I'm also curious how soon after her father died Lehndorff proposed: I have this suspicion that as soon as he did, she was the heiress, and he made his move. But perhaps that's an unfounded suspicion.
I guess it depends on whether or not we believe he wasn't that keen on the marriage originally and it was his family's idea, as he presents it in 1787. He doesn't say it was his idea in the 1750s entries, either, to be fair, but he utterly blames "intrigues" for the lack of the marriage. That he finds a grown up Catherine attractive and charming doesn't mean something either way, since clearly the original proposal was about the money and the money only.
It's worth keeping in mind that Lehndorff at this point was the youngest of the family (born after his father's death), that he didn't expect to inherit the estate (since he had a well and alive older brother), and that he can't expect a military career due to his physical handicap. A political career thus is the only option, and for that, he needs money. Definitely if he becomes an Ambassador (which is one of the things he really fancied), but also if he has a career at court. Even in his current job, as EC's newly appointed Chamberlain, he has, for example, to dress up in style every time he shows up at court. (Remember his sarcastic portrait of his colleague, Count von Wartensleben the sugar hoarder, who only has one glove for the arm on which he has to escort the Queen and otherwise wants to save money, ditto for stealing all that sugar.) So both variations are believable: he's after an heiress, any heiress, even an eleven years old one, because he knows he needs that money, or: his mother and older brother and sisters make it clear that he better marry into some cash. Also, why not both? Presumably Catherine du Rosey was the heiress of choice because the Lehndorffs knew about her from Grandma and they knew how much money Lehndorff could expect, since they were related. Whereas for strangers, you have to introduce yourself and win the family over, and you can make a guess as to how much money she'll actually get because the parents/guardians won't tell you the exact sum until they already seriously consider you as a candidate.
(Ludolf apparantly heard it from Stepmom directly, unless that part isn't true.)
By 1751, Lehndorff is regularly hanging out with the Divine Trio, which must expensive as well. All those masques and parties, etc. So he definitely wants a dowry by then, whether or not he also wants the girl as well as the dowry. Why not try for another heiress? Among other things, it would take time and effort to win someone else's family and the girl herself over, and he's starting to seriously fall in love with Heinrich and to become obsessive, which together with his actual job leaves little time to look for a more suitable (age wise) bride.
(And presumably Ludolf sees no reason to look for an alternative because why should he? Stepmom is on his side, the King is, too, and she has money.)
Did some detective work: Catherine du Rosey's father died in 1744, so 5 years before the proposal. I guess Lehndorff did wait! Uncharitably, until he started to realize he was in a dead-end job. :P
I guess also she would have been 6 when her father died, so I can imagine even in a society where it's marginally okay to propose to 11-year-olds maybe a 6-year-old is NOT okay?
I mean, SD was trying to arrange the marriage between Wilhelmine and Fritz of Wales when they were like, 2 years old, so while Lehndorff is not royalty, I wouldn't be surprised if he just wasn't seriously looking/desperate yet.
Also, in case I have not said this enough, UGH, this poor girl who men keep trying to marry :( Your comment about what all of them must have been thinking or calculating makes this even more clear :(
and he's starting to seriously fall in love with Heinrich and to become obsessive, which together with his actual job leaves little time to look for a more suitable (age wise) bride.
Okay, I did find this funny, though. "Sorry, I'm too busy obsessively falling in love to actually reasonably look for a wife!"
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timeasmymeasure
Re: Lehndorff's one who got away
Date: 2025-01-12 12:44 pm (UTC)I guess it depends on whether or not we believe he wasn't that keen on the marriage originally and it was his family's idea, as he presents it in 1787. He doesn't say it was his idea in the 1750s entries, either, to be fair, but he utterly blames "intrigues" for the lack of the marriage. That he finds a grown up Catherine attractive and charming doesn't mean something either way, since clearly the original proposal was about the money and the money only.
It's worth keeping in mind that Lehndorff at this point was the youngest of the family (born after his father's death), that he didn't expect to inherit the estate (since he had a well and alive older brother), and that he can't expect a military career due to his physical handicap. A political career thus is the only option, and for that, he needs money. Definitely if he becomes an Ambassador (which is one of the things he really fancied), but also if he has a career at court. Even in his current job, as EC's newly appointed Chamberlain, he has, for example, to dress up in style every time he shows up at court. (Remember his sarcastic portrait of his colleague, Count von Wartensleben the sugar hoarder, who only has one glove for the arm on which he has to escort the Queen and otherwise wants to save money, ditto for stealing all that sugar.) So both variations are believable: he's after an heiress, any heiress, even an eleven years old one, because he knows he needs that money, or: his mother and older brother and sisters make it clear that he better marry into some cash. Also, why not both? Presumably Catherine du Rosey was the heiress of choice because the Lehndorffs knew about her from Grandma and they knew how much money Lehndorff could expect, since they were related. Whereas for strangers, you have to introduce yourself and win the family over, and you can make a guess as to how much money she'll actually get because the parents/guardians won't tell you the exact sum until they already seriously consider you as a candidate.
(Ludolf apparantly heard it from Stepmom directly, unless that part isn't true.)
By 1751, Lehndorff is regularly hanging out with the Divine Trio, which must expensive as well. All those masques and parties, etc. So he definitely wants a dowry by then, whether or not he also wants the girl as well as the dowry. Why not try for another heiress? Among other things, it would take time and effort to win someone else's family and the girl herself over, and he's starting to seriously fall in love with Heinrich and to become obsessive, which together with his actual job leaves little time to look for a more suitable (age wise) bride.
(And presumably Ludolf sees no reason to look for an alternative because why should he? Stepmom is on his side, the King is, too, and she has money.)
Re: Lehndorff's one who got away
Date: 2025-01-12 01:33 pm (UTC)Re: Lehndorff's one who got away
Date: 2025-01-15 05:19 am (UTC)Re: Lehndorff's one who got away
Date: 2025-01-15 10:47 am (UTC)Re: Lehndorff's one who got away
Date: 2025-01-15 05:21 am (UTC)and he's starting to seriously fall in love with Heinrich and to become obsessive, which together with his actual job leaves little time to look for a more suitable (age wise) bride.
Okay, I did find this funny, though. "Sorry, I'm too busy obsessively falling in love to actually reasonably look for a wife!"