#countess of tyrol

[catherinetheprincessofwales]

Royal Deaths, 3rd October

1283 - Dafydd ap Gruffydd, Prince of Wales of Gwynnedd (North-Wales). Executed. 

1369 - Margarete Maultasch, Countess of Tyrol.

1568 - Elisabeth of Valois, Queen of Spain, daughter of King Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici and 3rd wife of Philip II of Spain, dies in childbirth at 23.

1611 - Margaret of Austria, Queen of Spain, Queen of Portugal, wife of Philip Ill, King of Spain.

1970 - Viktoria Adelheid of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, wife of Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

[venicepearl]

Margaret, nicknamed Maultasch (1318 – 3 October 1369), was the last Countess of Tyrol from the House of Gorizia (Meinhardiner), and an unsuccessful claimant to the Duchy of Carinthia. Upon her death, Tyrol became united with the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburg dynasty.

[pmamtraveller]

THE UGLY DUCHESS (c.1513) by QUENTIN MASSYS

The woman in the painting is wrinkled, and her breasts are drooping. She is wearing an aristocrat’s horned hat (Escoffion) that was in vogue when the painting was made. She is holding the red flower in the right hand, which is a sign of engagement. She is looking for a lover.

For many years, the painting was believed to be the work of LEONARDO DA VINCI because of its similarity to his two head caricature drawings. Now, however, the head caricatures are believed to be based on drawings made by MASSYS. MASSYS and LEONARDO corresponded and exchanged drawings.

The literary inspiration for the work is ERASMUS'S essay in "Praise of Folly" (1511), which satirizes elderly women in a misogynist fashion. In this case, the lady in question was COUNTESS MARGARET OF TYROL. Her enemies called her ugly, but she had passed away 150 years before.

According to some scholars, the portrait served as a basis for JOHN TENNIEL'S 1869 illustrations of the DUCHESS IN ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND. For that reason, it was associated with the world of the fairy tale.

Another interesting fact about the UGLY DUCHESS is that according to an article published in BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL, the portrayed women were believed to have Paget’s disease, a condition in which a person’s bones swell and become deformed.

[fool-counter]

Hi! I'm Maria Theresa, by the Grace of God, Dowager Empress of the Romans, Queen of Hungary, of Bohemia, of Dalmatia, of Croatia, of Slavonia, of Galicia, of Lodomeria, etc.; Archduchess of Austria; Duchess of Burgundy, of Styria, of Carinthia and of Carniola; Grand Princess of Transylvania; Margravine of Moravia; Duchess of Brabant, of Limburg, of Luxemburg, of Guelders, of Württemberg, of Upper and Lower Silesia, of Milan, of Mantua, of Parma, of Piacenza, of Guastalla, of Auschwitz and of Zator; Princess of Swabia; Princely Countess of Habsburg, of Flanders, of Tyrol, of Hainault, of Kyburg, of Gorizia and of Gradisca; Margravine of Burgau, of Upper and Lower Lusatia; Countess of Namur; Lady of the Wendish Mark and of Mechlin; Dowager Duchess of Lorraine and Bar, Dowager Grand Duchess of Tuscany, and you're watching Disney Channel! <3

fool count: 10

Hi! I'm Maria Theresa, by the Grace of God, Dowager Empress of the Romans, Queen of Hungary, of Bohemia, of Dalmatia, of Croatia, of Slavonia, of Galicia, of Lodomeria, etc.; Archduchess of Austria; Duchess of Burgundy, of Styria, of Carinthia and of Carniola; Grand Princess of Transylvania; Margravine of Moravia; Duchess of Brabant, of Limburg, of Luxemburg, of Guelders, of Württemberg, of Upper and Lower Silesia, of Milan, of Mantua, of Parma, of Piacenza, of Guastalla, of Auschwitz and of Zator; Princess of Swabia; Princely Countess of Habsburg, of Flanders, of Tyrol, of Hainault, of Kyburg, of Gorizia and of Gradisca; Margravine of Burgau, of Upper and Lower Lusatia; Countess of Namur; Lady of the Wendish Mark and of Mechlin; Dowager Duchess of Lorraine and Bar, Dowager Grand Duchess of Tuscany, and you're watching Disney Channel! <3

[jasmineleeplays]

King Goffredo's Neighbouring Fellow Vassal, Duke Lantfrid of Tyrol is hosting his own wedding ceremony in Innsbruk and has invited King Goffredo to participate.

