Soldier of Monarchy: General Giulio Douhet

General Giulio Douhet, aerial warfare visionary and the prophet of strategic bombing was a military innovator and the first great airpower theorist in history. His thinking was decades ahead of his time as he foresaw the day, even at the turn of the last century, when air power would become the dominant offensive weapon of the future, capable of winning wars all on its own long before anyone else saw control of the skies as vital or, indeed, saw hardly any military value in aircraft at all. He was born in Caserta on May 30, 1869 into a family with a long tradition of military service and, in keeping with that tradition, attended the Italian military academy and graduated at the top of his class, earning a commission in the artillery in 1892. He was an innovator from the very start of his career who immediately saw the potential in making the Italian army a mechanized army. He commanded a battalion of the elite bersaglieri light infantry when these were mounted on motorcycles for the first time, giving them added speed and mobility. When Wilbur Wright visited the Kingdom of Italy in 1909 he met the American inventor-aviator and at once saw the potential for the military use of aircraft and became an early and tireless advocate for it.

His foresight was first proven in the Italo-Turkish War of 1911-12 when he was given command of the first ever aviation battalion in Italian military history. Under Douhet, Italy broke new ground by becoming the first power to successfully carry off air-to-ground attacks with the bombing of Turkish outposts in Libya. This was all the proof Douhet required and he immediately saw a brilliant future for military aircraft. Drawing on his wartime experiences, after the conflict he wrote and published the first manual on the doctrines of air combat entitled “Rules of the Use of Airplanes in War” in 1913. Thanks to Douhet, the Kingdom of Italy had taken an early lead as the first world power to take aerial warfare seriously. However, being a ground-breaking thinker is rarely easy. When Italy entered World War I, Douhet was first posted as chief of staff of an infantry division but given his talent and experience was soon transferred to command the army aviation division. He called for Italy to devote huge resources to the air arm and to launch a campaign of saturation bombing against Austria. However, very little was done before his criticisms of the supreme command earned him the wrath of General Luigi Cadorna who had him arrested and court-martialed.

Sadly, this was not out of the ordinary and should not at all reflect poorly on Colonel Douhet as an officer. By 1917 General Cadorna had sacked a total of 216 generals, 255 colonels and 355 battalion commanders who he blamed for one thing or another or who simply disagreed with his handling of the army, over a time when Italian losses had been heavy and territorial gains extremely modest. However, Colonel Douhet used his time well. As he sat in confinement he continued to write about his ideas for the future of war in the air and to further refine his theories on military aviation. Today many remember the bombing raids of the German and Allied armies on the western front but few realize they had only recently discovered the strategy that Douhet had been advocating for years. In 1917, after the disastrous battle of Caporetto, Douhet and the other critics of General Cadorna were proven correct and the top general was replaced and Douhet was released, restored to his rank and put back in command of the new Central Aeronautic Bureau. In 1921 he published his most famous work, “The Command of the Air”. He held a post in the government of Mussolini for a very short time before retiring from the army with the rank of major general in 1923. He died in Rome on February 15, 1930 at 60 years old.

Why, at the end of it all, was General Douhet such a visionary who we should still remember today? What were his great ideas and theories? He was the first to call for an independent air force, separate from the army and the navy (eventually realized in the Regia Aeronautica) and the first to call for versatile fighter planes, what he termed a “battle plane”, that would be capable of air-to-air combat and ground attack missions. Douhet believed that massive fleets of bombers could be used as the ultimate strategic military weapon. He envisioned ground forces being used solely in a defensive role, guarding Italian territory, while the air force was the primary offensive arm of the military and would devastate enemy countries and armies, destroying their infrastructure and forcing them to capitulate. This, he argued, he would be more cost effective, save lives that would otherwise be wasted in human-wave attacks and would make warfare more swift and decisive.

Not everyone in Italy appreciated the ideas of General Douhet or saw his work as applying to them since other countries (such as Germany, France and Britain) had such larger air forces. However, the use of air power was central to Italian victories in Libya against the rebel Islamic forces, in Abyssinia and was absolutely vital in defeating the communist forces in Spain. However, despite a greater emphasis being put on air power in Italy after his time, the country was never in a position, industrially, to fully implement his ideas. Nonetheless, all of the great aerial warfare leaders from Germany, France, Britain and America read his books and were well studied in his theories. These were, to varying degrees, adopted during World War II particularly by the U.S. Army Air Corps and the British Royal Air Force which carried out large-scale strategic bombing, which were key factors in the ultimate Allied victory. Some more recent military historians have at times downplayed the foresight of General Douhet, arguing that no country has ever won a war through the sole use of air power. However, none have fully adopted the strategies he envisioned to carry this out and even in more recent years there are examples in places such as Kosovo and most recently in Libya which prove just how far-sighted Douhet was. In any event, his influence is enormous simply by being the first to imagine a great and central role for air power in warfare. The development of air forces all over the world owe a debt of gratitude to General Giulio Douhet.

Monarch Profile: Tsar Paul I of Russia

I will admit, I have a soft spot for Tsar Paul I, often referred to as the “Mad Tsar”. He was a monarch of very monarchist sensibilities, a dedicated sovereign and a man with a great sense of imagination and adventure. The popular image of him as an unsavory, authoritarian lunatic was, it must be remembered, an image spread by those who murdered him and who tried to portray him in the most negative light possible to justify their heinous crime. He was certainly not flawless, but his faults have been grossly distorted and he possessed many admirable qualities. He was born on September 20, 1754 to the future Tsar Peter III (then a Grand Duke) and his formidable wife who would become known as Catherine the Great in St Petersburg. His mother, however, would later cast doubts on his legitimacy, showing little regard for the future stability of the Russian Empire but all of that involves speculation. Soon after he was born the Empress Elizabeth removed the little prince from his parents and as he grew up he would hold a grudge against his mother for the murder of his father and the subsequent coup that made Catherine Empress of Russia. His education was entrusted to Nikita Ivanovich Panin who was to teach him to be an “enlightened” monarch but he was also surrounded by the quiet example of many pious women as well as the Empress Elizabeth who was a devoted daughter of the Russian Orthodox Church in the best, traditional, fashion.

According to his critics, Paul was trouble from the start, obstinate, obsessive, moody and temperamental. In fact, these are distortions of some of his best qualities, exaggerated later by those wishing to ruin his reputation. He was unbending in his defense of traditional principles, a man of restless energy and a man capable of changing direction when he could see something was not working; all fine things that can easily be cast in a negative light. He did have a temper on him but this was far from unusual amongst the ranks of the Romanovs. One of his religious instructors, the future Metropolitan of Moscow, instilled in him a devotion to the Church and said of the future Tsar that, “Fortunately, my high-born student always had a leaning towards godliness, and also enjoyed discussions and conversations about God and the faith”. His strong faith in God would sustain him through the difficult years of his life. Catherine the Great kept him always at a distance, frustrating his desire to serve Mother Russia and give vent to his restless energy. At times he often felt like a prisoner in his own country but was finally given a ray of light when his mother determined it was time for him to marry. She asked her friend Frederick the Great of Prussia to suggest a suitable candidate and he dispatched three young Hessian princesses for the Grand Duke to consider.

