#prince of bohemia

[princeofsayan]

Praha, Bohemia, Bastei bridge 2023

By Prince of Sayan

[mapsontheweb]

German Colonisation in the East to c. 1400

Beginning in the eleventh century, new arable land was made available in the German kingdom through the clearing of forests and use of irrigation. The new three-field system (originating in northern France) was introduced, by which peasants alternated between winter crops, summer crops and fallow, resulting in increased agricultural productivity. Moreover, several agricultural techniques and equipment were improved: harrows and ploughs were made of iron, the scythe was further developed, the horse replaced the ox as draught animal, there was increased use of the threshing flail, and grains were processed with water mills (and wind mills from the twelfth century onward). Together with the generally favourable conditions of the so-called Medieval Warm Period, this intensification of agriculture led to people having a better and more stable diet and thereby an increase in birth rate. While sparsely populated during the ninth century, the East Frankish (German) kingdom came to rival the population of France sometime during the twelfth century. Farmland was divided and older villages were replaced by so-called Hufen villages and the size and number of cities increased, in turn causing a rise in the price of agricultural goods. Germanic peasants were invited to settle in the lands of German princes in the imperial border marches, as well as Slavic lands such as Bohemia, Moravia, Pomerania, Poland, Mecklenburg and Silesia. From around 1125, a combination of political motives and missionary urge caused the Holy Roman emperor Lothair of Supplinburg to call for increased settlement of lands in the east.

Germanic settlement in the east happened in three general ways: (a) creation of uniformly planned large villages, where settlers received equal land grants and could pass on their holdings as hereditary possessions (b) settlement in cities built by Slavic princes in hitherto Slavic lands where settlers received judicial and administrative autonomy – including the right to build fortifications – and German Law received a privileged position, based on that of an already well-established city in the German heartlands (cf. Magdeburg) (c) settlement in already well-established Slavic communities where settlers could keep their German Law, which was often extended to include the non-Germanic population. By the end of the fourteenth century, the eastward settlement of Germanic people largely ended and much of the agrarian population went to live in the cities, causing many smaller villages to be abandoned. According to the recommendation of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Slavic populations were generally left undisturbed by settlers, and economic communities where Germanic and Slavic populations lived together were often the rule. Nevertheless, many territories east of the Elbe and later the Oder came to be Germanised over time and crusading campaigns against pagan Slavic and Baltic peoples throughout the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries resulted in much bloodshed. Moreover, the introduction of a new ship, the cog (Kogge), allowed Germans to take part in the lucrative Baltic trade, which they soon came to dominate at the cost of Slavs and Scandinavians through the Hanseatic League (founded in Lübeck, 1356).

by undevicesimus/deviantart

[thatswhywelovegermany]

Rübezahl

Rübezahl is the mountain spirit and forest demon of the Giant Mountains between Silesia and Bohemia. Numerous legends and folk tales are associated with him.

The origin of the name Rübezahl is not clear. Some sources say that it is a compound of the ancient personal name Riebe and the Middle High German word Zagel (tail), which could explain depictions of Rübezahl as a caudate demon.

A legend tells a different story how Rübezahl got his name: According to this story, Rübezahl kidnaps the king's daughter Emma, ​​whom he wants to marry, into his underground kingdom. He tries to satisfy her longing for her home with turnips that she can transform into any shape she wants. But the turnips wither. Finally, the woman promises him her hand if he tells her the number of turnips in the field. If he fails, he has to let her go. The mountain spirit immediately sets to work. To be sure that the number is correct, he counts again and again, but comes to a different result every time. Meanwhile, the prisoner flees to her fiancé prince Ratibor on a magic turnip that has been transformed into a horse and mocks the demon by addressing him as Rübezahl. Therefore, he becomes very angry when he is called by this nickname. The correct form of address is “Lord of the Mountains”. Another respectful term is “Herr Johannes”. (“Mr. John”).

According to legend, Rübezahl is a giant moody mountain demon. The first collector of Rübezahl legends, Johannes Praetorius, described Rübezahl as a very ambivalent "spirit of contradiction" who could appear fair and helpful one moment, and deceitful and capricious the next. Writer, critic, and folk tale collector Johann Karl August Musäus wrote: "For friend Rübezahl, you should know, is of the nature of a genius, capricious, impetuous, strange; mischievous, rude, immodest; proud, vain, fickle, today the warmest friend, tomorrow strange and cold; at times good-natured, noble, and sensitive; but in constant contradiction with himself; silly and wise, often soft and hard in two moments, like an egg that falls into boiling water; mischievous and honest, stubborn and pliable; according to the mood, how humor and inner urge make him feel at first sight of every thing."

