Year: 2026

Charlotte of Prussia

The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – Charlotte of Prussia: “A great lady” (Part seven)

Saturday, 25 July 2026, 6:00 Moniek Bloks 0
Read part six here. In 1853, the Crimean War broke out. By September 1854, the war was not going well, much to Nicholas’s frustration. Nicholas and Charlotte both fell ill, and one courtier wrote, “Lately, he seems more dejected every day; his face is worried, his gaze dull. His beautiful, majestic figure has bowed under [read more]
Royal Jewels

The Dutch Sapphire Necklace Tiara

Friday, 24 July 2026, 6:00 Moniek Bloks 0
The Dutch Sapphire Necklace Tiara began its life as a different jewel. King William III of the Netherlands purchased the choker with diamonds and sapphires for his second wife, Queen Emma. After several additions and adjustments, the necklace was mounted as a tiara in the 21st century. The new tiara was topped by five lozenge-shaped [read more]
Charlotte of Prussia

The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – Charlotte of Prussia: “Crushed hopes” (Part six)

Wednesday, 22 July 2026, 6:00 Moniek Bloks 0
Read part five here. Once back in Russia, the focus returned to the upcoming nuptials of Charlotte’s eldest son, Alexander, and Marie of Hesse and by Rhine. On 12 December 1840, Marie was accepted into the Russian Orthodox Church with the name Maria Alexandrovna. She and Alexander could now be officially betrothed. The wedding took [read more]
Charlotte of Prussia

The Year of Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz – Charlotte of Prussia: “A quiet melancholy” (Part five)

Monday, 20 July 2026, 6:00 Moniek Bloks 0
Read part four here. The Austrian diplomat Karl Ludwig von Ficquelmont and his wife, Dolli, were invited to the Peterhof. Dolli later wrote, “But there, too, was Sophie Urusova, this enigmatic figure, with her dazzling white and dispassionate beauty, at the sight of which the Empress’s friends’ hearts ached, and who occupied a place in [read more]