However, it seems that King Goffredo does not have a high opinion of the man and is just going for the sake of abusing Duke Lantfrid's hospitality to enjoy some good food and drinks, rather than to wish the couple well.

His Lover and Artisan, Karlotte is finally done with constructing the new throne called "Lucca Throne". It is of Masterwork quality.

While journeying to Innsbruck, traveling through Tirano a county in Lomardy, King Goffredo comes across a shrine to the unsanctioned Saint Taddeo, a local spiritual figure. King Goffredo, being a newly born convert decides to desecrate the tomb and cast down the heterodoxy in order to please the Catholic clergy.

Also, while in Tirano, King Goffredo encounters the danger of snow but is blest by an encounter with a Winter Soldier expert, Dado Beccaria who offers King Goffredo his expertise in guiding the entourage through the snowstorm for a price.

Fortunately, with his way with words and some measure of help from Biblical Scripture, King Goffredo manages to convince Dado that "helping others is its own reward".

And just when King Goffredo reaches Innsbruck, the Grand Wedding is cancelled as Duke Lantfrid prepares for war with Countess Heilika of Parsberg.

[roehenstart]

Claudia de' Medici (1604-1648), Archduchess, in widow's costume. By Frans Luycx.

She was Duchess of Urbino as the wife of Duke Federico Ubaldo Della Rovere and later Archduchess of Austria and Countess of Tyrol as the wife of Archduke Leopold V of Austria. 

[widvile-blog]

Margaret Maultasch, Countess of Tyrol (1318 - 3 October 1369)

[natequarter]

Guy introducing King Philip II of Spain (of Spain!): By the Grace of God, King and Queen of England—

The king: Great, next?

Introductions guy: —and France, Naples, Jerusalem and Ireland—

The king: That's enough, we get it.

Introductions guy: —Defenders of the Faith—

The king: Seriously, can you just shut ze fuck up?

Introductions guy: —Princes of Spain and Sicily, Archdukes of Austria, Dukes of Milan, Burgundy, and Brabant—

The king: Jesus Christ, how many titles did we agree on?

Introductions guy: —Count and Countess of Habsburg, Flanders, and Tyrol—

The king: You're putting the pain in Spain here...

Introductions guy: —most improved Catholics '53 to '54—

The king: Oh, come on!

Her most excellent Majesty... by the grace of God, Elizabeth... Queen of England... France and Ireland. Defender of the Faith. Most improved monarch '92 to—

i like that bill (2015) has this gag where cecil just keeps on adding bits to elizabeth i's title to irritate the king of spain, but his own title as mary i's husband was even longer, so i can only imagine this king philip's boredom whenever they read that out to him

[archduchessofnowhere]

Some months ago I found this very interesting mention of Queen Marie in the memoirs Thomas St. John Gaffney, the United States consul general in Munich during World War I. I forgot to share it before so here it is:

An Afternoon with the Countess of Konigsmarck and Former Queen Maria Sophia, of Naples

Some time previous to my departure there had arrived in Munich from London the Countess of Konigsmarck, mother in-law of Baron von Bissing, the German Governor-General of Belgium (...) Having learned that I was about to visit Belgium she asked me if I would undertake a mission for a friend of hers who was a royal personage. I answered that I would be most happy to do anything that was consistent with my honor and the official position which I held. She replied that she would communicate with me later and arrange an appointment with the person in question.