The mountain demon appears to people in various forms. In particular, he appears as a monk in an ash-grey robe, but also as a miner, squire, craftsman and in similar shapes and disguises, but also in the shape of an animal or as an object (tree stump, stone, cloud).

Rübezahl is the weather lord of the Giant Mountains. He unexpectedly sends lightning and thunder, fog, rain and snow down from the mountain, while everything was still bathed in sunshine a moment ago.

He is generally friendly to good people, teaches them remedies and gives gifts especially to the poor; but if he is mocked, he takes severe revenge, for example by bringing on storms. Sometimes hikers are led astray by him. He is said to have a garden of miraculous herbs, which he defends against intruders. Humble gifts from the mountain spirit, such as apples or leaves, can be turned into gold through his power, just as he can occasionally turn money paid to him into worthless currency.

The oldest records of the figure of Rübezahl are from the 16th century, but it is thought that the legend is at least a century older. At first he was just a local legendary figure who only later became known nationwide.

[comtessezouboff]

Paintings from Buckingham Palace: part I

A retexture by La Comtesse Zouboff — Original Mesh by @thejim07

100 followers gift!

First of all, I would like to thank you all for this amazing year! It's been a pleasure meeting you all and I'm beyond thankful for your support.

Spread among 13 occupied and historic royal residences in the United Kingdom, the collection is owned by King Charles III and overseen by the Royal Collection Trust. The British monarch owns some of the collection in right of the Crown and some as a private individual. It is made up of over one million objects, including 7,000 paintings, over 150,000 works on paper, this including 30,000 watercolours and drawings, and about 450,000 photographs, as well as around 700,000 works of art, including tapestries, furniture, ceramics, textiles, carriages, weapons, armour, jewellery, clocks, musical instruments, tableware, plants, manuscripts, books, and sculptures.

Some of the buildings which house the collection, such as Hampton Court Palace, are open to the public and not lived in by the Royal Family, whilst others, such as Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace and the most remarkable of them, Buckingham Palace are both residences and open to the public.

About 3,000 objects are on loan to museums throughout the world, and many others are lent on a temporary basis to exhibitions.

-------------------------------------------------------

This first part includes the paintings displayed in the White Drawing Room, the Green Drawing Room, the Silk Tapestry Room, the Guard Chamber, the Grand Staircase, the State Dining Room, the Queen's Audience Room and the Blue Drawing Room,

This set contains 37 paintings and tapestries with the original frame swatches, fully recolourable. They are:

White Drawing Room (WDR):

Portrait of François Salignan de la Mothe-Fénelon, Archbishop of Cambrai (Joseph Vivien)

Portrait of a Lady (Sir Peter Lely)

Portrait of a Man in Armour with a red scarf (Anthony van Dyck)

Portrait of Alexandra of Denmark, Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and Empress of India (François Flameng)

Green Drawing Room (GDR):

Portrait of Prince James Stuart, Duke of Cambridge (John Michael Wright)

Portrait of Frederick Henry, Charles Louis and Elizabeth: Children of Frederick V and Elizabeth of Bohemia (unknown)

Portrait of Infanta Isabel Clara Eugenia of Autria and her Sister, Infanta Catalina Micaela of Austria (Alonso Sanchez Coello)

Portrait of Princess Louisa and Princess Caroline of the United Kingdom (Francis Cotes)

Portrait of Queen Charlotte with her Two Eldest Sons, Frederick, Later Duke of York and Prince George of Wales (Allan Ramsay)

Portrait of Richard Colley Wellesley, Marquess of Wellesley (Martin Archer Shee)

Portrait of the Three Youngest Daughters of George III, Princesses Mary, Amelia and Sophia (John Singleton Copley)

Silk Tapestry Room (STR):

Portrait of Caroline of Brunswick, Princess of Wales, Playing the Harp with Princess Charlotte (Sir Thomas Lawrence)

Portrait of Augusta, Duchess of Brunswick With her Son, Charles George Augustus (Angelica Kauffmann)

Guard Chamber (GC):

Les Portières des Dieux: Bacchus (Manufacture Royale des Gobelins)

Les Portières des Dieux: Venus (Manufacture Royale des Gobelins)

Les Portières des Dieux (Manufacture Royale des Gobelins)

Grand Staircarse (GS):

Portrait of Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, Queen Consort of Great Britain (Martin Archer Shee)

Portrait of Augustus, Duke of Sussex (Sir David Wilkie)

Portrait of Edward, Duke of Kent (George Dawe)

