A sexually depraved king might be seen as a good thing by the people since one reason why Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were unpopular was because it is suspected that the royal children were bastards and that the king was impotent.
The Bourbons in Exile: After Varennes
- Thread starter REICHFURST
- Start date
With the Kingdom of France finally entering in a period of peace and prosperity after years of wars, now the royal family had to faced another difficulty, this time of extreme importance for France and Louis XVII: find the future Queen.
Marie Antoinette preferred an Austrian Archduchess. There four avaliable, all daughters of Emperor Francis I (despite the fact that they are sisters of Empress Marie Louise; reportedly the Queen-Grandmother remarked that we can blame all the girls for the fault of her eldest sister):
The Dowager Dauphine promoted the candidacy of her nieces, the three eldest daughters of her brother Francis I, King of the Two Sicilies:
The Duke of Normandy, aimed by his wife, supported the election of a Russian Grand Duchess, younger sister of the Duchess of Normandy:
The other candidates who were considered where:
Soon, not only the whole court at the Tuileries but also in every district and suburb of Paris began to gossip about who would be the future wife of Louis XVII: even in some places began to bet who would be the better candidate.
The Parliament, logically, wanted a Queen who would bring political advantages to the country, so in both Chambers of Deputies and Peers were discussed for days who could be the chosen bride.
In the preliminary round, the two younger Archduchesses were discarted: Maria Carolina suffered from epilepsy and had constant seizures, and this could impaired her chances to became pregnant (the first duty of the future Queen), while Maria Anna was intellectually disabled and suffered from a severe facial deformity.
In the second stage, the Sicilian and Bavarian princesses were also discarted (despite the King preferred for one of the eldest twin princesses of Bavaria, who are extremely beautiful); the princess of the Netherlands was excluded due to her age and the four Portuguese Infantas where also rebuffed, mostly because of the scandalous and scheming nature of their mother, Queen Carlota Joaquina (and both the Parliament and the royal family -for the first time- jointly agreed that any of the Infantas would inherited her mother's ambitious nature and would bring problems to them in the future).
The two princesses of Denmark where seriously considered for a while, especially Caroline, who as the eldest surviving child of King Frederick VI, would bring a considerable dowry and even some hereditary rights over her father's realm (although in Denmark, just like in France, prevailed the Salic Law, who barred women from inheritance). Finally, was the young Louis XVII who rejected both princesses, because, after seeing their portraits, he exclamed that they are too ugly and plain.
Finally, the list of potential candidates was reduced to the two Austrian Archduchesses, the Russian Grand Duchess and the two Princesses of Prussia: either of them would bring a considerable prestige and a reforced alliance to France with one of the Major Powers who participated in the Congress of Vienna.
The matter of the choice of the future Queen was finally determined in a family council in the private rooms of the Queen-Grandmother at the Tuileries on 18 January 1816.
The Duke and the Duchess of Normandy ardently supported the Russian alliance, while the Dowager Dauphine preferred the marriage with Austria (being herself half-Habsburg); the Counts of Provence and Artois showed some inclination to the alliance with Prussia; the Duchesses of Angoulême and Berry "convinced" their husbands to support the alliance with Austria, who was also the choice of Madame Elisabeth.
So, with a majority inclined to a wedding to Austria, Marie Antoinette, and moreover Louis XVII, had the last word. The Queen-Grandmother enthusiastically agreed with the Austrian alliance, and the young King, being overwhelmed by the pressure of his grandmother, mother and relatives, also agreed.
On 1 February, arrived to the court of Vienna the formal request of marriage from King Louis XVII of France. The chosen bride, the eldest unmarried daughter of Emperor Francis I, Archduchess Maria Leopoldina.
TO BE CONTINUED....
Marie Antoinette preferred an Austrian Archduchess. There four avaliable, all daughters of Emperor Francis I (despite the fact that they are sisters of Empress Marie Louise; reportedly the Queen-Grandmother remarked that we can blame all the girls for the fault of her eldest sister):
- Maria Leopoldina (born 22 January 1797).
- Maria Clementina (born 1 March 1798).
- Maria Carolina (born 8 April 1801).
- Maria Anna (born 8 June 1804).
The Dowager Dauphine promoted the candidacy of her nieces, the three eldest daughters of her brother Francis I, King of the Two Sicilies:
- Maria Carolina Ferdinanda (born 5 November 1798).
- Luisa Carlotta (born 24 October 1804).
- Maria Cristina (born 27 April 1806).
The Duke of Normandy, aimed by his wife, supported the election of a Russian Grand Duchess, younger sister of the Duchess of Normandy:
- Anna Pavlovna (born 18 January 1795).
The other candidates who were considered where:
- Princesses Elisabeth Ludovika and Amalie Auguste of Bavaria (twins, born 13 November 1801).
- Princesses Sophie Friederike and Maria Anna Leopoldine of Bavaria (twins, born 27 January 1805).
- Princess Marianne of the Netherlands (born 9 May 1810).
- Princess Caroline of Denmark (born 28 October 1793), styled Hereditary Princess (Kronprinsesse) as the eldest surviving daughter of her father.
- Princess Vilhelmine Marie of Denmark (born 18 January 1808).
- Infanta Maria Francisca of Portugal (born 22 April 1800).
- Infanta Isabel Maria of Portugal (born 4 July 1801).
- Infanta Maria da Assunção of Portugal (born 25 June 1805).
- Infanta Ana de Jesus Maria of Portugal (born 23 October 1806).
- Princess Alexandrine of Prussia (born 23 February 1803).
- Princess Louise of Prussia (born 1 February 1808).
Soon, not only the whole court at the Tuileries but also in every district and suburb of Paris began to gossip about who would be the future wife of Louis XVII: even in some places began to bet who would be the better candidate.
The Parliament, logically, wanted a Queen who would bring political advantages to the country, so in both Chambers of Deputies and Peers were discussed for days who could be the chosen bride.
In the preliminary round, the two younger Archduchesses were discarted: Maria Carolina suffered from epilepsy and had constant seizures, and this could impaired her chances to became pregnant (the first duty of the future Queen), while Maria Anna was intellectually disabled and suffered from a severe facial deformity.
In the second stage, the Sicilian and Bavarian princesses were also discarted (despite the King preferred for one of the eldest twin princesses of Bavaria, who are extremely beautiful); the princess of the Netherlands was excluded due to her age and the four Portuguese Infantas where also rebuffed, mostly because of the scandalous and scheming nature of their mother, Queen Carlota Joaquina (and both the Parliament and the royal family -for the first time- jointly agreed that any of the Infantas would inherited her mother's ambitious nature and would bring problems to them in the future).
The two princesses of Denmark where seriously considered for a while, especially Caroline, who as the eldest surviving child of King Frederick VI, would bring a considerable dowry and even some hereditary rights over her father's realm (although in Denmark, just like in France, prevailed the Salic Law, who barred women from inheritance). Finally, was the young Louis XVII who rejected both princesses, because, after seeing their portraits, he exclamed that they are too ugly and plain.
Finally, the list of potential candidates was reduced to the two Austrian Archduchesses, the Russian Grand Duchess and the two Princesses of Prussia: either of them would bring a considerable prestige and a reforced alliance to France with one of the Major Powers who participated in the Congress of Vienna.
The matter of the choice of the future Queen was finally determined in a family council in the private rooms of the Queen-Grandmother at the Tuileries on 18 January 1816.
