#Cornelia Windsor

[charlotte-of-wales]

An endless list of my favorite outfits worn by the Princess of Wales (81/∞):

At Windsor Castle for the final stop of the mini-tour aboard the Royal Train, on December 8th 2020, wearing:

Catherine Walker coat

Troy London ‘Faux Fur Lapel Collar’ in ‘forest green’

Alexander McQueen clutch

Cornelia James ‘Alice’ merino wool pair

Amaia Kids ‘Katie and Millie’ print mask by Amaia Kids

Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Frame Earrings

[winniehollings]

WINDSOR WINNIE HOLLINGS

name: windsor hollings nicknames: winnie, winds, windy, win. date of birth: may 26th zodiac: gemini sun, aries moon, aries rising age: 30 residence: studio apartment fc: kelsea ballerini skeleton: muse b - seven

Windsor was born and raised in a small town by a single dad who worked his arms off to give her the world, and that's how she was raised, to work very hard for what she wanted. She was kind to anyone and everyone she met, constantly bringing stray animals home, making new friends at recess and convincing everyone that kindness was the way forward.

From a very young age, Winnie loved to sing. Her dad did work on the local vocal teacher's house so she'd give Winnie lessons for free, and then did the same with the town's guitar teacher, and just like that, by the time she was 12, Winnie was singing in every chapel, performing on every stage they'd let her be at, and loving every second of it. She was destined for great things, not for this small town, and she knew it.

Her big break came at 18, when a scouter heard her play at a local bar, and offered her a recording deal. Things blew right up from there, and Winnie picked up her roots, her dad and her guitar and moved to Nashville. She'd lived there, performing all over the country, living the superstar life, with her dad as her manager and her best friend in the world.

Only now, when she tried to change her style a little, reinvent herself at thirty, did Windsor decide to change labels. Her dad had thrown down roots in Nashville, and didn't wanna move with her until she was properly settled, so she moved into a studio apartment on Cornelia Street with her labradoodle Felix.

[ghostfriendly5]

Not forgetting the larger problems of her support for Reinhard's self-serving autocracy, and delusion of dictatorship as a viable option for human government...but these are the story's problems, not Hilde's. In a society where women can only 'hold power' by marrying an important man, she works hard and intelligently to fulfil his dream of conquering the universe because of sister issues. She does her best within a corrupt system, that she could have left at any time by defecting to the Alliance, but no big whoop, and certainly, as you say, no big whoop for execution of character development.

Hilde is certainly a better 'strong woman's than Frederica Greenhill, supposedly from an egalitarian society, who managed nothing but serving coffee and cowering in fear before marrying an important man. Which follows the anti-feminist lies that women don't really want careers and independence; that influence over important men is a valid substitute for human rights, and patriarchal subjugation a natural, healthy state of affairs. The only non-fascist female leader in the story, Cornelia Windsor, is an absolute charicature. The problem isn't only that the writer doesn't care enough to unpack Hilde or Frederica's sacrifices, but his not believing that they would be unhappy, or have any right to be.

Of course, Frederica isn't a tea lady by choice, and Hilde's lack of choice is not due to the year she lives in; all of it stems from the assumptions and aspirations of the writers. Hilde is only an image of a woman, literally a drawing, and certainly shouldn't be blamed for a male writer's failings.

See I do disagree that Hilda “goes downhill.” She got pregnant. Pregnancy is work. You could say that that continued to make her the most important person in the empire after Reinhard. To avoid trouble she stepped back from having an active role in politics but we see behind closed doors that Reinhard continues to consult w her and he leaves governance to her on his death, too. Comments like the above feel ppl projecting their own modern ideas about gender on to a work, more than actual feminist criticism. The way Hilda is written is very in line w the powerful women of history. I thought it worked. Her story is still within a patriarchal context, and the fact that that is never unpacked is more of the issue.

[logh-icebergs]

Episode 12: Invasion of Imperial Territory

August 796/487. Yang, Sitolet, and Cazellnu get stuck in traffic. They run into Lebello and give him a lift in their handy military zip-helicopter. At the High Council meeting, Royal Sanford and Cornelia Windsor convince all council members except for Lebello, Huang, and Trunicht to vote in favor of the military’s proposed invasion of Imperial territory. With the operation approved by the government, Sitolet convenes a meeting at which he appoints Lobos to command the mission of eight fleets totaling 30,227,400 soldiers, with Greenhill his second in command. Andrew Fork, who crafted the invasion plan, accuses Yang of aiding the enemy. Meanwhile Rubinsky and von Remscheid go on a....date? No, okay, they’re probably just talking politics. Probably.

...Okay, got all that? We’ve been focused on laying the groundwork of the main themes and relationships that we’ll be following throughout the series, which means that many of the little plot details and secondary characters that have flitted by so far haven’t figured heavily in our posts. Since this episode is less like an iceberg and more like an ice floe that’s mostly above the water, I’m gonna take this opportunity to formally introduce us to some of these (many, many, many) characters.��

Alex Cazellnu

Pictured here with his characteristic “I’m not quite sure what’s happening around me” expression, Cazellnu is Yang’s friend and former upperclassman from the military academy. Many mysteries surround this man, as we’ll talk much more about later. For example, how did he land such a smoking hot and kickass wife? (We’ll see her soon, don’t worry.) What made him think Yang was fit to be anyone’s legal guardian? (Yes, that was his brilliant idea.) And what the fuck kind of name is Cazellnu? (Actually my guess is that it’s based on the word caserne meaning military barracks, which is a bit on the nose honestly since his job has to do with supplies and housing…)

More seriously, Cazellnu plays an interesting and important role in the show: He personifies the heteronormative societal structures and assumptions both of the in-universe world and the world of the audience. Like so much in LoGH this has a dual purpose. For the characters around him, the normative crap he says applies concrete pressure on them to meet the expectations of their society. For the audience, he explicitly articulates some of the (incorrect) "surface readings" that help the show pass as way straighter than it is. We will of course be keeping an eye out for these moments as we get to know him better.

Another Cazellnu mystery: Why didn’t he bother to give his younger daughter a name? Did he use up all the female names he could think of on Charlotte Phyllis??

Sidney Sitolet

We’ve seen Fleet Admiral Sitolet (or Sithole, as it’s sometimes spelled, but come on, have some respect…) before, most recently when he was laying a major guilt trip on Yang about trying to resign from the military. In this episode he intensifies that guilt trip even further, telling Yang that he’s the literal only hope for preventing the whole military from falling into the hands of over-ambitious zealots eager to get everyone gloriously killed. Sheesh. I know that Sitolet is clearly demarcated as one of the Good Guys here—an older, more powerful, slightly sterner version of Yang who is also extremely practical about using his resources to try to minimize the damage caused by the continuing war. And Yang is one of those resources. I get it, but...this scene at the end of this episode just makes me want to write AU fanfic where Yang tells him to go to hell and moves to a nice mountain villa where he writes history books all day while Julian goes shopping at the local market for the best deals on high quality tea.

...What, a girl can dream, can’t she? (From episode 3.)

Anyway, platitudes about patriotism and duty to crush the Evil Empire etc. won’t keep Yang in the military, but Sitolet is the one who knows exactly the kind of logic Yang finds inescapable. As much as it obviously frustrates and saddens him, Yang feels the burden of Sitolet’s expectations. 

João Lebello

Or Joanne, sure, why not.

This is the first time we’re seeing Lebello, the current secretary of the treasury serving on the Alliance High Council. He’s a childhood friend of Sitolet’s, and their banter reminds me a bit of Yang and Cazellnu’s friendship. 

