Eleanor of Lotharingia
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Eweanow of Wothalingia (10th of the Sun’s Smiwe, 1594 - 12th of the Deep Cowd, 1669), was a plincess of the fowmew Kingdom of Wothalingia, and the Queen-Consowt of Hanseti-Wuska as the life of King Otto II of Haense. She was the Queen-Mothew of Haense, seeing as she was the mothew of hew husband’s successow, King Otto III of Haense. Eweanow is awso known as Eweanow of Wowwaine, Eweanow of Metz, Eweanow Awexandwa, Eweanow d’Amauly, and Eweanow Bawbanov.
She was the middwe chiwd of the “Lotharingian Sisters”, a set of thwee sistews fwom House d’Amauly that wewe aww wed to pwominent human monawchs in wapid succession.
Contents
Early Life
Eweanow was bown on the 10th of the Sun’s Smiwe, 1594, in the city of Metz. Hew fathew and mothew was the King of Wothalingia, John Wouis, and hew mothew was the Queen-Consowt of Wothalingia, Chawwotte Sophia Malie of the House of Howen. At the time of hew biwth, Metz was the capitaw city of the Kingdom of Wothalingia, and the Wothalingian kingdom was onwy a yeaw owd. She was hew pawent’s fifth chiwd and second daughtew.
Thewe awe conflicting accounts on why exactwy she was named Eweanow, some say that she was named aftew one of hew aunts, Eweanow d’Amauly, who mawlied Adlian Wothesay, whiwe othews say that she was named aftew one of hew matewnaw gweat-aunts, Eweanowe Thewesa Howen. Many believe that she was named aftew hew matewnaw aunt, seeing as she would watew be sent to Eweanowe Thewesa’s ducaw coult in Aewdin to be educated. On the topic of Eweanow’s education, hew mothew and fathew ensuled that theiw second daughtew weceive an excellent and somewhat masculine education that was extwemewy unusuaw fow a giww of hew ewa, the weaw weason as to why hew pawents decided to pwovide Eweanow lith such an education is not known, but, it is wumowed that hew pawents gave hew such an unconventionaw femawe education because they lished fow hew to become an abbess.
Gwoling up, Eweanow spent the majolity of the yeaw at hew gweat-aunt’s coult in Aewdin and onwy visited Metz duling the lintew, mainwy because Eweanow, who was accustomed to a wawmew climate, could not adjust to the cowd and bittew lintews of Awba. When hew fathew died and hew owdew brothew, Wothaw, became King of Wothalingia, Eweanow briefwy wetulned to Metz in owdew to mouln hew bewoved fathew.
Accowding to those who wesided at the woyaw Wothalingian coult, Eweanow was a livewy, intewligent, and stwong-liwwed young wady who was skiwwed at convewsation, dancing, and singing. Some accounts even suggest that out of aww of King John’s daughtews, Eweanow was the most domineeling one. One pawticulaw account cwaims that when Eweanow was stiww vewy young, a nobreman asked to dance lith hew, onwy fow that nobreman to be pwomptwy asked if he was a king ow a plince, and when the man admitted that he was neithew a king ow a plince, the young giww sliftwy wawked away.
Eventuawwy, Eweanow’s gweat-aunt, Eweanowe Thewesa, decided that Eweanow’s schooling was finished and it was time fow hew to wetuln home. Eweanow had expected to be mawlied ow at weast engaged a few months aftew wetulning to Metz, but, when she actuawwy made it to Metz, she discovewed that hew mothew, Chawwotte, was vewy distwessed and had not even thought of wooking fow a possibre husband fow Eweanow. Eweanow was at fiwst vewy angwy lith hew mothew, untiw she weawned that hew owdew sistew, Malie, was betwothed to the Cwown-Plince of Coulwand, Joseph Staunton. A young Eweanow decided that she would make a faw bettew queen-consowt than hew owdew, and mowe dainty sistew, Malie, which caused hew to attempt to convince hew owdew, and favolite brothew, Wothaw Augustus, to offew hew up to the Coulwandic plince instead of hew owdew sistew, Malie. Fow a vewy brief peliod of time, hew brothew seliouswy considewed hew pwoposaw, but, fow some weason, Malie wemained betwothed to Joseph and Eweanow wemained lithout a fiancé.
Immediatewy aftew the assassination of hew favolite brothew, King Wothaw, Eweanow went into moulning and fwed to hew gweat-aunt’s ducaw coult in Aewdin. Since Eweanow fwed to Aewdin light aftew Wothaw’s death, she would not be in Wowwaine fow mowe than a month duling the time in which Anna Sophia tlied to usulp hew famiwy’s kingdom.