Portrait of King George III of Great Britain (Sir William Beechey)

Portrait of King William IV of Great Britain when Duke of Clarence (Sir Thomas Lawrence)

Portrait of Leopold I, King of the Belgians (William Corden the Younger)

Portrait of Prince George of Cumberland, Later King George V of Hanover When a Boy (Sir Thomas Lawrence)

Portrait of Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales (George Dawe)

Portrait of Queen Charlotte at Frogmore House (Sir William Beechey)

Portrait of Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saafeld, Duchess of Kent (Sir George Hayter)

State Dining Room (SDR):

Portrait of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Queen Consort of the United Kingdom in Coronation Robes (Allan Ramsay)

Portrait of King George III of the United Kingdom in Coronation Robes (Allan Ramsay)

Portrait of Augusta of Saxe-Gotha, Princess of Wales (Jean-Baptiste Van Loo)

Portrait of Caroline of Ansbach when Princess of Wales (Sir Godfrey Kneller)

Portrait of Frederick, Princes of Wales (Jean-Baptiste Van Loo)

Portrait of King George II of Great Britain (John Shackleton)

Portrait of King George IV of the United Kingdom in Garther Robes (Sir Thomas Lawrence)

Queen's Audience Room (QAR):

Portrait of Anne, Duchess of Cumberland and Strathearn (née Anne Luttrel) in Peeress Robes (Sir Thomas Gainsborough)

Portrait of Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland and Strathearn in Peer Robes (Sir Thomas Gainsborough)

London: The Thames from Somerset House Terrace towards the City (Giovanni Antonio Canal "Canaletto")

View of Piazza San Marco Looking East Towards the Basilica and the Campanile (Giovanni Antonio Canal "Canaletto")

Blue Drawing Room (BDR)

Portrait of King George V in Coronation Robes (Sir Samuel Luke Fildes)

Portrait of Queen Mary of Teck in Coronation Robes (Sir William Samuel Henry Llewellyn)

-------------------------------------------------------

Found under decor > paintings for:

500§ (WDR: 1,2 & 3)

1850§ (GDR: 1)

1960§ (GDR: 2 & 3 |QAR 3 & 4)

3040§ (STR, 1 |GC: 1 & 2|SDR: 1 & 2)

3050§ (GC:1 |GS: all 10|WDR: 4 |SDR: 3,4,5 & 6)

3560§ (QAR: 1 & 2|STR: 2)

3900§ (SDR: 7| BDR: 1 & 2|GDR: 4,5,6 & 7)

Retextured from:

"Saint Mary Magdalene" (WDR: 1,2 & 3) found here .

"The virgin of the Rosary" (GDR: 1) found here .

"The Four Cardinal Virtues" (GDR: 2&3|QAR 3 & 4) found here.

"Mariana of Austria in Prayer" (STR, 1, GC: 1 & 2|SDR: 1 & 2) found here.

"Portrait of Philip IV with a lion at his feet" (GC:1 |GS: all 10|WDR: 4 |SDR: 3,4,5 & 6) found here

"Length Portrait of Mrs.D" (QAR: 1 & 2|STR: 2) found here

"Portrait of Maria Theresa of Austria and her Son, le Grand Dauphin" (SDR: 7| BDR: 1 & 2|GDR: 4,5,6 & 7) found here

(you can just search for "Buckingham Palace" using the catalog search mod to find the entire set much easier!)

Drive

(Sims3pack | Package)

(Useful tags below)

@joojconverts @ts3history @ts3historicalccfinds @deniisu-sims @katsujiiccfinds @gifappels-stuff

-------------------------------------------------------

[blueiscoool]

Woman Discovers Over 2,150 Silver Coins From Middle Ages in Czech Republic

Historians have started the process of putting these ancient coins through X-rays to determine what material they are made from.

A woman, out for a walk, was in for a surprise when she stumbled upon a buried treasure from the Middle Ages -- more than 2,150 silver coins -- in the Kutna Hora town of the central Bohemian region in the Czech Republic.

Described by experts as a "once-in-a-decade discovery", these silver coins were minted between 1085 and 1107, according to a press release translated into English by the Institute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ARUP).

Experts believe these coins were manufactured in Prague and were imported to Bohemia.

ARUP explained that the coins were made of "coin alloy, which, in addition to silver, also contains an admixture of copper, lead and trace metals”.

Once the experts determine the composition used in making these coins, they will also be able to tell the origins of the silver used, it added.

Political instability

The treasure was hidden when the region witnessed political instability, archaeologist Filip Velimsky said.