The Duke and the Duchess of Normandy ardently supported the Russian alliance, while the Dowager Dauphine preferred the marriage with Austria (being herself half-Habsburg); the Counts of Provence and Artois showed some inclination to the alliance with Prussia; the Duchesses of Angoulême and Berry "convinced" their husbands to support the alliance with Austria, who was also the choice of Madame Elisabeth.
So, with a majority inclined to a wedding to Austria, Marie Antoinette, and moreover Louis XVII, had the last word. The Queen-Grandmother enthusiastically agreed with the Austrian alliance, and the young King, being overwhelmed by the pressure of his grandmother, mother and relatives, also agreed.
On 1 February, arrived to the court of Vienna the formal request of marriage from King Louis XVII of France. The chosen bride, the eldest unmarried daughter of Emperor Francis I, Archduchess Maria Leopoldina.
TO BE CONTINUED....
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Just realized something,the areas France has taken all became important industrial areas,especially Saarbrucken,which is mostly a sizeable portion of Saarland.
REICHFURST,
So King Louis XVII is going to marry someone twice a cousin? Yes, I guess she'd have no language barrier being brought up speaking German [as he seems to have been] but will their kids be even more sickly than his cousin by the Duke of Normandy? Well, since Maria Leopoldina [will that be Francofied to Marie Leopoldine ?] gets spared being sent to tropical, wet and buggy Brazil maybe she'll live longer even if she doesn't seem to be getting a much better husband than she did in OTL. Hopefully, Louis XVII will be persuaded to keep his mistresses out of their marital home before she gets there. And, of course, how will she deal with her mother- and grandmother-in-law [and vice versa?]. I wonder if one of her other sisters will marry the Portuguese prince currently in the running for Brazillian Empire.
Let's hope MA remembers how tough it was for HER to go from being an Austrian archduchess to French queen and doesn't wind up driving the girl batty with her 'advice'.
So King Louis XVII is going to marry someone twice a cousin? Yes, I guess she'd have no language barrier being brought up speaking German [as he seems to have been] but will their kids be even more sickly than his cousin by the Duke of Normandy? Well, since Maria Leopoldina [will that be Francofied to Marie Leopoldine ?] gets spared being sent to tropical, wet and buggy Brazil maybe she'll live longer even if she doesn't seem to be getting a much better husband than she did in OTL. Hopefully, Louis XVII will be persuaded to keep his mistresses out of their marital home before she gets there. And, of course, how will she deal with her mother- and grandmother-in-law [and vice versa?]. I wonder if one of her other sisters will marry the Portuguese prince currently in the running for Brazillian Empire.
Let's hope MA remembers how tough it was for HER to go from being an Austrian archduchess to French queen and doesn't wind up driving the girl batty with her 'advice'.
On 19 February 1815 at the Augustinerkirche (Augustinian Church) in Vienna, Archduchess Maria Leopoldina of Austria married by proxy with King Louis XVII of France, being the groom represented in the ceremony by the Archduchess' older brother, Archduke Ferdinand, who must to be helped during the whole event because of his neurological problems, and speech impediment.
Three days later, on 22 February, the Archduchess parted from Vienna with a big entourage. Was decided that her trip must be the same that her future grandmother-in-law made 45 years ago: following a journey in the borders of the Danube river, the cortege passed for among other cities, Munich, Augsburg, Günzburg, Ulm, Obermarchtal and Freiburg im Breisgau, where she was received with parades and festivities.
Finally, on 10 March, the cortege arrived to the Île aux Épis, an island on the Rhine between Kehl and Strasbourg, the exactly same place where Marie Antoinette was handed to her new subjects in 1770. Just like in this case, Maria Leopoldina (now named Marie Leopoldine) followed the rite of remise de l'épouse, under which all her Austrian entourage leave her and she was inmediately surrounded by her now French subjects, but because this time wasn't the arrival of a Dauphine, but of the Queen, the French entourage was leaded by the Duchesses of Normandy and Angoulême, with a military escort commanded by Marshal Ney.
The cortege with the new Queen parted almost inmediately, and arrived to the Forest of Compiègne on 12 March, where she was greeted by the Dowager Dauphine and the Dukes of Angoulême and Berry.
Maria Amalia saw with interest the behavior and attitudes of her new daughter-in-law, and later recalled: the Queen was extremely dignified and sober....she could talk in perfect French and this liked to all of us; also, she seems to be extremely well-educated and intelligent...
The courtege arrived to Paris in the first hours of 14 March; despite the early hours, the whole city was crowded in such way that seems that everyone sleeps in the streets only to watch the new Queen , according to witnesses.
In the middle of cheers, blessings and fireworks, Marie Leopoldine made her entrance to the capital of her new country: despite her previous composture, this warm welcome made her visibly touched and in deference to the parisians, she ordened that her carriage made the long way to the Tuileries, because she didn't wanted to deprive the people of my joy, as she later wrote to her father, the city of Paris received me with such expectation and happiness, that I fel already in my home...
After three hours, Marie Leopoldine and her cortege finally arrived to the Tuileries. At the doors of the palace, she was greeted by the Counts of Provence and Artois, who escorted her to the Great Hall, where Marie Antoinette, the Duke of Normandy, Madame Elisabeth, the royal princes and princesses, and finally her future husband King Louis XVII are waiting for her.
The Queen-Grandmother, against the protocol, gave her new granddaughter-in-law a kiss and embraced her; this touching scene was later recalled by Marie Leopoldine in a letter to her father: My new Grandmother Queen gave me a warm welcome and talk to me in German....she congratulates me for be now part of her family, and the rest of the family followed her example....thanks to her, all my fears are gone....
Once all the members of the family formally salute her, finally Marie Leopoldine was in front of Louis XVII; at the sight of the young King, the Archduchess became deeply in love: My dear father, I'm so happy!!...my husband is such a handsome young man!...I adored him since the moment I saw him!, she later wrote to her father.
However, the first impression of Louis XVII about his future wife wasn't too good: reportedly, he privately say to his brother: Well, she is not a real beauty and also was a little chubby, but I must to follow the reason of state....if France needed this Queen, I happily agreed with my fate...
The next day (15 March) in the middle of continues parades and fireworks, was celebrated the marriage between King Louis XVII of France and Archduchess Marie Leopoldine of Austria at Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Once the ceremony ended, the royal couple made a trip through the main streets and suburbs of Paris, where they received the euforic cheers of their subjects.
When the King and Queen arrived at the Tuileries, they opened with a viennese vals the formal reception, who lasted one full day and night. Marie Antoinette, again dressed in full gold clothes, was in good spirits: with this marriage, she believed that the continuity of the Bourbon dynasty would be guaranteed.
TO BE CONTINUED....
Three days later, on 22 February, the Archduchess parted from Vienna with a big entourage. Was decided that her trip must be the same that her future grandmother-in-law made 45 years ago: following a journey in the borders of the Danube river, the cortege passed for among other cities, Munich, Augsburg, Günzburg, Ulm, Obermarchtal and Freiburg im Breisgau, where she was received with parades and festivities.
Finally, on 10 March, the cortege arrived to the Île aux Épis, an island on the Rhine between Kehl and Strasbourg, the exactly same place where Marie Antoinette was handed to her new subjects in 1770. Just like in this case, Maria Leopoldina (now named Marie Leopoldine) followed the rite of remise de l'épouse, under which all her Austrian entourage leave her and she was inmediately surrounded by her now French subjects, but because this time wasn't the arrival of a Dauphine, but of the Queen, the French entourage was leaded by the Duchesses of Normandy and Angoulême, with a military escort commanded by Marshal Ney.
