Historical Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 44

[cahn]

Not only are these posts still going, there is now (more) original research going on in them deciphering and translating letters in archives that apparently no one has bothered to look at before?? (Which has now conclusively exonerated Fritz's valet/chamberlain Fredersdorf from the charge that he was dismissed because of financial irregularities and died shortly thereafter "ashamed of his lost honor," as Wikipedia would have it. I'M JUST SAYING.)

Comments

Re: A Reverend at Dear Old Wusterhausen: Princes who lunch

[selenak]

But no mention on what FW thought of this mention of beer halls?

Nope. Possibly it didn't occur to him SD could equate beer halls and the noble Tobacco Parliament? :)

cutting the meat (is that not something he would regularly do at that age?)

I'm not sure what normal etiquette would have been. Presumably at court Fritz as Crown Prince would not have been expected to cut meat at all, that's what servants are there fore, but these kind of holiday outings are always more informal in royal circles even if you're not FW, determined burgher-on-the-throne. It would be interesting to check with other contemporary noble and/or royal families in similar circumstances.

Ah, but that's maybe why he wouldn't hire other people like that!

Good point. BTW, while he really had it in for dancing masters (among others), I think SD must have succeeded in having her children (boys and girls alike) be trained by them, otherwise teen Heinrich could not have danced all the contre dances and menuets with teen Sophie at AW's wedding.