Aristocracy - The Parnassian (Page 27)

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The father of the White émigré spy Anna Volkova, Nikolai Alexandrovich, belonged to that very Volkov-Muromtsev family, tied to the Griboyedovs by bonds of both marriage and property

The father of the White émigré spy Anna Volkova, Nikolai Alexandrovich, belonged to that very Volkov-Muromtsev family, tied to the Griboyedovs by bonds of both marriage and property. Nikolai's own brother Vladimir Volkov-Muromtsev, disinherited by their father, by an irony of fate became in 1895 the

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Speaking of costly jewels, this pearl parure of Marie Antoinette was inherited by her daughter, Marie-Thérèse, the last Dauphine of France and Duchess of Angoulême

Speaking of costly jewels, this pearl parure of Marie Antoinette was inherited by her daughter, Marie-Thérèse, the last Dauphine of France, Duchess of Angoulême. The enormous pearl pendant from this set was recently sold for £27,881,497

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Incidentally, in the surviving portraits of the Habsburgs' foremother, Cymburgis of Masovia, the protruding jaw is not shown, whereas her descendants were for the most part portrayed with the family trait quite unconcealed

Incidentally, in the surviving portraits of the Habsburgs' foremother, Cymburgis of Masovia, the protruding jaw is not shown, whereas her descendants were for the most part portrayed with the family trait quite unconcealed. Leopold I, from the seventeenth century, for one

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The Daily Mail Runs a Long Piece on the Habsburg Jaw

The Daily Mail has published a long article on the Habsburg jaw. Scientists maintain that the dynasty owes its hereditary facial deformity to two centuries of inbreeding among Europe's royal families. The text has outraged our old friend Eduard Habsburg, one of the present-day representatives of the

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The one thing about "Downton Abbey" that I simply cannot bring myself to accept is the romanticisation of what are, in essence, monstrously unjust foundations, built upon feudal inheritance, the treacherous will of monarchs of old, very nearly slaveholdin

The one thing about "Downton Abbey" that I simply cannot bring myself to accept is the romanticisation of what are, in essence, monstrously unjust foundations, built upon feudal inheritance, the treacherous will of monarchs of old, very nearly slaveholding and vassal-suzerain relations. It is not easy to

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The new Downton Abbey captures Mary of Teck, consort of George V, with remarkable precision, while the actor chosen to play the King is astonishingly unlike him: simply a stately, charming old gentleman, some king out of Shrek, bearing no resemblance to…

In the ballroom scene Mary of Teck wears the famous Vladimir Tiara, so beloved of Elizabeth II, but with the emerald rather than the pearl set. The tiara originates from the Romanov family.

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Downton Abbey throws open its doors once more: a feature-length film based on the plot of the series has been released

Downton Abbey throws open its doors once more: a feature-length film based on the plot of the eponymous series has been released. The Crawley family, in full strength, awaits an exalted visit from the royal couple, and the vicissitudes of the plot are chiefly bound up with preparations for

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A Man Entangled in a Net of Lies and Vices

There are various ways of honouring one's parents. Raimondo di Sangro, the seventh Prince of Sansevero, a Neapolitan, commissioned a sculptural portrait of his father disentangling himself from the nets, or snares, of deceit and sin, accompanied by an angelic figure who frees the sinner for the bosom

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The Romanovs' Claim to the Throne Rested on the Fact That There Once Was a Maiden Koshkina

The Romanovs' claim to the throne rested on the fact that there once was a maiden Koshkina. It was not even a surname: at that time it would be more fitting to speak of by-names. And so there were the Koshkins-Romanovs, and accordingly Anastasia, or, as we

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William, 5th Baron Byron, British nobleman, peer, politician and great-uncle of the famous poet, went down in history as the Wicked Lord or the Devil Byron: a dreadful scoundrel who beat his wife, killed his own cousin, stabbing him in a dark…

William, 5th Baron Byron, British nobleman, peer, politician and great-uncle of the famous poet, went down in history as the Wicked Lord or the Devil Byron: a dreadful scoundrel who beat his wife; the killer of his own cousin, whom he stabbed in a dark room and was convicted

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Girls Who Wanted Happiness

Girls who wanted happiness. Happiness... Georges Moreau de Tours, The Morphine Addicts. I remind you that this pernicious dependence was extremely popular in aristocratic and bohemian circles in the nineteenth century. The fashion, which spread from England, is shown by Leo Tolstoy in the case of Anna Karenina, whose personality

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People often ask me what it is like to be the heir to a great dynasty?

People often ask me what it is like to be the heir to a great dynasty? Well, how shall I put it: Eduard Habsburg is obliged not only to pull the burden of Austrian ambassador to the Holy See and the Order of Malta, but also to breakfast on enormous