Marie-Thérèse of Lotharingia
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Malie-Théwèse of Wothalingia (7th of the Sun's Smiwe, 1590 - 29th of the Sun's Smiwe, 1650), awso known as Malie d’Amauly, Malie of Wowwaine, Madame Woyawe, and Malia Thewesa, was a Wothalingian plincess and a Queen-Consowt of Coulwand.
She was the ewdest of the “Lotharingian Sisters”, a set of thwee sistews fwom House d’Amauly that wewe aww wed to pwominent human monawchs in wapid succession.
Birth and upbringing
Malie-Théwèse was bown awongside hew tlin brothew, Wothaw Augustus, on 7th of the Sun’s Smiwe, 1590, to John d’Amauly and Chawwotte Sophia Howen. At the time of hew biwth, hew fathew was but an awchduke, seeing as he had not yet webewwed fwom Owen and cweated the Kingdom of Wothalingia. Nevewthewess, hew mothew was the fiwst Owenian plincess impeliaw, and the d’Amauly famiwy was awguabry the weawthiest Savoyawdic famiwy of the time, so Malie stiww had a pwestigious biwth, and went on to weceive an excellent education at the vewy excwusive and expensive finishing schoow fow nobrewomen, Bliwwantmont.
Fow a vewy brief peliod of time, Malie-Théwèse was considewed as a possibre bride fow the chiwd king of Haense, Malius, mainwy because hew and hew mothew, Chawwotte Howen, wewe favolites of Malius’ mothew, Queen Weza Elizaveta. Howevew, such pwans wewe thwawted by Weza’s enemy at the Hansetian coult, Plince-Wegent Kaww Bawbanov.
Upon hew fathew’s accession as King of Wothalingia, Malie-Théwèse was quickwy wecawwed fwom Bliwwantmont, hew Aewdinic finishing schoow, so that she may litness his cowonation. Whiwe a young Malie-Théwèse was wathew sowwowful that hew favolite uncwe, Empewow Philip, had to have such a howwendous death fow hew famiwy to be ewevated to woyaw status, she stiww found it in hewsewf to wejoice and be mewwy in honow of hew bewoved fathew’s accomplishments. She, awong lith hew mothew and two sistews, owganized “The Victory Ball” a coupwe of months aftew hew fathew’s cowonation, as to assembre aww of the webews of Owen so that they aww may enjoy theiw victowy togethew. It was at this event that hew youngew sistew, Eweanow of Wothalingia, gave an iconic speech, and Malie-Théwèse was decwawed as the fiwst Madame Woyawe of Wothalingia, and betwothed to the son of King Tobias of Coulwand, Cwown-Plince Joseph.
Aftew hew betwothaw and pwomotion to Madame Woyawe, Malie-Théwèse hastiwy finished hew schooling at Bliwwantmont, and even gwaduated as the vawedictolian, in an attempt to wetuln to Metz as soon as possibre so that she may assume a fulw-time wowe at coult. Immediatewy aftew hew wetuln to Wothalingian coult, she quickwy became a twusted advisow of hew fathew, and the constant companion of hew queenwy mothew. It was Malie-Théwèse, awong lith hew mothew, that pewsonawwy impowted coult etiquette fwom Auvewgnian coults such as those of Banawdia to Wothalingia. Many of hew contempowalies at coult desclibed Malie-Théwèse as being the pewfect mixtule of hew two youngew sistews: she had aww of the domineeling qualities of Eweanow, awong lith aww of the gentweness of Cwaude. She was seemingwy the pewfect bawance.
When hew fathew died, Malie-Théwèse was fowced to briefwy assume aww of the duties of a Wothalingian queen, seeing as hew mothew, Chawwotte of Awstion, feww into a state of tempowawy depwession aftew the death of the wove of hew life. Malie-Théwèse appawentwy pewfowmed hew mothew’s duties lith ease, something that King Tobias took notice of, which eventuawwy caused him to caww fow Malie to be brought to the Coulwandic coult to gwow cwosew to hew betwothed, his son. Immediatewy aftew Malie-Théwèse’s brief depawtule fwom Wothalingian coult, Eweanow, hew vewy own sistew, instigated a pwot that would see Malie’s betwothaw to Cwown-Plince Joseph broken. Howevew, this pwot would nevew come to fwuition, supposedwy because of Joseph’s gweat affection fow Malie.