The following day I received through the countess an invitation to tea to meet the former Queen Maria Sophia of Naples, who was then in Munich. I was naturally very much interested to see this venerable and exalted lady whose name had been so well known and honored in Europe on account of her heroism during the defense of Gaeta against the Garibaldians in 1861. The self-sacrifice of the beautiful young Queen during the horrors of that siege was one of the few glorious episodes in the history of the Neapolitan Bourbons. Her Majesty had now reached her seventy-fifth year, but was still sound in body and mind. Her figure was erect and neither her manner nor her movements showed her age or any traces of the harrowing vicissitudes which had occurred during the past half-century in her immediate circle. As I conversed with the Queen, I could not help recalling to my mind the many tragedies to members of her family during her own lifetime. Her nephew, Crown Prince Rudolph, heir to the Austrian throne, had met an early death under the most tragic circumstances. Her elder sister, the Empress of Austria, was the victim of an assassin; another sister, the Duchess d'Alencon, was burned to death in a charity bazaar in Paris. In 1886 her brother-in law, Count Ludwig von Trani, committed suicide in one of the Swiss lakes. These were but a few of the tragedies that the Queen had survived in addition to the loss of her throne. In 1894 her husband, King Francis, died in Arco in Tyrol.

After we had drunk tea, the Queen told me that she was anxious to send a message to her niece, the Queen of the Belgians, and she hoped that during my visit to that kingdom I would be able to forward the same with some assurance of its being delivered. Of course, her Majesty assured me that there was nothing political involved and that I need have no hesitation on that account. I thereupon mentioned to the Queen that I had recently read in an English paper an interview alleged to have been held with the Queen of the Belgians in which she was quoted as saying that an iron curtain had fallen between her and her Bavarian relatives which would never be uplifted.

The aged Queen replied to me with a pathetic smile: "I am sure that my niece has never used such language and that she has been deliberately misquoted. You know how the press, particularly in the present time, is using its power to make hatreds rather than encourage concord amongst men."

She then handed me the document for the Belgian Queen, and the Countess of Konigsmarck gave me a letter commending me to her son-in-law, Governor-General von Bissing. With hearty good wishes from these two venerable ladies for a pleasant and successful journey I took my departure.

As I walked back to my home my thoughts dwelt on this interview and the commission I had received and what exaggerated ideas people have of the power of royalties. The public has really no conception of the limited influence which members of the royal family outside the reigning sovereign have on the ministry or the military and civil authorities. This was evidenced by the Queen of Naples having recourse to an unimportant person like myself for this small favor rather than apply to her cousin, the King of Bavaria, or the Foreign Minister.

Gaffney, Thomas St. John (1930). Breaking the silence: England, Ireland, Wilson and the war

[northernmariette]

Countess Potocka actually enjoys herself

Here we have our Countess attending a splendiferous celebration of Napoleon and Marie-Louise’s marriage. Most unusually, she enjoys herself. This celebration was designed by Pauline Bonaparte, and what an entertainment it was! 

The Countess refrains from further comments about Pauline’s virtue or lack thereof, but she can’t resist a couple of potshots at Marie-Louise.

La princesse Pauline fut la première à célébrer l'illustre couple. On était au mois de mai. Neuilly, où elle habitait, semblait s'être couronné de fleurs pour accueillir la foule brillante accourue de tous les coins du globe afin d'assister à toutes ces merveilles.

Dès la grille du parc, les voitures eurent l'ordre de s'arrêter devant une salle de spectacle improvisée par les fées. Des galeries transparentes et légères, des gradins de gazon ornés de plantes exotiques, des loges décorées de guirlandes de fleurs et occupées par de jolies femmes, un ciel étoilé, tout cet ensemble poétique et imprévu faisait penser aux jardins d'Armide. La jeune impératrice, qui en général n'admirait rien, ne put réprimer une légère exclamation en entrant dans cette salle où elle était attendue.

L'Empereur, avec plus de grâce et d'abandon, témoigna sa surprise et son contentement; il remercia tendrement sa soeur.

[...]

Le spectacle terminé, Pauline s'empara du bras de sa soeur [Marie-Louise], et le royal cortège, que nous suivîmes, s'achemina vers la salle de bal, en traversant le parc éclairé au moyen de milliers de lampions dissimulés par des haies de fleurs dont le parfum embaumait l'air.

Plusieurs orchestres distribués avec un art infini se répondaient successivement, imitant l'écho des montagnes; cette harmonie d'un genre nouveau produisit un effet délicieux.

Nous allâmes ainsi de merveilles en merveilles. Tantôt c'était un temple élégant où l'Amour s'éveillait surpris par les Grâces; tantôt un ermitage d'un aspect sévère: - des pèlerins revenant de Palestine y demandaient l'hospitalité; l'ermite ouvrait la petite porte grillée de sa rustique chapelle, et les chants commençaient. Tous les talents se trouvaient conviés à cette fête. Les Grâces arrivaient de l'Opéra, et les pèlerins, du Conservatoire.