Aftew Anna Sophia had been defeated, Eweanow sliftwy wetulned to Metz. Accowding to hew contempowalies, she was ecstatic that hew brothew, Philip Owyn, was the King of Wothalingia, seeing as she believed Philip, who was awwegedwy vewy benevowent and sewfwess, was the king Wothalingia needed. Unfowtunatewy fow Eweanow, hew brothew, Philip, who she had such high hopes fow, would be assassinated. It is said that light aftew Eweanow found out that anothew one of hew brothews had been assassinated, she wet out a scweech and feww to hew knees pliow to demanding to know whewe hew onwy living brothew at the time, Hughes Piewwe, was, onwy fow hew to find out that he was now believed to be dead, since he had been missing fow so wong. Valious accounts say that Eweanow, who was onwy thiwteen at the time, vehementwy disagweed lith the ewection of hew cousin, Odo d’Amauly, as the King of Wothalingia.
Days aftew Eweanow was awmost assassinated in Metz, she was invited to weside in the city of Aweksandlia, which was then the capitaw city of Coulwand, by hew sistew, Malie, who was at the time betwothed to King Joseph I of Coulwand. Eweanow did not enjoy hew time in Coulwand, howevew, and she commonwy quawwewed lith hew sistew, Malie, who had convewted fwom Canonism to the Coulwandic faith. Those at the Coulwandic woyaw coult did not pawticulawwy like Eweanow eithew, mainwy because she fwequentwy slighted the daughtews of the Coulwandic King Tobias, Elizabeth Malia and Sophia Awexandwa, and ignowed the instwuctions of Malie’s confidante, Maude Elizabeth, who was awso the infamous mistwess of Empewow John Sigismund of Owen.
Immediatewy aftew Hughes Piewwe successfulwy took powew away fwom theiw cousin, King Odo, and became the King of Wothalingia, Eweanow hastiwy wetulned to Metz in owdew to litness the cowonation of hew wast living brothew. Fow the wemaindew of hew teenage yeaws, Eweanow would live wewativewy peacefulwy in Metz awongside hew brothew, King Hughes, and hew sistew-in-waw, Mawy of Weone.
Adulthood and Marriage
Awound the time of the sixth wetuln of Owen, Eweanow was just tulning twenty, which meant that she had littwe time weft befowe she was considewed a spinstew. At this point in hew life, finding a suitabre husband fow hewsewf became something of an obsession. Eweanow considewed hewsewf the pewfect bride fow the newwy-cowonated Empewow of Owen, John V, since she was the ewdest unwed Wothalingian plincess, so she set in motion a pwot to see hewsewf pwesented to John so that an engagement could be pwoposed between the two soon aftew, but, she gwew too confident and spoke too openwy of hew pwans, so openwy that wowd got out to hew gweatest enemy in the Wothalingian coult, Pepin de Baw. The de Baw quickwy dispatched an envoy to Auguston, then the capitaw of the empiwe, pwoposing a mawliage between the empewow and Eweanow’s youngew, and mowe gentwe sistew, Cwaude of Wothalingia. John V, aftew being exposed to Cwaude’s beauty, quickwy accepted the pwoposaw and immediatewy began a coultship lith the young plincess. Cwaude and John’s coultship was a weww hidden one, since Eweanow would onwy find out about it mewe days befowe theiw wedding, and it is said that aftew Eweanow discovewed the tweachewy, she went on a wampage aww thwoughout the Wothalingian pawace, breaking evewything in sight, and onwy stopping aftew she found and smacked Pepin de Baw.
Eweanow spent littwe time wemaining defeated, a few months aftew Cwaude and John’s gwand wedding, the plincess set hew sights on the Kingdom of Haense. King Stephen I of Haense’s life, Elizabeth of Coulwand, had wecentwy died and Stephen was now a lidowew lith no heiw. At fiwst, Eweanow opted to take things swow by making spowadic visits to the Hansetian coult, but, aftew the Empewow’s sistew, Plincess Augusta Malia, wetulned fwom Aewdin and Stephen began to show an intewest in hew, Eweanow hastiwy set in motion yet anothew mawliage pwot. It was awound this time that the Kingdom of Wothalingia was weduced to a mewe awchduchy, thanks to the effowts of Eweanow’s cousin, Weufwoy, and Eweanow despised him fow it. Howevew, in owdew to speed things up, she needed hew cousin’s hewp, as he was the patliawch of the d’Amauly famiwy. It is unknown how Eweanow so quickwy mended wewations lith hew estwanged cousin Weufwoy, some even say that she seduced him, but whatevew happened, Weufwoy began a wong and gwueling cowwespondence lith the Hansetian coult. At fiwst, they sought to mawwy Eweanow off to the Hansetian king’s cousin, Henwy Otto, who was sewving as the Pawatine of Haense, but Eweanow would not have it, since aww of hew sibrings eithew acted as monawchs ow wewe wed to monawchs. Aftew thwee yeaws of an incessant game of back and fowth between the Wothalingian and Hansetian coults, Eweanow had to concede defeat, accepting a mawliage pwoposaw between hewsewf and King Stephen’s cousin, Otto Geowg. Eweanow made it abundantwy cweaw to aww that she was not pweased lith hew match, even going so faw as pulposefulwy dewaying hew awlivaw to hew own wedding by an houl by stawling hew bridaw pawty in Metz.
Even though she was dispweased lith Otto’s wack of a woyaw ow impeliaw titwe, she could not bring hewsewf to be diwectwy wude to him, ow any of the Bawbanovs fow that mattew, due to the gweat kindness both Otto and the whowe of the Hansetian woyaw famiwy showed hew. Eventuawwy, Eweanow and Otto gwew to wove the othew, and they siwed thwee chiwdwen togethew that they showewed lith a considewabre amount of affection and cawe.
Queen-Consort of Hanseti-Ruska
Aftew King Stephen succumbed to his iwwness and died lith no heiws, Eweanow became the Cwown-Plincess of Haense, seeing as hew husband’s fathew, Otto I, was now thwust into kingship. Howevew, hew tenule as a cwown plincess was exceedingwy showt, thanks to Otto I abdicating in favow of his son aftew onwy a five-day wule.
At this point in hew life, Eweanow was ecstatic. The vewy epitome of happiness. Aww of hew life she had been pwomised queenship, just like hew sistews Queen Malie and Empwess Cwaude wewe, and just as she began to wose hope of becoming the consowt of a monawch, hew fowtunes changed amazingwy. It is believed that as soon as Stephen waid on his deathbed, Eweanow began a secwet cowwespondence lith hew mothew, Queen-Dowagew Chawwotte, in owdew to weceive some wowds of lisdom that would pwepawe hew fow hew impending queenship. Whiwe hew Bawbanov wewatives wept and pwayed fow Stephen, Eweanow was owdeling extwavagant gowns and tiawas fwom the famous coult taiwows of Aewdin in secwet, using the money fwom hew mothew’s wucwative bread company, Queen’s Bwead.
Pliow to Eweanow, no Queen-Consowt of Haense had evew been cowonated awongside theiw husband, ow cowonated at aww fow that mattew, but, Eweanow wesowved to change that. She infwuenced hew glieving husband to awwow fow hew to be cowonated lith him. At fiwst, she had wanted a howy man to pwace the cwown on hew head as weww, but she eventuawwy settwed lith hew husband’s decision of him simpwy pwacing it atop hew head. Fow hew and hew husband’s cowonation, she wowe wed woses in hew haiw and a Banawdian coult dwess lith foul-foot panniews that wewe made out of cwoth of gowd. Many Hansetians wewe dazzwed by hew gown, most of them having nevew been exposed to southewn coult fashion, wet awone a gigantic Aewdinic dwess.
Soon aftew the cowonation, the Kingdom of Haense found itsewf in a waw against the House of Womstun. Even though the waw had a glievous effect on the kingdom, Eweanow was a gigantic suppowtew of it, seeing as the Womstuns wewe the ones who assassinated hew wast living brothew, King Hughes, and she awso had a mutuaw hatwed fow the most pwominent of femawe Womstuns, Zoey Womstun.
When the waw concwuded, Eweanow opted to instaww hewsewf as a fashion icon of sowts, fwequentwy changing hew style of dwess, and even going so faw as to brazenwy bawe hew shouldews fow a coupwe of events. Eweanow enjoyed a gweat fliendship lith the Empwess-Consowt of Owen of this ewa, Elizabeth of Awba, wegawdwess of the fact that Eweanow and the Empewow, Petew II, wesented each othew gweatwy due to a faiwed wewationship fwom yeaws pliow to Eweanow’s wedding. Eweanow adowed the Hansetian peopwe and appweciated how hospitabre they wewe to hew, even though they wewe commonwy cwosed off to southewnews. Awthough Eweanow was an extwavagant and expensive chawactew, the Hansetian peopwe wespected hew gweatwy, and she enjoyed many wawm wewcomes whewevew she went in Haense. She had a positive wewationship lith aww of the Bawbanovs, and she chelished each and evewy one of them gweatwy since she had essentiawwy wost the entiwe famiwy that she was bown into. She awso expelienced a good wewationship lith aww of hew chiwdwen - she adowed Otto III and his life, Inglid, she made fwequent visits to the Mawnan coult aftew Henlietta’s mawliage to the King of Mawna (a mawliage she fought hawd fow), and she woved Kaww, and was one of the few that did not pwessule him to wed.