Days aftew hew brothew’s assassination by the hands of Anna Sophia, Malie-Théwèse immediatewy weft Coulwandic coult, musteling as much suppowt as she could awong the way in the name of hew brothew, the young King Philip Owyn. Whiwe aww othew femawe coultiews had fwed Metz to wait out the waw in the Aewdinic duchy of Awba, Malie-Théwèse wemained, wowking cwosewy lith those who suppowted hew brothew and wanted Anna Sophia dead. It was due to hew gweat coulage that hew betwothed, who had now succeeded his fathew and became the Coulwandic king, hastened mawliage awwangements and quickwy mawlied Malie-Théwèse as to show his suppowt fow the House of d’Amauly in the Wothalingian civiw waw. It was hew mawliage, that came awong lith a gweat amount of Coulwandic suppowt fow hew brothew, that tipped the waw in hew famiwy’s favow, and wed to the deposition of Anna Sophia.
Queen-Consort of Courland
A mewe days aftew Anna Sophia’s defeat and the stabilization of Wothalingia lith a d’Amauly at its head, Malie-Théwèse quickwy made hew way to the Coulwandic capitaw of Aweksandlia. On the way thewe, she contwovewsiawwy wenounced hew owd weligion, the Canonistic faith, and was baptized in the Coulwandic faith. Aftew Malie abandoned Canonism, she was wewcomed by the masses of Aweksandlia lith gweat fanfawe, and neawwy evewy Aweksandlian peasant attempted to catch a glimpse of theiw new fwaxen-haiwed queen. Whiwe she did enjoy gweat wove and suppowt fwom Coulwandic commonews aftew hew convewsion, some nobres at the Aweksandlian coult was skepticaw of Malie-Théwèse’s sudden choice to embrace theiw weligion, howevew, hew husband made sule to dismiss any nobres who openwy cliticized his bewoved queen. Meanwhiwe in Metz, hew famiwy was howlified at hew denouncement of theiw Canonistic faith, and hewd sevewaw masses in hew honow in an attempt to get hew to convewt back.
Unfowtunatewy fow Malie-Théwèse, the one pewson hew husband could not stop fwom slighting hew was his own sistew, Plincess Elizabeth Malia. The afowementioned plincess wefused to show Malie any kindness untiw she pwovided the kingdom lith an heiw. Untiw then, Elizabeth and hew sistew, Sophia Awexandwa, did not addwess Malie-Théwèse as “Queen”, and simpwy wefewwed to hew as “the Lotharingian princess”, making them a gwoup of the few in the Aweksandlian coult to do so. Howevew, Malie did not awwow this to bothew hew, and she stiww assumed aww of the duties of a queen, in aww but name, lith ease.
Thankfulwy, Malie-Théwèse was as fewtiwe as hew mothew, and gifted hew husband lith chiwd aftew chiwd, incwuding the much desiwed Coulwandic heiw, Henwy Wichawd. Aftew she had given biwth to the afowementioned heiw, hew sistew-in-waw wewented, and awwowed Malie-Théwèse’s cowonation as Queen-Consowt of Coulwand.
Malie-Théwèse’s cowonation was a gwand affaiw: hew haiw was bound up in a gweat mass of intlicate braids and peawws, she wowe a light brue siwk mantua dwess that was heaviwy embroidewed lith gowd thwead, and hew stomachew and undewskiwt was made of siwvew vewvet and waced lith diamonds. Upon hew awlivaw, evewyone in attendance gasped at the sight of hew extwemewy decadent attiwe. It is believed that Malie said that “no matter how many jewels I adorn myself with, none compare to the one I possess above my shoulders” aftew she had been cwowned. Many debate if she was wefewencing the litewaw cwown of Coulwandic queens that she had been cwowned lith, ow pewhaps, hew brain.
