Messages

91

The Stuarts of Scotland / Re: Henrietta Maria, Queen of the Cavaliers

« on: October 12, 2006, 11:30:10 AM »

Here's part of a letter from Henrietta Maria to her husband Charles I:

My dear heart,

   I had sent off a person to come to you, but the wind has not permitted. I am in extreme anxiety, hearing no tidings from you, and those from London are not advantageous to you. Perhaps by this they think to frighten me into an accommodation; but they are deceived. I never in my life did anything from fear, and I hope I shall not begin by the loss of a crown; as to you, you know well that there have been persons who have said that you were of that temper; if that be true, I have never recognised it in you, but I still hope, even if it has been true, that you will shew the contrary, and that no fear will make you submit to your own ruin and that of your posterity... Considering the style of this letter, if I knew any Latin, I ought to finish with a word of it; but as I do not, I will finish with a French one, which may be translated into all sorts of languages, that I am yours after death, if it be possible.

92

The Wittlesbachs / Re: The House of Baviera=Bavaria in Spain

« on: September 30, 2006, 11:27:24 AM »

Maria del Pilar (1891-1987) ... I think she was named after her mothers sister who died very young.

Yes, Infanta Paz herself tells about the subject of her daughter's name in her memoirs: "I told my husband, somewhat timidly, that I would like to call her Pilar, but was afraid the name might be too Spanish for a Bavarian princess. He only asked me if it would really give me particular pleasure, and when I said “yes” he at once consented. It seemed to me as if in that name my sister had come back again."

93

Iberian Royal Families / Re: Spanish Habsburg Infantas

« on: September 20, 2006, 08:36:39 AM »

I found something else: Margarita was pregnant (6th month) when she died. Some authors say that problems during this  pregnancy were the cause of her early death. Others say that she died of an abscess in her throat.

I have also read in some books that Margarita died because of problems during her pregnancy, but other books say that she died because an abscess in the throat, and another book says that she died because she caught a cold and couldn't recover.

94

Iberian Royal Families / Re: Spanish Habsburg Infantas

« on: September 19, 2006, 10:21:38 AM »

By the way... I became curious reading this thread... Was Emperor Leopold I really so fond of his first wife Margarita?

Yes, their marriage was very happy. Both of them loved music and theatre. Leopold even had some theatre performances in the court of Vienna performed in Spanish especially for her. When she died, Leopold was heartbroken. I read that while the Austrian ministers were making the arrangements for his marriage with Claudia, Leopold was busy composing funeral music for Margarita.

95

Iberian Royal Families / Re: The Spanish branch of the Orléans family

« on: September 18, 2006, 08:53:59 AM »

Perhaps this has been discussed, but I don't remember reading it and a friend from here who is an expert on royalty could not answer my question. Why didn't Alfonso and Beatrice ask for permission to marry? I have some idea they got permission from Alfonso XIII privately, but the Cortes were never informed. Why is that? I am surprised they went off to marry in Coburg and were outcasts for a time from the Spanish Court. I don't think they would have objected Beatrice becoming future Duchess of Galiera since she was of VERY royal birth (a granddaughter of a Tsar and of a Queen of England....). Can anyone forward proof (books, references, etc)?
CIMBRIO

You can find the answers in Ricardo Mateos Sainz de Medrano's books "Los desconocidos infantes de Espana" and "Los infantes de Andalucia".

96

French Royals / Re: King Louis Philippe and his family

« on: June 03, 2006, 06:23:52 PM »

Yes, Louis-Philippe and Maria Amelia had a happy marriage. Shortly after their wedding, Maria Amelia's mother, Queen Maria Carolina of Naples wrote: "Naughty Amelia has married the Duke of Orleans; they have nothing to live on, are poor but happy, and love each other infinitely."

97

The Habsburgs / Re: Leopoldina,wife of Ferdinand III

« on: May 27, 2006, 11:16:21 PM »

Yes, Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, la Grande Mademoiselle, who married the Comte de Lauzun.

98

The Habsburgs / Re: Leopoldina,wife of Ferdinand III

« on: May 26, 2006, 05:57:35 PM »

I read that Anne Marie Louise, daughter of Gaston, Duke of Orleans, wanted to marry Emperor Ferdinand III and she was very upset when he married Maria Leopoldine instead. For this reason she hated her with all her heart!

99

Balkan Royal Families / Re: Princess Elizaveta of Romania, spouse of King George II of Greece

« on: May 13, 2006, 12:47:17 AM »

Thank you for the exerts from these letters.  I am seeing a side of Elizabeth I never knew existed.  What book are these letters from?

TampaBay

These letters are from a four-part article called "Elisabeta of the Hellenes: passionate woman, reluctant queen", written by John Wimbles. You can buy it through Royalty Digest.

100

Mediatized Noble Families / Re: Cäcilie von Salm-Salm

« on: April 08, 2006, 01:14:54 AM »

She was not a candadidate for King Alfonso XIII, but for the King's eldest son Alfonso, Prince of Asturias.

101

The Greek Royal Family / Re: King Georg II & Queen Elisabeth

« on: April 02, 2006, 12:18:10 AM »

How sad.  

Do you know if she actually wanted to have children? She doesn't strike one as the most maternal but you never know. Perhaps having a child would've softened her somewhat?

After two years of marriage and no children, Missy wrote to her daughter suggesting this but Elisabetta answered: "You say, if only I could have a child? Yes, Mama dear, I would like to have one but for the moment there are three obstacles. First of all, my nerves are not quite in the condition they ought to be... second, the situation combined with both our shaky nerves makes things very risky and in such conditions it would be unfair on the future life to give such a bad beginning. Thirdly there is the question of money. We can only just scrape through with what we have got."

102

The Greek Royal Family / Re: Daughters of Prince Nicolas: Olga, Elisabeth, Marina

« on: March 30, 2006, 09:08:38 PM »

Cäcilie Salm-Salm was indeed a possible bride -- and she had impeccable family connections (she and Alfonsito were second cousins), but Alfonsito pursued more than one bride, and Ileana was certainly on his hit list ...but it was largely impossible for any woman to settle down with him due to his health ... Cäcilie married in 1930

Princess Cecilia of Salm-Salm (1911-1991), was the daughter of Prince Emanuel of Salm-Salm and Archduchess Maria Christina of Austria, daughter of the Duke of Teschen and a first cousin of King Alfonso XIII. Cecilia married in 1930 Prince Franz Josef of Salm-Reifferscheidt-Krautheim und Dyck. She had impeccable family connections through her mother's side indeed,  but I don't think she was a good match considering that her father was not a royal.

103

The Habsburgs / Re: Empress Elisabeth Christine

« on: March 22, 2006, 07:38:32 PM »

According to the Spanish ambassador in Vienna, Jose de Viana, Empress Elisabeth Christine was "beautiful, well shaped, tall, very white... a person who devotes her time to charity works and together with her ladies-in-waiting mades needleworks that decorate two very beautiful rooms in the palaces of Laxenburg and Halbthurn. She loves hunting, music and among the animals she is especially fond of her forty dogs."  

104

The Habsburgs / Re: Empress Elisabeth Christine

« on: March 22, 2006, 06:53:10 PM »

 Why she sided finally with M theresa against her daughters and sons in law interests?

I'm not sure but I remember reading somewhere that it was because she didn't want war.

105

The Habsburgs / Re: Empress Elisabeth Christine

« on: March 21, 2006, 12:48:26 PM »

Some information on Empress Amalia Wilhelmine:

In 1651 her father, Johann Friedrich, Duke of Brunswick-Luneburg, had become a Catholic and when, in 1679, he died he had only daughters surviving him. Wilhelmine Amalie was only six when her father died and at first was educated by her mother, Benedikta Henriette. Then she was taken to the convent Maubuisson where her great-aunt, Louise Hollandine, was the abbess. Wilhelmine Amalie was very much affected by her religious upbringing and, although beautiful, became too serious and religious.  
In 1693 she returned to Hannover where several prominent dukes were hoping to marry her. However, despite the opposition of Empress Eleonore and her brother, Elector Palatine Johann Wilhelm, the future Emperor Josef I made her his wife. But then, after a few very happy years, the serious minded Wilhelmine Amalie was not able to keep the lively Josef at her side and their marriage became strained.  
Nevertheless, they became the parents of three children, born within the first three years of their marriage, but then there were no more because Josef had infected her with a venereal disease.  
After an initial influence of the Houses of Hannover and Modena these soon lost their importance. Politically Wilhelmine Amalie sided with her mother-in-law and they even founded their own little court party. However, in 1711, Wilhelmine Amalie's husband died and she was no longer involved with politics, except for the promotion of her two daughters. Her brother-in-law, Emperor Karl VI, proclaimed the Pragmatic Sanction, which placed his own daughters before those of his  
deceased brother, Emperor Josef. At first she fought against this and counted on the support of her two sons-in-law, the Electors of Bavaria and Saxony, but gave up when the Austrian court did not support her.  
In 1717 she founded the Salesianer Convent 'Heimsuchung Mariae' in Vienna and, in 1722, took her residence there and followed the religious life. In 1740, after the sudden death of Emperor Karl VI, both her sons-in-law decided to claim the Imperial office. At first they had the support of Wilhelmine Amalie but, when the Bavarians started to prepare for war, she sided with her niece, Maria Teresa. On 10 April 1742 she died in the convent and was buried in the Kapuzinergruft in Vienna.  

Source: Worldroots