In the council’s deliberations, he’s the loudest voice speaking up against the invasion, on the grounds that their economy is already being stretched thin by the ongoing warfare and further military spending could lead to collapse. Unfortunately the counter of “eh we’ll just print more money” is persuasive to most of the council, who vote in favor of the invasion in hopes that a victory will improve their polling numbers. Let’s hear it for democracy! 

Huang Louis

Like Yang, his family name is first; his given name is ルイ in Japanese, and I’ve seen it rendered as Rui, Lewi, or Louis.

The only other council member to speak against the invasion plan. Huang is quietly awesome; I don’t have a ton to say about him yet other than that, and the fact that I totally ship him and Lebello. 

Huang/Lebello is pretty high up there on the LoGH Ships expanding brain meme.

Cornelia Windsor

The token woman on the council, Windsor does a great job smashing the sexist stereotype that women are less likely than men to warmonger and advocate the deaths of millions of citizens. And she does so while reminding me so strongly of Dolores Umbridge that I’ve been trying to convince myself that J.K. Rowling must have watched at least the first twelve episodes of this show somehow. 

I mean, just look at that giggle.

There are three philosophies put forward in the council discussion: Lebello and Huang making practical arguments about the toll the war is taking on the Alliance economically and socially; Sanford, the head of the council, arguing that inaction is less likely to get them re-elected than a potential victory; and Windsor making the ideological case that war against the Empire is so righteous that no cost is too great to pay.

I’ll go out on a limb and say this show hasn’t been very subtle from the beginning about its distaste for people making arguments in favor of war and destruction on purely ideological or dogma-driven grounds. This stance seems mostly uncomplicated for now—pragmatism: good; blind idealism: bad—but so far the stars have aligned so that the characters spewing the dogmatic rhetoric are using it to push for increased death. It’s easy to roll our eyes at ideals of honor and glory in war; what about ideals like “try not to kill people if you don’t have to”? What if those go against the pragmatic arguments? We’ve already seen this tension a bit between Yang and Jessica, with his willingness to work within the military clashing with her ideals of pacifism, even though their ultimate goals align. In those cases there’s much less of a clear cut answer.  

...But for now at least, we can all agree this Umbridge-wannabe person sucks.

Job Trunicht

(From episode 6.)

We’ve already heard plenty about Trunicht and we’ll hear plenty more, so I won’t dwell on him here. But a quick Fun Fact*: Yang, being generally a luddite, refused to even get a remote control for his TV (er sorry, SolidVision) for a long time, until Trunicht started appearing regularly on the news. Yang hated seeing Trunicht’s face for even a split second so much that he would bound up off the couch to turn it off as soon as Trunicht showed up. Of course Yang is incredibly lazy, and he finally realized that with a remote control he could remain on the couch and have to see Trunicht’s face for even less time, so he caved and bought one; and now he sits eagerly watching the news with the remote clutched in one hand, hoping he’ll have the chance to turn it off in disgust.

...Relatable.

*Source: Julian’s Iserlohn Diary, one of the side stories written by Tanaka. Yes yes our canon here is the anime not the books; but we get to pick and choose adorable details that we like, and I hereby make this one Official Icebergs Canon.

Andrew Fork

Speaking of characters spewing pompous platitudes about war, meet Andrew Fork, who I really really wish I could say was a hyperbolic caricature who could never exist or gain actual power in real life but………..*looks around* here we are I guess. Fork must be a historian who wrote his thesis on early 21st century Earth internet message boards, since he employs tactics like accusing anyone who questions the practical implementation of his ideas of Aiding the Other Side. I again can’t resist sharing a passage from the novel of another character describing Fork:

*thinking emoji* *thinking emoji* *thinking emoji* I dunno it sounds familiar but I can’t place it...

Alexander Bucock

As you can tell by him giving Fork shit, Bucock is one of the more level-headed of the admirals. We’ll get to know him better in the future, so for now I’ll just mention that he’s awesome and him telling Fork that he’s impolite makes me happy. And that you shouldn’t get him mixed up with Lobos just because they both have white/gray hair and a mustache, as I may have done through pretty much the whole first season...

Quick Aside: Names

Cazellnu/Caserne/Caselnes? João/Joanne Rebelo/Lebello? Sitolet/Sithole/Shithole? Rui/Lewi/Louis? Fork/Falk? Bucock/Bewcock? Mittermeyer/Mittermeier, Reuental/Reuenthal, Mintz/Minci, Lap/Lapp/Shithole…??? It might have come to your attention by now that there is complete consensus about the spelling of essentially zero LoGH names.

You’d think “Jessica Edwards” would at least be free from controversy, but….. (From episode 2.)

Given that there doesn’t seem to be one clearly “official” source, and that it’s 1600 years in the future, we’re not especially hung up on trying to be super authentic and picky with our spellings. Maybe Cazellnu’s distant ancestors who also managed military barracks were named Caserne, but the spelling got modified as humanity emigrated to the stars; it happens. Generally our policy is to spell things however we happen to feel like it, based on some combination of aesthetics and just what we’re used to, and to be as consistent as we can once we pick a spelling; but we’re not really in the business of trying to arbitrate which spellings are “correct.” There’s too much about LoGH that’s worth caring passionately about to spend that much energy on the names. 

...Except Minci is still wrong, sorry animation notes that came with the laserdiscs.

Okay now, where were we…

Lazzll Lobos

...What, really? Lazzll, that’s what the subbers went with? Is that even a name? *quick Google search* No, no it’s not. Well, apparently it’s more commonly spelled Lassalle, but y’know what, I’m sticking with Lazzll god dammit. I make the rules here.

I don’t have anything to say about him beyond his name and that he is different from Bucock apparently.

And last but not...well okay maybe also least?

Adrian Rubinsky

When we last mentioned Rubinsky he was musing about how to use Reinhard and Kircheis’s relationship to his advantage somehow; here we find him informing the Imperial High Commissioner to Phezzan about the Alliance’s impending invasion, which he learned about...somehow. His air is constantly that of one attempting to play puppet-master and sculpt the situation to his own advantage, although ostensibly he is only doing his duty here as an Imperial subject, Phezzan being officially a territory of the Empire. It’s on his information that the Imperial nobles set Reinhard’s fleet in motion to meet the Alliance invasion force, as Yang was afraid they would do.

We also very very briefly meet Dominique Saint-Pierré, a mistress of Rubinsky's, seen here pouring wine while both men leer at her; she has more power than this glimpse suggests, though, and the power struggles between her and Rubinsky are definitely the most interesting aspect of Rubinsky’s role in the story.

Phew! And with this we conclude the entry that will probably mention the highest number of canonically straight characters by name of any Icebergs post. I hope you got all that; yes this will be on the exam. 

Stray Tidbits

I love the four-hour traffic jam caused by some intern feeding a corrupt string into a computer. I’ve mentioned how realistic the self-driving car system on Heinessen feels, and having it break down only adds to the realism.

So much for Yang’s optimism that capturing Iserlohn would lead to peace negotiations rather than an escalation of the war. Cracks are starting to show in Yang’s admiration of this whole “let the people control the government” thing, and I don’t blame him; especially since the Alliance “democracy” seems to involve decisions made by simple majority vote by an eleven-person High Council?? Umm? 

