Saint-Cloud

The château de Saint-Cloud, a country estate owned by the Orléans family on the outskirts of Paris, was bought by Louis XVI for Marie-Antoinette in 1785. The king sold properties owned by the crown in the south of France in order to pay for the palace. Marie-Antoinette thought it was vital to get her children away from the unhealthy environment of Versailles, and Petit Trianon was not far enough way. So many members of the royal family, including Louis himself as a child, had become ill with tuberculosis over the years, and so the Queen wanted to get her children into healthier air. (As it was their oldest son would die of tuberculosis in 1789.) The King put the palace of Saint-Cloud in the Queen's name, which outraged many French people, since a Queen owning property in her own right and having complete control of it was something that had not happened since the middle ages.

Saint-Cloud is mentioned a great deal in the novels Trianon and Madame Royale, since for awhile after the royal family were taken prisoner in October 1789 they were still permitted at times to go to Saint-Cloud for the country air and to get some exercise. During the Restoration of 1815-1830, the royal family used Saint-Cloud as a summer residence. Marie-Thérèse, the daughter of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, would often walk from Saint-Cloud to her sanctuary at Villeneuve l'Étang.

Here is the chapel built by Marie-Antoinette. The photo was taken after the Commune ransacked the palace in 1871.

Above is a recreation of how the palace looked before it was destroyed.

The Bonapartes loved Saint-Cloud and maintained it in great magnificence. Above is the boudoir of Empress Eugénie.

Above is the cascade in the gardens at Saint-Cloud.

During the Commune of 1871, the palace was ruined, and no longer stands. Only the gardens remain, and the chapel built by Marie-Antoinette. Share

Tara Reade on Being Exiled to Russia After Accusing Joe Biden

 

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The Two Surest Signs of the Totalitarian Impulse

 From Chronicles:

The disordered thinking behind leftist ideology is most readily discerned in its aim to spread paranoia and dependence throughout the populace. The left intends for these feelings of uncertainty to render people more malleable and docile. That way, they will more readily accept the fundamental transformation of America from a republic built upon God-given rights and self-evident truths into a virulently secular society that oppresses all dissent.

The left falsely imagines they are in a battle against a conservative “fascist establishment,” despite having captured both the administrative state and the administration ostensibly designed to run it. Meanwhile, they have adopted a tactic from real historical fascism, specifically, the use of fear and greed as political motivators.

Setting aside the abject moral, philosophical, and policy failings of  woke ideology, there is a practical problem associated with instilling paranoia and dependence throughout the populace: It requires coercion and a controlled environment.

The diktats of federal, state, and county governments, corporate powerbrokers, and academe’s cosseted satraps are a good example. These entities all mandate that those over whom they have any measure of control must participate in the indoctrination through DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) training. It is not a coincidence that these 21^st-century struggle sessions are held behind closed doors and with captive audiences. The ceremonies of this secular creed require secrecy. (Read more.)

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Marie-Antoinette: A Passion for Flowers

From Geri Walton:

Marie Antoinette loved flowers so much that when her husband became king and gave her Petit Trianon, he did so saying, “You love flowers…well, I have a bouquet for you—the Little Trianon.” Among some of Marie Antoinette’s favorites flowers were irises, hyacinths, tulips, lilacs, lilies, poppies, and violets, and the gardens of Petit Trianon impregnated the air with their scents. In addition, the Queen also loved roses, and, in 1784, she ordered more than two thousand dog roses to be planted in the gardens of Trianon.

But the Queen and her Petit Trianon guests did not just enjoy flowers outdoors: “One of her ladies had special responsibility for seeing that everywhere in her apartments huge Chinese pots and small vases of crystal, Sèvres or Venetian glass were filled with flowers.” You could also see the profusion of flowers that grew outdoors from inside as the facade of Petit Trianon looked over a French garden of geometric shaped flower beds, “and the flowers themselves [were] planted in straight lines.” Inside the little place there were also “ornaments upon the panelling—crossed quivers surmounted by wreaths of roses and garlands of flowers—executed by order of Marie Antoinette.” (Read more.)

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Banners of the King

 

ATTENTION Catholics! It is almost June, Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus! Let us all fly Sacred Heart banners from our homes as a Christian witness and in thanksgiving for the religious freedoms we enjoy, when freedom for Catholics has not always been the case. Banners available here and here. 

Here is a letter I am sending to the local newspaper:

Today I was sent a YouTube video of the Easton Town Council discussing a proposal to ban support for ideological causes. I assume this is a matter of taking fiscal responsibility. I understand that rents and taxes in Easton are high.  Although I do not live in Easton, I shop there and am always disappointed when I see empty storefronts, especially if a shop or restaurant that I really liked has gone out of business. So I applaud the Council for choosing to focus public funds on building a climate for prosperous businesses rather than spending money on ideological causes.

 One council member mentioned that, for Roman Catholics, June is the traditional Month of theSacred Heart of Jesus. Yet in spite of the growing number of Catholics in Easton, as we continually welcome new citizens from South of the Border, it would be inappropriate for the Town of Easton to hang Sacred Heart Banners from all the lamp posts. Catholics understand this, and no Catholic would ever see the absence of Sacred Heart banners as a sign of hatred. Private citizens, of course, are welcomed to show their support for causes by hanging banners in their yards, and one sees Ukrainian flags everywhere. If someone does not have one, it does not mean they hate Ukrainians.

