Catherine of Aragon: Henry's Spanish Queen

Via Mary Tudor: Renaissance Queen, a fascinating interview with Giles Tremlett, author of a new biography of Catherine of Aragon. An enthusiastic review of the book by Claire Ridgway, HERE.

A Heated Debate

Over at The Elizabeth Files, Claire Ridgway has been recalling the anniversary of the trial of Mary Queen of Scots. Always a topic to arouse passion and controversy:-

Mary Queen of Scots- Tragic Heroine?
The Trial of Mary Queen of Scots

Whatever one thinks of Mary, she is an important figure, not only in her own right, but as the forebear of many other doomed monarchs, such as Charles I, Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. I believe the Belgian royal family are her direct descendants as well.

Margaret of Austria, Regent of the Netherlands

Claire Ridgway discusses the life of this remarkable Renaissance ruler and the influence of her highly cultured court on the young Anne Boleyn.

Spending the formative years of her life in France had not only made Margaret fluent in the language but also very French in her ways. She was also highly educated and was accomplished at music and poetry. Belgian historian, Ghislain de Boom, described her palace at Mechelen (Malines in French) as “un école d’éducation princière et un centre de haute civilisation”[3], “a princely school and a centre of high culture/advanced civilisation”, and so it was. Her court was visited by the likes of Erasmus, and other well-known Humanists, and was known for its superb library which contained poetry, missals, historical work and work by authors such as Christine de Pizan, who was known for challenging mysogyny and the stereotypical views of women, as well as the works of Boccaccio, Aesop, Ovid, Boethius and Aristotle. Margaret was a patron of the arts and her court was also known for Margarets’s collection of paintings by masters such as Jan van Eyck, her collection of illuminated manuscripts and her collection of music books. She surrounded herself with men of letters, poets and painters. Margaret also enjoyed the tradition of courtly love, which Eric Ives describes as “an integral element in chivalry, the complex of attitudes and institutions which was central to the life of the Tudor court and elite”, “a defence against boredom and vice” and a way “to constrain gender relationships within an accepted convention”[4].

In the 19th century, Louise-Marie d'Orléans, the first Queen of the Belgians, enjoyed dressing up as Margaret of Austria.

A Royal Gift

Here is a charming story (thank you, Viola!) of a beautiful ivory brisé fan, purchased in Paris by Queen Louise-Marie of Belgium for her niece, Queen Victoria, in 1839. Apparently, Louise-Marie and Victoria were close friends, with a shared love of fashion. Over the years, the Belgian queen sent many elegant Parisian dresses and accessories to her delighted niece in England...The fan, in particular, had reputedly belonged to Marie-Antoinette, although this is uncertain.

The Young Victoria

I've not seen it yet, but here is an interesting review by Theodore Harvey.  The portrayal of Leopold I really sounds too harsh. He is not my favorite Belgian king but, like Mr. Harvey, I do think he was probably more than a mere coldhearted, selfish intriguer. He was actually Victoria's favorite uncle!

Emily Blunt portrays Victoria (1819-1901) in her last years as a princess and first years as a queen, an important time in any sovereign's life but a particularly interesting one in this case given the dramatic contrast between the suffocating imprisonment she endured under her mother the Duchess of Kent (1786-1861) (Miranda Richardson) and the confident authority she quickly demonstrated as Queen upon her accession in 1837 at the age of 18. Miss Blunt is probably prettier than the real Victoria was, but admirably captures her dutiful yet stubborn, refined yet passionate nature. Mark Strong as the Duchess's unpopular adviser Sir John Conroy (1786-1854) is the perfect villain; the viewer is likely to resent him as much as Victoria did. Some might find Jim Broadbent's exuberant performance as King William IV (1765-1837) a bit over-the-top, but I had no trouble being convinced by the intensity of his dislike of his sister-in-law. Thomas Kretschmann's portrayal of Victoria's uncle King Leopold I of the Belgians (1790-1865) is the only one I thought unfair; all he is allowed to do is scheme and vent, and I think there was probably more to Leopold (and more genuine affection for his niece and nephew) than that. But Rupert Friend's performance as Prince Albert (1819-1861), devoted to Victoria but firmly intent on using his gifts to play the substantial political and cultural role she is at first reluctant to grant him, is exquisite, and moviegoers watching him and Blunt together are likely to have no trouble understanding why the real Victoria would be so devastated by Albert's death two decades later. As a classical musician I was particularly pleased that the movie found time to demonstrate Albert's enthusiasm for the great composers of his time.