The subs tried to make sense of this line by drawing a distinction that I don't think is there in the Japanese: Yang uses the same verb, "akusei o shite iru," for both governments, where akusei (悪政) is literally bad+government. My interpretation is that Yang is expressing frustration at the irony of people choosing to elect a government that nevertheless governs against their interest...but I guess I might be projecting.

I love this random shot of a Phezzani street. Most Obscure LoGH Love Triangle Award goes to the three teenagers on the right; I wonder which of them is the vertex?? This is the fanfiction the world demands. 

[featherxquill]

opening lines meme

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories. (If  you have less than 20, just list them all!) See if there are any  patterns. Choose your favourite opening line. Tag some people to play  the next round!

Not tagged by anyone, but I saw this and thought it would be a fun jaunt through my fics. 20! That’s multiple fandoms and probably close to a decade

Three things happen in the autumn of 1929.

They have been in Buenos Aires for three days finalising the preparations for their Antarctic expedition when Cornelia announces at breakfast that she will be departing on the ferry bound for Montevideo within the hour, and will stay overnight. 

Citra Terranova had been apprenticing under Marie for two months when she asked the question.

Scythe Marie Curie never expected to feel anything ever again, but here she is.

It's not what you think, he told Camille, but now he's not so sure.

As the plane disappears from view, Sebastian breathes his last.

Warm skin, a heartbeat, fingers toying with her hair: the luxurious decadence of lying naked with a man she’s just made love to.

Sunlight; an impression of morning.

As they ride the elevator up to his room, they don’t speak.

In her dreams, Cornelia’s feet are bare.

The air is cool and fresh; sunrise is just breaking over the blue horizon.

[This is a transcript from the spoken log book of Cornelia Cavendish. Entry not for publication.]

“It’s shallow,” Dorothy says, as she places a final piece of tape over the dressing she applied after removing the buckshot from Cornelia’s abdomen, “but I would strongly recommend that you abstain from drinking for the next few days.”

Gill collapsed, breathless and boneless, against the covers, head falling so heavily against the pillow that she sank into it down to her ears. 

They name her Catastrophe on her second day of training.

After Janet's speech, Gill's retirement party really gets started.

You've always liked tall women, and Julie Dodson certainly is that.

Julie Dodson, five-time winner of the Royal Windsor Horse Show's showjumping ribbon, was nursing her wounded pride in the A&E waiting room at Oldham General Hospital.

Sammy Murray did not make his way into the world easily.

Gill sighs and tugs the changing room curtain open.

Patterns? I suppose the biggest thing I notice is a tendency to use my first line to introduce setting - either where or when or both - rather than character, for the most part. Though obviously the best ones do a little bit of both.

Favourite? Hard to choose, but I am pleased with “‘It’s shallow’...” because that drops you right into exactly when this is happening, is exactly the kind of thing Dororthy would say, and something the audience knows immediately that Cornelia will ignore. I also quite like the showjumping champion one, because it introduces the AU scenario pretty neatly.

I was right, this was almost a decade! Number 20 was posted in 2014 :). That’s five fandoms there, too, which is a lot for me.

I tag @tayryn, @troiings, @eunyisadoran

[blankasolun]

Charlotte’s Heart Is Broken Perhaps it was, after all, a good thing that she was going back to Cranbourne Lodge. The season was over at Weymouth and the place had lost its summer charm.

[malkalaila]

My favorite of Kate’s outfits in 2020 | 35/?

December 8th, 2020. Day 3, Royal Train tour, Windsor Castle

Outfit details: Catherine Walker coat. Troy London faux fur collar. Ralph Lauren boots. Alexander McQueen clutch. Cornelia James gloves. Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond pendant teardrop earrings. 

[sims4imperialhouseofmarasea]

Palace Of Ulna... Minutes before a scheduled press briefing...

Darius: It's time, my dear. Time to share you with the world...

Darius: How are you feeling? You okay? You look beautiful by the way

Alysha: Thank you, I hope so. Cornelia spent so much time on my wardrobe. Darius, I'm never going to wear all those clothes, it's far too much!

Darius: You do look beautiful, always, with or without Cornelia's help. As to the clothes, you'll be surprised. The number of events we'll likely attend will need something new for each of them. Besides, I may have insisted you have enough to pick and choose.

Darius: But how are you feeling? Ready to face the world?

Alysha: I'm okay. Nervous and... and a little sad.

Darius: Sad! Why! whats wrong?

Alysha: I'm just a little sad this won't be our little secret anymore. Yes I know we've been engaged since January. And I know people have probably guessed we are, considering the number of events I have attended with you. But... this makes it official.

Darius: I know. It would have come out eventually, and at least we are making it known on our own terms, when we're ready. Besides, this way, you can wear the ring in public.

Alysha: Haha, yes, you're right. I have been dying to wear it some where other than at home...Speaking of home, did you speak to your Mother about us having to move? Do we?

Darius: Yes I did. We do unfortunately. I was hoping we would be able to stay in Sulani, but as working Imperial Royals we have to be close at hand. Living in Sulani isn't practical and excessive waste of money to be flying to and through. She did say we can keep it as a holiday home. She'll take the property back under the Imperial Crown. That way all members of our family can use it, and it won't lie empty. Mother did say, it is still essentially ours, but our official residence needs to be close by. Dubois House has just become available. The Earl and Countess of Orleans have just moved out to the country. The Estate is ours if we want it. It's also opposite my cousins, the Windsors, so well be surrounded by familiar faces.

Alysha: Sounds lovely... We'll be able to make it our own, yes?

Darius: Yes.

Marcus: They are ready for you, sir.

Darius: Thank you Marcus. Here we go...

Alysha: Just don't let me fall in these heels. I would like to make it to the other side relatively unscathed.

Darius: You mean like this!

Alysha: Darius!!! No! Haha, you'll ruin Cornelia's work!

Darius: Haha, okay, okay.

Kiss... Darius presses his forehead to Alysha's

Darius: I love you...

Alysha: I love you too...

Darius: Come... let us greet the world...

[rockislandadultreads]

Women’s History Month: strength, power, and perseverance 

The Women with Silver Wings The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II by Katherine Sharp Landdeck

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Cornelia Fort was already in the air. At twenty-two, Fort had escaped Nashville's debutante scene for a fresh start as a flight instructor in Hawaii. She and her student were in the middle of their lesson when the bombs began to fall, and they barely made it back to ground that morning. Still, when the U.S. Army Air Forces put out a call for women pilots to aid the war effort, Fort was one of the first to respond. She became one of just over 1,100 women from across the nation to make it through the Army's rigorous selection process and earn her silver wings. The brainchild of trailblazing pilots Nancy Love and Jacqueline Cochran, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) gave women like Fort a chance to serve their country—and to prove that women aviators were just as skilled as men. While not authorized to serve in combat, the WASP helped train male pilots for service abroad, and ferried bombers and pursuits across the country. Thirty-eight WASP would not survive the war. But even taking into account these tragic losses, Love and Cochran's social experiment seemed to be a resounding success—until, with the tides of war turning, Congress clipped the women's wings. The program was disbanded, the women sent home. But the bonds they'd forged never failed, and over the next few decades they came together to fight for recognition as the military veterans they were—and for their place in history.