The cortege with the new Queen parted almost inmediately, and arrived to the Forest of Compiègne on 12 March, where she was greeted by the Dowager Dauphine and the Dukes of Angoulême and Berry.
Maria Amalia saw with interest the behavior and attitudes of her new daughter-in-law, and later recalled: the Queen was extremely dignified and sober....she could talk in perfect French and this liked to all of us; also, she seems to be extremely well-educated and intelligent...
The courtege arrived to Paris in the first hours of 14 March; despite the early hours, the whole city was crowded in such way that seems that everyone sleeps in the streets only to watch the new Queen , according to witnesses.
In the middle of cheers, blessings and fireworks, Marie Leopoldine made her entrance to the capital of her new country: despite her previous composture, this warm welcome made her visibly touched and in deference to the parisians, she ordened that her carriage made the long way to the Tuileries, because she didn't wanted to deprive the people of my joy, as she later wrote to her father, the city of Paris received me with such expectation and happiness, that I fel already in my home...
After three hours, Marie Leopoldine and her cortege finally arrived to the Tuileries. At the doors of the palace, she was greeted by the Counts of Provence and Artois, who escorted her to the Great Hall, where Marie Antoinette, the Duke of Normandy, Madame Elisabeth, the royal princes and princesses, and finally her future husband King Louis XVII are waiting for her.
The Queen-Grandmother, against the protocol, gave her new granddaughter-in-law a kiss and embraced her; this touching scene was later recalled by Marie Leopoldine in a letter to her father: My new Grandmother Queen gave me a warm welcome and talk to me in German....she congratulates me for be now part of her family, and the rest of the family followed her example....thanks to her, all my fears are gone....
Once all the members of the family formally salute her, finally Marie Leopoldine was in front of Louis XVII; at the sight of the young King, the Archduchess became deeply in love: My dear father, I'm so happy!!...my husband is such a handsome young man!...I adored him since the moment I saw him!, she later wrote to her father.
However, the first impression of Louis XVII about his future wife wasn't too good: reportedly, he privately say to his brother: Well, she is not a real beauty and also was a little chubby, but I must to follow the reason of state....if France needed this Queen, I happily agreed with my fate...
The next day (15 March) in the middle of continues parades and fireworks, was celebrated the marriage between King Louis XVII of France and Archduchess Marie Leopoldine of Austria at Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Once the ceremony ended, the royal couple made a trip through the main streets and suburbs of Paris, where they received the euforic cheers of their subjects.
When the King and Queen arrived at the Tuileries, they opened with a viennese vals the formal reception, who lasted one full day and night. Marie Antoinette, again dressed in full gold clothes, was in good spirits: with this marriage, she believed that the continuity of the Bourbon dynasty would be guaranteed.
TO BE CONTINUED....
REICHFURST,
Even though things didn't entirely go smoothly re her predecessor, nice touch to have the new Queen Marie Leopoldine venture to Paris via the same route. Since there's no more Holy Roman Empire, though, does this mean that her father the Emperor of Austria had to negotiate with the individual German states to ensure her safe passage from Austrian territory all the way to France? Well, in any case, that part of the journey seemed to work and she even managed to be okay having to leave all her Austrian attendants behind at that Ile [ did she ALSO have to leave every single stitch of Austrian clothes behind as did MA who literally had to strip to the altogether then attire herself in French fabric to emerge on the other side?]. Nice receptions in all the French towns that seem warmer and warmer as she gets closer to Paris. Also, good that her new in-laws all seem welcoming [even her mother-in-law Maria Amalia who seems to have put aside any bitterness over NEVER being able to be Queen of France and whom protocol will require her to courtesy to the younger woman the same way she does her own mother-in-law]. Especially nice welcome by MA and the Parisian Subjects who all seem quite charmed by her -and the young Queen is enthralled at the sight of her new husband. Uh-oh, Louis XVII doesn't seem to share his family's or subjects' adoration of his new bride and considers her plain and pudgy but IS going through the wedding ceremony as a matter of fate and duty. Gee, that bodes well.
Well, I guess a girl can't have everything but, even if he doesn't grow to return her love, let's hope he treats her with enough courtesy and, more urgently, sires an heir before the embers turn to ashes. I wonder if he'll curse the artists like Henry VIII did re Anne of Cleves and Phillip II of Spain did with re Mary I of England? MA better be careful not to pin TOO much on this marriage. Oh, and how are things with the Duke and Duchess of Normandy and their son? Any more children on the agenda for them?
Even though things didn't entirely go smoothly re her predecessor, nice touch to have the new Queen Marie Leopoldine venture to Paris via the same route. Since there's no more Holy Roman Empire, though, does this mean that her father the Emperor of Austria had to negotiate with the individual German states to ensure her safe passage from Austrian territory all the way to France? Well, in any case, that part of the journey seemed to work and she even managed to be okay having to leave all her Austrian attendants behind at that Ile [ did she ALSO have to leave every single stitch of Austrian clothes behind as did MA who literally had to strip to the altogether then attire herself in French fabric to emerge on the other side?]. Nice receptions in all the French towns that seem warmer and warmer as she gets closer to Paris. Also, good that her new in-laws all seem welcoming [even her mother-in-law Maria Amalia who seems to have put aside any bitterness over NEVER being able to be Queen of France and whom protocol will require her to courtesy to the younger woman the same way she does her own mother-in-law]. Especially nice welcome by MA and the Parisian Subjects who all seem quite charmed by her -and the young Queen is enthralled at the sight of her new husband. Uh-oh, Louis XVII doesn't seem to share his family's or subjects' adoration of his new bride and considers her plain and pudgy but IS going through the wedding ceremony as a matter of fate and duty. Gee, that bodes well.
Well, I guess a girl can't have everything but, even if he doesn't grow to return her love, let's hope he treats her with enough courtesy and, more urgently, sires an heir before the embers turn to ashes. I wonder if he'll curse the artists like Henry VIII did re Anne of Cleves and Phillip II of Spain did with re Mary I of England? MA better be careful not to pin TOO much on this marriage. Oh, and how are things with the Duke and Duchess of Normandy and their son? Any more children on the agenda for them?With a new Queen now in charge of the royal court, Marie Antoinette decided that was time to leave the Tuileries; she never felt comfortable in this palace, who brings to her painful memories since she was forced to leave Versailles and moved there in 1789.
At first, the Queen-Grandmother thinked about the idea to moved back to Versailles with her household, but her increased popularity finally made her forget that idea. Finally, on June 1815 Marie Antoinette moved to the Élysée Palace, recently purchased to Bathilde d'Orléans, Duchess of Bourbon (mother of the late Duke of Enghien). Once there, the Queen-Grandmother dedicated herself to a more simple life, surrounded by her small household, leaded by the Princess of Lamballe.
Also, the Duke and the Duchess of Normandy decided to leave the Tuileries, so in August 1815 they also moved. Their new home, the Luxembourg Palace, was chosen by the Regent because, being near the Tuileries he can still being able to manage the government; another factor about the choice of palace was his mother, who asked him be near to the little Duke of Brittany, whose delicate health and constant convulsions worried Marie Antoinette, who began to criticize both Louis Charles and Catherine Pavlovna for the neglect that they had over their son: with the Regent in the government affairs and the Duchess of Normandy constantly distracted with her social life, both parents rarely visited their 3-years-old son, who in consequence spend much time in the Élysée Palace with Marie Antoinette, who adores him: the litte Louis Auguste is the child of my heart, my chou d'amour....he barely can walk without being agitated, but his heart is so pure and plenty of love, that I don't care nothing more to restored his health, the Queen-Grandmother wrote to the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, the maternal grandmother, who also scolded her daughter for being so motherless and care only in her Karl, only in him: you're not only a wife my child, but also a mother, remember it....
