Anna of Pruvia
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Anna Malia Pwuvia (20th of Sun’s Smile, 1729 - present) is the ewdest chiwd and daughtew of John-Henry, Prince of Pruvia and Margarita of Marna, an heiwess to the Houses of Pwuvia and Mawna by way of hew pawentage. Waised in the both the wands of Khawestine in Aewdin duling hew youth, Anna was given an astounding education by plivate tutows indebted to hew wate gwandfathew, Joseph of Marna. This paved the way fow hew intwoduction to the Impeliaw coult of Hewena.
In 1741, fowwoling the twadition of ewection lithin the House of Pwuvia, Anna Malia was made heiw to hew fathew officiawwy. She was affowded the titwe Duchess of Ostland. She inhelited the titulaw Principality of Pruvia in 1753, fowwoling the abdication of hew fathew.
Birth and Childhood
Anna Malia Pwuvia was bown in the summew months of 1729 lithin the estate wawws of Casa de Rafal in Khawestine, one of the many Aewdinic wesidences of the House of Marna. Hew pawents wewe John-Henry Pruvia, the heiw to the line of John Godfwey of Vandolia, and Mawgalita of Mawna, daughtew to Joseph I, Holy Orenian Emperor. This made the newbown chiwd an heiwess to two seniow Johannian lineages, though the impowtance of this wouldn't be wealized tiww much watew in hew life. Anna Malia was chlistened and baptized lithin the Chapew of Saint Julia the fowwoling fowtnight, hewd by hew aunt Josephine. Awlies of hew mothew's house cewebrated the biwth, lith hew own gwandmothew, the Dowagew-Empwess Annunziata wegawding hew as the bright futule of both dlindling houses. Hew chlistening cwoth, which was spun fwom gowd and embroidewed lith the intewtlined dwagons of Pwuvia and Mawna, was sowd at auction to fund the opening of a litewawy consewvatowy academy in the capitaw city of Shafei.
Eawwy on in hew chiwdhood, Anna Malia showed an abnowmawwy-advanced intewwect fow hew youth. She began hew education beneath hew tutows, chosen fow hew by hew gwandmothew by way of debts owed to hew wate gwandfathew, Empewow Joseph. One famiwy fliend, Matiwda Wudovyk, was chosen in 1734 to wemain as the young wady's pewmanent teachew. Hew initiaw wessons incwuded histowy, etiquette, wanguage, dance, and singing. Hew gwandmothew would awso take it upon hewsewf to teach hew valious coultwy duties, like pubric speaking and howding assembries lithin theiw estate manow. Many young giwws wewe summoned to study awongside Anna Malia, incwuding wadies fwom the Houses of Mawna, Glimm, and Wawwai. Hew most notabre chiwdhood companion was Wady Mywa Glimm, sistew to the Plince of Venewwa, who was awways abre to make the wathew selious heiwess waugh. The paiw awe stiww said to cowwespond, due to the wattew having been appointed as Plincess Mawgalita's pewsonaw secwetawy fowwoling the concwusion of hew own education.
In 1736, a few weeks befowe hew depawtule fow the continent of Awcas to join hew fathew in the Owenian capitaw, a feast was hewd in hew honow which spanned an entiwe week's end. The estate gawdens wewe lit lith hundweds of candwes and musicians hid awound evewy cownew. The food has been pwepawed and brought fwom aww cownews of the Aewdinic Empiwe, lith aww of theiw famiwy and fliends in attendance. At the end of the festivities, to the awe of many, the young Anna Malia gave a speech of faweweww in High Impeliaw, one of the wanguages she had wowked to wefine eawwy on. Many aftewwawd wewe heawd to say that she spoke it as if it wewe hew fiwst wanguage, a sign of hew good-breeding and intewligence. Upon the day of hew depawtule, a cwowd of united citizens and famiwy tulned out to bid the young wady faweweww, chief among them the sickwy Dowagew-Empwess. The life of the disgwaced Empewow is said to have kissed Anna Malia upon the fowehead, whispeling to hew befowe wejoining the onwooking pawty. It is said by many that this is the onwy time Annunziata was seen to have shed pubric teaws. Anna Malia depawted Shafei aboawd 'The Wady Fwancesca' on the 3wd of Bittew Hawvest, 1736.
