Social Victorians/People/Gleichen
Also Known As
[edit | edit source]Surname: functionally, Gleichen, especially after 1917, when German titles were replaced with surnames.
Counts and Countesses Gleichen
[edit | edit source]- Count von Gleichen (the father and son were both count at the same time)
- Countess von Gleichen (26 January 1861 – 13 February 1912) (The mother and daughters were all countess at the same time, and when Laura Williamina died, the title went to her son.)
- Laura Williamina Seymour (26 January 1861 – 15 December 1885)[3]
- Feo (Feodora Georgina Maud)
- Valda (Victoria Alice Leopoldina Ada Laura)
- Helena Emily of Hohenlohe, Countess of Gleichen
Laura Williamina Seymour of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
[edit | edit source]- HSH Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (15 December 1885 – 13 February 1912)[3]
- Laura Williamina Seymour
- Princess Victor of Hohenlohe
Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
[edit | edit source]- Prince Victor of Hohenlohe
Acquaintances, Friends and Enemies
[edit | edit source]Valda Gleichen
[edit | edit source]- Arnold Dolmetsch, Valda's teacher[4]
Organizations
[edit | edit source]Valda Gleichen
[edit | edit source]- The Magpie Minstrels Madrigal Society — "a body of singers gathered together by Alfred Scott-Gatty to sing for charity"[4]
Timeline
[edit | edit source]1861 January c. 13, Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha created Laura Williamina Seymour Countess von Gleichen so that she could marry Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.[3]
1861 January 26, Laura Williamina Seymour and Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg married, a morganatic marriage for him.[5]
1870, Queen Victoria granted Laura, Countess von Gleichen the rank and style of a daughter of a marquess; she would use the honorific Lady.[3]
1885 December 15, Queen Victoria gave Laura Williamina of Hohenlohe-Langenburg permission to share Prince Victor's rank at court; from then on they were known as HSH Prince and Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.[2]
1890 May 21, Arnold Dolmetsch and Valda Gleichen performed together, perhaps in the Magpie Minstrels; possibly this is an event Queen Victoria disapproved of.
1897 July 2, Friday, Princess Victor of Hohenlohe Langenburg and Countess Helena Gleichen attended the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House. (Laura, Princess Victor of Hohenlohe Langenburg is #16 on the list of people who were present; Countess Helena Gleichen is #17.)
1905 December 5, Valda (Victoria Alice Leopoldina Ada Laura), Countess Gleichen and Percy Wilfred Machell married.[6]
Costume at the Duchess of Devonshire's 2 July 1897 Fancy-dress Ball
[edit | edit source]Laura, Princess Victor of Hohenlohe Langenburg
[edit | edit source]At the Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball, Laura, Princess Victor of Hohenlohe Langenburg was in a Louis Quinze or Elizabethan costume, and she was at the first seating for supper, at Table 6. She is usually called Princess Victor of Hohenlohe; twice (likely the same story repeated in the typical copy-and-paste editing) she is called Princess Hohenlohe.
- She was dressed "in Louis Quinze costume."[7]
- "Princess Hohenlohe wore a fifteenth century dress of old brocade and velvet with many jewels."[8]:p. 5, Col. 6c
- She was dressed in a "Louis Quinze costume, consisting of a dark red velvet skirt, with front of old brocade, long b[??] with pearl and / diamond stomacher, tight short sleeves with full antique black lace, and wig draped with the latter."[9]:p. 7, Col. 6c–7a
- "Princess Hohenlohe wore a fifteenth century drew of old brocade velvet, with many jewels."[10]:p. 5, Col. 9c
- She "made an admirable appearance in her Elizabethan gown, with skirt of dark red velvet."[11]
- She "wore a fifth century dress of old brocade and velvet with many jewels."[12]
- The Gentlewoman includes a line drawing of her in her costume, which it describes as a "dark red velvet skirt over crinoline front of old brocade; long bodice with pearl and diamond stomacher, tight short sleeves with very full old black lace; wig draped with black lace."[13]:p. 34, Col. 1c
- "Princess Victor Hohenlohe-Langenburg, in Louis XV. costume, consisting of a dark red velvet skirt front of old brocade, with diamond and pearl stomacher."[14]
- Her costume was "made by Mr. W. Clarkson, of Wellington-street."[9]:p. 8, Col. 2a
Henry Bullingham's portrait of "Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (Laura Williamina (née Seymour), Countess von Gleichen) as Margravine of Anspach (Ansbach)" in costume is photogravure #50 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery.[15] The printing on the portrait says, "Princess Victor of Hohenlohe as Margravine of Anspach," with a Long S in Princess.[16]
Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg died in 1891.
Countess Helena Gleichen
[edit | edit source]Countess Helena Gleichen went as Joan of Arc.
