Tea at Trianon: Death of Prince Arthur

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Death of Prince Arthur

Because of the sudden death of a young boy the course of history was changed forever.

Although the Prince, who was fifteen remains a somewhat anonymous figure, his death was to prove one of the most momentous or portentous in English history. As a result the succession passed to his brother, the future King Henry VIII, and even more significantly, led to that King's marriage to Arthur's widow, Catherine of Aragon.

There is an online life of the Prince here and the Oxford DNB life by Rosemary Horrox can be read here.

From his surviving portraits the Prince sometimes appears, like his younger brother, to have taken after his mother's family in his appearance and as an adult King Henry VIII looks to have resembled King Edward IV. (Read entire post.)

Unknown said...: Thought you would appreciate this: http://justanotheramericaninparis.blogspot.com/2010/10/passage-de-la-reine-de-hongrie.html

Also, have you ever considered writing a book on the spiritual life at Versailles? It would be fascinating to read about the devotional practices, liturgies, sins and conversions of those at court. Not to mention, the attempt of Her Majesty to reform the morals of her subjects.

Would also love some more information on the Duchesse de Char. She seems to be an obscure figure.

I fully enjoy reading your blog.; April 11, 2012 at 10:29:00 PM EDT
elena maria vidal said...: Thank you for the link and the kind words. My novel TRIANON deals with all the things you suggest. I have never heard of the Duchesse de Char, so sorry.; April 11, 2012 at 11:07:00 PM EDT