The Book of Gutsy Women: Favorite Stories of Courage and Resilience by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Chelsea Clinton

Ensuring the rights and opportunities of women and girls remains a big piece of the unfinished business of the twenty-first century. While there's a lot of work to do, we know that throughout history and around the globe women have overcome the toughest resistance imaginable to win victories that have made progress possible for all of us. That is the achievement of each of the women in this book. So how did they do it? The answers are as unique as the women themselves. Civil rights activist Dorothy Height, LGBTQ trailblazer Edie Windsor, and swimmer Diana Nyad kept pushing forward, no matter what. Writers like Rachel Carson and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie named something no one had dared talk about before. Historian Mary Beard used wit to open doors that were once closed, and Wangari Maathai, who sparked a movement to plant trees, understood the power of role modeling. Harriet Tubman and Malala Yousafzai looked fear in the face and persevered. Nearly every single one of these women was fiercely optimistic—they had faith that their actions could make a difference. And they were right. To us, they are all gutsy women—leaders with the courage to stand up to the status quo, ask hard questions, and get the job done. So in the moments when the long haul seems awfully long, we hope you will draw strength from these stories. We do. Because if history shows one thing, it's that the world needs gutsy women.

The Doctors Blackwell: How Two Pioneering Sisters Brought Medicine to Women and Women to Medicine by Janice P. Nimura

Elizabeth Blackwell believed from an early age that she was destined for a mission beyond the scope of "ordinary" womanhood. Though the world at first recoiled at the notion of a woman studying medicine, her intelligence and intensity ultimately won her the acceptance of the male medical establishment. In 1849, she became the first woman in America to receive an M.D. She was soon joined in her iconic achievement by her younger sister, Emily, who was actually the more brilliant physician.

Exploring the sisters' allies, enemies, and enduring partnership, Janice P. Nimura presents a story of trial and triumph. Together, the Blackwells founded the New York Infirmary for Indigent Women and Children, the first hospital staffed entirely by women. Both sisters were tenacious and visionary, but their convictions did not always align with the emergence of women's rights—or with each other. From Bristol, Paris, and Edinburgh to the rising cities of antebellum America, this richly researched new biography celebrates two complicated pioneers who exploded the limits of possibility for women in medicine. As Elizabeth herself predicted, "a hundred years hence, women will not be what they are now."

Double Victory: How African American Women Broke Race and Gender Barriers to Help Win World War II by Cheryl Mullenbach

Double Victory tells the stories of African American women who did extraordinary things to help their country during World War II. In these pages young readers meet a range of remarkable women: war workers, political activists, military women, volunteers, and entertainers. Some, such as Mary McLeod Bethune and Lena Horne, were celebrated in their lifetimes and are well known today. But many others fought discrimination at home and abroad in order to contribute to the war effort yet were overlooked during those years and forgotten by later generations. Double Victory recovers the stories of these courageous women, such as Hazel Dixon Payne, the only woman to serve on the remote Alaska-Canadian Highway; Deverne Calloway, a Red Cross worker who led a protest at an army base in India; and Betty Murphy Phillips, the only black female overseas war correspondent. Offering a new and diverse perspective on the war and including source notes and a bibliography, Double Victory is an invaluable addition to any student's or history buff's bookshelf.

[fashioncoouture]

Sem título #2089 por mariandradde usando skinny jeans

[royaltysimblr]

WIP Angleterre Palace

Angleterre Palace inspired a lot by Buckingham Palace, Chatsworth House, Spencer House, Apsley House, and Windsor Castle. Angleterre Palace is the Windenburg Residence of the King and Queen and the Prince and Princess of the Isle as well as Princess Cornelia and Prince Robert.

Also thanks to @felixandresims and @thejim07 for the amazing CC!

[little-or-well-known-historyblog]

Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton's Life: A Triumph Surrounded By Tragedy

Introduction

Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton was the wife of the first U.S. Treasury Secretary, Alexander Hamilton. Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton was described as "a brunette with the most good-natured, lively dark eyes that I ever saw, which threw a beam of good temper and benevolence over her whole countance." She was born August 9th, 1757 and died in November 1854 at the age of 97. Elizabeth was the second oldest sister of five sisters and was the second eldest child of the ten children of Philip Schuyler that lived. She married Alexander Hamilton in December 1780 and together they had eight children. Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton’s life was a triumph and a tragedy. Her life was successful because she established the first private orphanage in New York and she ensured her husband’s legacy. Her life was full of hardship because she married an extremely ambitious man who was unfaithful to her, she lost her eldest son and her husband within a three year timespan, and she suffered other hardships.

The Happiness and Heartaches of Marriage (1780-1797)

Elizabeth Schuyler met Alexander Hamilton in Morristown, New Jersey in 1780 where the Continental Army was stationed for winter that year. Elizabeth, commonly referred to as Eliza or Betsey, was in New Jersey to visit her aunt and uncle. Her uncle was a doctor for the Continental Army. It was there that she truly met Alexander Hamilton, an aide-de-camp to General George Washington. Hamilton was an extremely ambitious man who wanted to rise above his station and he dreamed of being someone in important in the new nation that he was fighting to create.

They had met in a brief passing three years earlier, when Hamilton went to Albany, New York to convince General Gates to surrender his troops to General Washington. Eliza was twenty-two years old when they met again and Hamilton was twenty-five. What followed was a whirlwind courtship in which Hamilton was apparently very taken with Eliza. Tench Tilghman, a fellow aide-de-camp to General Washington even said, “Hamilton is a gone man.”

Hamilton and Eliza wrote letters back and forth throughout the year of 1780 and on December 14, 1780, the couple was married at Eliza’s family home in Albany, Schuyler Mansion, which was lovingly nicknamed The Pastures. Eliza and Hamilton stayed at The Pastures for about a month before moving to New Windsor, New York where the Continental Army and General Washington were stationed at the time. Eliza ended up going back to The Pastures and Albany while Hamilton went of to fight in the Battle of Yorktown. During this time, Eliza was pregnant with her and Alexander’s first born child, a son, who they named Philip Hamilton, after Eliza’s father, Philip Schuyler. Hamilton returned from the war front in time to be able to witness his son’s birth.

Eliza and Hamilton continued to live at The Pastures for about two years. Eventually, Hamilton made enough money to move the family to a rented home in Manhattan. They lived there while Hamilton practiced law and remained there in the early days of his position as Treasury Secretary. The Hamiltons did eventually move to Philadelphia to follow the US capital and Hamilton’s work. During these years, Eliza and Hamilton had four more children: Angelica Hamilton, the first girl and three more boys, Alexander Hamilton Jr., James Alexander Hamilton, and John Church Hamilton. The family also took in an orphan by the name of Fanny Antil, who they raised as their own. Hamilton had known Antil's father. He had asked Hamilton and Eliza to take care of Fanny after the death of her mother.

In 1793, an outbreak of yellow fever hit the city of Philadelphia, hard. Yellow fever is a serious, flu-like disease that could have come from multiple sources during this time. Some symptoms of Yellow Fever are bleeding of the stomach, yellowing of the skin, extreme fatigue, body aches, and vomiting. Eliza, Hamilton, and their children left Philadephia for a small rented summer home that was two and half miles away from the city. During this time, Hamilton returned back to Philadelphia for work constantly. In September of 1793, Hamilton contracted Yellow Fever. The children were secluded to an adjoining house while Hamilton was sick. Eliza contracted the illness and their children were sent to stay at The Pastures. Fortunately, Eliza and Hamilton were cured quite quickly of the illness by a doctor named Edward Stevens.

In 1797, Hamilton published a pamphlet about having an affair with a woman by the name of Maria (mostly likely pronounced Mariah) Reynolds. He published the pamphlet because he had been accused of embezzling government money to Maria's husband, James Reynolds. In reality, Hamilton was paying hush money to James Reynolds during the two year period of the affair. He wanted to clear his name in regards to thr accusations, and in doing so, he became known for engaging in the first political sexual scandal. The publishing of the pamphlet humiliated Eliza, who was pregnant at the time with their sixth child.

