cahn

From the safe distance of centuries, this is hilarious. Including that true 19th century hypocritical snobbishness:

The Empress of Russia continues to exhibit a spectacle to Europe which we could not have expected from a princess born in a more civilised region than Siberia.

Yeah, because France, GB, Spain and other European powers installing and deposing governments in countries they wish to colonize as an early move to that end goal is ever so much more civilized. Admit it, Monsieur Le Duc, what you object to is Catherine doing this to white people. Also She exterminates the race of the true sovereigns of her own empire is hilarious coming from a representative of La Grande Nation post 1789. I mean, it wasn't just the lawyers gone Jacobin, very high born Philippe "L'Egalité" D'Orleans voted for beheading Cousin Louis, too. And wasn't Philippe's kid King of France when the Duc was writing this? Or did he write post 1848? (In which case the Bonapartes were back.)

The mocking and insulting tone of the royal author makes us angry, even after a century has elapsed.

Tell us how you really feel, Duc de Broglie!

Fritz would be proud! As Voltaire said, this was one of his goals in life. (Voltaire being Voltaire, he had no problem with Fritz mocking the French, given he knew he was mocking Fritz both to his face and to posterity even more effectively. *g*)

Duc de Broglie: "You literally just withdrew your ambassador. How is that not a sign of dissatisfaction?"

Mildred: Well, sometimes people do it to save money, but yeah, I know what you mean.

Reminder to cahn that this was why Prussia didn't have a proper envoy in London but a "resident" who was Swiss and whom Fritz had never met for years and years.