Shortly after the move of the Regent and his family, the Count of Artois, with his sons and daughters-in-law, moved to the Château de Marly, located in the western suburbs of Paris, while Madame Elisabeth and the Count of Provence (who was increasingly sick with severe attacks of gout) moved to the Château de la Muette, on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne.
At the end, the Tuileres became the residence of the "Young Royals": the King and his direct family, his wife, mother, sisters and brother. Soon, Queen Marie Leopoldine, developed a cultured and entertained court; especially interested in the natural sciences, with particular enthusiasm about botany and, above all, mineralogy, the Queen soon attracted the national interest when she founded the Royal Botanical and Mineral Garden in the gardens of the Palace of Fontainebleau on 10 November 1815: exotic plants, animals and minerals where exposed in the specially created space in the north part of the Palace's gardens. When the Royal Botanical and Mineral Garden opened his doors to the population on 1 December, the success of the event crossed the borders of the Kingdom of France, and soon persons from other countries came to Fontainebleau to watch the marvelous spectacle of being in the middle of such creatures and plants never seeing in this part of the world, as later recalled Archibald Hamilton, 9th Duke of Hamilton, one of the first visitors of the Royal Garden.
In addition, the Queen soon resurrected the vivacity and festivities in the French court, largely forgotten by the older royals. Balls, hunts and ceremonies succeeded one after other; although Marie Leopoldine was more a privately and shy person (after all, she was educated in the main principles of the Habsburgs: discipline, piety and a sense of duty) she desperately had made all this efforts to pleased her husband, who enjoyed the court life.
Only a few weeks after her wedding, Marie Leopoldine became disenchanted with her marriage: Louis XVII, after fulfill his duties avoided her; even although he respected her as his consort, in fact he didn't love her, as later recalled the Duke of Anjou.
In mid-July the Queen announced her first pregnancy; however, on 12 August she had a miscarriage. When the whole royal family was reunited at the Palace of Fontainebleau to celebrate Christmas and New Year, in the night of 2-3 January 1816, Marie Leopoldine suffered her second miscarriage.
Marie Antoinette and the rest of the family began to be extremely worried about the possibility that the Queen could had reproductive problems; this, united with the coldness of Louis XVII to his wife, caused alarm in the Queen-Grandmother.
TO BE CONTINUED...
At first, the Queen-Grandmother thinked about the idea to moved back to Versailles with her household, but her increased popularity finally made her forget that idea. Finally, on June 1815 Marie Antoinette moved to the Élysée Palace, recently purchased to Bathilde d'Orléans, Duchess of Bourbon (mother of the late Duke of Enghien). Once there, the Queen-Grandmother dedicated herself to a more simple life, surrounded by her small household, leaded by the Princess of Lamballe.
Also, the Duke and the Duchess of Normandy decided to leave the Tuileries, so in August 1815 they also moved. Their new home, the Luxembourg Palace, was chosen by the Regent because, being near the Tuileries he can still being able to manage the government; another factor about the choice of palace was his mother, who asked him be near to the little Duke of Brittany, whose delicate health and constant convulsions worried Marie Antoinette, who began to criticize both Louis Charles and Catherine Pavlovna for the neglect that they had over their son: with the Regent in the government affairs and the Duchess of Normandy constantly distracted with her social life, both parents rarely visited their 3-years-old son, who in consequence spend much time in the Élysée Palace with Marie Antoinette, who adores him: the litte Louis Auguste is the child of my heart, my chou d'amour....he barely can walk without being agitated, but his heart is so pure and plenty of love, that I don't care nothing more to restored his health, the Queen-Grandmother wrote to the Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna, the maternal grandmother, who also scolded her daughter for being so motherless and care only in her Karl, only in him: you're not only a wife my child, but also a mother, remember it....
Shortly after the move of the Regent and his family, the Count of Artois, with his sons and daughters-in-law, moved to the Château de Marly, located in the western suburbs of Paris, while Madame Elisabeth and the Count of Provence (who was increasingly sick with severe attacks of gout) moved to the Château de la Muette, on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne.
At the end, the Tuileres became the residence of the "Young Royals": the King and his direct family, his wife, mother, sisters and brother. Soon, Queen Marie Leopoldine, developed a cultured and entertained court; especially interested in the natural sciences, with particular enthusiasm about botany and, above all, mineralogy, the Queen soon attracted the national interest when she founded the Royal Botanical and Mineral Garden in the gardens of the Palace of Fontainebleau on 10 November 1815: exotic plants, animals and minerals where exposed in the specially created space in the north part of the Palace's gardens. When the Royal Botanical and Mineral Garden opened his doors to the population on 1 December, the success of the event crossed the borders of the Kingdom of France, and soon persons from other countries came to Fontainebleau to watch the marvelous spectacle of being in the middle of such creatures and plants never seeing in this part of the world, as later recalled Archibald Hamilton, 9th Duke of Hamilton, one of the first visitors of the Royal Garden.
In addition, the Queen soon resurrected the vivacity and festivities in the French court, largely forgotten by the older royals. Balls, hunts and ceremonies succeeded one after other; although Marie Leopoldine was more a privately and shy person (after all, she was educated in the main principles of the Habsburgs: discipline, piety and a sense of duty) she desperately had made all this efforts to pleased her husband, who enjoyed the court life.
Only a few weeks after her wedding, Marie Leopoldine became disenchanted with her marriage: Louis XVII, after fulfill his duties avoided her; even although he respected her as his consort, in fact he didn't love her, as later recalled the Duke of Anjou.
In mid-July the Queen announced her first pregnancy; however, on 12 August she had a miscarriage. When the whole royal family was reunited at the Palace of Fontainebleau to celebrate Christmas and New Year, in the night of 2-3 January 1816, Marie Leopoldine suffered her second miscarriage.
Marie Antoinette and the rest of the family began to be extremely worried about the possibility that the Queen could had reproductive problems; this, united with the coldness of Louis XVII to his wife, caused alarm in the Queen-Grandmother.
TO BE CONTINUED...
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OK, it makes sense for MA and the 'older royals' to move away from Tuilleries [and the Duke and Duchess of Normandy's neglect of their sickly son must be VERY blatant if somehow her mother in Russia heard about it and chastised her for it since I don't think this is something she'd have bragged up in the Christmas letters]. Oh, well the boy at least has MA in his corner. I hope that can help.
What seems to be more in need of help is for the marriage of Louis XVII and Queen Marie Leopoldine to survive- and be bountiful. Since the queen in OTL [in Brazil] did NOT seem to have had miscarriages; could the cause be somehow Louis XVII be passing on some bad birth defect to their offspring that is too terrible for their children to be born full term? I hope MA can help BUT she needs to remember how her OWN experience of being under a microscope/fishbowl the first eight years of her marriage to Louis XVI didn't help. As startling and even inappropriate as her letters to her mother Maria Theresa are to us regarding Louis XVI's physical affliction that prevented their union from being joined, a royal marriage that didn't prove bountiful WAS a Matter of State.
Will it be up to Louis XVII's younger brother or even sickly cousin to continue the Bourbon line? And since his marriage to Marie Leopoldine HAS been consummated, it can't be annulled regardless of either's wishes [or the state's convenience].