Contrary to those who have portrayed Paul as cold and unfeeling, he was immediately taken by the Princess Wilhelmina, a beautiful, pleasant and outgoing young lady who won over everyone. It took only two days for Paul to determine that she was the one for him and on September 29, 1773 the two were married, the princess converted to Orthodoxy and was thereafter known as Grand Duchess Natalia Alexeievna of Russia. She supported her husband but soon rumors were running thick of an affair between the Grand Duchess and her husband’s best friend. Paul remained blissfully ignorant of this talk and was extremely distraught in 1776 when Grand Duchess Natalia died after giving birth to a stillborn son. Paul was crushed and blamed the doctors for the death of his wife. There was little time for mourning, however, as Empress Catherine quickly arranged another marriage for her son with Princess Sophia Dorothea of Wuerttemberg, later known as Maria Feodorovna. Paul gave his wife a detailed set of instructions which show how well he knew his own shortcomings, keeping his entire day strictly regimented so that not a minute was lost to idle frivolity. In their years together Maria Feodorovna gave Paul four sons and six daughters.

Naturally, with so much bad blood between the Grand Duke and his mother there were talks of doing to the Empress what she had done to her own husband. Paul would have none of it. When the plan was amended to spare the life of the Empress and simply have a coup for Paul to take power he still would not allow anything of the sort. As much as he opposed his mother and her way of life, he would not dishonor himself by resorting to rebellion. By refusing to go along with the plan, the plotters feared he would betray them and had him poisoned. Paul managed to survive but retained several maladies for the rest of his life as a consequence of his unbending loyalty. He was not well liked at court, a fact which is often mentioned, but this was not necessarily a bad thing. He disliked most of those at court as well as disapproved of the ostentatious style of Catherine the Great and the immorality that prevailed there. He was often cheered wildly by the common people and when on a European tour with his wife was described in glowing terms by Emperor Joseph II (a man not known for being free with his praise) who wrote to his brother about what good parents Paul and Maria were, how interested they were in learning, particularly about charitable and educational subjects to benefit their people. Leopold of Tuscany was equally impressed, describing them as possessing “a great deal of spirit, talent and thoughtfulness”.

Still deprived of a role in government, when the couple returned to Russia the Grand Duke set up his own model estate at Gatchina Palace where luxury and decadence were forbidden in favor simplicity, military discipline and pursuits which expanded the mind. He was fond of playing chess and of drilling his soldiers which he did in the Prussian style, being greatly impressed by the stunning victories of Frederick the Great. The serfs on his estate were mostly Finns and Grand Duke Paul took good care of them, tolerating their Lutheran faith, always sharing with them the latest advances in agriculture and lending them money when they were in need. He built a free hospital for them as well as schools for the local peasant children. These facts are often left out of the accounts which like to portray the estates of Paul as nothing more than an armed camp presided over by a militaristic martinet. The army was always important to him but he was far from being no more than a heartless drillmaster as he is often portrayed. His only chance to see battle himself was during the war with Sweden of 1788-90 during which he did come under enemy fire, though the Swedes later apologized for having shot at him.

As Catherine the Great began to fail in health there was talk that she would pass over her son and leave the Russian crown to her grandson Alexander. If there was such a plan, it was not able to be put into effect and in 1796 Tsar Paul I became Emperor of Russia without opposition. He had his father reburied alongside Catherine II at Peter and Paul Cathedral and the following year decreed a new law to regularize the succession, basing it on male primogeniture and adherence to the Russian Orthodox faith. Almost at once he began abolishing those policies of his mother he disapproved of, called off the war against Persia, released from jail those Catherine had imprisoned and clamped down on the spread of subversive ideas and activities. He also set about immediately to reform the army, based on the Prussian model. Not all of these changes were popular but, as Paul I said, “I prefer to be hated for a rightful cause than loved for a wrong one.” The lives of the regular soldiers were much improved, government spending was reduced and the first ministers were established. While not trampling on traditional rights, he urged landowners to exempt serfs from work on Sundays, forbid the breaking up of families and advised that serfs should work on the land of their masters no more than three days a week.

Far from being a harsh authoritarian, Tsar Paul I made everyone more equal under the law, which not everyone in the nobility appreciated. Under his rule, nobles would pay taxes and if they committed crimes would be subject to the same corporal punishment given to the common people. Which is not to say that Paul I was any sort of revolutionary. Quite the contrary. Because of the spread of revolutionary ideas from France, in 1800 Tsar Paul I cut off all imports of books and music and even forbid the use of such words as “citizen” and “society”, which was to his credit. He believed absolutely in divinely ordained monarchy, legitimate authority and was totally opposed to revolution on principle. It was because of his devotion to these ideals that he joined Great Britain, Naples and Austria in the Second Coalition against revolutionary France. Russia was, at that point, under no threat whatsoever, but Paul I would oppose revolution and defend legitimate monarchs wherever and whenever they were threatened. His goal was to see the lawful monarchs restored to their thrones in Italy and he was particularly outraged by the French occupation of Malta in 1798. The Knights of Malta had fascinated him since he was a boy and in that year he secured his election as their Grand Master. It was his greatest wish to see Russia liberate Malta and restore the island to the Knights.

In his drive to remove the French from the eastern Mediterranean where they could menace Russian trade on the Black Sea, Paul made peace with Ottoman Turkey and joined them in seizing the Ionian Islands from France which were then occupied by Russia. The Russian troops under the famous General Suvorov fought well in Italy and even when forced to retreat fought a brilliant delaying action through the Alps. The fact that Tsar Paul made and dropped alliances in turn has often been cited as proof of his madness but, in actuality, it was all due to his devotion to the cause of legitimate authority. He withdrew from the coalition when it became clear that rather than restoring the prior monarchs, Austria intended to keep the Italian territories they conquered for themselves. When Napoleon came to power in France, the Tsar hoped this might be a sort of counter-revolution and attempted to come to terms with “the Little Corporal” but Napoleon refused to agree to Paul’s demands that the pre-revolutionary regimes in Germany, Italy and on Malta be restored. When Great Britain occupied Malta and retained it rather than restoring it to the Knights as well as going along with the Austrian conquests in Italy, Paul I broke with Great Britain and even considered an offensive to drive the British out of India.

Through it all, the Tsar never forgot his people and he was meticulous in looking out for their welfare. He wanted to be the accessible Tsar and indeed he was. One of the things he is remembered for was putting in what we would today call a “suggestion box” at the Winter Palace where any Russian could leave him letters, making suggestions, reporting problems or ask for assistance. This was no meaningless charade either as the Tsar collected and read these letters himself every day and answered every single one. He was known to spend whole nights on his knees in prayer and wrote of government that, “The object of every society is the happiness of each and all”. He rose at five o’clock every morning and remained constantly busy until his head touched the pillow at night. Many have described him as being paranoid but this seems an odd accusation to make considering the tragic end of Tsar Paul I. As has often been said, it’s not paranoia if they really are out to get you. So it was with Paul I. A plot was hatched with the knowledge of his son and heir Alexander, though Alexander had no idea that the plot included regicide. Count Peter Pahlen, military governor of St Petersburg, was the chief architect of the coup. On the night of March 11-12, 1801 the conspirators infiltrated the Tsar’s residence, Mikhailovsky Zamok, and found Paul I in his bedroom. The Tsar was attacked, fought back, was brutally beaten and finally strangled to death with a sash. The murderers quickly announced that the Tsar had died of an apoplexy but the truth spread quickly.

