Expat Royal Brides

Not many expat royal brides are as happy as our Princess Mary. You can read about some of them here: Expat Royal Brides.

The Girl Who Didn't Sell Oranges

She was called the ‘Muse of Paris’ by the Empress Eugenie. Beautiful and wealthy, she held famous Salons attended by artists and writers. She was a patron of the Arts, encouraging young and talented people. She also collected art and antiques.
Princess Mathilde Bonaparte loved her life in Paris, but she had a tough time getting there. Born in 1820, she was the daughter of a German princess and Napoleon’s brother, Jerome. She grew up in Italy, living in Rome and Florence. She enjoyed balls and parties and studied many languages. Her life may seem idyllic, but she lost her mother when she was very young. Her father was mainly interested in her as a useful pawn in the marriage stakes.

Her beauty attracted many suitors, and she set her sights on the romantic musician Liszt, at one stage. However, young Mathilde soon only had eyes for one man. Her cousin, Louis Napoleon, handsome and suave, attracted her attention and they were soon engaged. Louis was poor and in exile then, so Jerome didn’t approve. The engagement was broken.

Marriage to Prince Demidoff

After Jerome met the fabulously wealthy Russian Prince Anatole Demidoff he was extremely anxious to secure him for his daughter. The Prince was obsessed with the Bonaparte family and collected Napoleonic memorabilia. He made Jerome pay a large dowry for the marriage in spite of his wealth.

The couple lived in Russia for a short time where the Princess made a great impression on Tsar Nicholas 1, her mother’s cousin. He liked her beauty and bright personality. The Tsar even said that he would have liked her to marry his son!
The marriage turned out to be a disaster. The Prince abused poor Mathilde and kept his mistress, Valentine de St. Aldegonde. Mathilde entreated him to give Valentine up but he refused. Demidoff even slapped the Princess at a ball. This was called the ‘slap that was heard around the world’.

Mathilde eventually fled to Paris with her handsome lover Émilien de Nieuwerkerke, who became director of the Louvre, and her jewelry. Finally the marriage was annulled. The Tsar made the Prince settle a large allowance on the wronged Mathilde. She even had trouble keeping her jewelry which Demidoff was demanding. She could now fulfil her long-held dream of living in Paris and being a prominent figure in the world of arts and fashion.

Mathilde in Paris

Mathilde helped Louis Napoleon financially with his coup against Louis Philippe. She played the role of the Imperial Princess for her old lover. Mathilde probably still held a flame for her old fiancée but Louis Napoleon wanted a young, untouched bride to be the Empress. He met the lovely Spanish Eugenie at one of Mathilde’s Salons.

The Princess appears to have had a great time in Paris. She wore the latest fashions by designers such as Worth. She held Salons attended by writers, such as Dumas and de Maupassant. She employed Theophile Gautier as her librarian. She collected art and painted herself. She even painted with Giraud. She also had her handsome lover! After he died she lived and may have married another artist, Claudius Marcel Popelin.

Princess Mathilde did take her royal role seriously enough to form a charity, however. She founded a house for sick and disabled girls which she called ‘Asile Mathilde’. She also established scholarships for writers and artists.
Princess Mathilde was thankful for her wealth and lovely life. She remarked that: “If it weren’t for him [Napoleon 1], I’d be selling oranges in the streets of Ajaccio.”

We Await Queen Kate

Yes, I will call her Princess Katherine soon. I just liked the title. A royal wedding! Bliss! I hope to study every aspect of it. I am very excited because Kate Middleton and I share a common ancestor. It will be good to be related to our future Queen.

In the meantime, wonderful Mandy at The Royal Representative has lots of news about it.

I know that I have been a bit 'slack' lately - I hope to write some new posts soon.

The Sainted Princess

(The Palace of Camerino by Anthony Paglialunga)

Would you give up the splendid life of a princess to become a nun? I wouldn't! However, Camilla da Varano did. She has recently been canonized. You can read her story here: The Sainted Princess.

Tea at Trianon: Marie-Amélie, the Last Queen

In the wonderful book about the artist, Renoir, Renoir, My Father, his son tells how Renoir grew up in a poor area of Paris near the Louvre. The little urchins used to call Queen Marie-Amelie 'good Queen Amelie' because she would throw them sweets from the window! Here is an interesting post about her life by Elena Maria Vidal: Tea at Trianon: Marie-Amélie, the Last Queen

R.I.P, Marie Antoinette

Yesterday was the anniversary of the beautiful Queen Marie Antoinette's execution. One only has to read one of the better-written and thoroughly researched biographies of this poor Queen to learn how defamed she has been throughout history.

I am including a link to a free biography of her famous dressmaker and milliner here:
Rose Bertin.

The Adventures of President Grant's Great-Granddaughter

(Library Canada Archives)

Imagine experiencing the glamour of the Imperial Court in Vienna and being presented to Empress Elisabeth! Julia Grant, the great-granddaughter of the Civil War general and President Ulysses S. Grant, had this adventure and many more. This beautiful and clever woman became a Russian princess, fled the Revolution, and wrote many articles and books.

Born at the White House in 1876, she was the daughter of the President's son, Frederick, who was a diplomat. She remembered her grandfather who died when she was ten and described him as grave and serious but kindly. She was apparently very fond of him.

Frederick became the U.S. Ambassador to Austria-Hungary when Julia was older. She learned fluent Austrian in Vienna and made her debut at the Imperial Court. She must have also learned the accomplishments of most educated, upper-class American women and become quite cosmopolitan.

Although the family returned to New York, Julia traveled to Europe with her socialite aunt, Bertha Palmer, who was involved in the Chicago World's Fair, when she was about 19. She met a handsome, young officer in Rome from an aristocratic family. Julia and Prince Michael Catacuzene, who was attached to the Russian Embassy in Rome, soon fell in love.

They married at one of the Astor houses, Beaulieu in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1899.
There were two services - the Episcopalian one at this house and a Russian Orthodox one. Julia's wedding dress was described in the New York Times as 'severely cut and quite simple'. It was made of rich, white satin. She also wore a tulle veil with real orange blossoms attached to it.

After the wedding, the couple divided their time between their apartments in St.Petersburg, their country estate in the Ukraine, and a home in the Crimea. Prince Michael worked for Tsar Nicholas II. Julia knew many famous people in Russia and wrote some books about her time there. One, Revolutionary Days, is available as a free download from a few different web sites. It is supposed to be quite lively and has had good reviews.

During World War One, Prince Michael led a force of 15,000 men in the last great cavalry charge. He was wounded and again given an important role by the Tsar. However, the Revolution of 1917 endangered the lives of all aristocrats. The couple and their children were lucky enough to flee - Julia had to hide her jewels in her clothes. They settled in Sarasota, Florida, where the Prince became Chairman of the Palmer Bank.

Unfortunately, Julia and the Prince, eventually divorced after having three children.
After their divorce in 1934, Julia went to live in Washington where she lived a very social life and wrote her articles and books. The Prince stayed in Sarasota where he married again.

The Princess died at 99, a great age even now!