Messages

31

The Hohenzollern / Re: Kaiser Friedrich III, his spouse Victoria and their family, Part II

« on: January 22, 2014, 06:53:33 PM »

Nice summary, Gillian. I think unlike most German households, particularly amongst the nobility, Vicky took a more dominant role, compared to Fritz, in raising their children. As a result, I suspect Wilhelm and his siblings tended to view their father from a distance and with greater admiration. He really seemed to be the quintessential Mr. Nice Guy and children react to that well.

32

The Hohenzollern / Re: Georg Friedrich von Preussen and Sophie Prinzessin von Isenburg

« on: January 22, 2014, 02:24:15 PM »

Is this long delay typical of Hohenzollern style or are people thinking there's something wrong?

33

The Hohenzollern / Re: The Reuss family

« on: January 18, 2014, 08:17:17 AM »

Yes, that is she.

But her mother was Dona's sister.

The mother, Louise Sophie, was a fondness of WII and close to her sister. Were her unfavorable memoirs about WII more about his later life?

34

The Hohenzollern / Re: The Reuss family

« on: January 17, 2014, 12:32:45 PM »

She was wed one week before Victoria Luise and EA were married. Kaiser Wilhelm gave her away in the ceremony, so WII had a busy week walking down the aisle with German princesses in May of 1913.

35

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Three Kings at War - Documentary

« on: January 14, 2014, 09:09:27 AM »

Tim

Not quite. Available evidence suggests that politicians in George V's time took the king's views seriously and usually gave effect to them.

Regards

Ann

Quite true. George V had great "political" power in this regard, but not legal power.

36

The Hohenzollern / Re: Princess Victoria of Schaumburg-Lippe (Moretta), 2nd daughter of Kaiser Friedrich III

« on: January 13, 2014, 09:16:50 AM »

In her wedding photo, Moretta looks strikingly like her aunt Alice.

37

The Hohenzollern / Re: Princess Victoria of Schaumburg-Lippe (Moretta), 2nd daughter of Kaiser Friedrich III

« on: January 09, 2014, 06:36:48 PM »

She looks lovely in her wedding gown. I don't know why it is so often stated that the Vicky's daughters were unattractive. I think they had a strikingly handsome look.

38

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Royalty in Downton Abbey

« on: January 06, 2014, 07:32:20 AM »

I thought we were keeping secrets until the American audience had the broadcast.

39

Films and TV shows about the Romanovs and Imperial Russia / Re: Royalty in Downton Abbey

« on: January 03, 2014, 04:53:26 PM »

It's interesting how royalty never appears in the series Downton Abbey but their activities off screen have a profound influence on nobility and servants alike:

http://www.royalhistorian.com/you-will-not-be-received-at-court-royal-references-in-downton-abbey/

Just wait!!!!

40

The Hohenzollern / Re: Prince Max of Baden (German Chancellor) and his family

« on: January 02, 2014, 09:35:26 PM »

I think most would-be moralists ascend that platform as a result of being quite aware of the skeletons in the closets of their inner circles. It's both a hypocrisy and righteous indignation that afflicts all classes.

41

The Hohenzollern / Re: King Wilhelm II of Wurttemberg and his family

« on: December 20, 2013, 08:19:00 PM »

Perhaps he also had in mind the negative influence of Romanov blood on the dynasties of Württemberg and their close kin, the Orange-Nassaus in the Netherlands? In both houses you find a concentration of what the 19th century saw as "degenerate traits": gay or bisexual monarchs (Karl I and Wilhelm II himself and Willem II (married to a Romanov)), heirs not marrying and dying young (the Prince of Orange and his brothers), mental health problems (Willem III) and general succession problems. It could appear that the political (to be as German as possible) was linked to the blood, with the British RF bringing in hemophilia and liberalism and the Romanovs degeneracy and despotism, all of it eventually leading to other places than healthy German unity and stability. It would be enough to see how the Württembergs' step-kin, the Princes of Oldenburg, fared once they married a Romanov and moved to Russia. Quite unlike the Oldenburgs who remained in their ancestral land and reproduced like a mini-version of the vigorous Hohenzollerns. The same could of course be said of the House of Hesse (and quite a few other German dynasties with Romanov links too.)

sometimes referred to at the time as "the German affliction".

42

The Hohenzollern / Re: Kaiser Friedrich III, his spouse Victoria and their family, Part II

« on: December 18, 2013, 09:06:40 PM »

Eric, where and exactly what did Vicky say about "depression"? Did she really use that term? While she was a capable and educated person, her diagnosis of depression is suspect at best. Everyone points out others' blues or down-in-the-dumps periods which does not at all suggest a psychological problem.

43

The Hohenzollern / Re: Kaiser Friedrich III, his spouse Victoria and their family, Part II

« on: December 15, 2013, 02:18:36 PM »

I am convinced that Eugenie meant it in a romanticize way of Hamlet than the mopey one.

What people are saying is that whatever may have convinced you to take the single comment and put the image forth that you did in the beginning is a dangerous way to make historical comments. As we have seen, the use of side and/or anecdotal comments may seriously misrepresent who and what a historic figure really was.

44

The Hohenzollern / Re: Kaiser Friedrich III, his spouse Victoria and their family, Part II

« on: December 12, 2013, 01:59:17 PM »

Well said. Particularly when casual use of calling Dona a "cow" serves to wrongly establish her image and persona amongst people who do not know and appreciate her true regal, sophisticated, and highly attractive being.

Personally I see her neither as a cow nor as full of grandezza, but as the Kirchen-Guste who built hundred churches in the vain effort to save the working classes from Socialism.

BTW that (the bigotted church stuff) is just one of many striking similarities between VA and AF. Both empresses so reclusive, so devoted to their children, their husbands and nursing their husbands' frail (delusional) autocratic egos. No wonder they couldn't stand each other, as they probably saw some of their own bad qualities reflected in each other.

Good points. I agree with some of those similarities between VA and AF.  However, I don't think Dona can be viewed any where near the recluse that AF was; in fact, is there anywhere she is actually characterized as a recluse? I've always seen, read, and heard of her as a very willing participant in social and private doings.

I also don't think the motivation for Dona's building sponsorships was saving the masses from socialism. Rather, she was a devoted Christian and committed to the beautification of the cityscapes which her churches most definitely added a sense of splendor we enjoy today (what's left of them, that is).

45

The Hohenzollern / Re: Kaiser Friedrich III, his spouse Victoria and their family, Part II

« on: December 12, 2013, 09:34:00 AM »

Hi,

My premise is that - no matter whatever names they called themselves or each other, it is not our place to do so....  I don't care what Bismark called the Empress, he was disrespectful and rude;  and we should not be.

Larry

Well said. Particularly when casual use of calling Dona a "cow" serves to wrongly establish her image and persona amongst people who do not know and appreciate her true regal, sophisticated, and highly attractive being.