Les chants et les danses n'avaient d'autre but que de vanter les perfections de la jeune souveraine, et de célébrer de toutes les manières la joie que faisait naître son arrivée. L'Amour lui offrit une couronne de roses dérobée aux Grâces, et les troubadours chantèrent des romances remplies de louanges et de voeux.

Insensiblement le sentier se rétrécit, le bocage devient plus sombre, les sons harmonieux s'évanouissent, et la fée qui avait préparé tous ces enchantements affecte un grand déplaisir; elle prétend s'être égarée, et nous fait parcourir des chemins agrestes.

Nous passons sur un pont suspendu, au dessous duquel l'eau formait une cascade si habilement éclairée qu'elle semblait en feu.

Au milieu du silence la voix de l'Empereur se fait entendre; il se plaint de l'obscurité et a l'air de croire que sa soeur s'est réellement trompée de chemin, lorsque subitement, au détour d'un labyrinthe, on se trouve sans transition sur une pelouse inondée d'une lumière si vive qu'on l'eût dite dérobée au soleil. Au bout de la pelouse s'élevait le château de Schoenbrunn avec sa vaste cour, ses fontaines, ses portiques, et, en outre, avec le mouvement et la vie qui manquent à cette somptueuse résidence. C'était les apprêts d'une fête: des équipages, des bandes de promeneurs, de modestes laitières avec le bonnet d'or traditionnel, des valets empressés aux livrées impériales, des groupes de Tyroliens s'avançaient au son des cornemuses et dansaient la valse nationale. L'art avec lequel on avait reproduit dans l'éloignement les proportions de ce vaste château, les effets de lumière et d'ombre savamment ménagés, tout trompait si bien l'oeil qu'il était permis de croire à la magie; et ceux qui, comme moi, connaissaient Schoenbrunn purent s'imaginer qu'ils se trouvaient en ce royal séjour.

Les courtisans affirmèrent qu'à cette vue l'Impératrice avait fondu en larmes! Cela eût été fort naturel; les souvenirs de son enfance auraient dû lui arracher quelques larmes, mais j'atteste que son émotion, si toute fois elle en eut, fut bien passagère, car à l'instant où je la regardai je n'aperçus aucune trace d'attendrissement sur sa froide et immobile figure. Quant à l'Empereur, il remercia sa soeur à plusieurs reprises et lui sut un gré infini des soins qu'elle avait apportés aux préparatifs de cette fête, la première et la plus belle de toutes celles qui eurent lieu en 'honneur de Marie-Louise.

Princess Pauline was the first to celebrate the illustrious couple. It was the month of May. Neuilly, where she lived, seemed to be crowned with flowers to welcome the brilliant crowd that had come from all over the world to witness all these marvels.

As soon as they reached the gate of the park [meaning Pauline’s estate, which was rather large it seems], the coaches were ordered to stop in front of a performance hall improvised by the fairies. Transparent and light galleries, terraces of grass decorated with exotic plants, loges decorated with garlands of flowers and occupied by pretty women, a starry sky, all this poetic and unforeseen set was reminiscent of the gardens of Armide. The young empress, who generally admired nothing, could not repress a slight exclamation when she entered this room where she was expected. The Emperor, with more grace and abandon, showed his surprise and his contentment; he thanked tenderly his sister.

[Here the Countess describes how nobody paid attention to the performance, without explaining why. I skipped this part, it made no sense to me]

When the performance was over, Pauline took the arm of her sister [Marie-Louise], and the royal procession, which we followed, made its way to the ballroom through the park, which was lit by thousands of lanterns hidden in hedges of flowers whose fragrance perfumed the air.

Several orchestras, which had been situated at intervals with infinite care, answered each other successively, imitating the echo of the mountains; this novel harmony created a delightful effect.

Thus we went from wonder to wonder. Sometimes it was an elegant temple where Love awoke surprised by the Graces; sometimes a hermitage of austere aspect: - pilgrims returning from Palestine asking for hospitality; the hermit opening the small door of his rustic chapel, and then the songs began. All the best talents were summoned to this celebration. The Graces arrived from the Opera, and the pilgrims from the Conservatory.