These coins were stored in a ceramic container that was destroyed over time. However, the archaeologists did manage to discover the bottom of the container.

Recalling history, Velimsky asserted that back then there were disputes in the country "between the members of the Přemysl dynasty about the princely throne of Prague."

Noting that battles were common during the period, ARUP, in its release, claimed that the depot could have been cash “for paying wages or spoils of war.”

The value of these ancient coins was “unimaginable” during the time, the historian said.

“Unfortunately, for the turn of the 11th–12th century, we lack data on the purchasing power of contemporary coins… But it was a huge, unimaginable – and at the same time, unavailable – amount for an ordinary person. It can be compared to winning a million in the jackpot," Velimsky explained.

Officials in the country have called the discovery “one of the largest finds of the last decade.”

What next?

For now, historians have started to process the coins. This includes putting them through X-rays to determine what material these coins are made from.

There are plans to put these coins up for display during an exhibition next year.

[whencyclopedia]

George I of Great Britain

George I of Great Britain (r. 1714-1727) succeeded the last of the Stuart monarchs, Queen Anne of Great Britain (r. 1702-1714) because he was Anne's nearest Protestant relative. The House of Hanover secured its position as the new ruling family by defeating several Jacobite rebellions which supported the old Stuart line.

King George may have struggled with both English and the English, often preferring his attachments in Germany, but his reign was a relatively stable one. His greatest legacy was as a patron of the arts, in particular, his support of musicians like Handel and such lasting cultural institutions as the Royal Academy of Music. He was succeeded by his son George II of Great Britain (r. 1727-1760).

Succession: The House of Hanover

The Glorious Revolution of 1688 saw the end of the reign of the male Stuarts and placed William, Prince of Orange on the throne as William III of England (r. 1689-1702) with his wife, the daughter of the exiled James II of England (r. 1685-1688), made Mary II of England (r. 1689-1694). Mary's sister became the ruling monarch in 1702 as Anne, Queen of Great Britain. When Anne died, so ended the Stuart royal line, which had begun with Robert II of Scotland (r. 1371-1390).

Queen Anne outlived her husband Prince George of Denmark (1653-1708) by six years; she died at the age of 49 on 1 August 1714 at Kensington Palace after suffering two strokes. Queen Anne had had many children, but all died in infancy. The greatest hope for an heir had been William, Duke of Gloucester (b. 1689), but he died in 1700, aged 12. Anne's official heirs, the Hanoverian family, were selected as such in the 1701 Act of Settlement.

The Hanovers were connected to the British royal line as descendants of Elizabeth Stuart (d. 1662), daughter of James I of England (r. 1603-1625) and brief Queen of Bohemia through her husband Frederick V of the Palatinate. The chosen successor – although she was not permitted by Anne to even visit England – was Elizabeth Stuart's daughter Sophia (l. 1630-1714), wife of the Duke of Brunswick and Elector of Hanover (a small principality in Germany the size of Yorkshire). Sophie of Hanover was Queen Anne's nearest relation of the Protestant faith, a vital consideration given that Parliament had already passed a law forbidding a Catholic to take the throne. For this reason, more than 50 other claimants to the throne had been deemed unsuitable. When Sophia died in 1714, her son, George Ludwig, took over the role of heir apparent to the British throne.

Continue reading...

[lxgentlefolkcomic]

First page || Previous page || Next page

Dialogue transcripts:

Panel 1

Irene: ...Right. Well, Godfrey and I...we're sort of on the run.

Panel 2

Irene: You see, I think I'm being stalked.

Panel 3

Irene (voice over): When I was much younger, I had a brief...fling with the then-crown Prince of Bohemia, Wilhelm von Ormstein.

Panel 4

Irene (voice over): It never went anywhere, of course. When he married later, he tried to cover up all evidence of the affair, including sending detectives after me.

Panel 5

Irene (voice over): I managed to evade him, though, and Godfrey and I left England, swearing never to return.

Panel 6

Irene: I put all of that behind me. Until, about a month ago...

Panel 7

(n/a)

Panel 8

Irene (voice over): ...I saw him again.

[world-of-wales]

⋆ William, The Conqueror to William, The Prince of Wales ⋆

⤜ The Prince of Wales is William I's 24th Great-Grandson via his paternal grandmother's line.