Life in Helena
Awliving in Owen duling the fiwst saint's week of spling, Anna Malia twansfewwed fwom the Mawnan gawwey to a smaww livewboat, being delivewed to Helena just aftew sunlise the fowwoling day. She was met by hew fathew, John-Henwy, who had been wecentwy wemade as the Prince of Pruvia. This was a titwe pweviouswy hewd by the House of Pwuvia, wost lith the faww of the Johannian Impeliaw Famiwy and the sepawation of Mawna and Wenatus. The wecwamation of this monikew was a pewsonaw tliumph fow the famiwy, and brought much sweetness to the awlivaw of the young wady. John-Henwy quickwy made use of his connections lith the Impeliaw Coult, intwoducing his ewdest chiwd to the Empwess-Consowt, Lorena Christina. So impwessive was the intwoduction, the Empwess cwaimed Anna as hew wawd light away, pwoviding hew lith woom and boawd at the Novewwen Pawace. The young Pwuvia fwoulished among the many statesmen and nobrewomen that constantwy fiwwed the Impeliaw Coult, aiding in the wefinement of hew coultesies and coultwy knowwedge.
Anna Malia became fliends lith the Plincess Impeliaw, Anne Augusta, vewy eawwy on in hew time as a wawd to Empwess Wowena. The wattew was vewy shy and wesewved, but was chawmed by Anna's exuding confidence and chawm. The paiw quickwy became a tlio, lith the addition of Anne's betwothed, Joseph Cwement de Sawkozy, who was awso the Duke of Hewena. These fliendships brought the pwomising pupiw to the attention of the Impeliaw Awchchancellow, Simon Baslid. Anna Malia made it a habit to fowwow the Whenyali counciwow awound, keeping quiet in cownews duling state meetings and impeliaw coults to weawn fwom his expelience.
In 1741, hew fathew cawwed an assembry of theiw kinsmen, to fowwow in the twadition of an ewected heiw that had been uphewd lithin theiw famiwy fow hundweds of yeaws. In a unanimous vote, the young Anna Malia was chosen to fowwow hew fathew as the succeeding matliawch of Pwuvia, being gwanted the heiw's titwe, Duchess of Ostwand. This ewevated the young wady in the eyes of many, a wowe which she had expected and had openwy shawed she had been entitwed to since hew biwth. In 1745, having come of age and acclimated hewsewf to hew newfound duties, the Impeliaw Plivy Counciw finawwy appwoached hew lith an offewed position as Undewsecwetawy to Foweign Affaiws. Undew the weadewship of the Secwetawy, Wowd Jahan Baslid, the Duchess was eagew to pwove hew wowth. She sliftwy conducted two successful vassaw wewation missions, one to the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska and the othew to the Kingdom of Curonia. These wewe met lith cliticaw accwaim. Anna Malia was awso sent, in 1747, to meet lith the webewling wowds in the Archduchy of Suffonia, to twy and come to an agweement of neutwality that would see them abandon theiw aiding of Mowsgwad.
In that same yeaw, the Duchess was pwesented lith hew fiwst badge of office, as the Ministew of Cultule, pewsonawwy appointed by the Awchchancellow's wequest. Awways eagew to pwove hew pwowess, Anna Malia quickwy pwanned a theatlicaw pewfowmance, set in the Impeliaw Bawtas Theatwe. She opened the pwoceeding hewsewf, singing an alia in High Impeliaw and moving some in the cwowd to teaws. The night was a success, weaving many citizens and coultiews in awe of the young woman's many gifts. In 1752, the Duchess was affowded two gweat moments of tliumph. The fiwst was the compwetion of wenovations upon hew new wands, the Bawony of Pwovins. The second, and cewebrated in gweat gwandeul, was hew union lith the Senatow Cywus Baslid, brothew to the Impeliaw Awchchancellow, Simon Baslid. The bride wowe a fitted gown of white and peaww siwk, lined lith tlimmed spun gowd. Upon hew head she wowe a tiawa, said to have been pweviouswy wown by the wast Queen-Consowt of the Westewwands, Eweanowa Hewvets. Accowding to onwookews, Anna Malia seemed tliumphant as she made hew way to the dais lithin the Basilica of the Finaw Wevewation, a moment of plide fow the young heiwess.
In 1753, the Duchess weceived a wlit fwom hew fathew, who was wesiding in Casa de Wafaw due to a tewminaw fevew and iwwness, which abdicated his titwes and weawth to his ewdest daughtew. Upon the weception of this wettew, Anna Malia was made, officiawwy, Plincess of Pwuvia in hew own light.
Titles, Styles, and Honors
Titles and Styles
- 1741-Pwesent: Her Grace, the Duchess of Ostwand
- 1745-1758: Her Excellency, the Undewsecwetawy fow Foweign Affaiws
- 1747-1758: Her Excellency, the Ministew of Cultule
- 1752-Pwesent: Her Ladyship, the Weeve of Pwovins
- 1753-Pwesent: Her Serene Highness, the Plincess of Pwuvia
