29:18 AM »

The eldest of Catherine and Henri II's surviving children, King Francis II of France and his wife Mary Queen of Scots.


Their eldest daughter, Elisabeth, who became queen of Spain and Phillip II's third wife at age 13.


Claude de Valois, who married Charles III, Duke of Lorraine, and had several children. 


The second son to become king, Charles IX and his wife Elisabeth Archduchess of Austria.  Charles looks much older than twenty-four, perhaps as a result of the ravages of tuberculosis.


Catherine de Medici's favorite son, Henri III King of France, born Alexandre Edouard.  He was elected King of Poland. 

5

French Royals / Re: King Louis Philippe and his family

« on: August 17, 2009, 07:17:00 PM »

I'm trying to identify all of the people in this portrait at the Chateau d'Eu in 1845... some of them are eluding me. 



So far I believe -

The Children left to right
1. Robert, later Chartres
2. Louis Philipp, later Comte de Paris
3. Gaston Nemours
4. Ferdinand Nemours
5. August of Saxe-Coburg (baby)
6. Philipp of Württemberg
7. Philipp of Saxe-Coburg

The Ladies left to right
1. Hélène duchesse d'Orléans
2. unknown, maybe Alexandrine of Saxe-Coburg, nèe Baden
3. Marie Caroline duchesse d'Aumale
4. Adelaide d'Orléans, King Louis-Philippe's sister
5. Queen Victoria
6. Queen Marie Amelie
7. Clémentine Saxe-Coburg, nèe d'Orléans

Gentlemen left to right
1. unknown
2. King Louis-Philippe
3. Albert, Prince Consort
4. François Prince of Joinville (primarily due to hair color and style of beard)
5. August of Saxe-Coburg

Due to the ages of the children, it seems to me that the Nemours boys are in the painting, but where's Victoire?  I've been trying to compare other paintings but thought I'd seek the expertise of those on the board!

6

The Hohenzollern / Re: The Hesse-Cassel family

« on: August 04, 2009, 09:59:29 PM »

I'm curious about Philipp and Mafalda's daughter Elisabeth, who was born in 1940.  I believe Mafalda and Philipp agreed to raise their sons as Lutheran and their daughter as Catholic, but as far as I know Elisabeth was mostly raised by her father's side of the family after her parents were taken away, and until her father was released in 1948.  It must have been difficult to raise a child in a different religion, especially when the child is only eight years old.  She married Count Friedrich Carl von Oppersdorf. 

7

The Windsors / Re: Princess Charlotte, George IV's daughter

« on: June 14, 2009, 08:57:20 PM »

I don't believe Charlotte disliked all of her aunts.  I remember reading a letter she wrote saying positive things about Sophie.  I'll have to find out where I read it. I think what she didn't like was being shut up in a palace with no one her age.  Her and her father had a very strained relationship, but that last year with Leopold seemed to have smoothed things out. 

8

The Hesse-Darmstadts (Hesse and by Rhine) / Re: George 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven (Battenberg) and Nadejda (Nada) de Torby

« on: May 23, 2009, 11:30:36 AM »

There's quite a bit of information on George Milford-Haven in Richard Hough's book "The Mountbattens", which I just finished re-reading.  According to the book, the Mountbatten family divided themselves up two ways by personality- Victoria, Louise, and "Dickie", (the younger Louis) being the extroverts, and Louis, Alice, and George being quieter.  George was very intelligent, according to Hough "he read books on higher calculus casually in trains, or in the evening with people talking all around him".  I imagine he had to learn to read while people were talking with a mother like VMH! He reached the rank of Commander in the Royal Navy, and "He was a born leader,like his father, and possessed enormous charm.  The men loved him, and unlike his father and his younger brother, who had their difficulties, he got on immediately and very well with his fellow officers and superiors."  He served in the Navy during WWI. He retired in 1932, and worked for the British Sperry Gyroscope Company.
  There's not much on his wife in the book, unfortunately. Hough does say that when George and his younger brother were both serving in the Mediterranean Edwina and Nadejda shared Casa Medina, a villa rented in Malta, where it seems VMH would visit them.  From photographs Nadejda looks beautiful, I wonder if there are any portraits of her out there?

