"Das Kind"

Queen Elisabeth of Belgium was a fragile, yet heroic woman. Her accomplishments during difficult, often tragic, times (especially her exhausting work as a nurse during World War I!) are all the more remarkable given her precarious health and vulnerable sensibility.

While still Crown Princess, Elisabeth suffered from the strains and fatigues of her position. She had a great need for personal liberty and independence, and, as she would later confess to her daughter, Marie-José, she found the atmosphere of the Belgian court bureaucratic and constricting. She missed the mountains, open spaces, and fresh air of her native Bavaria. She often felt intimidated by her husband's uncle, the aging King Leopold II, and his daughter, Princess Clementine, whose caustic severity contrasted with the benevolent tolerance of the Wittelsbachs.Yet, Elisabeth did not complain, accepting these trials in silence and concentrating on supporting and encouraging her husband, Prince Albert.

Undoubtedly, Albert's tender affection, in turn, greatly aided Elisabeth. Touching letters illustrate the young Prince's loving and solicitous attitude to his wife. Elisabeth's pregnancies always left her physically exhausted, and, after the birth of each of her children, she had to spend time convalescing in Bavaria. On one occasion, Albert wrote to her:

Situating Charlotte: Reading Politics in Portraits of Belgian Princess Charlotte, Vicereine of Lombardy-Venetia, Empress of Mexico

By a stroke of luck, I just found this PhD dissertation, by Linda MacNayr of Queen's University, on the artistic portrayals of Empress Carlota. I have only had a chance to glance through it briefly, but it looks fascinating. The illustrations are beautiful. You can download the thesis in PDF format HERE. 

Poignant Souvenirs

In 2005, royal commentator Sue Woolmans discussed her travels in Brussels, giving a lively account of her visits to a number of exhibitions on the Belgian and Russian dynasties. Although I'll admit that her contemptuous attitude towards King Leopold III, whom she mockingly dubs "the careless driver," made my blood boil, I still enjoyed the article, particularly the description of an exhibit on Queen Astrid:

This exhibit was done with much care and love and told her life story room by room. Each room had film footage on show as well, most of which I hadn’t seen before. There was a section dedicated to their tour in Congo, one to the Astrid effect – similar to the Diana one, one to her fashion sense, one to her children, and of course, one on her death. Heaps of photos. Items were lent from the Brussels palace but also much from the collection of Grand Duke Jean and included:

furniture from the playhouse she used as a child

exercise books

her wedding outfits inc shoes

several dresses inc one lovely pink affair with lots of feathers

loads of hats

jewellery – some costume, some real inc an emerald choker given to her by Queen Elisabeth on the birth of her first child

official letters from Leopold to various officials announcing their marriage and her death

personal letters inc one to Charles from Leopold after her death talking about the children, and an affectionate one from Albert to Astrid

postcards sent by Astrid to Josephine-Charlotte when they were on tour in the Congo, one of which began “Chère petite Joe”. Also the last postcard she ever sent the children from Switzerland

This exhibition was moving. I had tears in my eyes by the end. And I visited it twice.

How I wish I could have been there. It sounds as though this exhibition was the one entitled "Astrid et nous, regards croisés," held at the Royal Palace and the BELvue Museum to mark the 100th anniversary of the Queen's birth in 2005-2006.

"C'était une femme..."

Here are some pages from Michel Verwilghen's magnificent book, Le Mythe d'Argenteuil, offering a fascinating, moving and nuanced portrait of the viciously vilified Lilian de Réthy. To all my guests who understand French, I cannot recommend reading it highly enough.

The People's Will

A recent poll, published in La Libre Belgique, suggests that most Flemings and Walloons want to remain united within the Belgian state:

According to the newspaper only 12 percent want a split of the Kingdom of Belgium. Even the Flemish aren’t really keen on a separate state. Just 22 percent desire the final end of Belgium and the birth of an independent Flanders. On the other hand 40 percent of all Belgians would like to see the unitary state back, which existed until the early 1970s. Obviously, they have enough of the internal border that is dividing the country along the languages. 32 percent favour handing over more power to the existing regions.