Well, one thing's for sure, I seriously doubt anyone would be openly celebrating Bastille Day had this AH happened.
What seems to be more in need of help is for the marriage of Louis XVII and Queen Marie Leopoldine to survive- and be bountiful. Since the queen in OTL [in Brazil] did NOT seem to have had miscarriages; could the cause be somehow Louis XVII be passing on some bad birth defect to their offspring that is too terrible for their children to be born full term? I hope MA can help BUT she needs to remember how her OWN experience of being under a microscope/fishbowl the first eight years of her marriage to Louis XVI didn't help. As startling and even inappropriate as her letters to her mother Maria Theresa are to us regarding Louis XVI's physical affliction that prevented their union from being joined, a royal marriage that didn't prove bountiful WAS a Matter of State.
Will it be up to Louis XVII's younger brother or even sickly cousin to continue the Bourbon line? And since his marriage to Marie Leopoldine HAS been consummated, it can't be annulled regardless of either's wishes [or the state's convenience].
Well, one thing's for sure, I seriously doubt anyone would be openly celebrating Bastille Day had this AH happened.
Too bad new queen is not happy. And I am excited about the way you write about MA!
Tell me, do you intend the Eaglet to appear later on? As far as I understood, MA took certain interest in him.
Tell me, do you intend the Eaglet to appear later on? As far as I understood, MA took certain interest in him.
The incest must be providing homology for deleterious alleles.There's still a chance they could give birth to healthy children,just lower than normal couples.
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Since the beggining of 1816, Louis XVII took more interest in the government affairs: he assisted in a daily basis to all the formal sessions of the Parliament, and finally could express his political opinions (although being still legally a minor, he did it very limited); also, he began to paid more attention (always under the guidance of the Regent) to the national army, his development and the welfare of the soldiers. Also, the King took interest in the urban growth of the city of Paris: in the last 20 years, despite the wars and political unrest, the population increased considerably, and thus was necessary a redesign of the streets and suburbs. With the enthusiastic support of Louis XVII, was proposed a plan to overthrow old and useless buildings, and their places were built the so-called Communal Houses (Maisons Communales) where by low rents, the people who lived in the dangerous and crowded parisians suburbs could moved.
The interest of the King in the military, cultural and political affairs, distracted himself from the failure of his personal life: despite being married for less than a year, Louis XVII only approached to his wife with the purpose of gave a France an heir. Marie Leopoldine's failure to had a full-term pregnancy began to cause gossips and concern among the court and population, moreover when on 18 June 1816 she suffered her third miscarriage.
Desperate for giving birth a living child, the Queen made a pilgrimage to the Basilica of the Sacré-Coeur at Paray-le-Monial in the Burgundian commune of Saône-et-Loire. Once there, Marie Leopoldine kneeled and pray during two days and one night, asking for the miracle.
When by the end of September a new pregnancy of the Queen was announced, the court was skeptical and in consequence the notice wasn't celebrated in the customary and expected way. The parisians, by the other hand, still had hopes over their Queen and celebrated the news with fireworks and parades.
Under the constant care of physicians and midwives (who remained at her side all the time), Marie Leopoldine's anguish became in joy when she finally surpassed the 5th month of pregnancy in mid-November; after this, she remained in bed.
The formal majority of Louis XVII, scheduled on his 18th birthday (3 February 1817) was only celebrated with a solemn mass at Reims Cathedral, where the Duke of Normandy symbolically gave the King his sword as a sign of the end of his Regency. The lack of festivities was made in consideration to the advanced state of pregnancy of the Queen, hoping for the birth of the long waited and desired Dauphin, as the King mentioned in the short speech that he gave during the mass of his majority.
Marie Antoinette was the only member of the royal family who assisted to the ceremony, because the rest of them where at the Tuileries, waiting the inminent childbirth of the Queen.
During the last month of Marie Leopoldine's pregnancy, all the royal family and courtesans expected anxiously. Finally, in the first hours of 11 March, the Queen had the first labor pains.
Following custom, all the members of the royal family and princes of the blood entered in the Queen's room to witness the birth. After almost 5 hours of ordeal, Marie Leopoldine gave birth a healthy daughter.
The birth of a Princess extremely dissapointed the courtesans, and reportedly one of them even exclamed: after all the expectation, only a princess, what a waste of time!!...; however, in all Paris the event was celebrated with solemn masses and fireworks.
Despite the gender of his first-born child, Louis XVII was genuinely happy with his daughter, and proudly showed her to all the court, who respectfully inclined in front of Madame la Princesse, as she was already called.
After the King and Queen, the first person who had the privilege to holds the newborn was Marie Antoinette: at the sight of her first great-grandchild, she remarked: This child was certainly send by God as the answer of all our tribulations and failures....
Two months later, on 23 May, the first fille de France of the new Bourbon generation was solemnly baptized at Notre-Dame in a magnificent ceremony; in the font, the child was hold by the Queen-Grandmother and the Duke of Normandy, who acted as godparents. The little princess received the names of Marie Victoire Félicité in honour of the Victory and Happiness that her birth brought to her parents and the Kingdom.
TO BE CONTINUED.....
The interest of the King in the military, cultural and political affairs, distracted himself from the failure of his personal life: despite being married for less than a year, Louis XVII only approached to his wife with the purpose of gave a France an heir. Marie Leopoldine's failure to had a full-term pregnancy began to cause gossips and concern among the court and population, moreover when on 18 June 1816 she suffered her third miscarriage.
Desperate for giving birth a living child, the Queen made a pilgrimage to the Basilica of the Sacré-Coeur at Paray-le-Monial in the Burgundian commune of Saône-et-Loire. Once there, Marie Leopoldine kneeled and pray during two days and one night, asking for the miracle.
When by the end of September a new pregnancy of the Queen was announced, the court was skeptical and in consequence the notice wasn't celebrated in the customary and expected way. The parisians, by the other hand, still had hopes over their Queen and celebrated the news with fireworks and parades.
Under the constant care of physicians and midwives (who remained at her side all the time), Marie Leopoldine's anguish became in joy when she finally surpassed the 5th month of pregnancy in mid-November; after this, she remained in bed.
The formal majority of Louis XVII, scheduled on his 18th birthday (3 February 1817) was only celebrated with a solemn mass at Reims Cathedral, where the Duke of Normandy symbolically gave the King his sword as a sign of the end of his Regency. The lack of festivities was made in consideration to the advanced state of pregnancy of the Queen, hoping for the birth of the long waited and desired Dauphin, as the King mentioned in the short speech that he gave during the mass of his majority.
Marie Antoinette was the only member of the royal family who assisted to the ceremony, because the rest of them where at the Tuileries, waiting the inminent childbirth of the Queen.
During the last month of Marie Leopoldine's pregnancy, all the royal family and courtesans expected anxiously. Finally, in the first hours of 11 March, the Queen had the first labor pains.
Following custom, all the members of the royal family and princes of the blood entered in the Queen's room to witness the birth. After almost 5 hours of ordeal, Marie Leopoldine gave birth a healthy daughter.
The birth of a Princess extremely dissapointed the courtesans, and reportedly one of them even exclamed: after all the expectation, only a princess, what a waste of time!!...; however, in all Paris the event was celebrated with solemn masses and fireworks.
Despite the gender of his first-born child, Louis XVII was genuinely happy with his daughter, and proudly showed her to all the court, who respectfully inclined in front of Madame la Princesse, as she was already called.
After the King and Queen, the first person who had the privilege to holds the newborn was Marie Antoinette: at the sight of her first great-grandchild, she remarked: This child was certainly send by God as the answer of all our tribulations and failures....