This meant that some new justification for the coup had to be found and the madness of Tsar Paul I was quickly seized upon. If the Tsar had been murdered, so be it, but the murderers tried to argue that they had only done what was necessary in ridding Russia of an emperor who had gone hopelessly insane. It was not true of course but the story became widespread with some real eccentricities being exaggerated out of all proportion to support the story. In any event, Tsar Paul I was gone and his son took his place, who would himself become a beloved figure in Russian history. Still, Tsar Paul I deserves to be remembered for what he was. He was a devoted son of the Church, a man who believed in an orderly world of legitimate monarchs, a monarch who looked after the least of his subjects before the most prominent and the ruler who established the framework for how the Russian Empire was to operate for most of the rest of its history. He was a good man really who had legitimate reasons for everything he did and who did the best he could for Russia and the cause of Godly government around the world.

Favorite Royal Images: Romanov Cherub

HIH Grand Duchess Maria

Mad Motivation

Consort Profile: Queen Maria Luisa of Savoy

Queen Maria Luisa of Savoy was consort to the first Bourbon King of Spain and also showed herself to be not only a popular and beloved consort but a talented and confident woman who would have been perfectly capable of ruling a country herself, as she did on occasion when her husband was out of town. She was born in Turin on August 17, 1688, the third daughter of Duke Victor Amadeus II of Savoy and Princess Anne Marie of Orleans (daughter of the Duke of Orleans and Princess Henrietta of England). She was a bright, playful and happy child but it was a childhood that did not last long since, as with so many princesses, she had to grow up quite rapidly for the sake of a political marriage. It was not as much a case of her own parents seeking a match for her but her husband-to-be who sought her out for political reasons. Over in Spain the House of Hapsburg had died out with King Carlos II and the grandson of King Louis XIV of France was set to be imported as the new King of Spain, the first of the dynasty that continues to the present day. Only 16-years-old at the time, the French and Spanish governments came to an agreement and the teenage Duke of Anjou became King Felipe V of Spain.

However, although Spain and France were in agreement, there were few doubts that the spread of Bourbon influence to the Iberian Peninsula would arouse opposition amongst the other great powers of Europe, particularly in Great Britain and Austria. War seemed inevitable and the marriage of the young Felipe V would be used to secure his claim to the Spanish throne by linking him with the House of Savoy which also had marriage ties with the Kingdom of France and even a possible claim on the Spanish throne by way of the dowry of the great-grandmother of Duke Victor Amadeus II (Infanta Catherine Michelle) which had gone unpaid. In this way the choice fell on the 13-year-old Savoy princess and the marriage was arranged by the Duke of Savoy and King Louis XIV with proxy wedding ceremonies taking place in both Turin and Versailles. By her marriage in 1701 she became Queen consort of Spain before she had ever set foot in the country or even met her husband face-to-face. Nonetheless, the Savoy princesses had a reputation for putting duty first and the well educated, fun loving new Queen set out for Spain. While passing through Nice she met Pope Clement XI who showed his favor by presenting her with a Papal Golden Rose, an honor still given out today but since the reign of Pius XII only to religious places rather than individual people.

Happily, when Queen Maria Luisa arrived in Barcelona and met her young husband King Felipe V she was not disappointed. Despite the circumstances of their union the two had a successful marriage and a genuine romance. As she settled in to life in Spain her most constant guide and companion was the formidable Princess des Ursins who became head of the Queen’s household and, unofficially, the most powerful woman in Spain. It had to be a difficult time for her as the War of Spanish Succession broke out which placed her father, the Duke of Savoy, on the side of Great Britain, Austria and others in opposition to France and Spain. As fighting raged from northern France and the Low Countries to the Italian peninsula, King Felipe V had to leave Spain to defend family territory in Naples. This left Queen Maria Luisa in Madrid as regent for her husband for quite some time but she proved herself to be more than up to the challenge. She was extremely thorough in her work, listening to all sides, investigating every complaint and checking all reports herself. She helped to reorganize the government and rallied the Spanish people to unite in support of the war effort. The patriotism she displayed and the care she showed toward the people made her popularity soar and the population adored her, affectionately calling her “La Savoyana”.

Although the Queen was very young, and of course depended on the assistance of more experienced ministers, everyone was impressed by how she rose to the occasion and devoted herself totally to her husband and her new country. Her prestige was unmatched and her authority unquestioned. The war ended with her husband secure on the Spanish throne and some may have wondered how the couple would behave once the King returned to Madrid. He had been forced to leave so early in their marriage and with the Queen so beloved and respected and the King having been so long distant, it would have been natural to wonder if Queen Maria Luisa would easily step into the background and leave the center stage to Felipe V. Fortunately, there were no problems. She was thrilled to simply have him back, the royal couple just as in love as ever and from being a ruling monarch in all but name Queen Maria Luisa willingly and happily devoted herself to being a consort once again.

The only problem for the Queen was her long-time ‘right arm’ Princess des Ursins who, one year after the King returned, was forced to leave the court because of pressure from King Louis XIV. This was mostly due to the fact that she had strongly advised the King and Queen to keep the French at a distance and surround themselves with Spaniards to make sure there was no mistaking that the new Bourbon monarchy would be Spanish and not simply an extension of France. Queen Maria Luisa was extremely distraught to see the Princess go who she had come to depend on so much. However, it was only temporary and to the great delight of the Queen the princess was able to return in 1705. Two years later the Savoy queen did her duty for the Spanish succession and gave birth to a son and heir, the future King Luis I. Two years later another baby boy followed but, sadly, did not live out the year. In 1712 the Queen gave birth to another son, who greatly resembled his mother. However, like the rest, his health was not robust (usually attributed to the degree of relation between the King and Queen) and he would die at only seven years old. In 1713 the Queen presented her husband with another son, the future King Fernando VI, who would thankfully have a long life and go on to enact many reforms in Spain and across the Spanish empire.

Queen Maria Luisa, despite the difficulty she often had with the health of her children, had a happy life with her two sons and a husband she was devoted to and who was devoted to her. She was talented, compassionate and adored by the Spanish people. It was thus very worrying when, not long after the birth of her last child, the Queen fell ill with tuberculosis. There was some hope that she would recover but complications eventually set in and, sadly, she passed away on February 14, 1714 at the age of only 25. She was buried in El Escorial, deeply mourned by her husband, her sons and all the people of Spain. From start to finish she had been an exemplary Queen consort, a star in the royal history of Spain and a credit to the House of Savoy.

MM Video: King Ferdinand VII of Spain

MM Video: The Bush Ghost

Royal News Roundup

Starting with the House of Windsor, royal granddaughter Zara Phillips earned a place on the British Olympic equestrian team after a lot of hard work. Congrats to her. HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (one of my very favorite royals) celebrated his ninety-first birthday. HRH is out of the hospital and seems to be doing fine. All the best to the Duke on this exceptional milestone. TRH the Earl and Countess of Wessex visited Gibraltar as part of the Diamond Jubilee celebrations, complete with a giant light show on the side of the famous “rock” and, as usual, the Spanish were none too happy about it and voiced their disapproval, as they have whenever there has been a royal visit to the disputed British foothold in Spain. Nothing unexpected there. What some might consider unexpected: the Prince of Wales as a fashion icon. It’s true, the Prince of Wales penned an article for GQ on his opening of the first ever British Fashion Council’s Men’s Collection in London this week. Quite the dapper Dan.

