So Wilhelmine's Mom-killing opera Semiramis was staged for SD's birthday. Who made that decision? Fritz? Was Amalie present for it? I checked and it was March 1754
Lehndorff's diary entry from March 27th 1754 describes the opera staging and other birthday celebrations for SD, but doesn't say whose idea the production of this particular opera was, just that Lehndorff doesn't think it's a good subject ("Der Stoff ist für einen Geburtstag wenig geeignet"). This entry is in volume 1; I did check volume 2, the cut bits, just in case there's more on the subject, but no, there isn't. (Not least because Lehndorff is through the entire month in one of his relationship downs with Heinrich, and then, having made up, they have a last stroll through the Tiergarten on March 28th, before Heinrich's regular departure for Potsdam ("with the greatest pain, I take my leave of the Prince. His stay in Potsdam is always fatal to me. I have just cause to grieve. This is the world's curse"). This means his attention is, shall we say, divided.
Was 1753 her last visit to Berlin?
I think so, yes. I can't recall mention of a later visit, at least.
How long would the royal family wear mourning for a monarch?
Argh. I honestly don't know. Today's royals wear mourning from the day of death till the day of the funeral, google tells me, but I bet it was longer in the 18th century. Lehndorff mentions the court having to wear mourning repeatedly, including, as I mentioned in my original Lehndorff write up, when Isabella dies, which she does on November 27th 1763, and if they wear morning for not even a reigning Empress Consort but the wife of MT's oldest (not yet crowned) son in the year where the 7 Years War has ended, I'm pretty sure mourning for a reigning monarch is far more elaborate. BTW, I checked that entry again, which is in volume 2 as it was cut in the original volume, and there's a hint about the dates. Because Lehndorff mentions that no sooner has the court finished wearing mourning for Isabella that they have to wear mourning for the Prince Elector of Saxony. This wasn't August III., who had died earlier that year, but his son Friedrich Christian, who never became King of Poland and thus was "only" Prince Elector of Saxony, dying in the same year as his father, in Deecember 17th. So mourning for Isabella was between November 27th and December 17th, and then it's mourning for Friedrich Cristian (head of an enemy state in the recent war). The quote:
Wir tragen Trauer für die junge Erzherzogin. Diese an der Seite eines jungen und liebenswürdigen Gemahls so glückliche Frau, die eines Tages mehrere Kronen zu erwarten hatte und eben im Begriff stand. zur römischen Königin gekrönt zu werden, ist an den Blattern im Alter von 22 Jahren gestorben. Kaum haben wir diese Trauer abgelegt, als wir für den Kurfürsten von Sachsen von neuem Trauer anlegen müssen. Nur sechs Wochen sind feiner Regierung, die sein Volk glücklich zu machen begann, beschieden gewesen.Er starb gleichfalls an den Blattern. Sic transit gloria mundi!
Alas this doesn't tell you how long they wear mourning for their own monarch, of course. Lehndorff wasn't at court yet but a child when FW died, and his diaries from 1786 are a victim of WWII, so he can't tell us how long Prussia wore mourning for Fritz, either.
Do we know the names of any of Wilhelmine's dogs other than Folichon?
I dimly recall at least one other dog mentioned by name in either Oster or in one of the correspondences, but it would take way longer to look it up than I have currently time available.
Various questions from Mildred
Lehndorff's diary entry from March 27th 1754 describes the opera staging and other birthday celebrations for SD, but doesn't say whose idea the production of this particular opera was, just that Lehndorff doesn't think it's a good subject ("Der Stoff ist für einen Geburtstag wenig geeignet"). This entry is in volume 1; I did check volume 2, the cut bits, just in case there's more on the subject, but no, there isn't. (Not least because Lehndorff is through the entire month in one of his relationship downs with Heinrich, and then, having made up, they have a last stroll through the Tiergarten on March 28th, before Heinrich's regular departure for Potsdam ("with the greatest pain, I take my leave of the Prince. His stay in Potsdam is always fatal to me. I have just cause to grieve. This is the world's curse"). This means his attention is, shall we say, divided.
Was 1753 her last visit to Berlin?
I think so, yes. I can't recall mention of a later visit, at least.
How long would the royal family wear mourning for a monarch?
Argh. I honestly don't know. Today's royals wear mourning from the day of death till the day of the funeral, google tells me, but I bet it was longer in the 18th century. Lehndorff mentions the court having to wear mourning repeatedly, including, as I mentioned in my original Lehndorff write up, when Isabella dies, which she does on November 27th 1763, and if they wear morning for not even a reigning Empress Consort but the wife of MT's oldest (not yet crowned) son in the year where the 7 Years War has ended, I'm pretty sure mourning for a reigning monarch is far more elaborate. BTW, I checked that entry again, which is in volume 2 as it was cut in the original volume, and there's a hint about the dates. Because Lehndorff mentions that no sooner has the court finished wearing mourning for Isabella that they have to wear mourning for the Prince Elector of Saxony. This wasn't August III., who had died earlier that year, but his son Friedrich Christian, who never became King of Poland and thus was "only" Prince Elector of Saxony, dying in the same year as his father, in Deecember 17th. So mourning for Isabella was between November 27th and December 17th, and then it's mourning for Friedrich Cristian (head of an enemy state in the recent war). The quote:
Wir tragen Trauer für die junge Erzherzogin. Diese an der Seite eines jungen und liebenswürdigen Gemahls so glückliche Frau, die eines Tages mehrere Kronen zu erwarten hatte und eben im Begriff stand. zur römischen Königin gekrönt zu werden, ist an den Blattern im Alter von 22 Jahren gestorben. Kaum haben wir diese Trauer abgelegt, als wir für den Kurfürsten von Sachsen von neuem Trauer anlegen müssen. Nur sechs Wochen sind feiner Regierung, die sein Volk glücklich zu machen begann, beschieden gewesen.Er starb gleichfalls an den Blattern. Sic transit gloria mundi!
Alas this doesn't tell you how long they wear mourning for their own monarch, of course. Lehndorff wasn't at court yet but a child when FW died, and his diaries from 1786 are a victim of WWII, so he can't tell us how long Prussia wore mourning for Fritz, either.
Do we know the names of any of Wilhelmine's dogs other than Folichon?
I dimly recall at least one other dog mentioned by name in either Oster or in one of the correspondences, but it would take way longer to look it up than I have currently time available.