Two months later, on 23 May, the first fille de France of the new Bourbon generation was solemnly baptized at Notre-Dame in a magnificent ceremony; in the font, the child was hold by the Queen-Grandmother and the Duke of Normandy, who acted as godparents. The little princess received the names of Marie Victoire Félicité in honour of the Victory and Happiness that her birth brought to her parents and the Kingdom.
TO BE CONTINUED.....
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Poor Marie Leopoldine struggling to have a healthy baby while her union threatens to become ashes. Meantime, Louis XVII seems to gung ho on become a REAL rule- and,to his credit, he is considering some practical, much needed if ambitious projects [and he'll KEEP the support of the Parisians if he can pull off that mass building for their new homes].
Well, Louis XVII gets to rule upon his 18th birthday and FINALLY has a healthy child but it's a girl. Thankfully, he himself seems grateful and MA considers her firstborn great-grandchild to be boon to the kingdom. Maybe Louis XVII and MA could see if France could FINALLY set aside that Salic Law. It's done more harm than good down the centuries and MA can site the example of her own late mother as an excellent woman ruler [though Maria Theresa wound up having to create an entirely new dynasty rather than dump the Salic Law in Austria with her flighty, disinterested husband Francis of Lorraine as the OFFICIAL Emperor with herself as Empress Consort but everyone knew SHE was the actual ruler]. Anyway, it should be interesting to see if Marie Victoire can bring about her OWN revolution as she grows up.
Well, Louis XVII gets to rule upon his 18th birthday and FINALLY has a healthy child but it's a girl. Thankfully, he himself seems grateful and MA considers her firstborn great-grandchild to be boon to the kingdom. Maybe Louis XVII and MA could see if France could FINALLY set aside that Salic Law. It's done more harm than good down the centuries and MA can site the example of her own late mother as an excellent woman ruler [though Maria Theresa wound up having to create an entirely new dynasty rather than dump the Salic Law in Austria with her flighty, disinterested husband Francis of Lorraine as the OFFICIAL Emperor with herself as Empress Consort but everyone knew SHE was the actual ruler]. Anyway, it should be interesting to see if Marie Victoire can bring about her OWN revolution as she grows up.
I don't think repealing salic law would be too much of a problem if Louis XVII didn't feel "bound by tradition" like his two great-uncles were.IOTL,the parliament offered to do it at one point after the Bourbon Restoration.
I guess we get a Queen Victoria in France?
I guess we get a Queen Victoria in France?
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The court and the Kingdom of France are in the middle of the celebrations for the birth of Madame la Princesse, when arrived from Berlin an unexpected proposal of marriage: King Frederick William III asked to King Louis XVII the hands of one of two unmarried sisters for his eldest son and heir, Crown Prince Frederick William.
The Prussian entourage with the proposal, leaded by the King's brother Prince Henry of Prussia, arrived to the Tuileries on 10 April 1817, in the middle of celebrations among the parisians, who watched the teutonic looks of the Prince and his cortege with curiosity.
The Parliament agreed with an alliance with Prussia: such powerful neighbor could bring political advantages to France in the future, moreover if they are bonded by a marriage.
Louis XVII and the whole royal family reunited in a family council at the Tuileries to study the proposal. Marie Leopoldine, being an staunch Catholic, bitterly refused to leave one of her sisters-in-law marry with the Calvinist Crown Prince of Prussia; however, the conversion of faith was one of the key points in the marriage proposal showed by Prince Henry in the name of his brother: the future Queen of Prussia must to be from the same faith of her subjects, and in this matter even the Crown Prince supported his father.
Marie Antoinette wisely agreed with the change of faith of the intended bride, mostly because, as she exposed in the family council: an alliance with Prussia was so prestigious and powerful to us that the religion matter wasn't seems a big problem....Both of my granddaughters are aware that duty and loyalty to the family was placed in first place, and if one of them could be a the Queen of Prussia, I'm happy for it....
The Dowager Dauphine was also from the same opinion of her mother-in-law; once she knew that one of her daughters would be a Queen (unlike her), also leave the issue of the faith in second place.
The Duke of Normandy and his wife also supported the idea of an alliance with Prussia, moreover because of the fact that Catherine Pavlovna's younger brother, Grand Duke Nicholas Pavlovich of Russia, was already betrothed with the younger sister of Crown Prince Frederick William, Princess Charlotte of Prussia.
But the other old royals, the Counts of Provence and Artois, with their sister Madame Elisabeth, sided with Marie Leopoldine and also were against the marriage with Prussia. The Dukes of Angoulême and Berry, with his wives, remained neutral in the dispute.
Finally, was the King who had the last word: he agreed with the Parliament that the marriage with Prussia would bring considerable prestige to the Bourbons and a potential ally if was needed. In consequence, after three days of discussions, on 21 April 1817 Louis XVII informed to Prince Henry of Prussia that he happily gave his consent to the marriage between his beloved sister and the Crown Prince of Prussia.
Now, the only remaining task was to choose between the two sisters of the King; Prince Henry had clear instructions from his brother King Frederick William III: the bride who would be chosen must to be not only beautiful but also with an strong personality, courageous and intelligent....in this way, she would compensated the lack of virtues of the Crown Prince.
After a couple of weeks of careful observation, Prince Henry finally announced his election: the future Crown Princess and Queen of Prussia was the eldest sister of the French King, Antoinette Caroline Pia, aged 19.
The formal betrothal was signed in the Tuileries Palace on 14 May 1817, with the whole city of Paris celebrating the alliance with Prussia. Prince Henry signed the contract representing the Crown Prince; following the banquet and formal ball in ocasion of the engagement, Antoinette Caroline Pia began her education in the Calvinism faith with a priest who accompanied the Prussian entourage.
The quick and sharp mind of Antoinette Caroline Pia caused that after only one month, the Calvinist priest considered her ready for the formal conversion. The baptism of the princess in the Calvinism faith took place (at her request) in the private rooms of the Queen-Grandmother at the Élysée Palace on 25 June 1817; despite the fact that her conversion before her wedding wasn't a requirement, Antoinette Caroline Pia insisted that she must to entered in Prussia as proper Calvinist princess, ready to meet her new subjects and family. With this firm decision, the princess won the hearts of the Prussian cortege; Prince Henry wrote to his brother: The princess showed to all of us her determination and intelligence with her conversion before meet the Crown Prince...indeed we must be thanked for the precious gift that France gave to us....
Despite their protests, Queen Marie Leopoldine and the rest of the elder royals were forced to be present in the conversion by the King: if Madame couldn't be in the ceremony, I considered myself insulted, reportedly say Louis XVII to his wife.
One month later, on 28 July, Antoinette Caroline Pia leave the Tuileries and France forever. Her brothers and sisters are visibly touched; the Duke of Anjou and Princess Elisabeth were sobbing like childs, according to the Duchess of Angoulême. The Dowager Dauphine, also terribly sad, managed to be strong in the time of her eldest daughter's departure. The King embraced his sister and say goodbye to her in such solemn and strong way that all the present were deeply moved by the scene.
Marie Antoinette was the last to talk to the princess before she enter in her golden carriage. She adviced her to be a good wife but before anything to be a good Crown Princess of Prussia, but never forget who you are. As a personal gift, the Queen-Grandmother gave her the diamond bracelet that she received from her own mother, the Empress Maria Theresia, when she leave Vienna in 1770; this precious object was the only one who Marie Antoinette managed to hide from the French entourage when she arrived to her new home.
