Tea at Trianon: Dorothea of Courland

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

Tuesday, August 31, 2021

Dorothea of Courland

From History of Royal Women:

Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, Prince of Benevento, had focussed all his attention on his nephew Count Edmond de Talleyrand-Périgord as his heir. And his heir needed a wife – preferably a rich one. It was probably Count Aleksander Batowski was hinted at Charles that Dorothea might be the woman for his nephew. Charles turned to Tsar Alexander, who was friendly with Dorothea’s mother, to ask her to give her daughter as wife to his nephew.
The Tsar and Dorothea’s mother talked for over two hours as she was most unhappy with the match. She placed her daughter’s preference for Prince Adam Czartoryski on the forefront and how she had no valid reason for stopping the match. The Tsar waved the Duchess’ concerns away. He told her, “At the age of fifteen, Dorothea is too young to have any fixed opinions of her own.”¹ But apparently 15 wasn’t too young to be married! Eventually, the Duchess promised to do all she could to persuade Dorothea to agree to the match.

After much persuasion and intent on getting Dorothea to forget Prince Adam, Dorothea finally caught on to the plan to have her marry Edmond. Dorothea returned home for her mother’s birthday in November 1808 and was finally presented to him. She apparently barely slept that night. The following day, her mother officially told her of her promise to the Tsar and how Dorothea should consider “all the benefits which will accrue to your family from the match.”² Dorothea snubbed her mother with the words, “But happily your situation is not so very bad that I must feel myself obliged to sacrifice what I have so long believed to represent my hopes of a happy future.”³ Dorothea had been ignored and neglected by her mother all her life, and she saw no need to help her now. The Duchess was incensed, but eventually, the two settled on Dorothea being polite to Edmond for the duration of the festivities so “it will at least appear that you are giving the proposal some serious thought.”⁴ In yet another betrayal of trust, Dorothea was then convinced that Prince Adam did not consider himself engaged to her and was, in fact, engaged to another.

A grieving Dorothea then announced to her mother that she was ready to marry anyone thought to be desirable – even Count Edmond. She then locked herself in her room and stayed there for the rest of the day – crying her eyes out. The following day – with her eyes still red from crying – she was left alone with Edmond. She told him, “I hope, sir, that you will be happy in this marriage which has been arranged for us. I must tell you, however, what you probably know already, that I am giving way to my mother’s wishes, not with actual repugnance it is true, but at least with the most complete indifference towards you. Perhaps I will be happy – I like to think so anyway – but I am sure you will understand my regrets at leaving my country and my friends and won’t resent the sorrow which I will feel, at first at any rate.” To which Edmond replied, “My God! I find that perfectly natural. For that matter, I am only marrying myself as to please my uncle. At my age, you know, it’s much more fun being a bachelor.”⁵ A promising start to a marriage, indeed. (Read more.)