Also: in fairness, as Mildred has often said, it's FW who is the unorthodox person here.
I'm just going to say it again: FW is a fish out of water in his place and time!
the Old Dessauer, who supposedly had his sons raised with minimum to no education at all to see what would happen. (Says Lehndorff when writing about one of the sons: the result was such that we should hope no prince will ever try such foolery again.)
Hahaha, well, Lehndorff is not wrong, because Horowski tells me that this is exactly what happened with Ferdinand III/IV of Sicily/Naples, who was married to Maria Carolina of Austria, one of MT's daughters. His tutors were instructed by his father (the king of Spain) to teach him hunting, but not overstrain his mind. So he ended up with the impulse control and interests of your average 4 year old: playing chase, putting marmalade in people's hats, tickling the ambassadors, etc.
When Joseph II, while madly touring Europe, came to visit, Horowski reports this amazing anecdote (courtesy I *think* of British envoy William Hamilton, though I would need to check and I don't have time):
They're at a ball. Ferdinand isn't into dancing, because it exceeds his impulse control abilities. He's running around, romping, playing chase, racing up and down the hall, like a toddler. He's all sweaty when he runs into Joseph. As a gesture of affection toward his brother-in-law, he puts his hand on Joseph butt.
Joseph, who's been tolerantly putting up with the antics during his stay, freezes, gives Ferdinand A Look, and removes the hand. A diplomatic incident nearly ensues, because Ferdinand's never been told no before, and he's staring in horror at Joseph like the ground has fallen down from beneath his feet. If you're not allowed to put your sweaty hand on the Holy Roman Emperor's butt, what *are* you allowed to do?
Diplomatic crisis is averted by Ferdinand the easily distracted spotting the delightfully ticklish ambassador and running off to give chase.
MT, by all accounts, was horrified by Joseph's account of the man her daughter was married to, and *she* nearly incited an international incident.
Daughter Maria Carolina: If you upset him, it might result in him not getting me pregnant, and then where will the succession be? I got this, Mom, chill. MC: *has seventeen children* MC: *runs the country*
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Re: Fritz-Duhan Follow-Up
Date: 2021-01-13 04:22 pm (UTC)I'm just going to say it again: FW is a fish out of water in his place and time!
the Old Dessauer, who supposedly had his sons raised with minimum to no education at all to see what would happen. (Says Lehndorff when writing about one of the sons: the result was such that we should hope no prince will ever try such foolery again.)
Hahaha, well, Lehndorff is not wrong, because Horowski tells me that this is exactly what happened with Ferdinand III/IV of Sicily/Naples, who was married to Maria Carolina of Austria, one of MT's daughters. His tutors were instructed by his father (the king of Spain) to teach him hunting, but not overstrain his mind. So he ended up with the impulse control and interests of your average 4 year old: playing chase, putting marmalade in people's hats, tickling the ambassadors, etc.
When Joseph II, while madly touring Europe, came to visit, Horowski reports this amazing anecdote (courtesy I *think* of British envoy William Hamilton, though I would need to check and I don't have time):
They're at a ball. Ferdinand isn't into dancing, because it exceeds his impulse control abilities. He's running around, romping, playing chase, racing up and down the hall, like a toddler. He's all sweaty when he runs into Joseph. As a gesture of affection toward his brother-in-law, he puts his hand on Joseph butt.
Joseph, who's been tolerantly putting up with the antics during his stay, freezes, gives Ferdinand A Look, and removes the hand. A diplomatic incident nearly ensues, because Ferdinand's never been told no before, and he's staring in horror at Joseph like the ground has fallen down from beneath his feet. If you're not allowed to put your sweaty hand on the Holy Roman Emperor's butt, what *are* you allowed to do?
Diplomatic crisis is averted by Ferdinand the easily distracted spotting the delightfully ticklish ambassador and running off to give chase.
MT, by all accounts, was horrified by Joseph's account of the man her daughter was married to, and *she* nearly incited an international incident.
Daughter Maria Carolina: If you upset him, it might result in him not getting me pregnant, and then where will the succession be? I got this, Mom, chill.
MC: *has seventeen children*
MC: *runs the country*