Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 19

[cahn]

Yuletide nominations:

18th Century CE Federician RPF
Maria Theresia | Maria Theresa of Austria
Voltaire
Friedrich II von Preußen | Frederick the Great
Ernst Ahasverus von Lehndorff
Friedrich Heinrich Ludwig von Preußen | Henry of Prussia (1726-1802)
Wilhelmine von Preußen | Wilhelmine of Prussia (1709-1758)
Anna Amalie von Preußen | Anna Amalia of Prussia (1723-1787)
Catherine II of Russia
Hans Hermann von Katte
Peter Karl Christoph von Keith
Michael Gabriel Fredersdorf
August Wilhelm von Preußen | Augustus William of Prussia (1722-1758)

Circle of Voltaire RPF
Emilie du Chatelet
Jeanne Antoinette Poisson (Madame de Pompadour)
John Hervey (1696-1743)
Marie Louise Mignot Denis
Lady Mary Wortley-Montagu
Pierre Louis Moreau de Maupertuis
Armand de Vignerot du Plessis de Richelieu (1696-1788)
Francesco Algarotti

Comments

Wilhelmine stars in an episode of Scooby Doo

[mildred_of_midgard]

Remember back when Catherine the Great said in her memoirs that Countess Bentinck was the first woman she saw ride a horse? And I questioned that, because the 18th century is full of women who ride horses, just mostly sidesaddle? And selenak guessed that it was different from country to country, and that Germany was not big on horseback riding? E.g. MT having to learn for her Hungarian coronation.

Well, I just got to the part in Wilhelmine's memoirs where she says that she learned horseback riding at Bayreuth, partly for her health and for fun. And because ladies riding was a thing in England and France, but not in Germany, everyone freaked out and tried to get her to stop.

Random courtier: I have it on very good authority, from a GHOST, that if Wilhelmine rides out in the next six weeks, something very bad will happen to her. She must stay inside and not set foot outdoors for six weeks!

Wilhelmine: Omg, this is the stupidest thing ever. Husband, make yourself useful.

Bayreuth Fritz: Attention everyone, a reward is offered for any information pertaining to the identity of this alleged "ghost".

Random poor woman: *comes forth with evidence that this ghost was basically a person wearing a sheet*

Aaand, this tells you how controversial horseback riding was for women in Germany.

Re: Wilhelmine stars in an episode of Scooby Doo

[selenak]

LOL. It does indeed. Incidentally, Himmelkron, where Wilhelmine and husband repeatedly go as you saw in Oster and see in the memoirs, is one of the places claiming that this is where the original Hohenzollern White Lady, i.e. the family ghost supposed to signal impending death to any member of the House of Brandenburg, had lived and died.

Re: Wilhelmine stars in an episode of Scooby Doo

[cahn]

Okay, this is amazing and I love it. Also absolutely adore your title, heeeee!