The Daughter of Time

Thank goodness the internet seems to be working at the moment! Here is a intriguing review of The Daughter of Time. To quote:

This was a fascinating read by Josephine Tey. It is the story of Alan Grant, a policeman with Scotland Yard, who is laid up in the hospital after being injured on the job. A friend brings in a portrait of Richard III and he has a hard time believing that the man in the picture is the horrible, nephew murdering hunchback that he is familiar with. This sparks his interest and to relieve his boredom he takes up the 400+ year old case of Richard III - did he or did he not murder his nephews in the Tower? He and an American researcher working in the British Museum sort through all the evidence they can get and look at the case through a policeman's perspective - considering motives, opportunities, written accounts from the times, looking for breaks in the normal routine of the main players, etc. Grant becomes convinced that, based on the evidence, that Richard did not murder his nephews. In fact, he had absolutely nothing to gain and quite a bit to lose if he did...

Remembering Diana, Princess of Wales

Strange...only two days after commemorating Queen Astrid's death, we have the anniversary of another young, beautiful, popular royal lady's tragic loss. Exactly 12 years ago today, Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a car crash in Paris. Many have compared Astrid and Diana (both called "Queen of Hearts"). Despite some odd parallels, I think they were very different. In many ways, Diana's story is even more tragic than Astrid's. In any case, I pray that both may rest in peace.

PS: please leave a comment for Astrid, too!

Act of Consecration

Our Lady of Ollignies

Some may remember my post on the Belgian mystic Berthe Petit. According to Berthe, Christ requested the consecration of the world to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary. During World War I, she also reported that Christ desired the solemn consecration of Belgium and England to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart. This was the formula she believed Our Lord had revealed to her:

O Lord Jesus, Who on Calvary and in the Holy Eucharist hast shown Thyself to us as God of Love and Mercy, kneeling humbly at Thy feet we adore Thee and beg once more for Thy forgiveness and Thy divine pity. And remembering that by Thine own act on Calvary, the human race, represented by Thy beloved disciple John, gained a Mother in the Virgin of Sorrows, we desire to honour the sufferings and woes of our Mother's Heart by devoting ourselves to it in solemn Consecration.

It is but just O Mary, that our souls should strive henceforth to venerate thee with special homage under the title of Thy Sorrowful Heart, a title won by sharing in the whole Passion of thy Son and thus co-operating in the work of our redemption - a title due to thee in justice, and dear, we believe, to Jesus and to thine own Heart, torn by the wound in His.

We consecrate therefore, O Mary, to thy Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart ourselves, our families, our country and those who are fighting for its honour. Have pity on us; see our tribulations, and the anguish of our hearts in the midst of the mourning and calamities that lay waste the world. Deign, O Mother of God, to obtain mercy for us that, being converted and purified by sorrow, and made strong in faith, we may henceforth be devoted servants of Jesus Christ and His Church, for whose triumph we pray. O Mary Immaculate, we promise to be faithful clients of thy Sorrowful Heart. Intercede for us, we beseech thee, with thy Son that, at the cry of thy Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, His divine Power may speedily bring to pass the triumph of right and justice.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have pity on us.

Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us and save us.

(The Art of Divine Love or Berthe Petit, Rev. I Duffer, M.S.C, 2003, p. 37)

Berthe was always highly respected by the church authorities, and England's Cardinal Bourne solemnly performed the consecration as she had urged. Belgium's Cardinal Mercier, however, did not. Apparently, he privately consecrated Belgium to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart, but never in a public, solemn manner. What a pity. I do not see what harm it could have done, and it might have helped Belgium in the decades to come...

The Anne Boleyn Files

A while back, I came across an intriguing blog, The Anne Boleyn Files by Claire Ridgway. The author describes herself as:

...a full-time freelance writer, closet history lover, armchair historian and champion of the underdog, from England - land of the Tudors, Shakespeare, green fields and yummy fish and chips.

Of course, as a Catholic, I take Catherine of Aragon's part in the divorce controversy, and she is one of my favorite historical heroines, a great and, ultimately, I  believe, saintly Queen. Yet, Anne was certainly a pivotal figure in English history. For all her faults, she was also an elegant, intelligent, witty and brave woman. Claire Ridgway has a talent for treating controversial topics in an engaging and entertaining fashion and stimulating lively discussions. While sympathetic to Anne, she is not blindly so, and I think her efforts to grasp the truth of an enigmatic character who has inspired such violently contrasting verdicts (monster? beauty? whore? witch? Protestant martyr?) are commendable. I encourage my readers to look at this site, it is a fascinating read.

A Forgotten Queen

Catherine of Braganza, long-suffering wife of Charles II of England.

Leopold & Charlotte

A painting of Prince Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield (1790-1865), later King Leopold I of the Belgians, with his beloved first wife, Princess Charlotte Augusta of Wales, heir to the British throne. When Charlotte died in childbirth in 1817, Leopold wrote to Sir Thomas Lawrence:

...Two generations gone — gone in a moment! I have felt for myself, but I have also felt for the prince regent (her father, the later King George IV) My Charlotte is gone from the country — it has lost her. She was a good, she was an admirable woman. None could know my Charlotte as I did know her. It was my study, my duty, to know her character, but it was also my delight...