On the continent, HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark hosted a state visit by President Hu Jintao of the People’s Republic of China to strengthen Sino-Danish ties. Oddly enough I could find no stories about people protesting this visit. Since pro-democracy groups in Britain protested the King of Bahrain and the King of Swaziland having lunch at Windsor Castle a few weeks ago, I was just certain there would be an even bigger uproar of the leader of a single-party dictatorship with nuclear weapons and a million-man army being treated as an honored guest. Oh, wait, that wouldn’t happen because the EU needs money from China. What was I thinking? Also looking to strengthen ties, HM Queen Beatrix began a state visit to Turkey this week. The Netherlands and Turkey have had cordial diplomatic relations dating back to 1611. And, down in sunny Monte Carlo, TSH Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco rubbed elbows with stars of the small screen at the 52^nd Monte Carlo Television Festival. Meanwhile, in Sweden, the King was insulted in a novel way; by an inscription on a counterfeit coin (accusing the monarch of having low moral fiber). Republicans in Sweden obviously have too much time on their hands.

In the Far East, TM the Emperor and Empress of Japan as well as TIH the Crown Prince, Crown Princess and other members of the Imperial Family attended the funeral ceremonies for HIH Prince Tomohito of Mikasa on Thursday. Down in the Kingdom of Malaysia the loyal people of Johor came out in droves to show their support for their Sultan who was criticized for spending a substantial amount of money to bid for the WWW1 car registration plate. He announced his victory in the bidding via Twitter. The Sultan used his own money to buy the plate and not a cent from his taxpayer-funded allowance which is used for social welfare projects and his foundations. Sultan Ibrahim was moved by the show of support from his people and addressed those who first criticized him by saying, “Engage your brain before shooting your mouth”. Truer words were never spoken. In the Middle East, 500 college students are set to benefit from a new initiative set up by Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa which will provide financial assistance to Bahraini students short on funds for their education. Finally, in Saudi Arabia, a petition is being circulated to ask King Abdullah to lift the ban on women driving cars. They also thanked the King for all the restrictions he has removed against women so far in his reign (I thought that was nice) but so far, less than 600 have signed the petition.

Mad Rant: Why I Hate Socialists

Hate. I say, “hate” and I’m comfortable with it. I try not to toss that word around lightly but over the span of my life I have arrived at that firm conviction. This is not something I came to without thought. True, I was around during the Cold War when the “Union of Soviet Socialist Republics” were the big bad guys of the world. I remember emergency news bulletins about Soviet cruise missiles being moved into Eastern Europe. I remember a teacher telling us about what would happen if the Soviets hit San Antonio, Texas with a nuclear missile and I remember when the Berlin Wall came down. But, during that time, I never questioned or understood the ideological differences between NATO and the USSR, I never thought about socialism or capitalism. The Soviets were just the “bad guys” and that’s as far as it went. When I ventured into the world of higher education I had professors who sang the praises of socialism, Marxism and even communism. One admitted to being a communist and I’m sure he was not the only one; just the only one honest enough to say so. My natural inclination to go against the grain made me skeptical of their rosy picture of a socialist utopia.

After all, I could see as well as anyone how poor and miserable and oppressed people are in socialist countries like North Korea, Soviet Russia or Cuba. I was told that was because these people just didn’t understand socialism or do it correctly. That didn’t wash with me though. Surely, amongst all of the people of all the socialist movements from East Germany to Red China and the Soviet Union to Vietnam could not ALL have been mistaken or inept. I oppose socialism because socialism doesn’t work. But being opposed to something is not the same as hating something and I HATE socialists -even more than socialism itself in many cases. I have seen, as anyone can see, what effect socialism has had on countries all over the world. Their effort to make everyone “equal” is much older than Karl Marx and it has been misleading people, ruining lives and destroying countries for hundreds of years. Time after time history shows that the most murderous, totalitarian regimes in the world have had the word “socialist” in their name and promise equality, wealth redistribution and a classless society where everyone is blissfully the same.

Because of their drive for the (unobtainable) goal of “equality” socialists have historically been the avowed enemies of monarchy as well as traditional, organized religion. In just about every monarchy that has fallen in the Twentieth Century socialists of one variety or another have been at the forefront of bringing them down. Spain, Germany, Italy, Russia, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, Mongolia, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia were all instances wherein socialists brought down existing, traditional monarchies and not one of those countries improved as a result of it. Of course, some people will point to modern monarchies which are, in Europe and Japan at least, often extremely socialist and yet the monarchy survives. I say, give them time. Even in these countries where monarchy survives it is the socialists that are invariably the ones who wish it were not so and are just waiting for their chance to bring the monarchy down. If there are those who are devoted monarchists, I am certainly glad, but given the history and principles of the socialist movement I don’t think I could ever trust them. It is hard to imagine how one could reconcile being a socialist and a monarchist but if they can, while I would be pleased, it still would not make me accepting of their other policies. Too much ruination has already flowed from those ideals.

This in itself tends to work against monarchies as history and even current events have shown. The state takes from those who have to give to those who have not. Soon those who have no longer have much or have left the country and so money must be borrowed to continue giving to those who have not. Eventually the well of credit runs dry, the bills come due and there is great pain and consternation as those who have come to depend on the state being generous with the property of others fear they may be forced to do without or (God forbid) become responsible for their own welfare. This invariably leads to attacks on the monarchy with all the usual slogans and tired lines of attack. ‘Who are they to get to live in a palace and go to fancy parties while the state only pays me enough to survive without having a job?’ It happened in Russia and it happened in France. Neither the Tsar nor King Louis were causing anyone to go hungry but the royals are always easy targets for those who stir up envy and class hatred. They do not see the lifetime of service, the numerous charities or anything like that; they only see someone living better than themselves and so raise the howl of “social(ist) justice” and “wealth redistribution” and the end of the “class system”. The fact that this has never ended up working out well for the least of those in society seems to make no difference.

I also have the case of the Native Americans and there are few things that infuriate me more than what has been done to the American Indians. I have mentioned this before as long-time readers will recall but the disgusting nature of it brings me to tears. Of course, many will say that socialism was not responsible for stealing land from the Indians, moving them against their will or massacring them if they resisted. If anything, that was the fault of the opposite of socialism; capitalism, right? To a degree, probably so. However, that was not the worst thing that was done to the Indians. Those Indians were faced by a far more advanced civilization with superior weaponry and so on, that fought them for their land and they lost. That is sad, but those Indians at least had their pride. They fought like lions and there is no shame in being beaten by a superior enemy. They lost their land but they didn’t lose their dignity, they fought to the last, went down in a blaze of glory and when treaties were broken it was their enemies who were dishonored and not them. But, then socialists came along who wanted to make up for all of that and they have killed the Native Americans with “kindness”. Their socialistic policies have robbed the Indians of their dignity and their pride and turned them into perpetual dependents, waiting for the government to drop some coins into their tin cup to survive. It is heartbreaking what such proud people have been reduced to. It is a simple fact that cannot be said often enough. There is no group in the modern United States that receives more government assistance than Native Americans and there is no group of people in this entire country that is worse off than they are. It is criminally despicable what has been done to them.

Finally though, what really infuriates me the most, what gets under my skin and bugs me half to death is the flagrant hypocrisy of the rich socialists. I’m talking about people like Michael Moore, a multi-millionaire who sides with the union but doesn’t hire union workers on his films, who condemns capitalism but goes to court to keep as much of his own money as possible. I’m talking about Oprah who so supported President Obama (peace be upon him) and his “spread the wealth” campaign while moving around the country from mansion to mansion, staying just long enough to avoid paying the full tax rate on each. I might also point to multi-billionaires like Warren Buffett, who supports raising income taxes on other people which will not effect him in the least because he pays himself no salary and so has no “income” in tax but … I think you get the picture.

I’m not trying to pick on these people personally. Oprah seems like a nice lady, I thought the one actual movie Michael Moore made (“Canadian Bacon”) was funny and Warren Buffett, well, I don’t really know enough about him to like or dislike him aside from the fact that he supports higher taxes while he’s locked in a legal battle with the IRS over back taxes he refuses to pay so … he’s got nerve I’ll give him that. But this goes to something I noticed way back at university when I was being lectured by a socialist, openly Marxist professor who I know, at that time, had a whole lot more money than I did. And I am sick and tired of being preached to about the need for me to pay more to the government by people with more money than I’ll ever earn in my lifetime. If charity begins at home, why doesn’t socialism? I’m ready to be autocratic about this. I will go on record as saying that if I had the power, yes, I would take away the freedom of speech of these people. I would take away the right of anyone to argue in favor of socialism so long as they had even one penny more than anyone else.

Think about it like this: If the Ecumenical Patriarch, the Pope or Franklin Graham went around stealing, murdering and fornicating but still said these things were wrong and the government should make them illegal; would anyone take them seriously or listen to them for a second? Of course they wouldn’t. They would be dismissed as utter, rank hypocrites and rightly so. Why then doesn’t the same principle apply to the socialists? If they believe all the crap they spew about income inequality, why don’t they start writing out checks to everyone in their neighborhoods who have less than they do? They could spread their own wealth around right now. They could start sharing their wealth and lowering the “income gap” this very day! Of course, whenever someone makes this point they always say, ‘well, just me and my friends doing it wouldn’t make a difference’ so they have to have the government force everyone else to do it too (while they stash money overseas and play musical chairs with their mansions). Frankly, that’s a pretty lame excuse. If they really believed what they claim to they would do it just on principle and it would certainly help some people -right? Just take, for example, the greater Los Angeles area where there are many very poor people, many poor “undocumented immigrants” and also many multi-millionaire celebrities (not as many as there used to be for some reason). Why don’t they prove to all what socialism can do and just redistribute the wealth in that area equally?

We all know they would never do it even though if they did and the greater LA area suddenly became a bastion of blissful prosperity it would sure prove all the greedy capitalists wrong. But, they won’t and we all know they won’t. And, I think, deep down, we all know why too. Because George Clooney, with his California mansion and villa in Tuscany or Brad Pitt with his chateaux in France never turned down a multi-million dollar contract because it was more than what they needed to get by on. There is no “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” when it comes to their own paychecks. That is why, more than anything else, that I cannot stand these people and that is why I don’t feel I should have to endure hearing them call for something and campaign for something that they would never in a hundred years actually do themselves. Until they put their millions where their mouth is I’d like them to all shut up and leave me and my bank account alone. What economic model is the best? I don’t know. I do know that socialism has been tried and it has never worked and I do know that those who are in charge never live equally with the common citizenry. They are hypocrites, they are phonies, they are monumentally ignorant or willfully deceitful and they never practice what they preach. That is who they are and who I am is … The Mad Monarchist.

Images Page

Readers may notice the new "Images" page at the top of the weblog. This will feature various images, mostly probably ones I have tinkered with, that will change from time to time according to various themes. The theme I have chosen to start with is the more recent royals of the late Kingdom of Hungary from Maria Theresa to Crown Prince Otto. I like royal portraits and photos and I like flags (as most know) so there will be alot of that. I don't know how long they will stay up but I will post a notice message whenever the existing collection will be replaced by a new batch.

Monarchist Profile: Carl Friedrich Goerdeler

Carl Friedrich Goerdeler was another German monarchist who was a major figure in the anti-Nazi movement. If the now famous 1944 bomb plot against Hitler had succeeded, Goerdeler was expected to become chancellor of the new German government. He was born on July 31, 1884 into a conservative middle-class family of Prussian lawyers and bureaucrats in Posen (an area that is today part of Poland). He grew up in an atmosphere of close family, devout Lutheran faith and German nationalism, which included fidelity to the Prussian/Imperial German crown. He did well in school, went to university, studied law and economics, got married and had five children. During the First World War he served on the Russian front as a company officer and was particularly alarmed at the consequences for Germany of a vengeful Poland being created with Allied support. When he left the army he first entered politics by joining the right-wing DNVP (German National People’s Party) which joined the chorus of all those condemning the Versailles Treaty and for Goerdeler, given where he came from, the ceding of land to Poland was a point of particular outrage.

Nonetheless, Goerdeler was an even more committed anti-communist. When the Polish-Soviet War broke out in 1920 some dock workers in the isolated German city of Danzig wished to take advantage of the crisis by going on strike in an effort to cripple the Polish economy by shutting off imports. Goerdeler worked to stop this plan from going forward because, as much as he disliked the new Poland, he realized that the Soviets were an even greater threat and a Soviet victory over Poland would be disastrous for Germany. In 1922 he was elected mayor of Konigsberg (now Kaliningrad, Russia) and then in 1930 he was elected mayor of Leipzig, earning a reputation as a solid, determined civic official even by authorities of the Weimar Republic which he opposed. In 1931 Goerdeler was appointed Price Commissioner because of his economic expertise when Germany was going through spiraling deflation. Nonetheless, Goerdeler never wavered in his opposition to the Weimar Republic which he described as a proven failure.

More than once Goerdeler was considered as a possible Chancellor of Germany, first by General Kurt von Schleicher and later as a possible replacement for Franz von Papen. However, President Hindenburg opposed him because Goerdeler (and others in the DNVP) blamed Hindenburg for presiding over the armistice and urging the Kaiser to abdicate. In 1932 he was offered a cabinet position in the von Papen government but Goerdeler refused to have anything to do with the Weimar regime. Like many, Goerdeler originally had a favorable impression of Adolf Hitler when he and his Nazi Party first appeared on the scene, though he never joined the NSDAP. He hoped that Hitler could bridge the gap between the failed republic and a more traditional conservative government. Soon, however, he found himself increasingly at odds with the Nazi Party. As mayor of Leipzig he blocked Hitler’s Brown shirts from enforcing a boycott of Jewish businesses and he helped Jews in the city avert punitive Nazi laws against them. Goerdeler became increasingly disgusted with the anti-Semitic policies of the Nazi government.

Goerdeler worked within the law to minimize the damage of these measures but the Nazis became concerned enough to start keeping a closer eye on him. In 1934 with inflation still problematic, Hitler turned to Goerdeler and reappointed him Price Commissioner in which post he clashed with Nazi authorities over his opposition to devaluing the Reichmark. He also opposed the Nazi policy of making rearmament a priority over importing food and state control of the economy. He argued in favor of free markets and against government corruption but the Nazi Party were obviously not inclined to listen to him. Still, Goerdeler continued to make his case for closer ties with the western countries, cutting military spending, stopping state interference in the economy and the scrapping the laws that targeted Jews and controlled Churches. Naturally, the Nazi rejected his proposals completely and increasingly came to view him as an enemy of the party (which he was). When his term as mayor of Leipzig ended Goerdeler was to be offered the top spot in the financial department of the massive Krupp corporation but Hitler forced the business to drop the idea.

Goerdeler took a position at a lesser company and began to seriously devote himself to undermining and bringing down the Nazi regime which he hoped to replace with an older style Germany monarchy after the fashion of the government of Bismarck and the early German Empire. He began forming a secret circle of opponents of the Nazi regime but never relented in presenting his ideas to the government in the hope that they might see sense and change their ways. In his business capacity he traveled to many foreign countries and gave early warnings about Nazi foreign policy and tried to convince people that the Nazis were dangerous and would be the ruin of Europe. Nonetheless, as a German nationalist he did favor the return of German-populated territories to Germany but he wanted it done in a more orderly and less bellicose way. Even after the outbreak of World War II he continued to be active and considered himself the leader of “the” opposition to Hitler. Military intelligence chief Wilhelm Canaris aided him and he formed alliances with Field Marshal Gunther von Kluge, General Henning von Tresckow, General Ludwig Beck and Count von Moltke among others. Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was a good friend of Goerdeler’s and although his immediate circle mostly shared his conservative views he worked with social democrats as well who wanted to see the end of Nazism in Germany.

One thing Goerdeler certainly was not though was a revolutionary and even far into the war he seemed convinced that if he could only explain things to Hitler and the Nazi high command they would have to see that he was right and reverse course. He had also spoken to foreign friends before the war and his own civilian and military contacts during the war that he hoped to see the monarchy restored. As it became clear that Hitler could not be reasoned with and would have to be removed from power by force, Goerdeler began to outline his vision for a post-Nazi Germany. He planned to have a constitutional monarchy, in somewhat the same style as Great Britain, with Prince Oskar of Prussia on the throne as the new Kaiser. Some wanted simply a complete restoration of the old German Empire but Goerdeler, though he had once wanted the same, opposed this as impractical and unlikely to be acceptable to the Allied powers. Unfortunately, not everyone agreed with Goerdeler and his circle of friends on this point and the famous Colonel Claus Graf von Stauffenberg was of the opinion that it would be unrealistic to attempt any sort of return to the monarchy and that the Soviets might make better allies than the western nations.

Goerdeler at his "trial"

The anti-Nazi movement could in many ways be divided into two camps. Goerdeler was in the more traditional, wanting the monarchy restored, looking to the west and supporting free market capitalism. The other, such as many members of the Kreisau Circle, wanted a republican government, a socialist economy and looked to the east. There was also some disagreement over what to do with Hitler. Many wanted him to be assassinated at once but Goerdeler thought doing so would only make a martyr of him and reflect poorly on the plotters. Goerdeler wanted Hitler to be arrested, put on trial and then executed if found guilty (as he surely would have been). As the 1944 bomb plot was planned out, Goerdeler hoped to have Field Marshal Rommel play a prominent role in the new government but Rommel, though he stated he would accept a position in such a government, wanted nothing to do with any assassination. Instead it was decided that Colonel General Ludwig Beck would serve as President/Regent with Goerdeler as Chancellor.

Goerdeler was certain everything would work out but, just prior to the coup attempt, an order went out for his arrest and he had to go into hiding. He had only a radio to listen to in order to know if everything went as planned when the fateful day came. Of course, as we know, it did not. The bomb planted by Graf von Stauffenberg failed to kill Hitler and the attempted coup was easily suppressed by the Berlin garrison. Goerdeler managed to get out of Berlin but was arrested by the Gestapo in East Prussia. His family were sent to a concentration camp and Goerdeler, after a show trial at the People’s Court, was sentenced to death for treason. He was hanged on February 2, 1945 in Berlin, writing in his last letter, “I ask the world to accept our martyrdom as penance for the German people”.

Monarch Profile: King George VI of Great Britain, Emperor of India

He was the man who was not supposed to be king, the second son, yet he was the monarch who would lead Great Britain and the British Empire through the greatest crisis they had faced in centuries. He would see his people through the crisis but would also then reign over the decline and dissolution of the once dominant British Empire. He was Britain’s last King-Emperor. He was born HRH Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George at Sandringham on December 14, 1895 during the reign of his great-grandmother Queen Victoria. As the second son of a second son there was not the slightest thought that he would ever be called upon to take the throne. As a small child, life was not easy for the little prince everyone called “Bertie”. Neglect by a nurse left with gastric trouble, he developed an embarrassing stammer as he grew older, was forced to wear splints to correct knock knees and endured the discomfort of being broken of his natural left-handedness on orders from his father. The pomp and ceremony of royal life held no romance for him, nor did it for his older brother Prince David. But, whereas Prince David was stylish and outgoing, Prince “Bertie” was rather shy and reserved. In 1909 he went with his brother to study at Osborne and then Dartmouth where he struggled as a student but was very good at athletics. He made close friendships even though some of his classmates pricked him with pins to see if his blood was really blue.

In 1913 Prince Albert joined the fleet as a midshipman but was kept out of combat due to repeated attacks of acute gastritis. However, he did finally recover sufficiently to serve in the Mediterranean Sea (an overlooked but extremely dangerous theatre of World War I) and he served in the great battle of the Jutland in 1916, the largest naval battle of the war and the largest clash of battleships in naval history. He was a turret officer during the battle and was mentioned in dispatches for his conduct on that occasion. However, it was finally decided that his health would not permit him to serve at sea and so the following year in 1917 he joined the Royal Naval Air Service, the Royal Air Force in 1918 and after the war he qualified as a pilot in 1919. Later, in 1920, Prince Albert went to Cambridge to study at Trinity College and was given the title Duke of York. It was also at that time that he began to undertake official royal duties for his aging father. As President of the Industrial Welfare Society he became known as the “Industrial Duke” for his many visits to the factories to talk to the workers, discuss their work conditions and so on. He was very interested in their circumstances and stood on no ceremony during such tours. In 1921 he also came up with the idea of starting summer camps where boys from all walks of life could come together and build strong friendships regardless of class background.

During this time romantic matters also consumed much time for the Duke as he pursued the hand of Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, daughter of the Earl of Strathmore. And quite a pursuit it was with the young Lady Elizabeth refusing the Duke’s proposals no less than twice because of concerns of the strict limitations on her life that would go with marrying in to the Royal Family. However, the couple genuinely loved each other and finally the lady consented and the two were married in 1923. The new Duchess of York was warmly welcomed by King George V and Queen Mary and the public adored her as well for her grace, charm, Scottish ancestry and so on. Over the years she would be a strong and unfailing support to her husband and also brought in a refined musical and artistic taste to the Royal Family. The marriage of the Duke of York to a commoner (as she was regarded despite being the daughter of an Earl) was also seen as being a modernizing step for the House of Windsor. In time she would give the Duke two lovely daughters; Princess Elizabeth in 1926 and Princess Margaret Rose in 1930. Especially in contrast to the ‘fast living’ Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of York were a model of traditional domestic bliss.

With his marriage drawing more attention, the King sent the Duke and Duchess on a number of tours around the British Empire to encourage unity and goodwill such as to British East Africa, the Sudan, New Zealand and Australia. During this time, as he was called upon to make more and more public speeches, the Duke of York began to receive treatment for his speech impediment. With the help of speech therapist Lionel Logue and the patient assistance of his wife the Duke was finally able to speak fluidly with only short hesitations which, delivered at the right moments, became hardly noticeable at all. He opened the Australian Parliament in Canberra in 1927 and partnered with a black tennis player in Jamaica for a game of doubles as a way of setting an example for equality and friendship between the races. During his time off he most enjoyed being with his wife and daughters and tending to his garden at the Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park, a summer residence provided by the King for the little York family. It was a calm, happy and mostly carefree life he had until he was suddenly thrust into the spotlight by the tumultuous events of 1936.

In January, King George V died and the Prince of Wales succeeded him as King Edward VIII. However, from the very start there were problems over the new King’s relationship with Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American. The government was against it, the Church of England was against it and most of the Royal Family never approved of the woman either. However, Edward VIII was determined to marry her and within a year this brought about his abdication and thrust the Duke of York onto the throne in his place. No other British monarch had ever taken on such a task with so little preparation. The Duke had only three weeks notice before he ascended the throne, taking the name King George VI to show continuity with the reign of his father. The date of the coronation was not changed but a different man would be crowned and, for the first time, the event was broadcast by radio, using modern technology to bring the British Empire together for such an occasion like never before. Within a very short time Britain also had a new Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain, and the country faced the rising threat of Nazi Germany and the possibility of yet another world war.

King George VI, from the very beginning, despised the Nazi regime and all it stood for but he also had very vibrant memories of the horrors of World War I and was as anxious as anyone to avoid conflict if at all possible and he supported, along with the vast majority of his people, the efforts by Chamberlain to keep peace in Europe. However, by 1939, confrontation had replaced appeasement as the order of the day and the King did his best to prepare for the coming conflict such as by strengthening ties with the other major English-speaking power with his visit to North America and the United States in May and June. Only a short time after his return to London the Germans had invaded Poland and King George VI took to the airwaves announcing that the British Empire was at war. The King developed a close relationship with the new Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, and took on the role of keeping the people of the empire and commonwealth united, keeping the British public calm and determined and ensuring that the war effort ran smoothly. It was a great deal to put on the shoulders of one man considering that so much of it was intangible.

The King visited the front frequently, kept himself informed and was closely involved in the planning and prosecution of the war, taking his duties as commander-in-chief very seriously. When London came under intense air attack he refused to evacuate and the Queen likewise would not leave his side and both were nearly killed during a daylight air raid when Buckingham Palace was bombed. It was not until much later that the public learned how very close the King and Queen had come to losing their lives on that occasion. However, the presence of the King in London gave the people courage and a greater sense of solidarity; that they were all “in it” together and when the King visited areas devastated by the bombing he was always well received and was much encouraged by his people as his people were encouraged by him. He visited the factories, visited Egypt to meet with Field Marshal Montgomery where the Axis tide had been turned and he visited the bombed out island of Malta and awarded the island as a whole the George Cross for their heroic endurance (an honor the Maltese still proudly display on their flag).

King George VI saw his people through the darkest days in their recent history. Axis forces came within a breath of taking Alexandria, Italy overran British Somalia, Germany captured the Channel islands, Britain was bombed heavily and in the Far East Japanese forces captured Hong Kong, Burma, Malaysia, Singapore and bombed Australia. He was present at the planning of the D-Day operation (and disagreed with Churchill who favored a landing from the Atlantic) and he was quick to visit the troops after the beachhead was secured. From their darkest days to their finest hour, the King kept his people calm, united and focused on the goal of final victory and when that day came Buckingham Palace was the focal point of national celebration. After the war, the British economy was in ruins and the Empire heavily indebted to the United States. The King was rather surprised when Churchill was voted out in favor of Clement Attlee who embarked on a rapid program of nationalization and de-colonization. His relations with the King were rather cold at first though they ultimately managed to work together. To pay for his new socialist welfare state Attlee made the decision that the British Empire would have to go and in quick succession India, Pakistan, Burma, Ceylon and Jordan were granted independence with the British Mandate of Palestine becoming the State of Israel.

Some historians have remarked that, because of this, one could view the reign of King George VI as one of the most disastrous in British royal history. Certainly no other monarch had lost so much territory and so many subjects so quickly. Yet, no one would think of attributing this to George VI himself, the last British King-Emperor. He had acted, from start to finish, as a proper constitutional monarch, doing his duty, taking advice and accepting the wishes of his peoples. Today, many people would probably be put off by him. He was a stickler for details, a man who did things ‘by the book’ and beneath his calm exterior he had a fiery temper. However, his public image was always one of solid dignity, inspiring resolve and cool courageousness. He was exactly the right monarch at the right time for the English-speaking world. However, his health, which had never been robust, suffered a great deal from the stress of the war, the abrupt way the Crown was thrust on his head and the rapid changes in the aftermath of the conflict. He had also long been a heavy smoker and that took its toll as well. Still, despite his declining health he still appeared whenever possible, saw Churchill return to power and even corrected the famous statesmen on the constitutionality of his proposal for a deputy PM.

HRH Princess Elizabeth had already taken over many royal duties but most did not know just how seriously ill the King was until the end came. He died in his sleep at Sandringham on the morning of February 6, 1952 after a day out hunting rabbits. The Princess had to be recalled from an African visit where she had first learned of the death of her father and that she was then Queen. Despite seeming rather distant and aloof to some people, King George VI was simply a formal man, a dedicated and dutiful monarch and much more warm-hearted than many realized. He so loved his daughter and successor, for instance, that he could hardly speak about her without tears coming to his eyes and he was even known to pull a prank or two. Especially in the aftermath of the Edward VIII fiasco, King George VI set just the right tone for the monarchy and just the right time. He was the very image of a solid, constitutional monarch. He projected an aura of strength, stability and calm assurance. During the greatest crisis in living memory for the British people and those of the Commonwealth, during the twilight of the empire, King George VI gave everyone the sense that he was with them, that he would endure and they would endure and that they would survive the ultimate test. As Britain’s last King-Emperor he made the monarchy just what was required for the times he lived in and ensured that the dissolution of the empire, though not attributable at all to him, was handled in a dignified, orderly and noble way. He was, “every inch a king”.

Favorite Royal Images: A Daisy of a Queen

HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark

Mad Motivation

Royal Profile: Prince Pierre of Monaco

HSH Prince Pierre of Monaco, Duc d’Valentinois was born Pierre Marie Xavier Raphael Antoine Melchior Comte de Polignac in Kerscamp on October 24, 1895. His father was the French Maxence Melchior Comte d’Polignac and his mother was the Mexican lady Susana Maria de la Torre y Mier. His family was one of the oldest and most elite aristocratic families in France. One of his ancestors was a sister of Madame de Montespan and another was Yolande de Polastron, Duchesse de Polignac, one of the favorite friends of Queen Marie Antoinette. Described as charming, sensitive, suave and elegant the multi-lingual aristocrat was a common feature at elite parties in France and Monaco where he attracted the attention of Princess Charlotte of Monaco, the only child of Prince Louis II.

HSH Prince Albert I took an interest in the count as a possible husband for Charlotte as it seemed likely she would become Sovereign Princess of Monaco and he was rather concerned about history repeating itself with the story of the only other Sovereign Princess in Monegasque history Louise-Hippolyte. A prenuptial agreement was reached which would limit the role of the count should his wife ever take the throne. The legal haggling done Charlotte and Pierre Comte de Polignac were married in a civil ceremony on March 18 followed by a religious ceremony on March 19, 1920 at Marchais. The count officially became HSH Prince Pierre Grimaldi, Comte de Polignac, of Monaco. After the marriage he was also given the title of Duke of Valentinois.

At first things went well and nine months later Charlotte and Pierre had their first child, Princess Antoinette, on December 18, 1920. However, from the very start Pierre had a bad relationship with his formidable father-in-law Prince Louis II. The crusty military man viewed Prince Pierre as “a society dandy”. When Louis II succeeded to the throne relations only worsened as he insisted on keeping his family close around him and father and son-in-law could not have been more different. On May 31, 1923 Princess Charlotte gave birth to a son, Prince Rainier, and as far as Louis II was concerned, with the arrival of male heir, Prince Pierre was no longer necessary.

Princess Charlotte and Prince Pierre had been having problems almost from the start. Princess Charlotte adored her father but the presence of Prince Pierre came between them. In time, relations between husband and wife deteriorated further. Princess Charlotte began to complain that Prince Pierre was distant and something of an elitist while others found him eminently likeable. Finally, in 1929 the couple separated with the approval of Louis II. Later they were divorced (though the marriage was never annulled) and Louis II banned Prince Pierre from Monaco. Relations between husband and wife went from bad to worse with the children caught in the middle.

In the divorce settlement Prince Pierre had insisted on keeping control of the education of his son Prince Rainier and sent him to a very harsh boarding school in Britain. Rainier was so miserable he tried to run away and Princess Antoinette fought so fiercely with Prince Pierre that she accused him of being abusive (something few would believe). All of this was enough for Prince Louis II to take charge of his grandchildren himself. Pierre tried to take his case to court but there was little he could do against the Sovereign Prince of Monaco and Louis II won the day.

Over time Prince Rainier became quite upset with his mother and grandfather for keeping him away from his father for so long. Rainier and Prince Pierre wrote to each other and became as close as possible through correspondence. Prince Rainier became quite fond of him, finding him a completely different person from the image of Pierre that his mother and grandfather had and missed his presence in his life. He was quite worried when their correspondence stopped during World War II which, he later discovered, was because Prince Pierre was aiding the Free French underground; something which might have surprised his ex-father-in-law.

When Louis II died and Rainier III became Sovereign Prince of Monaco he immediately lifted the ban against his father and Prince Pierre was able to return to the principality to attend the most important events in the life of his son. Princess Antoinette would have no reconciliation with her father but Rainier worked to put the past behind them and rehabilitate the reputation of his father in Monaco. Prince Pierre remained very close to his son and a trusted advisor and confidant when needed until his death on November 10, 1964. He did at least live long enough to see his son marry the lovely Princess Grace and start enjoying the close-knit and happy family life that he had never had.

MM Video: Monarchs of Luxembourg

MM Video: The Song Dynasty

Royal News Roundup

It has been all about the Queen this week, meaning of course HM Queen Elizabeth II of the UK and Commonwealth and the celebration of Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee. The only other time this milestone has been reached, back in the days of Queen Victoria, the Diamond Jubilee was a celebration of the British Empire, a time to showcase the imperial splendor of that vast realm from North America to Africa to Asia and Australia where the Union Jack waved. There was none of that this time of course but just imagine colorful colonial subjects being replaced by colorless, blockheaded celebrities and you should get the picture. Not to fear though, there were still celebrations that even the horrendous coverage of the BBC and typically soggy English weather could not dampen. The Queen and Royal Family sailed down the Thames in a colorful river parade, street parties were big and loud and British rail was swamped by people traveling to attend it all. The London Philharmonic Orchestra gave a special performance but when it came time to wave from the balcony at Buckingham Palace the Queen, unfortunately, had to go it alone as HRH the Duke of Edinburgh had to be taken to hospital for a minor malady (we hope he recovers soon). Beacons were lit all across the Commonwealth from Tonga to New Zealand and Australia and around the world and there was a picnic in the garden at Buckingham Palace. HRH the Prince of Wales also paid a touching tribute to his mother. The Queen herself gave a special message to thank those who worked so hard behind the scenes to make all the celebratory events possible. Which is exactly the sort of thing she would do. God Save the Queen!

Other royal news for the House of Windsor seems pretty minor in comparison to all of that. The Queen visited her prince consort in the hospital, the Duchess of Kent (who no longer uses her title) made a rare public appearance at the Jubilee celebrations because of her great affection for the Queen. The Duchess converted to Catholicism in 1994, dropped her “HRH” ceased carrying out any royal duties and became a music teacher. HRH the Duchess of Cambridge said that Prince William is working on his dance moves in preparation for an upcoming visit to the Solomon Islands. The Cambridge couple met with the Governor-General of the islands at the luncheon prior to the Jubilee service at St Paul’s Cathedral. The Duke of Cambridge also officially qualified this week to command a Royal Air Force search and rescue helicopter. Previously he had been restricted to the role of co-pilot and HRH the Princess Royal Anne became the first chancellor of the newest university in the UK which is the University of the Highlands and Islands. Her installation was held at Inverness Cathedral.

In other news, HM King Juan Carlos of Spain tried to spread some optimism on Monday during a royal visit to Brazil saying that Spain still had “solid” economic foundations and that the measures being taken to deal with the current economic crisis “will not take long to bear fruit”. He also noted that the public debt in the Kingdom of Spain is smaller than in some other EU countries and he assured the President of Brazil that, “Spain is working with its European partners to stabilize financial markets, cut public debt and bolster the euro”. He also stressed the importance of the economic ties of his country with Brazil with the Spanish being the second largest source of foreign investment to the Portuguese-speaking country.

Also some sad news from Japan this week as the Imperial Palace announced that the Emperor’s cousin, HIH Prince Tomohito, died on Wednesday at the age of 66. The Prince admitted in the past to struggling with alcoholism and passed away from complications after a long battle with cancer of the larynx. Amongst the very silent and serene Japanese Imperial Family, HIH Prince Tomohito was known for being comparatively outspoken when the subject of changing the rules of succession came up, the Prince zealously defending the existing rules of male preference even if that meant resurrecting the practice of having concubines. He was also known for his love of sports and promoting sports for those with physical and mental disabilities. Our condolences go out to the Imperial Family on his sad passing.