William I of England

Henry I of England

Empress Matilda

Henry II of England

John of England

Henry III of England

Edward I of England

Edward II of England

Edward III of England

Lionel of Antwerp, Ist Duke of Clarence

Philippa Plantagenet, Vth Countess of Ulster

Roger Mortimer, IVth Earl of March

Anne Mortimer

Richard Plantagenet, IIIrd Duke of York

Edward IV of England

Elizabeth of York

Margaret Tudor

James V of Scotland

Mary Stewart, Queen of Scotland

James I of England

Elizabeth Stuart, Queen of Bohemia

Sophia, Electress of Hanover

George I of Great Britain

George II of Great Britain

Frederick, Prince of Wales

George III of the United Kingdom

Prince Edward Augustus, Duke of Kent and Strathearn

Victoria of the United Kingdom

Edward VII of the United Kingdom

George V of the United Kingdom

George VI of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Charles III of the United Kingdom

William, The Prince of Wales

[scotianostra]

On November 7th 1619 Elizabeth Stuart was crowned Queen of Bohemia.

Elizabeth was the eldest daughter of James VI, and Anne of Denmark. She was thus sister to King Charles I and cousin to King Frederick III of Denmark.

Born in at Falkland Palace, Fife,on 19th August 1596, she was named Elizabeth in honour of the then-ageing English Queen, Elizabeth I, who had remained childless. Her older brothel was Prince Henry, of her other siblings, Charles would however go on to inherit the throne.

To all intents and purposes, Elizabeth had a happy upbringing at Linlithgow Palace, one of the grandest of Scotland’s royal residences, and one of my favourite places to wander around.

In 1603 her father James succeeded Elizabeth I to the English throne. Elizabeth was handed over to the care of Lord and Lady Harrington and took up residence at Coombe Abbey, Warwickshire.

Lord Harrington indulged her passion for nature, and in a secluded wilderness at the end of the park arranged the construction of a number of little wooden buildings in all the different orders of architecture which housed paintings and stuffed animals. He also established an aviary and a miniature menagerie (she continued to collect various animals throughout her life) which was later expanded to include meadows stocked with the smallest breeds of cattle from Jersey, Shetland and the Isle of Man. Elizabeth referred to her miniature world as ‘her Territories’ and ‘her Fairy farm’ and she engaged a pauper family as keeper of her birds and beasts.

Elizabeth idolised her older brother - they shared a love of life which eluded the sickly Charles, four years younger than his sister. Her letters to her brother Henry reveal a deep affection and and mutual respect. In 1605 she writes ‘My noble brother, I rouse you from sleep to remind you that I am your most humble servant, and desire above all that I might have the pleasure of remaining in your good graces and your best loved sister.’

Henry’s sickness and death on November 6, 1612, in the midst of Elizabeth's betrothal celebrations devastated her. It is not mentioned in Elizabeth’s letters of 1612 or 1613, a silence that suggest great mourning however her strength of character can be demonstrated by her attempts to gain access to Henry’s isolated sick room. Disguised as a country girl, she tried several times to gain admittance to Henry but was recognised and turned back. Henry’s last words were his sister’s name.

By the age of 12 Elizabeth’s political value was such that a member of the influential Hapsburg family, King Philip III of Spain, put himself forward as a eligible suitor. While Queen Anne relished the opportunity of a glittering Spanish throne, James’ mind was set on a Protestant:Frederick V, Prince Palatine of the Rhine in the Holy Roman Empire, frequently known as the Palsgrave.

Luckily for Elizabeth, Frederick was her own age, handsome, athletic, of a winning personality and generous. In many ways he resembled her brother Henry, with whom he developed a deep friendship. Frederick could not fail to love Elizabeth although she was initially more reserved.

On Valentine’s Day 1613, a spectacular wedding ceremony took place in the Royal Chapel at Whitehall Palace in London. At the time of their marriage, Elizabeth and her young groom Frederick V were destined to achieve international power and influence. However, by 1621, Elizabeth was in exile, destined to be remembered as the ‘The Winter Queen’, a derogatory epitaph that reflects the short duration of her rule in Bohemia, with her union with Frederick deemed a political failure.For almost two months, the young couple were feted and feasted in London before setting out on their journey to their new home in Heidelberg, in south west Germany. Elizabeth and Frederick eventually reached the Palatinate and its capital in Heidelberg situated on the banks of the river Neckar.

Six years later, in late 1619, Frederick and Elizabeth were crowned King and Queen of Bohemia (today part of the Czech Republic) at the invitation of the Bohemia Confederacy to prevent a Catholic incumbent ascending to the throne. Barely a year after receiving the crown, the couple were defeated at the Battle of the White Mountain, and driven from their court in Prague and deprived of all their Palatine lands by the Hapsburg Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II, events which led to one of the longest and most destructive conflicts in human history:The Thirty Years War.

