Louise, Queen of Prussia, 1802 (by Josef Grassi)
Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1776 – 1810) was Queen consort of Prussia as the wife of King Frederick William III. The couple's happy, though short-lived, marriage produced nine children, including the future King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia and German Emperor Wilhelm I.
In 1805 she took the initiative of contacting the Tsar of Russia and the Emperor of Austria to sign a treaty with Prussia to form an alliance against Napoleon. In 1807, after disastrous losses, she met Napoleon at Tilsit to plead for favorable terms. Napoleon callously called her "the only real man in Prussia".
Her early death at the age of thirty-four "preserved her youth in the memory of posterity", and caused Napoleon to reportedly remark that "the King has lost his best minister". Her (graceful) death mask can be seen here.
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I find that the royalty of Europe makes for fascinating reading, it is always very complex how all the families are interwoven. An interesting post, thanks.
ReplyDeleteQueen Louise was a beautiful woman. The undying faces site is fascinating! Thanks for including the link.
ReplyDeleteA woman with beauty and brains. Tragic to die so young.
ReplyDeleteYou really produce some very nice posts, Rob. Thanks!
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