Tea at Trianon: Stuart Spouses

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, February 25, 2025

Stuart Spouses

A book review from historian Andrea Zuvich, The Seventeenth Century Lady:

I received a hardback copy from our mutual publisher, Pen & Sword, and it is beautiful: it is jam-packed full of information, and unlike my work, which is firmly set in the 17th century, it is spread out over all of the Stuarts from 1406 – no mean feat. It also contains a large and sumptuous section of colour images (which, I’ll admit, I wish I could have had for Ravenous!). It also contains maps, a timeline, an appendix containing a selection of poems, several family trees, and – crucially, for me – an index. And, just look at that lush, vibrant cover!

This was the first book by Darsie that I have read and I enjoyed her style of writing: it’s concise and has heart: she conveys sympathy for the plights faced by some of the persons involved. This book has footnotes, whilst I prefer endnotes – I know we all have our preferences when it comes to these things. Perhaps some may look upon it with a more critical eye than I and say that it lacks analysis and depth, but surely, one shouldn’t expect such things from a compendium. In fact, I enjoyed this book – I can’t say I agreed with everything (but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, I like seeing another view). Stuart Spouses is what it claims to be: a compendium, and I think it is a fine read particularly for those less acquainted with Stuart history. As such, I would probably not recommend this book if you already have a good knowledge of the Stuart consorts. That being said, however, I think we can reasonably say that I know a fair bit about Stuart history, and even I learned a thing or two from this book. Who knows? It may just be the thing to whet your appetite for the Stuarts! (Read more.)