Founder of a Dynasty

Here, we see the first King of the Belgians, Leopold I (1790-1865). Born Leopold Georg Christian Friedrich, Prince of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield (later, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha), he was the youngest son of Franz Frederik Anton, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfield and Countess Augusta Reuss-Ebersdorf.  At the age of five, Leopold was appointed honorary Colonel of the Ismailovski Regiment of the Imperial Guards; at 12, he became a General. When, in 1806, Napoleon occupied Coburg, Leopold traveled to Paris, and became well-known at the Imperial court. Napoleon, in fact, wanted to make him an aide-de-camp, but Leopold declined the offer. He pursued a career in the Russian army, in the service of Tsar Alexander I, and distinguished himself in the war against Napoleon. Handsome, intelligent, and accomplished, Leopold rose rapidly to high rank.

In 1815, Leopold moved to England. He acquired British nationality and became a Field Marshal in the British army. In 1816, he married Princess Charlotte, daughter of the Prince Regent (the future George IV), and heir to the British throne. Leopold was preparing himself for the role later played by Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria. (Albert and Victoria were actually his nephew and niece). Leopold's happy and promising marriage, however, ended tragically, the following year, when Princess Charlotte died in childbirth, along with her infant son. Charlotte was deeply mourned by her husband and people.

Despite this disappointment, fortune would favor Leopold. In 1830, he was offered the throne of Greece, but refused to accept. The following year, he was offered, and accepted, the Belgian crown. At the Congress of Vienna, the Belgian provinces, formerly ruled by the Austrian Habsburgs, had been joined with the Dutch provinces, in a united Kingdom of the Netherlands headed by the House of Orange. For different reasons, however, Catholics and Liberals in Belgium developed grievances against the heavy-handed and fiercely Calvinist King William I. In 1830, a pragmatic alliance of the (normally mutually hostile) Catholics and Liberals had overthrown Dutch rule. The emerging Kingdom of Belgium was now seeking a Sovereign. Prince Leopold was considered exceptionally capable, and his British connections were highly desirable. (Great Britain was one of Belgium's main supporters in her struggle for independence, and, of course, later, during World War I). Thus, although a Protestant prince, Leopold became the first King of a predominantly Catholic country. He swore his accession oath on July 21, 1831; this date has been commemorated, ever since, by the celebration of Belgium's National Day. 

Soon after his accession, Leopold confronted a Dutch invasion, aiming at the re-conquest of Belgium. Leopold personally commanded his forces, setting a precedent for future Belgian kings Albert I and Leopold III. Unimpressed by his followers, Leopold remarked, with the caustic irony of the Saxe-Coburgs: "Half of the army betrayed me, the other half fled" (quoted by Queen Marie-José of Italy in her memoirs, Albert et Elisabeth de Belgique, mes parents, 1971). Nonetheless, he made himself loved by sharing the life of his troops. With the aid of the Great Powers, Belgium maintained her independence, but was compelled to make territorial and economic concessions to the Netherlands. The Treaty of London, in 1839, guaranteed Belgium's status as a sovereign and neutral state.

In 1832, Leopold married Princess Louise Marie of Orléans (1812-1850), daughter of King Louis-Philippe of France. The couple had three surviving children: Leopold (1835-1909), future King Leopold II of the Belgians, Philippe (1837-1905), Count of Flanders, father of King Albert I of the Belgians, and Charlotte (1840-1927), later Empress Carlota of Mexico. Despite the Orléans' association with liberalism, freemasonry and revolution, Louise-Marie (pictured below) was a devout Catholic. The royal children were also raised in the Catholic Faith. 

Leopold devoted the rest of his reign to consolidating the young state and quietly furthering its development. He managed to maintain a balance between the Catholic and Liberal parties. In 1835, he saw the culmination of one of his long-nurtured projects: the inauguration of the Brussels-Malines railway line, the first in continental Europe. In 1842, in the face of rising industrialism in Belgium (a process he encouraged), the King attempted to introduce legislation regulating the labor of women and children. Unfortunately, however, his enlightened ideas did not find fertile ground. In 1848, a republican revolution dethroned Leopold's father-in-law, Louis-Philippe, but the upheavals spared Belgium, largely due to Leopold's skillful diplomacy. He was widely admired for his political wisdom; a number of European monarchs, including his niece, Queen Victoria of England, sought his advice. His prudence and tact won him the title "Nestor of Europe." 

On December 10, 1865, after successfully establishing Belgium as a sovereign nation, and founding a new royal dynasty, Leopold died. He remained firmly Protestant to the end; despite the earnest appeals of his entourage, he refused, on his deathbed, to convert to Catholicism. He was succeeded by his son, King Leopold II of the Belgians. 

King Leopold I with Queen Louise-Marie and their children

Mary Tudor: Renaissance Queen

I have recently discovered a fascinating new blog, Mary Tudor: Renaissance Queen by Little Miss Sunnydale. I encourage all my readers to take a look at this promising site!