Wait, was there any kissing at either meeting with ViennaJoe?
Well, in his report letter to Mom ViennaJoe said they embraced, he doesn't mention cheek kissing. (Though there definitely was no hand kissing on either party, I doubt he'd have left it out, because it would have been reported to her by other people.)
His exact phrasing in the letter to MT is: "He descended the stairs for a few steps, I embraced him just as I did Prince Heinrich and the Prince of Prussia." (Who were along for the trip.) The "impromptu" stairs meeting neatly solved a key etiquette question, to wit: as the Emperor, Joseph definitely outranks Fritz, so if not genuflection then at least hand kissing would have been due. Now Joseph, as ever, travelled as Count Falkenstein, so it would have also been correct etiquette for Count Falkenstein to bow to or kiss the hand of Fritz (who as King outranks any count), but ViennaJoe probably knew Mom would never have forgiven him.
This said, "embracing" between monarchs and statesmen imprinted on French culture does associate cheek kissing in me, but I could be wrong.
Good point about Fritz & Heinrich - without looking it up, I think Henckel just writes "kissed him" and speculates it might have been the first kiss ever, but whether cheek, mouth or forehead is not detailed.
Oooh, that I'll believe, given Duhan.
*nods* And there are certainly cities starting with L in Braunschweig territory - Lüneburg, for example. Which has an university and is solidly Protestant.
I'm not sure Voltaire's was in public; do we have sources other than his memoirs and letters on that?
Coming to think of it, no? At least I've not yet read a description quoted that didn't come from Voltaire himself.
Re: Voltaire miscellanea
Well, in his report letter to Mom ViennaJoe said they embraced, he doesn't mention cheek kissing. (Though there definitely was no hand kissing on either party, I doubt he'd have left it out, because it would have been reported to her by other people.)
His exact phrasing in the letter to MT is: "He descended the stairs for a few steps, I embraced him just as I did Prince Heinrich and the Prince of Prussia." (Who were along for the trip.) The "impromptu" stairs meeting neatly solved a key etiquette question, to wit: as the Emperor, Joseph definitely outranks Fritz, so if not genuflection then at least hand kissing would have been due. Now Joseph, as ever, travelled as Count Falkenstein, so it would have also been correct etiquette for Count Falkenstein to bow to or kiss the hand of Fritz (who as King outranks any count), but ViennaJoe probably knew Mom would never have forgiven him.
This said, "embracing" between monarchs and statesmen imprinted on French culture does associate cheek kissing in me, but I could be wrong.
Good point about Fritz & Heinrich - without looking it up, I think Henckel just writes "kissed him" and speculates it might have been the first kiss ever, but whether cheek, mouth or forehead is not detailed.
Oooh, that I'll believe, given Duhan.
*nods* And there are certainly cities starting with L in Braunschweig territory - Lüneburg, for example. Which has an university and is solidly Protestant.
I'm not sure Voltaire's was in public; do we have sources other than his memoirs and letters on that?
Coming to think of it, no? At least I've not yet read a description quoted that didn't come from Voltaire himself.