#1902 Letters & Diary entries
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1902
Letter excerpt from Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna to Princess Marie of Romania
Nice, 25 February 1902
Ducky's humour has improved since her daughter left: I think she really cannot stand Wilson any more after having been greatly disappointed in her. Again, all her own fault, as she had made a confidente of her, never reflecting, that one servant out of a thousand can stand it. Now comes the inevitable result, where Wilson has turned against her... I gently bring Ducky to bear in view the possibility of parting with her soon. The child does not want a nurse and she has now a lady Georgina Rotsmann, which I thought a good choice.
Princess Elisabeth of Hesse, standing between her nanny Miss Wilson and Victoria Melita during an exhibition in 1900.
source: My dear Mama by Diana Mandache.
photo: my collection
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1902
Letter excerpt from Princess Marie of Romania to Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna
Nice, 25 February 1902
Has Ducky any news from her daughter? Does she come back soon, I think the idea about Georgina (von Rotsmann) very good, one could not find anybody more utterly trustworthy.
source: My dear Mama by Diana Mandache.
photo: Hessian State Archives Darmstadt
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1902
Letter excerpt from Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna to Princess Marie of Romania
Nice, 1 February 1902
To our intense regret, Ernie has suddenly expressed the wish of seeing his daughter now, as he felt so lonely. I think, it must have been put into his head by his sisters. Ducky could not refuse it, so has to let her go to Darmstadt for a few weeks. It is deplorable, I cannot say otherwise, as the little one was admirably settled at her lessons and getting into good ways. Besides she is like a little ray of sun in our existence. And then they will turn her head there now and make and endless fuss and amuse her in every way, so as to make her feel the difference of the very simple life here. Also Wilson (Elisabeth's nanny) is simply blown up with importance now! Well, well, it could not be helped this time, but later on she only must go to Darmstadt during her holidays, Ducky has every right to settle it, after the conditions of the divorce.
I cannot say that Ernie's sisters are any longer kind to her: this intensely deplorable story with Kyrill and his endless stay here has completely spoilt and forever, the first good dispositions. I explained it clearly to Ducky, as at first she was inclined to rage about it. But now she has to bear her cross in greater humility and begins to see, how wrong it was to have had this interview with Kyrill here. She lost all her moral advantages. (...) What Ducky wants is a nice, honest, even jolly fellow, with life in him and every manly quality, which she missed so in Ernie and would never find in Kyrill. Ernie had at least bonhomie, Kyrill lacks it completely and is dull besides.
source: My dear Mama by Diana Mandache.
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1902-1903 Postcards
In December 1902, Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig began his trip to India and Egypt. During his journey, he sent his daughter, Princess Elisabeth of Hesse, numerous postcards, which are preserved in the Hessian State Archives in Darmstadt.
When he departed in December 1902, Ernst Ludwig left his first “Gruss Haus Darmstadt” postcard for his beloved daughter, where he wrote in English: “Goodbye my darling. God bless you. Papa’s love is always near you, sleeping or walking."
On the outward journey, Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig sent numerous postcards to Elisabeth, e.g. “tender kisses” from Paris or a picture of his hotel in Marseille with details of his balcony.
On the postcard above, written on board the Arabia on December 16, 1902, Ernst Ludwig told his daughter: "I send you a big kiss. Till now the weather was bad & I was seasick but now it is lovely & the sun is shinning & it is warm. I saw flying fish. A big kiss from Papa.” He celebrated Christmas on board the "Arabia" and Elisabeth sent him and his entourage a Christmas card.
On January 1, 1903, Ernst Ludwig enthusiastically reported to his daughter about his impressions from Delhi: “All those many people dressed in every color of the rainbow. It was lovely. A big kiss from Papa.” The cards are mostly in black and white, but for her daughter to get a better impression, he also described the colours of everything he saw.
On the postcard above, written on January 15, 1903, he wrote: "This lovely place is all in white marble with a blue (sky ?) & lots of green parrots flying about & screaming. They are green with red beak & a red ring round their necks. Papa"
Almost every day he sent his daughter postcards with picturesque pictures and short, sweet greetings. Postcards with motifs that were exotic to Elisabeth document his journey to destinations in northern India that are still classic today, such as Benares, Agra with the Taj Mahal, Jaipur and Fatehpur Sikri.
At the end of February, Ernst Ludwig finally began his return journey - but made a stopover in Egypt. On March 5, 1903, on a postcard from the Shephard's Hotel, the most famous luxury hotel in Cairo at that time, Ernst Ludwig announced to his daughter what should not be missed on a trip to Egypt: “Today, I go for a week up the Nile.”
On March 11, 1903, he sent birthday greetings to Elisabeth on a card from Aswan. He also visited Luxor and Karnak and, of course, the pyramids of Giza at the end.
On the postcard above, written on March 22, 1903, he proudly reported to Elisabeth about his climb to the pyramids: "I klimbed (sic.) up the pyramid yesterday & got very out of breath. Today I krept (sic.) into the inside. It was very difficult because all was so very slippery. Papa."
On the postcard above, written on March 23, 1903, Ernst Ludwig sent his daughter "a big hug from Papa".
He finally returned to Darmstadt via Genoa on April 3, 1903.
In the following months, Ernst Ludwig continued to send postcards with loving greetings to Elisabeth from his travels through Germany. In one of his last cards, written on August 6, 1903, he told her: “Next time you must come with me.”
source: landesarchivhessen.de Thank you Thomas Aufleger for sharing this little treasure with me!
