18th-Century Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 32

[cahn]

:) Still talking about Charles XII of Sweden / the Great Northern War and the Stuarts and the Jacobites, among other things!

Comments

Re: Duke of Berwick

[selenak]

I hadn't got the impression that James II was all that good at military stuff from The King's Touch

To be fair: it's actually mentioned in The King's Touch at least twice (once by mother Henrietta Maria and once by Charles) that James spent the exile years distinguishing himself as a soldier before the Restoration even happens, and later there's the scene when young Jemmy - who is present - has to admit his uncle acts courageous mid naval battle when he nearly gets shot, showing complete sange froid. Said occasion, however, is also why Charles then forbids James to take part in a battle again (since James is the successor and hasn't sired a son yet, and while Charles has an increasing number of illegitimate kids, he doesn't have any with his wife), which James takes as an insult and Charles being envious of his military glory. However, I don't blame you for overlooking this on a first reading, because Henrietta Maria saying her son James has been distinguishing himself as a soldier is one sentence opposed to plenty of sentences about her favourite marriage project that doesn't happen (Louis XIV/Minette) and her ire that Charles doesn't listen to her during the same sequence.

Re: Duke of Berwick

[cahn]

Ah, right! I missed the references to the exile years, but I did see the naval battle part. I'd separated a bit being a good soldier and building up a military apparatus, but of course he hasn't had any ability to do the latter yet. (Have read a little further, but Charles is still alive so far...)