As the head of the French entourage who had the task to escorted the princess to Prussia, the King choose his uncle the Duke of Normandy. Louis XVII also gave his sister a magnificent trousseau, who included jewelry, tapestries, her wedding dress made in fine silk and silver and a dowry of 250,000 livres; the Prussian couldn't say that we sent a poor bride to them, he reportedly recalled.
Surrounded by the Prussian and French entourages, Antoinette Caroline Pia began her trip to Berlin and her new country, Prussia.
TO BE CONTINUED.....
The Prussian entourage with the proposal, leaded by the King's brother Prince Henry of Prussia, arrived to the Tuileries on 10 April 1817, in the middle of celebrations among the parisians, who watched the teutonic looks of the Prince and his cortege with curiosity.
The Parliament agreed with an alliance with Prussia: such powerful neighbor could bring political advantages to France in the future, moreover if they are bonded by a marriage.
Louis XVII and the whole royal family reunited in a family council at the Tuileries to study the proposal. Marie Leopoldine, being an staunch Catholic, bitterly refused to leave one of her sisters-in-law marry with the Calvinist Crown Prince of Prussia; however, the conversion of faith was one of the key points in the marriage proposal showed by Prince Henry in the name of his brother: the future Queen of Prussia must to be from the same faith of her subjects, and in this matter even the Crown Prince supported his father.
Marie Antoinette wisely agreed with the change of faith of the intended bride, mostly because, as she exposed in the family council: an alliance with Prussia was so prestigious and powerful to us that the religion matter wasn't seems a big problem....Both of my granddaughters are aware that duty and loyalty to the family was placed in first place, and if one of them could be a the Queen of Prussia, I'm happy for it....
The Dowager Dauphine was also from the same opinion of her mother-in-law; once she knew that one of her daughters would be a Queen (unlike her), also leave the issue of the faith in second place.
The Duke of Normandy and his wife also supported the idea of an alliance with Prussia, moreover because of the fact that Catherine Pavlovna's younger brother, Grand Duke Nicholas Pavlovich of Russia, was already betrothed with the younger sister of Crown Prince Frederick William, Princess Charlotte of Prussia.
But the other old royals, the Counts of Provence and Artois, with their sister Madame Elisabeth, sided with Marie Leopoldine and also were against the marriage with Prussia. The Dukes of Angoulême and Berry, with his wives, remained neutral in the dispute.
Finally, was the King who had the last word: he agreed with the Parliament that the marriage with Prussia would bring considerable prestige to the Bourbons and a potential ally if was needed. In consequence, after three days of discussions, on 21 April 1817 Louis XVII informed to Prince Henry of Prussia that he happily gave his consent to the marriage between his beloved sister and the Crown Prince of Prussia.
Now, the only remaining task was to choose between the two sisters of the King; Prince Henry had clear instructions from his brother King Frederick William III: the bride who would be chosen must to be not only beautiful but also with an strong personality, courageous and intelligent....in this way, she would compensated the lack of virtues of the Crown Prince.
After a couple of weeks of careful observation, Prince Henry finally announced his election: the future Crown Princess and Queen of Prussia was the eldest sister of the French King, Antoinette Caroline Pia, aged 19.
The formal betrothal was signed in the Tuileries Palace on 14 May 1817, with the whole city of Paris celebrating the alliance with Prussia. Prince Henry signed the contract representing the Crown Prince; following the banquet and formal ball in ocasion of the engagement, Antoinette Caroline Pia began her education in the Calvinism faith with a priest who accompanied the Prussian entourage.
The quick and sharp mind of Antoinette Caroline Pia caused that after only one month, the Calvinist priest considered her ready for the formal conversion. The baptism of the princess in the Calvinism faith took place (at her request) in the private rooms of the Queen-Grandmother at the Élysée Palace on 25 June 1817; despite the fact that her conversion before her wedding wasn't a requirement, Antoinette Caroline Pia insisted that she must to entered in Prussia as proper Calvinist princess, ready to meet her new subjects and family. With this firm decision, the princess won the hearts of the Prussian cortege; Prince Henry wrote to his brother: The princess showed to all of us her determination and intelligence with her conversion before meet the Crown Prince...indeed we must be thanked for the precious gift that France gave to us....
Despite their protests, Queen Marie Leopoldine and the rest of the elder royals were forced to be present in the conversion by the King: if Madame couldn't be in the ceremony, I considered myself insulted, reportedly say Louis XVII to his wife.
One month later, on 28 July, Antoinette Caroline Pia leave the Tuileries and France forever. Her brothers and sisters are visibly touched; the Duke of Anjou and Princess Elisabeth were sobbing like childs, according to the Duchess of Angoulême. The Dowager Dauphine, also terribly sad, managed to be strong in the time of her eldest daughter's departure. The King embraced his sister and say goodbye to her in such solemn and strong way that all the present were deeply moved by the scene.
Marie Antoinette was the last to talk to the princess before she enter in her golden carriage. She adviced her to be a good wife but before anything to be a good Crown Princess of Prussia, but never forget who you are. As a personal gift, the Queen-Grandmother gave her the diamond bracelet that she received from her own mother, the Empress Maria Theresia, when she leave Vienna in 1770; this precious object was the only one who Marie Antoinette managed to hide from the French entourage when she arrived to her new home.
As the head of the French entourage who had the task to escorted the princess to Prussia, the King choose his uncle the Duke of Normandy. Louis XVII also gave his sister a magnificent trousseau, who included jewelry, tapestries, her wedding dress made in fine silk and silver and a dowry of 250,000 livres; the Prussian couldn't say that we sent a poor bride to them, he reportedly recalled.
Surrounded by the Prussian and French entourages, Antoinette Caroline Pia began her trip to Berlin and her new country, Prussia.
TO BE CONTINUED.....
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No clause against marrying a Catholic who CONVERTED into Calvinism, so they're still in
REICHFURST,
Interesting that MA would actually support the idea of a granddaughter marrying the Heir Apparent of PRUSSIA not just because of the religious difference [which Queen Marie Leopoldine was actually willing to risk permanent estrangement from the entire French Royal Family over] but due to Prussia being considered a bit of an upstart, rebellious kingdom against Austria when Austria was still in charge of the Holy Roman Empire [and surely MA's mother Maria Theresa wouldn't have kept quiet about all the trouble SHE had with Prussia re being able to have her husband become the official Emperor]. But, I guess peaceful relations between France and Prussia would be worth a Protestant service. OK, it's a done deal [and nice touch that MA was able to give her a necklace that SHE had somehow hidden on her person while everything else Austrian got confiscated as she herself had been on that Ile could MA have SWALLOWED said necklace and then watched the chamber pots very carefully for the next few days? Hmm]. Will Crown Princess Antoinette wind up having an in-name marriage with Frederick William did with his OTL wife or will she actually bear a son or two and keep the two Kaiser Wilhelms from ever taking the Prussian stage?
Interesting that MA would actually support the idea of a granddaughter marrying the Heir Apparent of PRUSSIA not just because of the religious difference [which Queen Marie Leopoldine was actually willing to risk permanent estrangement from the entire French Royal Family over] but due to Prussia being considered a bit of an upstart, rebellious kingdom against Austria when Austria was still in charge of the Holy Roman Empire [and surely MA's mother Maria Theresa wouldn't have kept quiet about all the trouble SHE had with Prussia re being able to have her husband become the official Emperor]. But, I guess peaceful relations between France and Prussia would be worth a Protestant service. OK, it's a done deal [and nice touch that MA was able to give her a necklace that SHE had somehow hidden on her person while everything else Austrian got confiscated as she herself had been on that Ile could MA have SWALLOWED said necklace and then watched the chamber pots very carefully for the next few days? Hmm]. Will Crown Princess Antoinette wind up having an in-name marriage with Frederick William did with his OTL wife or will she actually bear a son or two and keep the two Kaiser Wilhelms from ever taking the Prussian stage?