During their separations whilst Frederick was on campaign, the couple wrote to each other three or four times a week, sometimes even twice in one day. Frederick describes Elizabeth as his ‘only heart’, he ‘kisses her mouth a million times in imagination’.

Frederick died unexpectedly from the plague at Mainz while on perpetual military campaign in 1632. So long as she lived, Elizabeth’s rooms were draped in black, and in memory of Frederick special days were set apart for fasting. She later wrote ‘though I make a good show in company, yet I can never have any more contentment in this world, for God knows I had none but that which I took in his company, and he did the same in mine.’

Elizabeth lived on in the Dutch Republic for a further 30 years, in voluntary exile, returning to England in 1661, a year before her death and a year after the restoration of her nephew, Charles II.

It is through Elizabeth’s daughter, Sophie, the Hanoverians line was established.

[churchofthecomet]

thoughts about this week's episode (spoilers ahead)

from relistening to last episode: i like Mariana more and more as time goes on. i like that they explain cases to her and she has ideas or analyses of them. i like that she's understanding and competent and pretty sharp. this is truly an OC with no equivalent in the originals, but she works!!

from this episode:

companion/colleague/friend/flatmate!! so true John tell us more about this relationship

saw someone refer to John as a "cringefail podcaster boyfriend" and yeah... maybe I am beginning to like him more. i can see it!

"don't be silly! you're a handsome prince!" "i'm in tights." "hmm, [laughing] yes."

there will be fanart of the robot-and-prince scene by tomorrow i'm manifesting it please?

their costumes probably blended in perfectly with the overall production vibes of Solar Thunder

for the first time in this podcast, I could figure out the solution to the mystery before the 2/3rds mark. the whole con was an effort to get him out of the house for 9+ hours per day!

john's a coward for editing out the first half of the opera. should have been a 2 hour episode (1.5 hours opera, 0.5 hours podcast)

i assume that Sherlock is completely zoned into the opera

very very excited to hear that the opera is called Bohemia and stars one Irene Adler -- I have a feeling they'll be revisiting it soon

i adore Sherlock's fucking "talking to whatsherface at the opera intermission" voice (and John's "what... on Earth?")... and then 5 mins into the conversation he's back to normal

Sherlock and gun safety don't exactly mix, do they. "I'm a normal human being, I don't wander around with a gun!" "Well I do :)"

IT'S A THREE PARTER????? it's a three part story sldkfjdslkfjd FUCK SHIT THIS IS SO SAD

[memecucker]

I’m rereading CV Wedgewoods book about the Thirty Years War and her stuff about how Frederick of the Palatinate accepting the Bohemian Crown is almost the comic relief part of the book

Like when he moved to Prague he was immensely popular as the champion of Protestants but he gradually alienated people through various small actions. One thing that didn’t necessarily alienate but did make his subjects look at him different is how back in Fredericks home, nude bathing in the Rhine was a universal practice. People from all walks of life would swim and bathe in the Rhine both for hygiene as well as for fun and growing up Frederick learned it was good for a ruler to do this because not only was it more convenient and enjoyable than taking a bath in his castle but it endeared his subjects to him bc there’ll be peasants bathing on their day off and they’ll see the Prince on the other side and they’ll wave at each other it’ll be one of those “Powerful Man does Normal Thing like us! We like him”

But in Bohemia as king he would live not in a countryside castle but in Prague, one of the largest cities in Europe. And the people there did not bathe in the same river that people also dump sewage in. So one day the citizens of Prague were going about their day crossing a bridge when they saw some weirdo bathing in an urban river but then it was wait wtf is that the king yeah I’m pretty sure he’s the king he’s even waving at us? The king is just swimming in the middle of the city, completely nude, waving at people while swimming in sewage. Ok..

[tiny-librarian]

Royal Birthdays for today, April 23rd:

Malcolm IV, King of Scotland, 1141

Afonso II, King of Portugal, 1185

George of Poděbrady, King of Bohemia, 1420

Joan of France, Queen of France, 1464

Charlotte Amalie of Holstein-Plön, Duchess of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg, 1744

Aisha bint Al Hussein, Princess of Jordan, 1968

Zein bint Al Hussein, Princess of Jordan, 1968

Gabriella Kingston, Daughter of Prince Michael of Kent, 1981

Laetitia Maria of Belgium, Archduchess of Austria-Este, 2003

Louis of Wales, British Prince, 2018

[richmond-rex]

this sounds a little petty 😂 - or maybe it's a genuinely valid piece of frustration, idk - but whenever I see a list of Tudor queens or Tudor queen consorts and Elizabeth of York is either 1) not on the list or 2) regarded as one of the less "important" (what does that even mean? idk but people keep saying it) queens, it irritates me so much. You'd think people who care about the Tudors as a historical dynasty would give the first Tudor queen her due, but apparently the most she's good for is vague and rather inaccurate comparisons with Henry VIII's queens. Particularly Jane Seymour, even though I really don't think there's much of a "parallel" between the two women's personalities, queenship, marriages or even appearance at all.