The sole purpose of these songs and dances was to praise the perfections of the young sovereign, and to celebrate in all manners the joy to which her arrival gave rise. The god of Love offered her a crown of roses stolen from the Graces, and the troubadours sang romances filled with praises and good wishes.

Imperceptibly, the path narrows, the grove becomes darker, the harmonious sounds fade away, and the fairy who had prepared all these enchantments [Pauline] seems very displeased; she claims to have lost her way, leading us through wilder paths.

We pass over a suspended bridge, below which the water formed a cascade so skillfully lit that it seemed to be on fire.

In this silence, the voice of the Emperor is heard; he complains about the darkness and seems to believe that his sister has really gone the wrong way, when suddenly, at the bend of a maze, we find ourselves, without transition, on a lawn flooded with a light so bright that one might have said it was stolen from the sun.

At the end of the lawn stood Schoenbrunn Palace with its vast courtyard, its fountains, its porticoes, and, moreover, with the movement and life of which this sumptuous residence is devoid. It was like the preparations for a festival: carriages, bands of strollers, unpretentious milkmaids with their traditional golden cap, hurrying footmen in imperial livery, groups of Tyrolers advancing to the sound of the bagpipes and dancing the national waltz. The skill with which the proportions of this vast castle had been reproduced in the distance, the skilful arrangement of light and shade, all created such an effect that it was permissible to believe in magic; and those who, like me, knew Schoenbrunn could imagine that they were at this royal residence.

The courtiers claimed that at this sight, the Empress had burst into tears! This would have been quite natural; memories of her childhood might have drawn some tears from her, but I attest that her emotion, if she had any, was very fleeting, because at the moment when I looked at her I did not see any trace of softening on her cold and motionless face. As for the Emperor, he thanked his sister several times and was infinitely grateful for the care she had taken in the preparations for this celebration, the first and most beautiful of all those that took place in honour of Marie-Louise.

[josefavomjaaga]

Napoleon gets some bad news

(From the memoirs of Countess Potocka)

Along with the aristocracy of half of Europe, the Countess Potocka had come to Paris for Napoleon's wedding celebrations with Marie Louise. On June 28, 1810, she was invited to Napoleon's residence at Saint Cloud for an informal dinner: only she, Minister of the Interior Montalivet, Princess Borghese (Napoleon's sister Pauline), the Grand Duke of Würzburg (Marie Louise's uncle), and the imperial couple themselves. At the end of this (hurriedly consumed) dinner, an interruption occurred:

We were about to rise from the table when the chamberlain approached to inform the Emperor that the Viceroy of Italy was waiting for him in the garden. He rose hastily without giving Marie-Louise time to finish the ice-creams, which upset her so much that she could not resist complaining about it to her uncle.

When we returned to the salon, where the two ladies on duty had preceded us, we found the windows wide open; they overlooked the main avenue of the park.

Prince Eugene was walking there in great agitation; as soon as Napoleon saw him, he went to join him. Judging by the liveliness of their conversation, the subject had to be very serious. The Emperor was gesticulating, like a true Corsican; the Prince seemed to be trying to calm him down; it was easy to see that Napoleon was not happy. There were bursts of voices which reached us, but the wind carried away the words.

In the salon silence was interrupted only by a few banal phrases which M. de Montalivet considered himself bound to address to us, so as not to seem to be overhearing the conversation taking place in the garden.

The Empress did not utter a word; sitting beside her uncle, who gave her the example of the most perfect silence, she looked vaguely out of the window, without the least concern for what was going on in the park, where the increasingly animated conversation was still going on.

As everything becomes known, especially at court, where so many eyes and ears are open to see and hear everything, we soon learned what the cause of this storm had been.

The Viceroy, charged by his brother-in-law, the King of Holland, with the task of informing the Emperor of the fact that he wished to renounce the throne, had just accomplished this difficult mission, and had most probably endeavoured to excuse his brother-in-law.

