The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 3, June, 1851 — John Shaqi
The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 3, June, 1851Various
History
The International Monthly, Volume 3, No. 3, June, 1851
Various
Art, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- History -- Periodicals
The margrave, on the sale of his principality, resolved to spend his
days with his wife in England. They had no sooner arrived, however,
than the storm of family and public indignation which had been brewing
against the margravine burst upon her head. She received a letter from
her three daughters, saying, "with due deference to the Margravine of
Anspach, the Miss Cravens inform her that, out of respect to their
father, they cannot wait upon her," and her eldest son, Lord Craven,
refused to countenance her. The margrave received a message from the
queen, through the Prussian minister, to the effect that his wife,
though she had received a diploma from the emperor, could not be
received at court as a princess of the empire. She says that she
refused to derogate from her dignity by appearing merely as a peeress
of England; but it is not clear that she would have been received in
that capacity. She addressed a memorial on the subject to the House of
Lords, but they gave her no redress; indeed it would not have been
consistent with the practice of that body to interfere on such an
occasion. Soon after their arrival, the margrave purchased through
trustees, Lord Craven's estate of Benham, and the mansion of
Brandenburgh House, a place celebrated as afterwards affording a
retreat to Queen Caroline, the wife of George IV. Until the margrave's
death in 1806, it was a scene of continued profusion and gayety, in
which the luxuries and amusements of an English mansion were united
with those of a German court, "My whole enjoyment," says the
margravine, "during the margrave's valuable life, was to do every
thing in my power, to make him not only comfortable, but happy. Under
my management, the world imagined that he spent double his income."
Her attachment to her second husband was strong. She speaks of him
with an enthusiasm and devotion which bear the stamp of sincerity. "I
believe," she says, "a better man never existed. There never was a
being who could act upon more sincere principles. Nothing could divert
him from what was right. None could bear with patience, like himself,
the ill conduct of those to whom he was attached. None could more
easily forgive." After his decease, the margravine, who succeeded to
the large property which he left, felt impatient to recommence her
wanderings. On the restoration she sailed for France, and, after being
interrupted in her movements by the reign of the hundred days, reached
Rome, where it was said that she kept open house for all the
revolutionists of all countries who chose to accept her hospitalities.
The King of Naples afterwards presented her with a small estate, in
which she built a palace, where she resided till her death, which
occurred on January 13, 1828. Only two years previously, and when she
was seventy-six years old, she surprised and delighted the English
world by the publication of her well-known memoirs. This work is
perhaps one of the best examples of the French memoirs which English
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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