Messages

31

French Royals / Re: King Henry IV and his wives

« on: January 01, 2011, 07:35:31 PM »

Two portraits of Maria as a child:



(...)

Some portraits showed Maria as a young lady uncommonly pretty:



(...)

The first is not this Maria, but Maria, daughter of Cosimo I. Painted by Bronzino. She died at 17 (1540-1557)...

The second is not Maria, but the poor Dianora de Toledo, wife of Pietro de' Medici, who strangled her by jealousy, when she was 23 (1553-1576)... Painted by Allori.

32

The Tudors / Re: portrait identification

« on: November 06, 2010, 10:12:15 AM »

According to today's Daily Mail, this miniature has been positively identified by David Starkey and specialists
.
The jewel (brooch) has been identified as belonging to her and the spray of foliage at the back of the brooch is the Dudley badge.
Almost forgot to add....she is Lady Jane Grey.

I don't know... For me she looks more like the young Mary I...

33

French Royals / Re: Impératrice Eugénie

« on: August 06, 2010, 03:36:34 PM »

The wedding of Napoleon III and Eugenie

It's funny, this is just a copy of the wedding of Napoleon I and Marie-Louise, par Rouget, with other persons...

34

French Royals / Re: Prince Albert I of Monaco

« on: August 03, 2010, 09:49:26 PM »

I'm looking for a portrait of Antoinette de Mérode, princess of Monaco (1828-1864)?

She was prince Charles III's wife and prince Albert I's mother.

But no way to find something else than this (rather bad) picture (a postage stamp...)



Do you know, by chance, a best picture of her? Thanx...

35

The Hohenzollern / Re: Question about and/or Help with Picture(s)

« on: July 19, 2010, 05:25:54 PM »

Yes it was her. She was nicknamed "Adini" and was popular with the family. This must have been taken when she was first "out" of the schoolroom as her hair just seemed to come up.

Wonderful picture!

 I only knew a pic of her in the wedding of King Leopold III of Belgium with Astrid of Sweden. On this picture she was already old and rather ugly... It's an amazing surprise to see how pretty she was when she was young...

36

French Royals / Re: Impératrice Eugénie

« on: July 19, 2010, 05:15:51 PM »

Really beautiful! Only a doubt... Who's the baby with the blue clothes? It's impossible to be the Prince Imperial (for the year)...

I've seen this painting in an exhibition in Paris. I don't remember exactly but what I know is this : it's during a visit of Napoleon III and Eugenie somewhere in France (maybe Cherbourg or something like that).
The Emperor and the Empress were received in the "hotel particulier" (town house) of the prefect of the department (the prefect is the man with black and gold uniform, on the right, talking to the Emperor).
And we can see the prefect'wife presenting her little daughter (the baby in blue dress) to the Empress...
This painting was made for the prefect to commemorate the imperial visit...

37

Italian Royal Families / Re: King Umberto II of Italy & Marie Jose (born Princess of Belgium) & family

« on: May 19, 2010, 04:25:01 PM »

Yes. Umberto II was a handsome man and no wonder person of either sex find him attractive.

Exactly, like I said before, Margherita Sarfatti wrote in her "Mémoires" that Umberto was handsome like an Hollywood actor, and that's true. He's got something like actors of that time, Rudolf Valentino, Tyrone Power, all that...
In my opinion that comes from her mother, who gave him this balkan "tall, dark and handsome" beauty.
The house of Savoy was not especially known for the beauty of his members. And moreover, VE III was almost a dwarf, physically a little degenerate...
But with the blood of Montenegro, which was not really a true old royal family, the "time-worn" blood of the Savoy was regenerated... And that gave a beautiful result!

38

Italian Royal Families / Re: King Umberto II of Italy & Marie Jose (born Princess of Belgium) & family

« on: May 19, 2010, 09:43:41 AM »

I agree...people used artificial insemination due to a host of reasons, and some not because of sexual orientation at all. Both Umberto and Marie Jose were attractive and sexy looking indivuals and there is no reason why they could not attempt to make love. The children are the proof. How deep is that love is open to interpretation aswe cannot see through closed doors. For example Ernst of Hesse was gay, but he still managed to beget three children (one by his first and two by his second). According to Ducky's (Ernst's first wife) letters to her sister Crown Princess Marie of Romania, she was most reluctant "to try one more time (to get a male heir) with her husband".