#princess Elisabeth of Hesse#Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse#1902 Letters & Diary entries#1902#1903 Letters & Diary entries#1903#1902 Biography#1903 Biography
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1902
Letter excerpt from Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna to Princess Marie of Romania
Nice, 22 January 1902
Ducky's little girl has very good French lessons; I wish you would begin the same with your children, what is the use of the eternal English and only English? We all have been vaccinated, as there was some small pox about town.
source: My dear Mama by Diana Mandache.
photograph: my collection. Princess Elisabeth of Hesse in 1902. Behind her, a photograph of Princess Marie of Romania with her children, Elisabeth's Romanian cousins.
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Letter excerpt from Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna to Princess Marie of Romania
Coburg, 22 November 1902
Dearest Missy!
(...)
You know that Erni Hesse has kept all this time his daughter and that since beginning of September Ducky has not seen her, it is cruel, but as he is going to amuse himself in India for months, he had some rights in keeping her till the end of November and Ducky has been calm over it...
source: My dear Mama by Diana Mandache.
photo: Hessian State Archive Darmstadt
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1902-1903 Postcards (part II)
In the past few weeks, the Hessischess Staatsarchiv Darmstadt has made public more postcard sent by Ernst Ludwig to his beloved Elisabeth.
On the postcard below, he wrote to his daughter from Grebenhain. "21 September 1902. Such a nice reception here. A big hugg (sic.) Papa."
In December 1902, Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig began his trip to India and Egypt. During his journey, he sent his daughter, Princess Elisabeth, numerous postcards, which are preserved in the Hessian State Archives in Darmstadt.
In his trip, the Grand Duke travelled through Marseille, Port Said, Suez, Aden, Bombay, Delhi, Ducknow, Benares, Agra, Calcutta, Jaipur, Cairo, Aswan, Luxor, Karnak, Philae, Ismailia and Genoa.
His first stop was Marseille, from where he sent his daughter the following postcard: "Dec. 11th. The midle (sic.) balcony is my room. It is warm & sunny here but windy. I only hope it will be goo for tomorrow. (??) go on board. A kiss. Papa."
The Grand Duke started the year 1903 in Delhi (India), from where he sent his daughter the postcard below, with New Year Wishes: "Jan. 1st 1903. All my loving wishes to you darling. Papa."
On the postcard below, he wrote to his daughter from Cairo: "A kiss from Papa".
In Cairo, on his return journey, Ernst Ludwig lodged in the most luxurious hotel in Egypt at the time, the Shepheard's Hotel. From there, he sent his daughter the following postcard:
"5th March 1903. I send you all my love. It is windy & not very warm here. Are you having a happy time? Today I go for a walk up the Nile. A big kiss from Papa."
On the postcard below, Ernst Ludwig wrote to Elisabeth from Lauterbach (Hesse), the last stop in is journey:
"Aug. 5th 1903. This is the Place from where the funny song comes from. All the pictures are put so together that if you look at them sideways they make a stocking. Papa".
source: Hessisches Staatsarchiv Darmstadt. Thank you Thomas for sharing these with me!
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1902
Letter excerpt from Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna to Princess Marie of Romania
Nice, 12 February 1902
(...) Dear me, how I see now that Ducky also suffers intensely under her great fault of selfishness, and not admitting that she ever could have been wrong. Now comes all the bitter, bitter disappointment, the evidence that she had blundered, had made mistake upon mistake and through it, has never been able to have real friends who will stick to her in need! Neither amongst her suit or even her servants. (...) And now, I see how true it is. A little humility, yes, that is what she lacks.
(...)
She gave us a terrible fright about a week ago, as she went into a shameful fit of unbounded fury against Wilson (Elisabeth's nanny), about some letter from Darmstadt, mentioning her jewels. She began to scream in such a way that actually the whole of the servants rushed upstairs. She slapped Wilson and tore at her hair and made a dart at a big lamp to throw it at her head! Wilson had just time to seize it and carry it out of the room. Frightened maids rushed into my room to fetch me as the saving angel and I found her crying, but the first fury over. Everybody was trembling and quite pale... She recovered herself slowly. But since then, her maids are in a mortal fright. She sent her Babette to Darmstadt to see about her things and bring some jewels. The maid returned yesterday and Ducky went before her arrival with the Michas to Monte Carlo. The poor Babette came just now to me, trembling with fear at the idea of facing Ducky today and ghastly pale: she almost thinks that Ducky will murder her, when she returns today and begins to ask about Darmstadt.
...I promised to do what I an and will have to keep Ducky in sight. You know that she could have killed Wilson with greatest ease, the other day!... The whole house today is trembling at the anticipation of a terrible new outbreak, I see it in everybody's faces. And to think that it is all Ducky's own fault. I implored her since November to look about her things and say what she wanted to hace dine with them, begging her to have all packed and sent to the Schloss at Coburg. She would not move a finger, nor do anything, nut order that all should be left in its old place. Now this was impossible and Ernie had all packed and waiting for her orders: this terrible news the wretched Babette has to give her.
source: My dear Mama by Diana Mandache.
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1902
Letter excerpt from Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna to Princess Marie of Romania
Nice, 2 January 1902
Dearest Missy!
(...) We discovered next door to us an English family with children, so we want to ask them to play with Elisabeth. She is very happy here and has French and music lessons. Alas! Ducky does not occupy herself at all at this moment with her. The child is too much alone, it was even I who had to insist on arranging her lessons! The other day Micha (Grand Duke Mikhail Mikhailovich) came to luncheon and brought his two daughters very sweet, nicely behaved children, who remained the whole afternoon and had fun in the garden.
source: My dear Mama by Diana Mandache.
photo: Hessisches Staatsarchiv Darmstadt
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