Elizabeth was SO IMPORTANT for the inception of the dynasty. So damn important. Henry VII's route to kingship from 1483 did not begin with him. It didn't begin with him angling for the throne or people angling for his right to the throne. It began with Yorkist supporters trying to put the Princes on the throne and then beginning to consider their sister Elizabeth of York as the Yorkist heiress. Their loyalty to Henry VII was primarily as the future husband of Elizabeth of York, that's where he gained the majority of his new supporters, including William Stanley who was of immense, history-altering help in Bosworth, came from. (I thiiiink you had reblogged a post of yours with someone's additional added tags about this that framed it a lot better, recently but I can't find it rip). That is obviously not discounting Henry's competence or his capabilities or his victory, or Margaret Beaufort's admirable actions, but I just feel like Elizabeth of York's importance to the Tudor dynasty can never be overstated. Her position as his queen and wife were so important for his road to kingship AND the way he secured his reign and dynasty afterwards. Without Elizabeth of York, it's highly doubtful that Henry would have been able to gain the throne the way he did (at least, not without a significant more time, effort and a MUCH higher chance of failure) and it's also doubtful that he'd be able to secure it the way he did, because their unification from two opposing sides was a major factor in his propaganda and collective perception of their marriage, and the comfort, strength and support it evoked.

Obviously, this is within the bracket of the Tudor queens (because they're a very famous dynasty and all their queens are significantly better known than a lot of former or latter ones), but it's just frustrating??

again - I hope this doesn't sound very petty 😂

Hi! Sorry for taking so long to reply, but don't worry I get your frustration completely (and I share it too). I remember once seeing an incredibly pretty illustration for the Tudor consorts depicting all of Henry VIII's queens AND Philip of Spain..... and it didn't include Elizabeth of York. After Catherine of Aragon, Elizabeth was the longest reigning Tudor consort, being queen for no less than seventeen (17) years! She was immensely popular at her time which can be attested not only by the several presents she received from noble and common folk alike but also by the fact that she was the subject of a popular ballad that reimagined her as a romantic heroine (The Most Pleasant Song of the Lady Bessy), and the subject of songs during her lifetime. Her death was lamented by commentators from Ireland to Rome, and her reputation for charity was well-known. She was so popular in her time, it's a bit ironic that she has become, as Amy Licence puts it, 'the forgotten Tudor queen'.

(Of course, it's all relative as you said: we're talking about the Tudor perspective. Elizabeth is still more well-known than Philippa of Hainault or Anne of Bohemia, for example, if only because she's known in relation to the drama of her brothers and uncle, or because she's known as Henry VIII's mother).

In terms of importance, it's staggering how much her role has been downplayed. And I'm not only talking about the establishment of the Tudor dynasty, which is usually cited if only in brief terms. Her legacy lived on. As pointed out by Michelle Beer, for both Catherine of Aragon and Margaret Tudor, Elizabeth was the only queen consort whom they had experience observing, and her queenship style would have impacted their own. But going back to the establishment of her husband's reign, her importance was so much more than simply providing him with the supporters he needed (which is so often reduced to merely 'lifting a finger for a wedding ring'). I will never tire of pointing out Elizabeth's active participation in diplomacy, communicating with European princes in order to protect her husband's interests. If on one hand, Margaret of York was writing to the Pope asking him to lift his sanction of Henry VII, Elizabeth of York was writing to him to do exactly the contrary and reinforce his sanction.

She was an integral element of her husband's reign that went beyond her dynastic blood. Elizabeth provided a more human/accessible image at court celebrations and feasts, formal occasions and receptions of foreign delegations. Not for nothing, she was so frequently found at Henry VII's side on those occasions. Symbolically, she seems to have been greatly valued by Henry too, and I don't mean it simply by how her family symbol, the white rose, was integrated into official Tudor imagery. I'm also talking about how much weight he seems to have given to their union. In terms of art commissions done by Henry, their marriage was constantly alluded to in a way that referenced prophetic discourse: we have their marriage bed where Henry and Elizabeth are portrayed as the new Adam and Eve (Christ and the Virgin), the royal chapel at Greenwich where they were depicted holding hands (I will talk about it in the future), the family portrait where Henry and Elizabeth are depicted as if re-enacting their wedding vows, and even the shared tomb he commissioned.

