It says something about the standing Sophie (Charlotte) had in popular Prussian imagination half a century after her death,, doesn’t it? And/Or it could be that Heinrich was particularly interested in her and Lehndorff, as his friend, knew that. Much later historians credit her with bringing the intellectual/artistic streak into the Hohenzollern - of which Fritz and several of his siblings are an example - but this is just fifty years later, when some who knew her are still alive. (And if she hadn’t died while still in her 30s, even more people knowing her would be.)
Given that I read Barbara Beuys’ biography last year, I’m also curious as to what this says about how SC was seen by her son. Older biographers were sure he must have loathed her (female intellectual, wanted to turn Berlin into Athens, made FW dance ballet), but Beuys quotes several highly affectionate letters between mother and son, and points out he went painting hunting for her in The Hague when he was there because he knew she’d like it. And of course FW was sentimental for a prince about family relationships (with his idea of living the middle class family life) and super respectful to his parents both. So how did he talk about her to his children, if he did at all?
Back to SC’s high standing in 1750s Prussia (that Lehndorff could find preserved letters from her is telling by itself): this is also why it so surprised me when reading in Hervey’s memoirs that Queen Caroline, who had been raised by her for some years, referred to her as a “shallow, silly woman”. Ouch. (Then again, Caroline is the woman who according to Hervey repeatedly described her oldest son as only worthy of death, the worst of the worst, etc., etc.)
Phosphorus: my own question is - did he get that out of the tapestry again afterwards or did his apartment still have that inscription when he got married a few years later?
Re: Toutes nos félicitations, Henri!
Given that I read Barbara Beuys’ biography last year, I’m also curious as to what this says about how SC was seen by her son. Older biographers were sure he must have loathed her (female intellectual, wanted to turn Berlin into Athens,
made FW dance ballet), but Beuys quotes several highly affectionate letters between mother and son, and points out he went painting hunting for her in The Hague when he was there because he knew she’d like it. And of course FW was sentimental for a prince about family relationships (with his idea of living the middle class family life) and super respectful to his parents both. So how did he talk about her to his children, if he did at all?Back to SC’s high standing in 1750s Prussia (that Lehndorff could find preserved letters from her is telling by itself): this is also why it so surprised me when reading in Hervey’s memoirs that Queen Caroline, who had been raised by her for some years, referred to her as a “shallow, silly woman”. Ouch. (Then again, Caroline is the woman who according to Hervey repeatedly described her oldest son as only worthy of death, the worst of the worst, etc., etc.)
Phosphorus: my own question is - did he get that out of the tapestry again afterwards or did his apartment still have that inscription when he got married a few years later?