The Struggles of Losing Loved Ones (1801-1804)

The year 1801 was very tragic for Eliza and her family. In March 1801, she lost one of her younger sisters, Peggy, after she endured a long battle with illness. Hamilton was in Albany when his sister-in-law passed away and he wrote a letter to Eliza to inform her of Peggy's passing. Eliza recieved the following letter:

"On Saturday, My Dear Eliza, your sister took leave of her sufferings and friends, I trust, to find repose and happiness in a better country.

Viewing all that she had endured for so long a time, I could not but feel a relief in the termination of the scene. She was sensible to the last and resigned to the important change.

Your father and mother are now calm. All is well as it can be; except for the dreadful ceremonies which custom seems to have imposed as indispensable in this pla(ce), and must which at every instant open anew the closing wounds of bleeding hearts. Tomorrow the funeral takes place. The day after I hope to set sail for N York.

I long to come to consol and comfort you my darling Betsey. Adieu my sweet Angel. Remember the duty of Christian Resignation.

Ever Yrs

AH"

Later that year, in November, Eliza also lost her eldest son, Philip. Philip had participated in a duel with a man by the name of George Eacker, over a speech that Racket had given in which he had insulted Hamilton. After Philip's death, Eliza and Hamilton's oldest daughter, Angelica, was never the same. She had a mental breakdown and eventually was unfit to live with her family. Six months after Philip's death, Eliza gave birth to the last child in the Hamilton family, whom she named Philip II.

The year 1804 was another terrible year for Eliza. In July of that year, Hamilton got into a duel with a man by the name of Aaron Burr. He didn’t survive the duel and left Eliza to raise seven young children. Hamilton left her with the following letter after his death:

"This letter, my very dear Eliza, will not be delivered to you, unless I shall first have terminated my earthly career; to begin, as I humbly hope from redeeming grace and divine mercy, a haply immortality.

If it had been possible for me to have avoided the interview, my live for you and my precious children would have been alone a decisive motive. But it was not possible, without sacrifices which would have rendered me unworthy of your esteem. I need not tell you of the pangs I feel, from the idea of quitting you and exposing you to the anguish which I know you would feel. Nor could I dwell on the topuc lest it should unman me. The consolation of Religion, my beloved, can alone support you; and these you have a right to enjoy. Fly to the bosom of your God and be comforted. With my last idea; I shall cherish the sweet hope of meeting you in a better world.

Adieu best of wives and best of Women. Embrace all my darling Children for me. Ever yours,

AH"

He also left her with the financial burden of debt he had acquired. Eliza was unable to keep the house that Hamilton had built for her and their family, named The Grange. It was sold in a public auction. Luckily, some friends of Hamilton and Eliza’s raised enough money for Eliza to buy the place back. 

Another unfortunate death happened four months after Eliza lost Hamilton. Philip Schuyler, Eliza’s father also died. Her father’s land and house was divided up among his children. It wasn’t done peacefully though. Eliza’s younger sisters, Cornelia and Caty accused Eliza of accepting extra money from their father. Eliza denied this accusation and was shocked that her siblings even thought her capable of doing such something of that nature. If that wasn’t enough, Cornelia and Caty tried to take land that was rightfully Eliza’s. The feuding over this land started in 1804 and didn’t end until 1810. They went to court twice. There are no records of the first court case, which happened at some point between 1805 and 1807. Cornelia had gone to court with her case, and the judge had not ruled  in her favor. In May of 1810, Eliza brought her own case to court. Eliza wanted the court to prohibit her siblings claims to the land in question. Eliza ended up winning the case because Caty and her husband never appeared in court. Her other sister, Cornelia and her husband, Washington Morton had passed. The land became Eliza’s to do what she pleased with it and if any relatives tried claim or seize the land, they would incur a fine $20, 000. Caty and Eliza did still keep in touch after this issue was settled though the dispute likely weakened their bond.

A Successful Struggle (1805-1854)

Eliza still struggled after the issues regarding the land were settled. She continued to be in debt and in 1814, she suffered the loss of another family member. Eliza’s eldest sister, Angelica was also taken by illness. Eliza had other struggles to deal with not pertaining to death or debt though. She needed to protect her husband’s legacy. Eliza constantly struggled to find a writer to compile her husband’s biography. She almost had someone to do the job, but the writer, named Frances Baylies ended up not being able to complete the biography. She sent him a letter requesting the papers the return of the papers she had sent him. In it, she wrote, “...your long silence to the other circumstances have I confess induced fear that something may have occurred to arrest your labors. If that is so, or it is found impractical for you to proceed, let me I pray you be informed that I may com-pensate your past troubles and put the papers without delay into other hands. I am thus frank and explicit because I am hourly admonished that my lide is drawing to a close and I am impatient to fulfil the sacred duty I owe to a beloved husband’s memory.” Eliza collected quite a bit of information, from many different people, about “her Hamilton” as she called him, while trying to get his biography written. She at one point wrote to Marquis de Lafayette, a man who was a friend to the Hamiltons and who with Hamilton had spent some time with in the military. She requested that he help her gather information. He responded with what he did and didn’t find. The biography about Hamilton was eventually written by Eliza and Hamilton’s son, John Church Hamilton, with help from Eliza.

Not only did Eliza help tell her husband’s story but she also did charity work. She was one of three women that co-founded the Orphan Asylum Society of the City of New York, which was the first private orphanage of New York City. It still exists today, now called The Graham Windham Home for Children. Eliza was there when the cornerstone for it’s two story wooden headquarters was laid in 1807. Eliza was so devoted to the cause of helping orphans, because her husband had been orphaned at the age of 12. For many years, Eliza was on the orphanage board and was the Deputy Director. In 1821, Eliza became the Head Directress and continued to be for the next twenty-seven years. She won a charter in 1818 to create the Hamilton Free School, which was the first educational institution in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. Eliza died on Novemeber 9th, 1854 at the age of 97.

Conclusion

Elizabeth Schuyler-Hamilton’s life definitely had elements of tragedy and triumph. The tragedies that she suffered were that she married an extremely ambitious man who was unfaithful to her, lost her son and husband in duels, lost two of her sisters to illnesses, her eldest daughter to a mental breakdown, lost her father the same year she did her husband, had a squabble over land with her sisters, and dealt with debt and raising seven young children after her husband’s death. She triumphed over these tragedies by fighting to preserve her husband's legacy, surviving Yellow Fever, and most importantly established the first private orphanage in New York City. Despite all the tragedy that she suffered, she was a very strong and dedicated woman to the causes most important to her. Her legacy is now being recognized by millions through the popular musical, Hamilton. Her story impacts history in multiple ways. From a social standpoint, she made things better for orphans because before then they faced poverty, hunger, disease, and short life expectancies. When the orphanage was first established, there was no official child protective services and no public child welfare agencies. The creation of the orphanage was a major turning point to help establish the treatment of orphans that we have today. If it hadn’t been created, orphanages and child protective services might not exist today. Her story also impacts women’s history. Her life shows that a woman can do so much more in the world than just marry and have children. She is important in history because if she hadn’t fought to preserve her husband's legacy in writing, we wouldn't have a clear understanding of all that Alexander Hamilton accomplished as a founding father. Her story so powerful and inspiring because despite suffering public humiliation and several tragedies, she stayed strong, fought for what she believed in, and lived a long successful life.

