18th-Century Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 37

[cahn]

More diaries of our favorite 18th-century Prussian diary-keeper have been unearthed and have been synopsized!

January 18th: Blessed be thou to me! Under your light, my Prince Heinrich was born!

Comments

Re: Polish Succession

[selenak]

Quite. Poor Antoinette really was bad at this, and Louis was worse. I was going to add that they had the odds against them in that they were travelling in an extremely hostile situation, but then I recalled Charles II pulling off the same feat way better, and he had a physical obstacle they did not - Marie Antoinette didn't look different from your avarage noble lady, she wasn't especially tall or small or especially striking in her coloring, whereas Charles was far taller than average (as mentioned in all the "Wanted!" posters) and with his black hair and (relatively) dark skin had unusual coloring for England, too. (Not to mention sore feet, given he had to wear far too small shoes.) (Since he accomplished his flight in the previous century, I did not mention him before.)

deposed monarchs make better incognito travelers, as they have at least some idea how to pose as a convincing random noble.

Though Charles was only just starting to learn this, since up to this point (when he'd fled for his life), he had always been the Prince of Wales, and his parents really weren't of a mind for their kids to pass as random nobles.

Incidentally, I don't know whether I mentioned it before, but one of the best historical movies I know deals with the night of Varennes; I've reviewed it here.

Re: Polish Succession

[mildred_of_midgard]

Ah, yes, Charles II, who came from a family so poor they couldn't afford meat! *g*

He seems to have been unusual among monarchs in more than one way.

his parents really weren't of a mind for their kids to pass as random nobles

Understatement of the year.

Antoinette incognito

[cahn]

Poor Antoinette really was bad at this, and Louis was worse.

Yeeeeah. That was definitely one thing that I got from Zweig that I had either forgotten or not known before (I think probably the latter), that they had no idea how to pass incognito or really how to pull off an escape attempt at all, what with all the delays and everything.