Reassuring as the results sound, however, there is a danger of becoming complacent. I highly doubt that "The People's Will" is really the deciding factor here. It is important not to underestimate the power of destructive but determined minorities.

Haunting Memories

A sad but fascinating series of news featurettes commemorating the 75th anniversary of Queen Astrid's death on August 29, 2010. (There is no proof, however, that Astrid was pregnant when she died.)

Tomorrow, September 25, 2010 is also the 27th anniversary of the passing of Astrid's husband, King Leopold III. May they both rest in peace +

Pierre Joseph Redouté

Searching for information on Queen Marie-Amélie, I stumbled across a charming website on the life and work of the celebrated Belgian botanical artist Pierre Joseph Redouté (1759-1840). A humble man, he is nonetheless considered to have been possibly the greatest floral illustrator of all time. His royal patronesses included Queen Marie-Antoinette and both of Napoléon's empresses, Joséphine and Marie-Louise. Despite hardships and reversals of fortune, Redouté was an inveterate survivor, managing to lead a relatively peaceful life and pursue a brilliant career, even in the turbulent, tragic times of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. During his later years, Redouté enjoyed the support of Louis-Philippe and Marie-Amélie and taught flower painting to their artistically talented eldest daughters, Louise and Marie d'Orléans. He dedicated his masterpiece, the "Choix des Plus Belles Fleurs," a 36-part series of albums featuring exquisite, hand-colored stipple engravings of the loveliest flowers and fruits, to the two young princesses. Louise, as we know, would become the first Queen of the Belgians.

More HERE, HERE and HERE.

Queen Astrid: The Mother

The beautiful young Duchess of Brabant, with her two eldest children, Princess Josephine-Charlotte and Prince Baudouin. It is said that, at the birth of her first son, the heir to the throne, Astrid proudly proclaimed: "Now I truly feel Belgian!" 

Another photograph of Astrid, Josephine-Charlotte and Baudouin. I love this image; it is so tender and Astrid looks so happy.

"No Crystal Ball"

Some may have noticed I've said very little about Belgium's ongoing political crisis. I feel a bit awkward discussing the issue, since I'm an outsider. Still, I must say it will be a terrible tragedy and loss if Belgium falls apart. Hugo Biets, alderman of Tongeren, cut to the heart of the matter in an address to mark Armistice Day in 2006. (The speech is published in Dutch and French at ProBelgica). Like Biets, I often wonder: if Belgium splits up, what will become of such commemorations? Who will remember all the heroic men and women, Flemings and Walloons, combatants and noncombatants alike, who sacrificed their lives in defense of united Belgium in both world wars? The soldiers, doctors, nurses, resistance fighters, political prisoners, the victims of oppression, deportation, torture and execution? I also wonder: what will become of the memory of Belgium's kings and queens, who dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to their realm? Whatever their qualities or failings as individuals, I firmly believe they have all shared an intense, generous patriotism. What will happen to their monuments and memorials? Will the Royal Crypt of Laeken, for example, become merely a forlorn relic of a past régime? What of Queen Astrid's memorial chapel in Switzerland, where King Albert II commemorated the 75th anniversary of his mother's tragic demise, less than a month ago? Will there be a Belgian National Day in 2011? Let's hope so. Yet, sadly, I cannot help feeling more and more pessimistic.

A Daughter's Memories

A while back, I posted on the 2003 Sotheby's auction of the clothes and accessories of Princess Lilian of Belgium, and her daughter Princess Esmeralda's memories of her mother's glamor. Here are some photographs of a beaming Esmeralda posing with Lilian's dresses to promote the auction:
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/1997534/AFP
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/1997510/AFP
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/1997501/AFP
http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/1997448/AFP