[costaxserena]

¡Bienvenidos a Barcelona!

Students and teachers are now off the planes, fully checked in and ready to explore the amazing city of Barcelona and take advantage of all that it has to offer for two whole weeks! Go out an explore the culture, the sports, the restaurants, the stores, the museums, the nightlife… There’s infinite possibilities and nothing’s better than to do it with your friends.

Just remember, for all of those travelling with Ancora or Atlantica, rooms have been assigned and roommates are final! So, in these two weeks we challenge you to post a private starter with one or both of your roommates and let us see how that interaction went. Did you get lucky when the rooms were assigned, or where you out of luck? What parts of Barcelona did you explore together? This is a mandatory even challenge and we can’t wait to see how it plays out!

You’ll find the list of roommates under the cut

Room 1

Ariel Triton

Raphaela Lights

Cornelia Hale

Room 2

Randall Boggs

Michiel Wazowski

Blake Florian

Room 3

Aurora Rose

Merida Dunbroch

Anna Arendelle

Room 4

Jackson Frost

Miguel Rivera

Victor Frankenstein

Room 5

Gabriella Sullivan

Vivianne Flieger

Perrie Sparks

Room 6

Jennifer Hachwrench

Gemma Pennington

Elena Avalor

Room 7

Andrew Anchorage

Louis Alliot

Tito Federico

Room 8

Kiara Lyon

Angel Adams

Violet Parr

Room 10

Eric Windsor

Scout Rogers

Toulouse Berlioz

Room 11

Ali Bashir

Finnegan Rider

Sammy Lyon

Room 12

Shenzi Wallace

Vitani Leon

Elyon Brown

Room 13

Adella Triton

Andrina Triton

Eleanor Van Helsing

Room 14

Héctor Rivera

Hades Vitalis

Poseidon Vitalis

Room 15

Danielle Bonfamille

Jane Porter

Coco Rivera

Room 16

Charles Winchester

Archimedes Hazard-Perry

Hercules Mitzou

Room 17

Sally Finkelstein

Hannah Limón

Maria Posada 

Room 18

Lola Von Schweenz

Talia McKinnon

Charlotte Labouff

Room 19

Michael Yagoobian

Jack Parr

Dash Parr

Room 20

Guadalupe Reyes

Lillian Tiger

Rosa Aranha

Room 21

Lilo Pelekai

Daisy Donovan

Anastasia Romanov

Room 22

Ashley Spinelli

Penny Proud

Minnie Morales

Room 23

Ella Glass

Giselle Andrews

Caroline Farrow

Room 24

Nicholas Wilde

Baron Armstrong

Niko Stone

Room 25

Aquata Triton

Moana Waialiki

Inés Reyes

At the Dorantes’ house:

Room 1: Miguel Dorante + Tulio Dorante

Room 2: Jack Skellington

Individual rooms (for those joining the party on their own means):

Matthew Hawthorne (+ Shay Grimshaw)

Lucien + Diana Tremaine

Richmond Shepard

Atticus Eeyore

Megara Pavlis

Johnathan Hopper

Sky Llewelyn

Peter Woods

Astrid Hofferson

Maximus Cheval

Elsa Arendelle

Trusty Ryan

Tam Calhoun

***If your character is going on the trip and doesn’t show up on the list, or if one of the charas listed decided not to attend, please message us on the main so we can do the necessary adjustments. 

[packedwithpackards]

William Henry Packard and the Civil War [Part 1]

In a previous post, taking from my family history, I wrote about Barnabas and Ruth’s son, William Henry (called William H. in the rest of this article), whom was born on October 1, 1822, in Plainfield, and became a farmer who settled in Windsor, living there at least from 1850 to 1860 marrying Rachel Bartlett Tillson on May 20, 1847. I also noted that William  H. and Rachel had at least four children, being Welcome, Cyrus W., Frank, Alice Cornelia, Joseph A., Fred, Mary, and William Luther, adding that in 1860, William H. was a farmer who owned a farm which was worth, fully, over $2,000. I then wrote about William H.'s participation in the Civil War:

In 1862, the family of William H. and Rachel would be drawn into the Civil War...William’s brother, Roswell, a unmarried Massachusetts farmer, fought, enlisting on September 2, 1862.  Unlike William H., he enlisted in Company F of the Massachusetts 46th Infantry Regiment, became a corporal on June 9, 1863, and was mustered out on July 29 in Hampden Park, Springfield, Massachusetts...On November 3, 1862, he [William] enlisted in the Union Army at Camp Brigg in Pittsfield...He would serve as a private within Company I of the 49th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Militia. As part of that unit, he would see action in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and he would be discharged honorably on September 1, 1863 after 10 months of service when his unit disbanded at Pittsfield...

He served for 9-10 months in the 49th Regiment commanded first by Captain William Francis Bartlett. The unit, after moving from area to area, gained a “reputation for good discipline.” It left from Long Island to Louisiana on the Illinois steamer in January 1863, arriving in New Orleans by early February....The unit was attached to 1st Brigade, 1st Division, of the 19th Army Corp. It engaged in reconnaissance on Port Hudson in March, and then fought in the siege of the same area in May through July, off and on...it [also] fought at Plain's Store and at Cox's Plantation (“line of Bayou Lafourche”) during the summer...In fighting at Port Hudson, it was assisting Farragut’s union fleet. During its time in service, 2 officers were killed, 28 men killed or mortally wounded, and 84 men killed by disease...

By August 9, after staying in the nearby area, it left New Orleans, going on the Templer steamer to Cairo, Illinois, and taking a train to Pittsfield, where it arrived on August 22. Once there, there was likely an “enthusiastic reception” (with Rachel and family likely in attendance) and it was “mustered out of the United States service” on September 1. The battles the unit was engaged in were sometimes Union victories. This was the case in the siege of Port Hudson from May to July 1863, allowing the Mississippi River to be open to “Union navigation from its source to New Orleans” and the fight at Plains Store, which closed the last “Confederate escape route from Port Hudson,” with Confederates dragging away some of “their cannons by hand rather than abandon them to the Yankees.”...However there were some Confederate victories...One such victory was at Cox’s Plantation...In a broader context, the siege of Port Hudson was part of the offensive up the Mississippi River. Furthermore, with the fall of Vicksburg, and surrender of Port Hudson later that month, the Union was going “unvexed to the sea” as Lincoln put it...Simply put, the surrender [of Port Hudson] gave the Union “control over the entire Mississippi River, cutting off important states such as Arkansas and Texas” as the National Archives notes. The siege, the longest in U.S. history, was a massive operation, with 30,000 Union troops under the command of General Nathaniel Banks surrounding the Mississippi town and Confederate stronghold...

600 Black soldiers died in the fierce battle, fighting [against] the Confederates. This victory was one of the most significant days of the war, and 41-year-old William H. was part of the reason [they were victorious], along with his valiant unit. The battle changed the tide of war to favor the Union, which would emerge victorious after a little less than two more bloody years. For this, descendants of the Packard family should be undeniably proud, especially since other descendants fought for the Union...William had eagerly answered the call to serve as a private, going from the “free” north to fight in the slaveowning South, even passing through enemy territory on the steamer to New Orleans, after the Union was advancing more into the South...He possibly enlisted not only out of feelings of patriotism but to prove his “manliness"...William H., one of the 17 individuals who enlisted in Windsor, with pay of only $13 a month, had a number of fellow soldiers that he got to know very well.

