Empress Brings Etiquette Anxiety

Born of the purple~ The eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Empress Frederick (as she was known after the death of her husband) was the Queen Consort of Prussia and German Empress Consort. Victoria, above, in an 1867 portrait by Franz Xaver Winterhalter

Empress Frederick Driven Out of Paris

Extremists Raise an Outcry Against Empress

The Franco-German Feud By No Means at an End

Paris, February 25th. — The organization known as the League of Patriots has violently denounced the visit of the Empress Frederick of Germany to the Palace of Versailles on Monday last. The League decided to hold meetings of protest until the Imperial visitor leaves the city.

It is known here that in Berlin it was expected that President Carnot would call upon the Empress Frederick, but after a special Cabinet meeting it was decided that as the Empress Frederick was traveling incognito, the French Government could compromise the matter by sending the Chief of President Carnot's military household, General Brugere, and M. Ribot, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to call upon the ex-Empress. This was accordingly done. 

This question of etiquette was undoubtedly the cause of much anxiety and worry to the members of the French Cabinet, and was made the subject of long and earnest discussions before it was finally concluded. The Government did not dare to risk the verdict of public opinion in case President Carnot called upon the Imperial visitor. 

It is evident that ex-Empress Frederick's visit to St. Cloud and Versailles was ill-advised. The extremists are shouting very loudly, and even moderate papers urge that her stay be not prolonged. The patriotic league under the lead of Deroulede is organizing hostile demonstrations against the Empress. She will probably leave Friday morning. Her visit has hardly increased the chances of a good French exhibit at Berlin in the art exposition. —Daily Alta California, 1891

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Moderator and Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Etiquette, Bismarck and Victoria

Victoria, Princess Royal, German Empress, Queen of Prussia,  detested Prussia's emphasis on its army. This was to be expected, however, considering her British upbringing. “Vicky,”  as she was known, hoped to influence Prussia away from the tradition of “Warrior Kings” in favor of "a new line of enlightened executives." Though supported by her husband, she was bound to clash with Bismarck's rising force. The Chancellor Otto von Bismarck's most important legacy is the unification of Germany. Germany had existed as a collection of hundreds of separate principalities and Free Cities since the formation of the Holy Roman Empire. Over the centuries various rulers had tried to unify the German states without success until Bismarck. Resulting largely from his efforts, the varying German kingdoms united into a single country. Bismarck's psychology and personal traits have not been so favorably received over time, and historian Jonathan Steinberg portrays a demonic genius who was deeply vengeful, even toward his closest friends and family members. 

Bismarck and the Crown Princess Victoria

London, November 25th— Court circles in Berlin are discussing the reconciliation which has just been effected between Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Bismarck. Their hostility had been of many years' duration, and was known to all the world, although it was thinly veiled by court ceremony. Many reasons have been assigned for it, but its real origin was the utter incompatibility of the Chancellor and the Princess. 

Prince Bismarck scorns and condemns the little niceties of polite society, and estimates women only as a factor in the problem of the continuance of the German nation. The Crown Princess had her education in a court and country where women arc treated with much deference, and where the canons of etiquette cannot be violated without serious consequences. The Princess has been, next to the aged Empress, the first lady in Germany, and refused to submit to what she termed Bismarck's boorishness. The result was warfare, sometimes open, sometime covert, as the necessities of court life required. 

Now there has been a reconciliation, and the question is; Which power conquered? The story most current in Berlin is as follows ... The Crown Princess, powerful as she is now, will be still more so when she becomes Empress of Germany. This must happen soon, and may happen at any time. 

The Chancellor is cultivating the friendliest relations with the Crown Prince, who may soon be Emperor, and has fouud it also desirable to propitiate the Crown Princess. He has, therefore, instituted certain reforms in his household and in his manners which makes his personality less disagreeable to her Imperial Highness. — Sacramento Daily Union, 1884

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Royal Etiquette as Court Pest

Teresa, Contessa Guiccioli was the married lover of Lord Byron while he was living in Ravenna, Italy, and writing "Don Juan." Teresa had married Count Guiccioli, and then three days later, she met Lord Byron. A writer herself, she wrote the biographical account "Lord Byron's Life in Italy." Alexandre Dumas included her as a minor character in his novel "The Count of Monte Cristo," using the same disguised name "Countess G-" as Lord Byron did for the Countess in his personal journals.

Court Pests

The pests of the small courts are the importance attached to etiquette and the thin skinnedness and jealousy of the courtiers. Great pests of all courts, but chiefly of the greater, are the hosts of fussy people, humbugs of all kinds and projectors who want to secure royal patronage as a means of advertisement. They are much more likely to get it than the deserving because their instinct tells them how to make their approach. 

Queens are now pestered all over Europe with individuals who imagine money is to be made in getting up unions to secure artistic and literary employment for women. The poor weak things would go to the wall if they were not brought into droves. The larger the drove the greater the number of subscriptions and the better for the drover. 

The Empress Frederick is ready to help feminine unions, but for handicrafts requiring trained skill and talent, and not to get poor scribbling or painting shot into the market. The Queens of Sweden and Denmark are of the same mind. But the Queen of Sweden likes to patronize authoresses on the side of religion and good morals. The Empress of Russia feels her way. 

My maid of honor tells me that the Prince of Wales' daughters are credited in northern courts with shrewdness and insight into the motives of fussy philanthropists. The most pleasant court for maids of honor is that of St. Petersburg. The Countess Gamba Guiccioli was there on a visit and wondered whether there were limits to the liberties of the courtiers. 

One sex is as free as the other. The ladies smoke, skate, dance, take sentimental drives in the long daylike summer nights, flirt with grand dukes or with no matter whom, throw themselves into love, diplomatic, palace and even political intrigues. The latter may lead to Siberia. But the gambling spirit is strong in them. Danger gives zest to enterprise and forbidden fruit is sweetest. —Paris Correspondent for The London Truth, 1896

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia