Theos-Talk Archives (July 1996 Message tl00119)

At 12:10 PM 7/4/96 -0400, you wrote:
>Alex,
>The only reason the British kept the monarchy was that the kings were
>dullards.  And you're right, when George was functioning, he was brilliant,
>albeit very thrifty and with an incredibly unattractive queen (Victoria must
>have got her genes).
>But I will admit that I have always been partial to George IV.  He was a
>lousy king, but he really knew how to party.
>
>Chuck
>
>Wait you forgot, he also designed the ugliest Palace in the world...that
"Arabian Nights" thingy at Bath! I am given to understand that even at
parties the poor fat boob was a dreadful bore, if it wasn't for George
(Beau) Brummell no one would have had any fun at all.

The problem with Queens (the female truly royal kind) is that with certain
amazingly spectacular exceptions, they tend to be horse faced! My
Grandfather had a crush on the Empress Elisabeth (von Wittlesbach) of
Austria who he said was the most beautiful women he ever saw (he was a
connoisseur) they were kind of chummy. He was also really chummy with The
Empress Eugenie of France (she was Spanish) and he said that while she
wasn't quite as beautiful as Elisabeth, she was extremely vivacious. He also
had an admiration of Mary of Teck who was George V's Queen, but he said she
was an "Ice Maiden". He said Victoria's female off-spring were universally
ugly, but then with their mother what else? Except for one thing when she
first ascended the throne she was "pretty" is an innocent girlish way. My
Mother says the English don't really like beautiful people any more than
they like intelligent ones. They have a pair of connected cliches: "Too
smart by half" and "Too good looking by half", the English are terrified of
anyone or anything which isn't ordinary! Unless of course, one is amazingly
eccentric and peculiar in a fusty way! That they all adore! If you're
sufficiently dotty the English will make an ikon out of you!

Did I ever tell you about my friend the Italian Count (who quite
legitimately traced his family directly back in the male line to Tarquinus
Priscus) and his encounter with the prissy little English Viscount at White's?

alex