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Alexandra Feodorovna / The "suitability" of royal wives
« on: February 10, 2018, 11:34:38 PM »
To me, "suitability" means the ability to fulfil the obligations required of the royal wife's station.
From everything I've read on royal families, "suitability" means rank and almost nothing more. Apart from chronic ill health, a deformity of some kind, or sometimes being first cousins, a prince could marry any woman of sufficient rank.
Nicholas and Alix were passionately in love and Nicholas was determined to marry her. I know that Queen Victoria and Nicholas's parents were initially against the match but the reasons had nothing to do with Alix's suitability.
No one seemed to even consider that Alix may not be suitable because she was ill at ease with strangers and preferred to be surrounded only by her family, albeit an extended one. She was reserved rather than outgoing, etc., all the things she was criticized and hated for after she married Nicholas and moved to Russia.
Also, no one seemed to feel the need to educate the chosen one for the duties she would be required to fulfil.
Princess Diana is a perfect example. In her case, it seemed as though she was just thrown into the royal soup and was expected to sink or swim on her own.
I find this astonishing.
From everything I've read on royal families, "suitability" means rank and almost nothing more. Apart from chronic ill health, a deformity of some kind, or sometimes being first cousins, a prince could marry any woman of sufficient rank.
Nicholas and Alix were passionately in love and Nicholas was determined to marry her. I know that Queen Victoria and Nicholas's parents were initially against the match but the reasons had nothing to do with Alix's suitability.
No one seemed to even consider that Alix may not be suitable because she was ill at ease with strangers and preferred to be surrounded only by her family, albeit an extended one. She was reserved rather than outgoing, etc., all the things she was criticized and hated for after she married Nicholas and moved to Russia.
Also, no one seemed to feel the need to educate the chosen one for the duties she would be required to fulfil.
Princess Diana is a perfect example. In her case, it seemed as though she was just thrown into the royal soup and was expected to sink or swim on her own.
I find this astonishing.