Copy of Napoleon's Will up for Auction in Paris
History
I'm glad you like them! I actually just stumble across them watching the news or on the internet :p
Forum Activity for @leopoldina
History
Copy of Napoleon's Will up for Auction in Paris
History
This rare flash of emotion from the once-mighty French emperor is revealed in the only known copy of the historic document being auctioned in Paris' Drouot Auction house Wednesday. It gives an unusual insight into Napoleon's final moments.
Napoleon wrote the letter on April 16, 1821, some 19 days before his death. As the ailing 51-year-old was putting ink to paper, he said to a friend, "My son, it's time I go, I feel it," according to the auction notes.
The original letter, penned in Napoleon's own illegible hand, is in France's national archives and unavailable for purchase. The only copy, written by a close adviser, is expected to fetch 120,000 euros ($162,000).
"This document is very special in the great mass of documents produced in Napoleon's era," said Napoleon expert Pierre Gheno. "Napoleon always writes in a factual way. But here we see emotion, saying that he wants his ashes to be scattered on the banks of the Seine (river) among the beloved French. He knew he was dying."
As it turns out, the fallen emperor's ashes weren't exactly scattered along the river, but transferred to Paris' Invalides monument some two decades later in 1840.
Historians say that the new king ignored the will's wishes and delayed bringing Napoleon's remains back to Paris out of fear his legacy was too linked with the French Revolution.
In addition to Napoleon's wishes for his ashes, the will also calls for his remaining possessions to be distributed among his close friends in exile on the island of Saint Helena. The will reveals how little Napoleon had during his punitive six years of captivity at the hands of the British following his defeat at Waterloo in 1815.
The once-feared general, who conquered half of Europe, had nothing more than a few jewels, sculptures, porcelain crockery and the odd painting at the time of his death.
"He was very modestly housed. He hardly had anything," Gheno said.
[ Source ]
updated by @leopoldina: 05 Jun 2017 09:24:34AM
Ever, Jane: The Virtual World of Jane Austen
General Discussion
In the virtual world of Jane Austen, it is not about kill or be killed, but invite and be invited with gossip our weapon of choice.
Ever, Jane is a virtual world that allows people to role-play in Regency Period England. Similar to traditional role playing games, we advance our character through experience, but that is where the similarities end. Ever, Jane is about playing the actual character in the game, building stories. Our quests are derived from player's actions and stories. Andwe gossip rather than swords and magic to demolish our enemies and aid our friends.
Try to win the sympathy of Lizzie Bennet by telling lies about your rival, as Mr. Wickham does, butbe careful. The system will notify someone if they are being talked about too often and a good sleuth may find the player who is spreading such rumors. If you are caught in your lies, the consequences you intended for your target will hit you two-fold.
More info at its Kickstarter page . There is more explanation on the game, a video and even a demo.
Seems like a very nice concept, though I think SL could be the best place for a game like this.
And just a fun fact, Judy L. Tyrer, who is projecting the game, worked for Linden Lab in the past.
updated by @leopoldina: 06 Oct 2016 06:24:41AM
Dark Countess' tomb exhumed to solve 200-year-old mystery
History
Your welcome 
I don't believe in the switching theory completely, so I really want to known why they lived in such mystery, there must be a reason no?
Dark Countess' tomb exhumed to solve 200-year-old mystery
History
Just saw this at VivelaReine's tumblr, and thought it would be worth of mention here. This comments comes from Elena Maria Vidal, on her blog Tea at Trianon:
" Here are some glaring points as to why this story [ Marie Therese being the Dark Countess] is untenable:
1) Louis XVI had no illegitimate children. There is no proof that he had an operation. He was known for his devotion to his wife, fidelity to his marriage vows and his religious scrupulosity. He did not have an affair with a chambermaid and beget Ernestine. There was an Ernestine, a child of servants, whom Marie-Antoinette adopted . (She adopted two other children as well. The queen came from a large family and liked having lots of children around.) There is no evidence that Ernestine was the secret daughter of Louis XVI or of any of the other princes.
2) Louis XVIII would have had to pay off a huge amount of people to buy their silence, and he really did not have all that much money - not enough for that kind of blackmail. He had been an impoverished exile for over 20 years. When he did get hold of some cash, he immediately deposited it in an English bank. The Bourbon family lived on his savings the next time they were all exiled.