If the countess is correct in assuming that this conversation was about Louis Bonaparte's impending abdication, I'm beginning to feel that the entire empire had come to a tacit agreement: Have a really shitty job that no one else wants to do? Call the Beauharnais boy! (Viceroy of Italy, marriage to unknown high noblewoman, pacify Tyrol, explain to the French Senate the expulsion of one's own mother, have Andreas Hofer shot, put a gun to the head of the Austrian ambassador so that he will hand over the emperor's daughter as a bride, tell my brother where he can stick his Dutch crown...).

Possibly this is what Murat finally came to realise when, freezing among the remains of the Grande Armée in January 1813, he reflected on his situation: "This is a really shitty job... Hold a second!"

Plus, yet another wonderful comedy scene, with Montalivet desperately trying to engage in small talk, while all the ladies can barely keep themselves from hanging their heads out of the window in order to listen in on what Napoleon and Eugène are talking about... That’s the funny stuff that they never put in the movies.

[venicepearl]

Viridis Visconti (1354–1414) was an Italian noblewoman. Her marriage to Leopold III, Duke of Austria, Viridis was Duchess consort of Austria, Styria and Carinthia, she was also Countess consort of Tyrol.

[medieval-royalty]

Premyslid Queens of Bohemia: 7/8

Anna of Bohemia, Queen of Bohemia, Duchess of Carinthia (15 October 1290-3 September 1313)    

Anna was the fourth child of King Wenceslaus II of Bohemia and Judith of Habsburg.  She was their second child and first daughter to survive childhood.  She can also be known as “Anne of Bohemia”, but she is not to be confused with her grandniece of the same name, who married King Richard II of England.

Her mother died in 1297, and her father in 1305.  Her surviving siblings were Wenceslaus III, the new king of Bohemia, and two younger sisters, Elizabeth and Margaret.  She also had a younger half-sister, Agnes, from her father’s second marriage to Elizabeth-Richeza of Poland. 

The next year, around age 15, Anna married Henry, Duke of Carinthia and Count of Tyrol.  Her brother, Wenceslaus III was murdered that same year, leaving behind no children, and therefor the male line of the Premyslid dynasty went extinct.  Henry was elected as the new king of Bohemia in right of his wife.  However, the throne was soon taken by Rudolf of Habsburg, the new husband of Anna’s stepmother, Elizabeth-Richeza of Poland.  Anna and Henry the fled to Carinthia, Henry’s homeland.  

Rudolf died in 1307, and Henry reclaimed the Bohemian throne.  Although he claimed it by his marriage, Anna was only recognized as a consort.  One of Anna’s sisters, Elizabeth was still not betrothed, so her and Henry decided to find a husband for her.  Fearing that Elizabeth’s potential husband could try to claim the Bohemain throne, they tried to marry her to less powerful lords, but she refused all of them.

Legend says that between the two sisters, Elizabeth was the more beautiful one, and Anna was envious of her.  

In 1310, Elizabeth married John, the Count of Luxembourg, without Anna and Henry’s permission.  The newly weds made their way to Prague with an army, and Henry was deposed as king, John replacing him.  Anna and Henry once more were exiled to Carinthia.

The rest of Anna’s life seems to be uneventful.  She died childless on 3 September, 1313, at the age of 22.                                             

[thebritishmonarchycouk]

On This Day In Royal History

17 February 1861

Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont was born

Princess Helena, later Duchess of Albany; who became a member of the British royal family by marriage, was the fifth daughter & child of George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont & his first wife, Princess Helena of Nassau.

She was born in Arolsen, capital of Waldeck principality, in Germany. 

On 27 April 1882, Helena married Prince Leopold, youngest son of Queen Victoria in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. After their wedding, Leopold & Helena resided at Claremont House. The couple had a brief, but happy marriage, ending in the hemophiliac Leopold's death from a fall in Cannes, France, in March 1884. At the time of Leopold's death, Helena was pregnant with their second child.

The couple had two children:

Princess Alice of Albany (1883-1981), later Countess of Athlone

Prince Charles, Duke of Albany (1884-1954), born posthumously, later Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

According to the memoirs of Helena's daughter, Princess Alice of Albany, Helena was very intelligent, had a strong sense of duty, & a genuine love of welfare work. The Queen soon came to regard her young daughter-in-law with great respect & affection.