In my family history I added that two years after he returned, William H. was a farmer and legal voter, living with his wife Rachel and eight children. Matthew Stowell asks below if I received his military record from the National Archives and the answer is currently no, but is another avenue to pursue.

I mention this because of an article I read by Tim St. Onge about the Peninsula Campaign, which was a "failed attempt to capture Richmond, Virginia, the Confederate capital, by landing troops at Fortress Monroe in March 1862 and attacking northwest up the peninsula formed by the James and York Rivers."

Looking into this more, I found that Samuel Sumner, Lt. Colonel of the 49th Regiment, held a reunion of those former volunteers of the 49th Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Militia like William H. Sumner read a poem about their shared war experience. Rodney M. Torrey, writing from Camp Banks, Jamaica, N. Y., on January 4, 1863, said that William H. missed home, calling him "Henry Packard":

I received yours and father's letter this evening, and was glad to hear that you are all well. I am well, (except a slight cold now), and have been since you were at Worcester. Father wanted me to write about those he was acquainted with. Henry Packard is not very tough. I think he is homesick.

If this is accurate, it means that Bob Mills's speculation in The Packard/Mills Family History, that William H. "might have enlisted to escape the children or the farm" since he was forty years of age, may be inaccurate. Perhaps he entered the military service for other reasons!

Note: This was originally posted on November 18, 2018 on the main Packed with Packards WordPress blog (it can also be found on the Wayback Machine here). My research is still ongoing, so some conclusions in this piece may change in the future.

© 2018-2022 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

[allthephils]

Repose

Rated M (angst, sleeping beauty au, mentions of sex, adult themes

Word count: 2626/42677

Read on AO3

Chapter 15

The drive to Windsor castle felt something like the first time Louise drove Phil there. Fear and uncertainty had brought tension then but now it was magnified. Now, Phil knew what was at stake. He also knew he wasn’t wanted there and that he may have a fight ahead of him much more daunting than the fight to get in had been. Phil has never been much of a fighter, always more likely to walk away, turn the other cheek. Now he hoped against hope for a fight because a fight meant Dan was ok, that there’s something to fight for. The alternative was unthinkable. His stomach turned when he thought of how easily he had let Dan get away all those years ago. Everything could have been different if he had simply had the courage to speak up, say the words, hold on tighter. That wasn’t a mistake he was going to make again. He had let himself consider the worst case scenario, he’d fallen apart, gotten it out of his system, and now he was going to stand up and be what Dan needed him to be.

Walking up the path to the castle gate, the scene was so different from the first time. There was a small group of protesters and an even smaller gaggle of women waiting on the lawn. A large steel grate had been pulled closed at the gate that lead to the entrance to Dan’s operating theatre and there was only one guard standing in the center of the walk. It was obvious the excitement had passed, the royal family had succeeded at appeasing the public.

Phil and Louise walked in the grass toward the protesters, hoping the single guard wouldn’t notice Phil. The idea that he could be seen as a threat was ridiculous but Phil couldn’t imagine the stories Walter must be telling. Phil had to be careful. He didn’t want to risk being carted away before he was able to see Dan. Cautiously, Louise approached the gate with Phil a few feet behind. Inside, near the door that would lead to the Prince, stood Dennis.

Louise ran back to Phil, whisper shouting, “It’s that guard, the one you know. Phil, he must be ok. Why would they guard an empty room? He must still be in there.”

“He’s still in there, I feel it. But that doesn’t mean he’s ok.” Phil said, his eyes searching for some comfort in Louise’s hopeful expression. “I’m going to go talk to him. Stay close.”

Phil’s hands gripped the bars of the steel grate that stood between him and what he now realized was his future. Dennis look up and sighed heavily, scrubbing his hands over his face in frustration. He walked to Phil and spoke, low enough so that no one else could hear.

“Phil. Buddy, you know my hands are tied here. There’s nothing I can do. Prince Walter would put me away for treason. He’s been very clear.”

“Did you deliver that box, Dennis?” Phil asked. Dennis said nothing but returned to his post by the door. “Tell Walter I’m here, Dennis. Let me see him. We can work something out.”

Dennis stared forward, unflinching. “You don’t want to see Walter, Phil. Trust me, you don’t.”

“Tell me he’s ok, Dennis. Or at least tell me he’s alive.” Phil was starting to panic.

Dennis said, “he’s alive,” and cast a sideways glance at Phil that sent a chill up his spine.

“Oh my god. I need to see him. Dennis please.”

Dennis’ brow creased, he shifted on his feet and swallowed, struggling to maintain the role he played in spite of the vulnerability Phil brought. Nothing was more frightening than seeing concern on Dennis’ face. Phil turned to Louise and she rushed over.

“Louise, are you logged in to my Instagram?”

“I am.”

“Ok, we’re gonna do this. 15 seconds at a time.” His heart beat out of his chest.

Louise’s eyes grew wide and she held the hand of her best friend in the world. “Philip, are you absolutely one hundred percent sure about this? Have you thought through all the consequences?”

“Yes I am and no I haven’t. There’s no more time, Lou. You ready?” Phil stood, his back to the gate and Louise held up the phone. She pointed to Phil and he began.

“Hey guys. I’ve got some really important news to share and not a lot of time. I’m going to need your help. You guys were right about some things so yeah, good job figuring it out I guess. First of all, I’m gay. Yay.” Phil held his hands up and shimmied them just as Louise held up her hand to stop. He looked back at Dennis who just stood, looking forward, pretending not to notice what was going on right in front of him.

“OK it’s up, that’ll bring em in.” Louise shook her head and held the phone up again. “Keep going.”

“I know I’ve been a little MIA these days and that none of you were fooled by my cryptic tweets. I have been at Windsor Castle. With Dan, Prince Daniel. And yes, I’m in love with him.”

Louise held up a hand again and jumped up and down a little bit as she hit the button to post the story. For the third time, she held the phone up. Phil was sweating, he heaved in a breath.

“He’s been doing much better since I’ve been here but now our future king and the man I love is in real jeopardy because his father, Prince Walter, has decided I am no longer welcome.”

Once more, stop, post, deep breath, go.

“So I’m hoping you guys could help me out. Maybe if we get enough of you here, they’ll at least let me speak to someone. I don’t know if it will work but I have to try. We can’t just do nothing. He needs us. If you’re anywhere near Windsor castle, please.”

Louise put her phone away and walked to Phil, hugging him close. “I’m so proud of you.”

“I don’t know, Lou. I just outed the future king of England. I think I’m fucked.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Phil leaned on the counter, happily munching tiny marshmallows as he watched his mum bake. He missed Dan, more than he’d ever missed anything, but he was happy to be with his family. The last time he was here, he would have called it home. Even with his own London apartment, home was always wherever his family was. That was all different now. Now, home was wherever Dan was. His little apartment felt warm and safe and perfect when Dan was there. Still, he was glad to be chatting with his mum, getting all the latest gossip on the Lesters. A cousin got engaged, an aunt needed to have gall bladder surgery, and uncle Frederic’s exotic pet collection has gotten him in trouble. His wife has promised to leave him if he brings home one more reptile or hissing cockroach.

Phil heard the front door open, the cold air rushing in and chilling the house all the way to the kitchen. Martin and Cornelia shuffled in together, pulling off coats, and hugging Nigel before making their way to the kitchen to get the big affection form Catherine. Phil waited his turn, smiling around cheeks stuffed with sweets. Finally, Martin came over and punched him in the arm before pulling him into a hug.