3)Louis XVIII may have been clever and devious enough to carry off that kind of a hoax, but the other members of the family were not. His brother Artois (Charles X) was notorious for his lack of discretion. His nephew the Duc d'Angoulme , Madame Royale's husband and cousin, was deeply pious and scrupulously honest, in spite of other innumerable short-comings. He would never have been able to live that kind of a lie. The other nephew, the Duc de Berry , was like his father Artois, completely unable to be devious, no matter how hard he tried.
4) Many faithful retainers and childhood friends of Madame Royale, such as Pauline de Bearn and her mother the royal governess Madame de Tourzel, were close to Marie-Thrse before and after the Revolution. Both mother and daughter were known as women of honor and to insinuate that they would participate in such a hoax is outrageous to say the least. There were many, many others, who had lost fortunes through being faithful to the royal family and were not the type to sacrifice their principles over such a charade that really served no purpose."
Source: http://teaattrianon.blogspot.com.br/2013/10/the-myth-of-dark-counte...
Dark Countess' tomb exhumed to solve 200-year-old mystery
History
I don't know, I think that if the switching theory was true, Marie-Therese's life would had been even more tragic.
Dark Countess' tomb exhumed to solve 200-year-old mystery
History
uhm I also find that theory very absurd, but I see nothing wrong with the article. They even say Ernestine was "believed to be her half sister", which is great compared to the article from Wikipedia.
Dark Countess' tomb exhumed to solve 200-year-old mystery
History
Yes, can't wait for any new information on this!
I read on wikipedia that the Count was "Leonardus Cornelius van der Valck, born 22 September 1769 in Amsterdam, and secretary in the Dutch embassy in Parisfrom July 1798 to April 1799" and according to himself, the Countess was "Sophie Botta, an unmarried woman from Westphalia."
It would be interesting to know why they were so much mystery around them.
Dark Countess' tomb exhumed to solve 200-year-old mystery
History
Ah yes, I highly doubt that theory, but maybe we will know more about this Dark Countess? that would be nice
Dark Countess' tomb exhumed to solve 200-year-old mystery
History
Tomb of 'Dark Countess', rumoured to be Marie Thrse Charlotte, eldest daughter of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, is exhumed
A digger clears the earth during the exhumation of the grave of so-called 'Dark Countess' in Hildburghausen, Germany.Photo: EPA/DPA
7:18PM BST 15 Oct 2013
The grave of a "Dark Countess" some believe was the eldest daughter of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI was exhumed on Tuesday in Germany in the hope of resolving the 200-year-old mystery.
Local authorities in Hildburghausen, Thuringia, central Germany agreed to open the tomb to conduct DNA tests on an elusive aristocrat who resided in the town from 1807 until her death in 1837 with a mysterious "count".
Very little was known about the woman, as she only ventured out in a carriage or with a veil covering her face.
Marie Thrse Charlotte of France was the only member of her immediate family to survive the French Revolution.
In 1792, the entire family was imprisoned in the Temple Tower in Paris, after which her father and mother were guillotined.
Officially, Marie-Thrse, also known as Madame Royale, survived the Reign of Terror, fled to Vienna before marrying her cousin, Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulme, the eldest son of the future Charles X.
She was technically Queen of France for 20 minutes in 1830 before her husband was forced to abdicate. They went on to live in exile in Edinburgh, Prague and Vienna.
Despite this official account of her life, rumours persisted that the real Marie Thrse was so traumatised by the Revolution that she secretly changed places with Ernestine Lambriquet, believed to be her half sister, and lived in hiding in Hildburghausen.
In May last year, Germany state radio MDR set out to end speculation over the identity of the Dark Countess by comparing DNA tests of her remains with Marie Thrse's official remains in the church of the Franciscan Monastery of Kostanjevica near Nova Gorica, Slovenia.
Yesterday, the forensic team recovered parts of a skeleton in the German tomb.
Michael Romhild, the director of the Hildburghausen museum, said that once analysed, "modern science will clear up the fate of the Dark Countess".
[ Original link ]
---
Very interesting no? I don't particularly believe in the switching theory, but the Dark Count and Countess' mystery is a very interesting one, and besides, I Iove to read anything MTC related, so I look forward on reading on the future discoveries about it!
What about you guys, what do you think of them? Do you believe in the switching theory?
updated by @leopoldina: 25 May 2017 11:51:27AM