- She was dressed "as Joan of Arc, in a suit of armour."[9]:p. 7, Col. 7a [7]
- She "was conspicuous in a Joan of Arc suit of armour."[11]
- "The Countess Gleichen (Joan of Arc), suit of armour."[13]:p. 34, Col. 1c
Henry Bullingham's portrait of Lady Helena Gleichen (Countess Helena Emily Gleichen) as Joan of Arc" in costume is photogravure #256 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery.[15] The printing on the portrait says, "Countess Helena Emily Gleichen as Joan of Arc," with a Long S in Countess.[17]
Demographics
[edit | edit source]- Nationality: Prince Victor, Württembergian (now Germany), naturalized to British; her, English
- Residence: St. James's Palace
Family
[edit | edit source]- Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Victor Ferdinand Franz Eugen Gustaf Adolf Constantin Friedrich of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (11 December 1833 – 31 December 1891)[1]
- Laura Williamina Seymour of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg) (17 December 1832 – 13 February 1912)[3] or (27 January 1833 – 3 February 1912)[5]
- Feo (Feodora Georgina Maud) (20 December 1861 – 22 February 1922)
- Edward (Albert Edward Wilfred) (15 January 1863 – 14 December 1937)[2]
- Valda (Victoria Alice Leopoldina Ada Laura) (1868–1951)
- Helena Emily (1 February 1873 – 28 January 1947)
Relations
[edit | edit source]- Prince Victor of Hohenlohe was a half-nephew of Queen Victoria (i.e., his mother was Victoria's half sister Feodora).
- Laura Williamina was a sister of Francis Seymour, 5th Marquess of Hertford.
Questions and Notes
[edit | edit source]- The London Daily News and the Belfast News-Letter say Princess Hohenlohe, who seems likely to be Laura, Princess Victor of Hohenlohe Langenburg
- Valda Gleichen was one of Arnold Dolmetsch's students and performed with him once (21 May 1890).
- Neither Lady Feodora Georgina Maud Gleichen nor Lady Helena Emily Gleichen married.[18]
Footnotes
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg". Wikipedia. 2019-04-23. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Prince_Victor_of_Hohenlohe-Langenburg&oldid=893694698.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Lord Edward Gleichen". Wikipedia. 2019-09-03. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lord_Edward_Gleichen&oldid=913803685.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 "Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg". Wikipedia. 2020-04-13. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Princess_Victor_of_Hohenlohe-Langenburg&oldid=950655155.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Campbell, Margaret. Dolmetsch: The Man and His Work. University of Washington Press, 1975: 33, n. 1.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Lady Laura Wilhelmina Seymour." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-23. https://www.thepeerage.com/p175.htm#i1745.
- ↑ "Lady Victoria Alice Leopoldine Ada Laura Gleichen." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-23. https://www.thepeerage.com/p5439.htm#i54389.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Ball at Devonshire House." The Times Saturday 3 July 1897: 12, Cols. 1a–4c The Times Digital Archive. Web. 28 Nov. 2015.
- ↑ "Duchess of Devonshire's Fancy Ball. A Brilliant Spectacle. Some of the Dresses." London Daily News Saturday 3 July 1897: 5 [of 10], Col. 6a–6, Col. 1b. British Newspaper Archive https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000051/18970703/024/0005 and https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000051/18970703/024/0006.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 "Fancy Dress Ball at Devonshire House." Morning Post Saturday 3 July 1897: 7 [of 12], Col. 4a–8 Col. 2b. British Newspaper Archive https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000174/18970703/054/0007.
- ↑ "The Duchess of Devonshire's Fancy Dress Ball. Special Telegram." Belfast News-Letter 03 July 1897 Saturday: 5 [of 8], Col. 9c [of 9]–6, Col. 1a. British Newspaper Archive https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000038/18970703/015/0005.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Duchess of Devonshire's Fancy-Dress Ball. Brilliant Spectacle." The [Guernsey] Star 6 July 1897, Tuesday: 1 [of 4], Col. 1–2. British Newspaper Archive http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000184/18970706/003/0001.
- ↑ “Fancy Dress Ball at Devonshire House. A Brilliant Spectacle.” Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal 10 July 1897, Saturday: 6 [of 8], Cols. 5a–6a. British Newspaper Archive http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001084/18970710/136/0006.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 “The Duchess of Devonshire’s Ball.” The Gentlewoman 10 July 1897 Saturday: 32–42 [of 76], Cols. 1a–3c [of 3]. British Newspaper Archive https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003340/18970710/155/0032.
- ↑ Holt, Ardern. “Dress and Fashion. To Correspondents.” The Queen, The Lady’s Newspaper 31 July 1897, Saturday: 52 [of 84], Col. 1c [3 of 3 cols.]. British Newspaper Archive https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002627/18970731/321/0052.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Devonshire House Fancy Dress Ball (1897): photogravures by Walker & Boutall after various photographers." 1899. National Portrait Gallery https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait-list.php?set=515 (accessed March 2020).
- ↑ "Princess Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (Laura Williamina (née Seymour), Countess von Gleichen) as Margravine of Anspach (Ansbach)." Diamond Jubilee Fancy Dress Ball. National Portrait Gallery https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw158403/Princess-Victor-of-Hohenlohe-Langenburg-Laura-Williamina-ne-Seymour-Countess-von-Gleichen-as-Margravine-of-Anspach-Ansbach (accessed June 2019.
- ↑ "Countess Helena Emily Gleichen as Joan of Arc." Diamond Jubilee Fancy Dress Ball. National Portrait Gallery https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw158619/Lady-Helena-Gleichen-Countess-Helena-Emily-Gleichen-as-Joan-of-Arc.
- ↑ "Lady Feodora Georgina Maud Gleichen." "Person Page". www.thepeerage.com. Retrieved 2021-07-23. https://www.thepeerage.com/p5439.htm#i54388.