tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666114716955489883.post3534424692125436093..comments2024-02-14T22:57:55.638-05:00Comments on The Cross of Laeken: Education of a PrincessUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666114716955489883.post-85391963269840784552010-06-26T02:18:55.944-04:002010-06-26T02:18:55.944-04:00It was arranged; however, Marie-José did come to s...It was arranged; however, Marie-José did come to see Umberto as the perfection of a young man, as can be seen in her youthful diaries:<br /><br />http://crossoflaeken.blogspot.com/2009/08/romantic-marie-jose.html<br /><br />The first case of a Belgian prince marrying a local noble(woman) seems to be Philippe and Mathilde. I never heard of it being considered before.Mayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18230268418171628594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666114716955489883.post-19516726802596267222010-06-25T17:12:53.230-04:002010-06-25T17:12:53.230-04:00Was Marie-José's marriage to Umberto arranged?...Was Marie-José's marriage to Umberto arranged? Léopold was lucky enough to find a princess with whom he fall in love, but that's the exception. Was it ever considered that Belgian princes and princesses could marry local nobles?Jorgenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666114716955489883.post-27334791274285756452010-06-24T23:01:56.845-04:002010-06-24T23:01:56.845-04:00Interestingly, Léopold's relationship with his...Interestingly, Léopold's relationship with his parents seemed to be the opposite, almost a mirror image of Marie-José's. He just adored his mother and was always very close to her, and I think he was pretty much her favorite child. He found Elisabeth very comforting and reassuring, but found Albert intimidating (the king was very severe and demanding with his boys). As time went on, he became close to his father, too, especially as they shared the passion for mountaineering. But when he was little, Léopold used to find visiting his father's study a real ordeal, and had to wait outside the door for quite a while to steady himself beforehand, so long, in fact, that Albert's monograms, inscribed on the door handle, would become impressed in his palm as he fiddled with it nervously!Mayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18230268418171628594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666114716955489883.post-52765322458806691722010-06-24T21:12:30.041-04:002010-06-24T21:12:30.041-04:00Well, she does sound very opposing and authoritari...Well, she does sound very opposing and authoritarian, and this seemed to have bothered both husband and daughter. I love that father and daughter had a close relationship and that they shared the passion for reading. Thanks:)Lucy https://www.blogger.com/profile/13600064401395449845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666114716955489883.post-78086128950695697732010-06-24T16:48:16.014-04:002010-06-24T16:48:16.014-04:00No, of course Elisabeth wasn't anti-intellectu...No, of course Elisabeth wasn't anti-intellectual, she and her husband had a close circle of very intellectual friends. But I think she was just more attracted to the arts and poetry than to philosophy. She loved whatever uplifted the soul, music, painting, opera, etc., but was less drawn to theories and systems. <br /><br />As for M-J's and Elisabeth's relationship, I have often sensed a certain mother/daughter tension in M-J's recollections. But it is also clear they had a great admiration and love for each other and Elisabeth was an inspiring role model for her daughter.Mayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18230268418171628594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5666114716955489883.post-19276059534478705902010-06-24T16:13:48.004-04:002010-06-24T16:13:48.004-04:00Poor Marie-Jose, but I somehow doubt she was all t...Poor Marie-Jose, but I somehow doubt she was all that thwarted by her mother. Like many of her background Queen Elizabeth seems to me to have simply been a very practical, hard-working lady, not anti-intellectual but not seeing a great deal of 'real world' value in reading ancient philosophers. What would she have thought had they been reading Plato?!<br /><br />That's a funny anecdote about King Albert's response. I can just imagine him thinking, in a slightly annoyed but affectionate way, 'Oh, that's just your mother being your mother...'MadMonarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08083008336883267870noreply@blogger.com