9

The Hohenzollern / Re: The Hesse-Cassel family

« on: December 06, 2008, 12:14:20 PM »

Here's a link to Sophie's obituary which contains a neat little biography:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1363868/H-R-H-Princess-George-of-Hanover.html

10

The Hesse-Darmstadts (Hesse and by Rhine) / Re: Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig & Grand Duchess Victoria Melita

« on: November 08, 2008, 12:59:43 PM »

I think Victoria Melita had very good fashion sense.  She never over-did her jewels or clothes, and her hair always looks nice and more natual looking than many of her contemporaries.

11

Having Fun! / Re: Identification

« on: October 10, 2008, 07:01:41 PM »

That's Mavra- Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mavrikievna, Princess of Saxe-Altenburg, Konstantine Konstantivovich's wife (KR).

12

Their World and Culture / Re: Personal Habits and Personal Style - Hair - Body #1

« on: October 05, 2008, 10:09:52 AM »

The below is Ella and either Marie or Alexandra Georgievna. Edited to say -This picture was originally posted by Svetabel on the Alexandra Georgievna thread.



And the link below is Vera Constantinovna:

http://worldroots.com/brigitte/gifs30/verarussia1854.jpg

13

Their World and Culture / Re: Personal Habits and Personal Style - Hair - Body #1

« on: October 05, 2008, 01:33:07 AM »

There are a couple of pictures of Vera Constantinovna wearing glasses, and of Grand Duchess Alexandra Georgievna.

14

Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna / Re: Ella and her foster children Marie Pavlovna and Dmitri

« on: October 05, 2008, 01:07:03 AM »

Marie Pavlovna admits in her memoirs that she looked forward to setting up her own house and being independent.  She also barely knew Wilhelm- unlike her Aunt Ella who was in love with Serge before she married him.  What she regrets is that Ella favored the marriage knowing that the couple were strangers to each other.  Her father was angry when he found out about the marriage- imagine your sister-in-law agreeing to have your teenage daughter married to a man she barely knows.  Arranged marriage may have been common at that time, but not in that particular family.  All of Ella's sisters chose their own husbands, and Ernie married his cousin (albeit reluctantly) who he had known all his life.  One of the reasons Ernie and Victoria Melita got married was because other people pushed them into it. Marie Pavlovna simply went along with her aunt's plan and imagined a better life ahead of her.  Like any teenager, the idea of being grown-up and independent was enticing.  I'm not sure why Ella thought it would be a good idea for her niece to marry someone she barely knew.  I think maybe she should have opposed the marriage until they got to know each other better.  That's what foster parents are supposed to do- make sure rash teenagers don't go out and marry their first boyfriend, not plan the marriage.  Ella made a mistake, and so did Marie Pavlovna. 

15

The Habsburgs / Re: Archduchess Gisela, daughter of Franz Josef, Princess of Bavaria

« on: September 12, 2008, 03:05:16 PM »

From what I've read Rudolf would have loved to be closer to his mother, but she was constantly moving about and emotionally unavailable.  I wonder how Gisela felt about her mother?  Did she feel jealous of Marie Valerie?  I don't think Archduchess Sophie badmouthed Sisi to Gisela and Rudolf.  She pretty much acted as a surrogate mother to them, and keeping them away from Sisi while they were small destroyed the maternal bond that might have saved Rudolf's life by giving him someone to trust.  Gisela was the only one, and they were separated by distance and personal differences (I doubt Rudolf would have felt comfortable telling his respectable sister about his "wild" lifestyle). Gisela and Rudolf were almost a family unto themselves.  Franz Josef was probably too concerned with seeing Rudolf as the future emperor to appreciate him as an individual.  The entire family lived very separated lives, except for Sisi and Marie Valerie, and didn't spend much time together.