Tea at Trianon: Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

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

Friday, October 8, 2021

Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel

Marie-Antoinette's grandmother. From History of Royal Women:

As was the custom, Elisabeth Christine and Charles saw their daughters at a set hour, mostly daily. Charles gave Maria Theresa the nickname “Mutz” but to the girls “Mami” was their governess and not Elisabeth Christine. During her daughter’s reign, it was noted that Elisabeth Christine “hardly was much beloved” by her daughter.¹ The education of her daughters was mainly focussed on religion and Maria Theresa learned to speak French, Italian and some Spanish. Although her mother tongue was German, she only wrote it (semi-)phonetically. She was also taught music and singing. The girls were not taught to ride as ladies were not supposed to mount a horse.

In 1736, the marriage of her eldest daughter to Francis Stephen of Lorraine was arranged. He had lived at the Viennese court before he had succeeded as Duke of Lorraine. On 31 January, Francis asked first the Emperor and then Elisabeth Christine for the hand of their firstborn daughter and they were married on 12 February 1736. The bride entered the church flanked by her mother and her aunt Wilhelmine Amalie.

Almost a year to the date later, Elisabeth Christine became a grandmother for the first time with the birth of Maria Elisabeth. The family had fervently hoped for a boy, but over time the little girl became a favourite of her grandfather, and he nicknamed her “Liesl.” Tragically, she would die before her fourth birthday. The following year, Maria Theresa gave birth to Maria Anna, her first child to survive to adulthood. In 1740, a third daughter – named Maria Carolina – was born but she died shortly after her first birthday. Elisabeth Christine’s husband had always been in rather good health, but by the summer of 1740, he still had no grandsons. By July, it appeared that Maria Theresa was pregnant for the fourth time. In October, Charles went to Neusiedel Lake to go hunting as usual but the weather was particularly bad. He arrived at his hunting lodge with mild stomach pains but didn’t think much of it.

Over the next few days, the pain worsened and even a stew of mushrooms did not settle his stomach. He fell violently ill during the night and he was brought back to Vienna as he vomited and fainted along the way. His family gathered around him, though he ordered Maria Theresa to stay away as he feared that she would have a miscarriage. He spent the next week settling his affairs and provided Elisabeth Christine with a considerable income. On 20 October 1740, he died at the age of 55 and despite his best attempts at settling the succession on Maria Theresa, his death set off the War of the Austrian Succession. Five months later, Maria Theresa gave birth to a son and heir – he was named Joseph. (Read more.)