After a two months trip through the Rhine Province, Westphalia and the Kingdoms of Hanover and Saxony, the French-Prussian entourage arrived at Berlin on 26 September 1817.
Antoinette Caroline Pia, escorted by her uncle the Duke of Normandy (who was in the right side of her carriage in a horse), entered in the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia in the middle of acclamations and cheers from the population, who crowded the city since hours ago when was announced the inminent arrival of the princess.
Only after almost three hours (because the streets are so full of people that even the stones of the houses are eager to watch the princess, wrote Louis Charles to his nephew), the cortege finally arrived to Charlottenburg Palace, where King Frederick William III and the whole Prussian Royal Family (except Prince William, who escorted his sister Princess Charlotte to Russia for her marriage with Grand Duke Nicholas Pavlovich in mid-June) and court received them.
Following etiquette, was the princess who approached first to the King, handed by her uncle. Frederick William III was delighted with his new daughter-in-law, especially when she salute him in perfect German. Antoinette Caroline Pia, with extremelly grace and delicacy -according to witnesses- made a reverence in the French style to the King, who inmediately embraced her; after this, he introduced her to the Crown Prince Frederick William (aged 21) who at the sight of his future wife for the first time became deeply in love: the Crown Prince showed such kindness and loving words to the princess that all became very satisfied, wrote the Duke of Normandy to Louis XVII, who entrusted his uncle to send constant reports about the treatment of his sister in Prussia.
About the feelings of Antoinette Caroline Pia at the sight of her groom, she later wrote to her mother: I'm very happy with the Crown Prince....he is an excellent and loving husband.
Two days later, on 28 September 1817, was celebrated the marriage between Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia and Princess Antoinette Caroline Pia of France at the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) in a magnificent ceremony. The bride used the heavy wedding dress made of silk and silver incrustations who received from her brother as a part of her trousseau, with the Prussian jewelry of the late Queen Louise of Mecklenburg, whom she received as a gift from the King.
At the outside of the Cathedral, all the citizens of Berlin erupted in cheers and warm demostrations of love to the newlyweds, who a golden carriage made a short trip through the main streets of the capital before returned to Charlottenburg Palace, where was held the formal banquet and ball in honor of the couple. The celebrations in the court and the city lasted almost two days with a series of fireworks and parades.
Once the festivities ended, the Duke of Normandy and the French cortege leave Prussia. Louis Charles, after seeing the behavior and intelligence of his niece, was confident enough to leave her.
King Frederick William III gave his son and daughter-in-law the Kronprinzenpalais (Crown Prince's Palace) as their official residence. In her new home, Antoinette Caroline Pia soon developed a high cultured and joyful court, moreover because in absence of the Queen, she held now the highest female rank. Also, she managed to improved the relationship between her husband and father-in-law, who was relatively strained since some time ago. For the Crown Prince, his wife was a wind of fresh air, as he later recalled to his close friends; she pushed him to be more extroverted and interested in the political affairs. By the end of December, she happily announced her first pregnancy to the King and the court.
TO BE CONTINUED.....
Antoinette Caroline Pia, escorted by her uncle the Duke of Normandy (who was in the right side of her carriage in a horse), entered in the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia in the middle of acclamations and cheers from the population, who crowded the city since hours ago when was announced the inminent arrival of the princess.
Only after almost three hours (because the streets are so full of people that even the stones of the houses are eager to watch the princess, wrote Louis Charles to his nephew), the cortege finally arrived to Charlottenburg Palace, where King Frederick William III and the whole Prussian Royal Family (except Prince William, who escorted his sister Princess Charlotte to Russia for her marriage with Grand Duke Nicholas Pavlovich in mid-June) and court received them.
Following etiquette, was the princess who approached first to the King, handed by her uncle. Frederick William III was delighted with his new daughter-in-law, especially when she salute him in perfect German. Antoinette Caroline Pia, with extremelly grace and delicacy -according to witnesses- made a reverence in the French style to the King, who inmediately embraced her; after this, he introduced her to the Crown Prince Frederick William (aged 21) who at the sight of his future wife for the first time became deeply in love: the Crown Prince showed such kindness and loving words to the princess that all became very satisfied, wrote the Duke of Normandy to Louis XVII, who entrusted his uncle to send constant reports about the treatment of his sister in Prussia.
About the feelings of Antoinette Caroline Pia at the sight of her groom, she later wrote to her mother: I'm very happy with the Crown Prince....he is an excellent and loving husband.
Two days later, on 28 September 1817, was celebrated the marriage between Crown Prince Frederick William of Prussia and Princess Antoinette Caroline Pia of France at the Berliner Dom (Berlin Cathedral) in a magnificent ceremony. The bride used the heavy wedding dress made of silk and silver incrustations who received from her brother as a part of her trousseau, with the Prussian jewelry of the late Queen Louise of Mecklenburg, whom she received as a gift from the King.
At the outside of the Cathedral, all the citizens of Berlin erupted in cheers and warm demostrations of love to the newlyweds, who a golden carriage made a short trip through the main streets of the capital before returned to Charlottenburg Palace, where was held the formal banquet and ball in honor of the couple. The celebrations in the court and the city lasted almost two days with a series of fireworks and parades.
Once the festivities ended, the Duke of Normandy and the French cortege leave Prussia. Louis Charles, after seeing the behavior and intelligence of his niece, was confident enough to leave her.
King Frederick William III gave his son and daughter-in-law the Kronprinzenpalais (Crown Prince's Palace) as their official residence. In her new home, Antoinette Caroline Pia soon developed a high cultured and joyful court, moreover because in absence of the Queen, she held now the highest female rank. Also, she managed to improved the relationship between her husband and father-in-law, who was relatively strained since some time ago. For the Crown Prince, his wife was a wind of fresh air, as he later recalled to his close friends; she pushed him to be more extroverted and interested in the political affairs. By the end of December, she happily announced her first pregnancy to the King and the court.
TO BE CONTINUED.....
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REICHFURST,
HOORAY! Crown Princess Antoinette has had a happy meeting and wedding with Frederick William but, more importantly, is soon PREGNANT! YAY! Let's hope this is a living son who can DISPLACE the two obnoxious Kaiser Wilhelms and give Prussia a happier 19th and 20th Century. Already this AH has displaced Napoleon AND given MA a new lease on life!
OK, meanwhile back in France, what's happening with MA and the rest of the Royals and France itself? BTW, will Crown Princess Antoinette need to change her name to ANTONIA the way MA did from Maria Antonia to what she became known in France?
HOORAY! Crown Princess Antoinette has had a happy meeting and wedding with Frederick William but, more importantly, is soon PREGNANT! YAY! Let's hope this is a living son who can DISPLACE the two obnoxious Kaiser Wilhelms and give Prussia a happier 19th and 20th Century. Already this AH has displaced Napoleon AND given MA a new lease on life!
OK, meanwhile back in France, what's happening with MA and the rest of the Royals and France itself? BTW, will Crown Princess Antoinette need to change her name to ANTONIA the way MA did from Maria Antonia to what she became known in France?