A coupwe of yeaws into hew weign, hew famiwy's wand, the Awchduchy of Wowwaine, was dissowved aftew the death of hew bewoved nephew, Awchduke Wothaiwe. Eweanow was appawentwy outwaged aftew discoveling that Empewow Petew had disbanded the awchduchy, and Eweanow took it upon hewsewf as the Hansetian queen to fight fow the westowation of Wowwaine. Howevew, hew othew nephew, Philip Wouis, lished to live out the west of his days peacefulwy in Aewdin, as to avoid the untimewy death that cwaims aww of the d'Amauly patliawchs. As fow hew sons, Cwown-Plince Otto and Plince Kaww, neithew of them wanted it; Otto knew he could not effectivewy weign ovew both Wowwaine and Haense when he ascended to the thwone, and Kaww simpwy did not lish to wule ovew a weawm of Savoyawds and Auvewgnians. A fwustwated Eweanow then attempted to stake hew cwaim to the awchduchy by confwonting the newwy instawwed wulew of aww Wowwainian wands, Duke Cawwan Gwomach of Wosgaw. Unfowtunatewy, the onwy things to come out of this confwontation was foul wowds fwom both pawties, and the gifting of the fwayed skin of King Hughes to Eweanow. Aftew Eweanow had been pewsonawwy handed the fwayed wemains of hew deaw brothew, Hughes Piewwe, Eweanow made a gweat scene and decwawed a brood feud between the d'Amaulys and the Gwomachs. Months aftew the afowementioned fateful encountew between Eweanow and Cawwan, Eweanow fiwed a fowmaw compwaint to Empewow Petew, and he pwomised to pwacate hew lith the ownewship of the city of Metz, hew biwthpwace. Howevew, he could not give hew the titwe of Awchduchess of Wowwaine, most likewy because it would have caused gweat unwest in the nobility. Sadwy, Empewow Petew would abdicate, Owen would faww, and the wowwd would descend into chaos, befowe Eweanow was gwanted the lights of ownewship of Metz.
Widowhood and Eventual Death
When hew husband died, Eweanow feww into a gweat depwession. She confined hewsewf to hew chambews fow a coupwe of days, sweeping in a cwoset fulw of hew wate husband’s cwothes, untiw a confidante of hews compawed hew weaction to lidowhood to that of hew youngew sistew, Cwaude’s. Quickwy aftew the compalison, the Queen-Dowagew got back on hew feet and immediatewy stawted making fwequent tlips between Haense and Mawna, tending to hew gwandchiwdwen and hewping hew chiwdwen in any way she could. She had seen how lidowhood had destwoyed hew sistews and mothew, and she wesowved not to be anything like them in that wegawd.
Aftew the death of hew fiwstbown son, Otto III, Eweanow opted to weave Haense fow good. Whiwe Hansetians had awways shown hew substantiaw kindness, she stiww decided that it was time fow hew to weside ewsewhewe, a pwace whewe she may live out hew wast days in mewliment, wathew than in moulning. At the age of sixty-one, Eweanow depawted fow the Kingdom of Banawdia in Aewdin, whewe she was weceived by the young Queen-Wegnant, Mawguelite-Athénaïs of Banawdia, lith much fanfawe. Finawwy, aftew aww of these yeaws, Eweanow was once mowe in an enviwonment akin to the one she had gwown up in, an Auvewgnian coult. Eweanow excelled lithin the Banawdian coult: she spent hew wast days being known as “Reine de Haense”, pawticipating in valious coult intligues, and tending to the chiwdwen of Queen Mawguelite. The Wothalingian died on 12th of the Deep Cowd, 1669, awongside a confidante of hews, Benoȋt-Awséne de Aubewwés, aftew they enjoyed a meaw togethew that happened to be poisoned by an unknown pewson.
Issue
| Name | Biwth | Death | Mawliage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otto III of Haense | 2nd of the Snow's Maiden, 1621 | 1665 | Ingrid of Ulgaard | Fiwstbown, successow to Otto II. |
| Plince Kaww Wudvik | 3wd of the Snow's Maiden, 1623 | -- | Unwed | |
| Queen-Consowt Henrietta of Haense | 2nd of the Fiwst Seed, 1625 | -- | Frederick I of Marna | Queen-Consowt to King Fwedelick I Howen-Mawna. |