“Where the hell have you been? I feel like I have to watch your videos just to see my little brother!” Martin admonished lovingly.

“Ug, You sound like Louise. I’ve just been busy.” Phil stood away from the counter and moved toward Cornelia, who opened her arms and hugged Phil just like a big sister would.

“Hello Phil. You look well! How have you been?” She asked as she pulled him in.

“I’m really good, Corn.” Phil said, quietly while still in the embrace. Cornelia had a way of softening Phil, breaking down any barriers he might have. She pulled away, hands on Phil’s shoulders, and looked him in the eye. She grinned and cocked her head a bit.

“Hmm.”

“What?” Phil said, already blushing.

“You look different.” Cornelia said, plainly. “You are positively glowing.”

Phil laughed nervously and looked at the ground. “I’m just rosy from the cold.”

“Bullshit.” Cornelia smiled wide and kissed Phil’s nose, leaving behind a spot of lipstick.

Catherine grabbed a dish towel and wiped at the spot without missing a beat. “You do look happy, love. And healthy. Glowing is a perfect way to describe it.”

Phil felt like he was being ganged up on by the sweetest mob who ever lived.

Martyn had plopped down at the kitchen table and was eating a biscuit from a plate at the center. He looked at Phil intently. “I know what’s up. He’s getting some.” He kept eating through his smirk and Phil groaned, turning away to busy himself making tea for everyone. He wanted to run away but he knew they’d just follow him. The Lesters are a relentless bunch.

“Oh Martyn.” Catherine shook her head. “Be nice.” She slid the pan of cakes into the oven, and wiped her hands on her apron. “Though I was wondering…”

Cornelia’s musical laughter gave Phil a moment to think, to muster up his courage.

“Ok, yeah, I’ve been seeing someone. Someone I really like.” Phil was on the verge of giggling but he fought to suppress that impulse.

Cornelia beamed, “Aw Philly. Look at you! I’m so happy for you!”

Phil’s mum took her cup of tea and sat at the table so now they all sat, staring at Phil, his judge and jury, sipping their tea in a perfect metaphor. They wanted details.

“What’s her name?” Catherine asked, her tone genuinely kind and curious.

Martyn rolled his eyes. “Mum, Come on, Phil hasn’t a girlfriend since before Uni.”

“Sorry, sorry. It’s habit. What’s his name? Tell me about this boy who’s captured my son’s heart.”

Phil smiled, she always knew how to make him feel accepted, even when she screwed up.

“It’s ok, mum. His name is…” Phil hesitated, not sure how to answer that question. He breathed deep, took a sip of tea, and answered, “Dan, his name is Dan.”

“Ooh!” Catherine cried. “Like Prince Daniel. Is he as handsome as the Prince?”

“More so.” Phil said. It was true. His Dan, the Dan he held and kissed and laughed with and loved, was far more beautiful than his public persona. Prince Daniel was just a facade but Dan was real, so very real. “It’s a little scary though.” He sat down with the rest of them, grabbing a biscuit to dunk into his tea.

“That’s my cue.” Martyn stood up fisting a handful of treats and went to talk with Nigel about Football or the weather or something that made him less uncomfortable than what was about to go down in the kitchen.

“Coward.” Cornelia called after him.

“I don’t deny that!” Martyn called back.

Cornelia reached across the table to squeeze Phil’s hand. “Why is it scary, Phil?”

“I just like him so much. We just met in September. And he’s only 18, we’re so young, you know? But I feel like, I don’t know.” Phil was looking down into his tea but he raised his eyes to catch his mother’s, needing to read what she might be thinking. “I love him, mum. I loved him from the moment I kissed him. It was only our second date. Is that stupid? Is that crazy?” Phil chewed on his cuticle, nervous, afraid the answer would be yes, it’s stupid and crazy and immature. Pull yourself together Phil.

“Phil, love is never stupid.” Cornelia said, “And any love worth having is crazy at the beginning.” She sat back and sipped, ready to soak in whatever Catherine was about to say. Catherine did not disappoint.

“Cornelia’s right. God, your father and I were insatiable when we met. From the very start, I couldn’t keep my hands off of him.”

“Woah, mum, gross.”

“Sorry, sorry. My point is, sometimes you just know. And it feels too fast and too much but it’s not up to you. Love just comes and you have to be brave enough to grab on and hold it.”

“I haven’t said it yet. He has, but I’ve sort of avoided it.” Phil sighed, “Do you think I should tell him?”

Catherine put another biscuit in front of Phil. “I think you should tell him when you are sure and it’s bursting out of you. When your heart is beating so loud, you can’t think of any other words, that’s when you should tell him.”

Cornelia asked, “When did Nigel tell you?”

“I think it was our third date.”

“And you said it back?” Cornelia said, in awe.

“Oh lord no! I thought he was off his rocker.” Catherine laughed heartily. “But I did say it eventually, months later.”

“Poor Dad.” Phil paused and took a deep breath. “I’m scared if I let myself love him, he’ll go off to Uni and then, I don’t know.”

“Sweetheart, trust me. Love is painful whether it lasts 2 weeks or 2 decades. That’s why you have to be brave. Ask yourself if the fear you feel is worth not having him in your life. Would you rather just lose him now so you don’t have to lose him later?”

“No. No, mum, I can't lose him now. It hurts to even think that.”

“It sounds like you already know the answer, Phil.” Cornelia said. “I just want to know if he is worthy of my Philly. Are you happy when you’re with him?”

“So happy.”

“Does he treat you with kindness and respect?”

“Yes Corn, of course.”

“And does he make your toes curl?” Cornelia slurped her tea, glancing up at Phil over her cup. Catherine laughed and stood to clear up as Phil crumbled, covering his face with his hands. He peaked through his fingers at Cornelia, knowing his mum was looking the other way, and nodded. She held her tea up in a mock toast and giggled.

“You know what I always say, Phil.” Catherine interjected. “If he keeps you warm, then he’s a keeper.”

“Isn’t that for picking out a coat?”

“It applies here too, dear.” Catherine went back to baking and Phil sat in happy silence with Cornelia. Some of the weight had lifted, he felt understood, supported. The weight that remained was uncertainty in what the future held. Phil’s mum is a wise woman though and he knew that. He promised himself he’d tell Dan he loved him when they got home. In reality, he knew he’d made it clear but he also knew that those words matter.

Slipping into a sugar coma, Phil excused himself to have a quick lay down before dinner. Really, he just wanted to text Dan in private, though he realized he probably wouldn’t get a response.

Phil: Hey. I miss you already. My family says I’m glowing. It’s because of you. I hope you get to spend lots of time with Adrian and eat all the mince pies. Come to think of it, maybe you could smuggle a few out for me.

Dan: Phil! I miss you already too. I’ll start hoarding mince pies immediately.

Phil:  Yay!

Dan: If you text during the day, I might not be able to respond.

Phil: I know, I get it

Dan: But please text anyway. I need to know you are out there. And that you are mine.

Phil: Ok, I will. And I am.

Dan: I have to go join everyone for tea. I love you.

[buddylistsocial]

She partied with Jagger and posed topless for Warhol

She partied with Jagger and posed topless for Warhol

As childhoods go, it could hardly be more extraordinary. With a father who was heir to an American steel fortune and a cousin of Winston Churchill, Cornelia Cochrane Churchill Guest also had fairy-tale godparents in the shape of the Duke of Windsor and his wife Wallis Simpson.

Cornelia grew up on a lavish estate on Long Island, New York, with neighbours such as the Vanderbilts and Roosevelts,…