As a Catholic, I am thinking of getting a Sacred Heart banner for my house.  Catholics suffered persecution even in Maryland, which had been founded as a refuge for them by the Calvert family in 1634. Catholicism was banned when the Puritans took over in the 1650’s. The ban lasted more than a hundred years. When our parish church of St. Joseph’s was founded in 1765 in Cordoba, MD it had to be disguised as a farm house. Catholics did not have emancipation in America until we won our independence from Great Britain in 1781. For Catholics, displaying a Sacred Heart banner can be a sign of thanksgiving for the religious freedoms we now enjoy, and which we hope to preserve. Banners are available at many sites online, including Printerval.

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Employee Sues Hospital That Fired Her for Reporting COVID Vaccine Injuries to VAERS

 From The Defender:

A physician’s assistant is suing a New York hospital system, alleging it violated the federal False Claims Act by failing to complete mandatory reporting of injuries associated with the COVID-19 vaccine to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). Deborah Conrad worked at United Memorial Medical Center, part of Rochester Regional Health (RRH), until October 2021, when she said she was fired for reporting vaccine-related adverse events. Conrad filed the lawsuit in May 2023, but the complaint wasn’t unsealed and made publicly available until February, TrialSiteNews reported last week. She is seeking job reinstatement and back pay for herself and civil penalties on behalf of the U.S. government. Most importantly, Conrad told The Defender, she hopes the lawsuit will lead to changes in how vaccine adverse events are reported.

“How can anybody trust the vaccine program when medical professionals are not adhering to the reporting requirements of the one system we have in place that is meant to assure us that these things are safe?” she asked. “I want policy change. I don’t care about the money, the vindication. I want to be able to trust the health system,” Conrad said. Under the False Claims Act, whistleblowers can file a lawsuit on behalf of the federal government against an entity they allege profited from taxpayer funds by defrauding the government.

False Claims Act cases are initially sealed while the government investigates the cases and determines whether it will intervene and take the case on itself, or allow the whistleblower to proceed with the action. The government decided not to intervene in the case. It is now unsealed and moving forward with Conrad as the “relator,” who gives evidence to the court on behalf of the U.S. government. She told The Defender the evidence she is submitting to the court is substantial — she meticulously saved every email, patient file and recorded conversations with supervisors and other hospital staff. (Read more.)

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Flower Moon

 From Live Science:

May's full moon, known as the Flower Moon, will be at its fullest on Thursday, May 23, and shine close to the bright star Antares. The moon will also appear bright and full on Wednesday and Friday. May's full moon is called the Flower Moon, after the plentiful flowers that bloom during this month in the Northern Hemisphere, according to Timeanddate.com. Other names for May's full moon include the Milk Moon, Mothers' Moon, Bright Moon, Hare Moon and Grass Moon. Many Anishinaabe, or Ojibwe, Indigenous people of the Great Lakes region know it as Nimebine Giizis, or Sucker Moon, according to the Center for Native American Studies. Since the moon turns full at 9:53 a.m. EDT on May 23, there is no ideal time this month to watch the full moon rise in a twilight sky. On Wednesday, May 22, it will rise just before the sun sets, while on Thursday, May 23, it will rise about 50 minutes later, long after sunset, in near-darkness.(Read more.)

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A Cullinan Diamond

 

From The Court Jeweller:

But it was Queen Camilla who pulled off the major jewelry moment of the day. With favorite pearls from her jewelry box–her diamond floral and pearl drop earrings and her four-stranded pearl choker with the round diamond clasp–she wore the magnificent Cullinan V Brooch. The intricate platinum brooch is set with several diamonds, the largest of which is the heart-shaped Cullinan V. The 18.8-carat stone was cut from the enormous Cullinan Diamond, which was mined in South Africa in 1905 and given King Edward VII. The rough diamond weighed more than 3000 carats, and when it was cut in Amsterdam, nine major diamonds were produced. Queen Mary was responsible for the elegant setting of the Cullinan V Brooch, which could be worn as a stand-alone brooch, as part of a large stomacher, or as the centerpiece of her honeysuckle tiara. (Read more.)

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The FBI Was Prepared to Use Deadly Force Against Trump Security Detail During Mar-a-Lago Raid

 From The Easton Gazette:

Mike Davis and Steve Bannon discuss Trump's statement today on deadly force authorized during the Mar-a-Lago raid, HERE.

From The Last Refuge:

Some people are expressing shock that the FBI was prepared to use deadly force against President Trump and his Secret Service security detail during the DOJ raid on Mar-a-Lago.  Julie Kelly has the DETAILS HERE.

I am not surprised in the least.  Remember, the objective of the FBI raid was to resecure the physical evidence that President Trump had showing how the DOJ and FBI action in 2016 was targeting him using the power of their law enforcement and intelligence agencies.   The origination of all the DOJ/FBI/IC issues goes back to the ’15/’16 FBI exploitation of the NSA database; this is not a contested discussion issue – it’s just continually forgotten.

The FBI was using their access to the NSA metadata of all Americans, to conduct surveillance on political candidates that might be a threat to the power structures that exploited the secrets within the electronic records of all Americans.  The FBI was/is conducting domestic surveillance and tracking just like the German Stasi or Soviet KGB.  It’s still happening, but we are not supposed to remember or something.

 (Read more.)

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