Before her marriage, Helena's father had made her superintendent of the infant schools in his principality, & in this position the Princess had devised the pupils' educational curriculum. Helena particularly enjoyed solving mathematical problems & reading philosophy: during their tragically brief marriage, Prince Leopold proudly introduced his wife to the circle of academics he'd befriended at Oxford University.

Helena was also involved in several hospital charities & with those dedicated to ending human trafficking. During World War I, she organised much of her charity work along with that of her sister-in-law Princess Beatrice & husband's niece Princess Marie-Louise to avoid the not-uncommon problem of conflicting (& sometimes misguided) royal war-work projects.

After Leopold's death, Helena & her two children, continued to reside at Claremont House. After the death of her nephew, the Hereditary Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1899, Helena's sixteen-year-old son was selected as the new heir to the German duchy, & was parted from his mother & sister in order to take up residence there. When the First World War broke out 14 years later, Charles Edward found himself fighting in the German Army. As a result, he was stripped of his British titles by an act of Parliament in 1917. By contrast, her daughter Alice remained in England & by marriage to Prince Alexander of Teck in 1904 became a sister-in-law of Queen Mary, consort of King George V.

Helena died on 1 September 1922 of a heart attack in Hinterriss in Tyrol, Austria, while visiting her son.

Through her son Charles Edward, Helena is the great-grandmother of Carl XVI Gustav, the current King of Sweden.

[germanaustriannoblesandroyals]

House of Wittelsbach & of Wettin: Princess Maria Anna of Bavaria

Maria Anna was born on January 27th, 1805, as the identical twin sister of Princess Sophie of Bavaria, Archduchess of Austria. Her parents are the first Bavarian King Maximilian I Joseph and his second wife Caroline of Baden. She is the younger full sister of the twin sisters Queen Elisabeth Ludovika of Prussia and Queen Amalie Auguste of Saxony, who would actually succeed Maria Anna as Queen consort. Her younger full sister is Princess Ludovika of Bavaria, The Duchess in Bavaria. By her father’s first marriage, she is also a half-sister of Empress Caroline Augusta of Austria, Duchess Augusta of Leuchtenberg and King Ludwig I. of Bavaria.

At the age of 27, Maria Anna married Crown Prince Frederick of Saxony. His younger brother John (Johann) had married Maria Anna’s older sister Amalie Auguste 11 years prior. In 1836, three years after their marriage, Frederick and Maria Anna succeeded to the Saxonian throne. The marriage remained childless which is why John succeed to the throne after his older brother’s death on August 9th, 1854.

As queen consort, Maria Anna founded in 1836 a women’s association to aid the victims of a famine in the Ore Mountains and Vogtland. The association existed until 1932. From 1844 onwards, Maria Anna corresponded with the author Countess Ida of Hahn-Hahn. The 35 letters have stood the test of time and are stored at the Fritz Reuter Literary Archive in Berlin.

In honor of her husband who was killed in a horse accident, she had a chapel build in for his rememberance. It was opened on August 8th, 1855, just one day before the first anniversary of Frederick’s death. Around the chapel, the village of Königskapelle (King’s chapel) was founded. It is located in Tyrol in today’s Austria.

Maria Anna died on September 13th, 1877, in Wachwitz (Dresden). While she herself remained childless, she was an aunt to many rulers and/or their consorts. Among her nieces and nephews are for example the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, his wife Elisabeth, Queen Marie of the Two Sicilies, Emperor Maximilian of Mexico, King Albert of Saxony, Queen Josephine of Sweden and Norway, Empress Amélie of Brazil, King Otto Greece, King Maximilian II. of Bavaria, Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria and Duke Auguste of Leuchtenberg, Prince Consort of Portugal.

// Martina Gedeck in Sisi (2009)

[tiny-librarian]

Royal Birthdays for today, October 4th.

Alys of France, Countess of the Vexin, 1160

Rudolf I, Duke of Bavaria, 1274

Margaret of Brabant, Queen of Germany, 1276

Louis X, King of France, 1289

Henry III, King of Castille and Leon, 1379

Charles IX, King of Sweden, 1550

Anna of Tyrol, Holy Roman Empress, 1585

Marie Sophie of Bavaria, Queen of the Two Sicilies, 1841

Emmanuel, Prince of Belgium, 2005