Of course, from Monsieur, Louis XIV's brother, to Ernest of Hesse, including Johann of Thurn-and-Taxis or King Edward II of England (and so on, and so on...), they all were able to have beautiful children, and by themselves...

39

French Royals / Re: Impératrice Eugénie

« on: May 17, 2010, 06:14:34 AM »

Which costume is this?
I wonder the meaning of the next two cartoons


In a important dinner?

And thanks Rani for the close up of the photo, I wonder if is available the full verssion (without the missing part)

The first one is a german caricature against France in 1870.

You see Eugenie and the Maréchal Leboeuf (french general of the army and war minister, who declared war to Prussia) on a beef with Napoleon III's head.

And Leboeuf is saying, showing Napoleon III : Le boeuf, c'est lui (HE is the beef!). A wordplay about the name "Leboeuf" and the word "le boeuf" ("the beef").

That means Leboeuf and Eugenie (with her whip) are doing what they want with Napoleon III, he's stupid and manipulated by his wife and his minister.


The second one is a french caricature against Eugénie after 1870, that simply means that Eugenie was like a rose with many bees turning around her, all the bees have the heads of men of the french court, insinuating that they all were Eugenie's lovers...


The dinner is the dinner for the inauguration of the Suez Canal in Egypt.

40

The Wittlesbachs / Re: Crown Prince Rupprecht, his wives Marie Gabrielle & Antonia (nee Luxemburg)

« on: April 21, 2010, 11:30:00 AM »

Princess Marie-Gabrielle with her sons Liutpold and Albrecht

41

The Hohenzollern / Re: Duke Philipp of Wuerttemberg,his family and descendants

« on: April 20, 2010, 06:31:29 AM »

Yes I know at least one picture of the "old" Rosa, on royaltyguide!
But it's true, I would like to see her as a young woman... And yes generally wedding pictures of the 20's are not very "significant" with these veils on the eyes...

42

The Hohenzollern / Re: Duke Philipp of Wuerttemberg,his family and descendants

« on: April 16, 2010, 05:31:30 PM »

http://i45.tinypic.com/29fv445.jpg

By the way, I wanted to thank you also for this amazing picture of Maria-Immaculata... She's so distinguished, it's incredible... She looks like Marie-Antoinette, with this head keeped very high and a bit disdainful. I love it!!!

43

The Hohenzollern / Re: Duke Philipp of Wuerttemberg,his family and descendants

« on: April 16, 2010, 05:23:51 PM »

Duke Philipp and Helena's engagement

Wonderful! I didn't expect to see such a beautiful photo of Philip and Helena together, like this! Thank you so much Svetabel!!!

And now, come on, one with Rosa, and I'll be happy for a week ;-) ...

44

The Hohenzollern / Re: Duke Philipp of Wuerttemberg,his family and descendants

« on: April 15, 2010, 04:28:17 PM »

I never seen pictures of archduchesses Helena of Austria-Tuscany and Rosa of Austria-Tuscany, the two sisters duke Philip-Albert married successively.

Just these little childhood photos :

Helena :



Rosa :



Does someone know pictures of Helena and Rosa, and of Philip-Albert ?

45

The Greek Royal Family / Re: Prince George of Greece & Princess Marie Bonaparte

« on: April 15, 2010, 04:05:38 AM »

Indeed...Absolutely ! The old one have great photos. Now it is more like Hola !

Tell me about it! ;-)
Now it's just a people magazine like others... with perhaps a little more news of the royals, but barely...
For example, in the past, they would have make at least a cover and even maybe a special edition for the death of the archiduchess Regina... With all the story of the House of Saxe-Meinigen, old photos, and all that .... But now, they just made one poor page about it...