Elizabeth of York was important and was valued on so many fronts, I daresay she was one of the most efficient queens in terms of successfully upholding her husband's reign. When it comes to Henry's ascension, I think Elizabeth and Margaret Beaufort might have been equally important (considering Margaret's articulation/funding and her claim from which Henry derived his own). But after Henry's ascension, my opinion is that Elizabeth was even more important for all the political, symbolic and of course, emotional support she provided her husband. They seem to have been a very effective partnership, and I doubt his reign would have been as successful as it was if it wasn't for Elizabeth.

So yeah, it is frustrating that she's not given the real importance that she's due when it comes to discussing Tudor history. Whenever she is talked about, she's so commonly relegated to a passive dynastic and decorative role, a trophy wife, it's insane.

[jovianwishes]

Minor fun dynamic that I think is worth exploring or playing with, is that between the Dutch Republic and Bohemia (Czechia) (and also Britain) in the 17th century. This I base wholely on the fact that in the 30 years War, Bohemia's monarchs Elizabeth Stuart and Frederick V got exiled, but then they got "rescued" (or well, invited) by the prince of orange at the time, Maurice, to take shelter in The Hague. Here they stayed in various palaces for about 30-40 years and racked up an enormous debt. I like to think that perhaps Bohemia occasionally came to visit, to see what the ex- royals were doing and to gossip with Ned whenever he had the time. Also, not to mention, they both had a mild to fairly strong disagreement for the Habsburgers, which could definitely have give them something to bond over.

[royalty-nobility]

Anne of Denmark, 1574–1619

Artist: John de Critz (Flemish, 1551–1642)

Date: circa 1605

Medium: Oil on Panel

Collection: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, England

Anne of Denmark

Anne of Denmark (Danish: Anna; 12 December 1574 – 2 March 1619) was the wife of King James VI and I. She was Queen of Scotland from their marriage on 20 August 1589 and Queen of England and Ireland from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until her death in 1619.

The second daughter of King Frederick II of Denmark and Sophie of Mecklenburg-Güstrow, Anne married James at age 14. They had three children who survived infancy: Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales, who predeceased his parents; Princess Elizabeth, who became Queen of Bohemia; and James's future successor, Charles I. Anne demonstrated an independent streak and a willingness to use factional Scottish politics in her conflicts with James over the custody of Prince Henry and his treatment of her friend Beatrix Ruthven. Anne appears to have loved James at first, but the couple gradually drifted and eventually lived apart, though mutual respect and a degree of affection survived.

In England, Anne shifted her energies from factional politics to patronage of the arts and constructed her own magnificent court, hosting one of the richest cultural salons in Europe. After 1612, she had sustained bouts of ill health and gradually withdrew from the centre of court life. Though she was reported to have been a Protestant at the time of her death, she may have converted to Catholicism at some point in her life.

Some historians have dismissed Anne as a lightweight queen, frivolous and self-indulgent. However, 18th-century writers including Thomas Birch and William Guthrie considered her a woman of "boundless intrigue". Recent reappraisals acknowledge Anne's assertive independence and, in particular, her dynamic significance as a patron of the arts during the Jacobean age.

[zarya-zaryanitsa]

In terms of the Czech historical tradition, Libuše was the most important of the three sisters, since she became the founding mother of the Přemyslid dynasty, through her marriage with Přemysl. She is also the only one of the three who was known outside of Bohemia and had a clear pan-Slavic background. It is evident from a Jewish gravestone found in Wrocław that the name Libuše came into use in Silesia as early as the beginning of the fourteenth century:

This gravestone which was erected on head of Mrs. Libusha wife of rabbi [. . .], who has passed to her destiny on the 20th day of Marcheshvan in the year 65 on account [of the sixth millennium] (October 20, 1304). May her soul be [bound] in the bond of eternal life.

Libuše was also probably an eponymous heroine of the Slavic land of Lubusz (German Lebus) in the mid-Oder on both sides of the current-day Polish–German border.

Libuše’s connection with the East Slavic Lybed’, sister of Kiy, Shchek and Khoriv, legendary founders of Kiev, as well as the Croatian Lobelos, brother of Kloukas, and the Hungarian legendary prince Lebedias is central to recon- structing this figure’s pan-Slavic background.

- Slavic Gods and Heroes by Judith Kalik and Alexander Uchitel