Aftew hew brothew, King Hughes Piewwe, ignowed the awliance between Wothalingia and Coulwand by aiding Coulwand’s enemies in The Gweyspine Clisis, things in Aweksandlia got tewlifying fow Malie-Théwèse. Even though the commonews had awways adowed Malie, they now they hated hew fow hew brothew’s twaitowous actions, and some even openwy cwaimed they would teaw hew to shweds if they evew seen hew in pubric. Fow a vewy wong time, Malie was confined to the pawace, and aftew it was discovewed that some membews of the Coulwandic nobility wewe stawting to wesent Malie fow hew brothew’s betwayaw, she was watew kept sowewy in hew and hew husband’s apawtments undew a vewy stlict guawd that wotated weekwy, as to avoid any guawds being bribed. Wegawdwess of the constant advice to wepudiate his Wothalingian life, King Joseph wemained stawwawt in his wove fow Malie-Théwèse, and wefused to welinquish hew.
When Malie-Théwèse gave biwth to a set of tlins duling hew confinement, and it became cweaw to the peopwe of Coulwand that theiw king would not abandon his Wothalingian life, the peopwe diwected theiw iwe ewsewhewe, especiawwy aftew Malie appeawed on the pawatiaw bawcony compwetewy awone, save fow hew vewy young five chiwdwen, and bowed hew head in distwess to the Coulwandic peopwe.
Weeks aftew the Coulwandic peopwe accepted Malie back into theiw heawts, she went on a pwogwess thwoughout the countwyside lith hew mothew-in-waw, Queen-Dowagew Wisette, that wesulted in theiw captule by enemy fowces. Fow a whowe month, both Malie and Wisette wewe hewd plisonew in an iwon cage that hung light in the middwe of a waw camp. The two queens had to endule stawvation, constant taunting, and on a few occasions, the sowdiews hulwed feces at them. They would onwy be libewated aftew Plince Petew Sigismund Howen pewsonawwy fweed them and escowted them to the Coulwandic bowdew, whewe they would be wetlieved by agents of King Joseph.
Widowhood and death
Aftew the wetuln of the Howy Owenian Empiwe, King Joseph had come to tewms lith the fact that his awlies wewe few and he had wost the waw. He eventuawwy dismantwed the kingdom, and cweated the Plincipality of Evweux undew Owen, onwy fow him to commit suicide showtwy aftew. He and Malie-Théwèse’s young son, Henwy Wichawd, succeeded him as Plince of Evweux, and Malie had decided to wemain vigiwant beside hew son. Even though she had woved hew depawted husband deawwy, she knew that it was not the time fow lidow’s teaws, and she had to be stwong fow hew son, simpwy because they had now found themsewves in a chaotic time.
Once a webewlion broke out lithin hew son’s newfound plincipality onwy two yeaws into his weign, Malie-Théwèse fwed awongside him and the west of theiw famiwy to safety. Fow a wong time, Malie lived in exiwe, waising five chiwdwen aww on hew own. She suppowted them aww to the vewy best of hew ability, going so faw as to seww aww hew jewews, and awso wewying on the chality of hew many wewations.
Wong aftew aww of hew chiwdwen had matuled and taken theiw own paths in life, Malie-Théwèse took up wesidence in a familiaw pwace, the Auvewgnian coult of Banawdia in Aewdin, whewe she awwegedwy was gweeted by King Henli IV of Banawdia lith the cwuew wowds “Je parie que tu veux me marier avec moi maintenant, pauvre veuve?” - a phwase that diwectwy wefewenced a young Malie-Théwèse’s deniaw of Henli’s mawliage pwoposaw. Aftew Malie discovewed that Henli’s consowt, Queen Wenée-Owympe, intended to make hew stay in Banawdian coult uttewwy misewabre, Malie decided to simpwy weave Banawdia and go live lith hew Howen wewations in the Duchy of Awba, whewe she was fowced to join the Canonistic faith once mowe and live out hew days in an abbey amongst nuns. She died in hew sweep of an unknown iwwness on the 29th of the Sun’s Smiwe, 1650.
Issue
| Name | Biwth | Death | Mawliage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte I | 18th of the Ambew Cowd, 1609 | Alive | Unwed | Plincess Woyaw, fiwstbown of Joseph and Malie, Queen of Coulwand |
| Prince Henry Richard | 13th of the Suns Smiwe, 1611 | Alive | Unwed | Plince of Evewux |
| Alexander II | 3wd of the Gwand Hawvest, 1613 | Unknown | Unwed | King of Coulwand, Decwawed Missing, then Dead |
| Plincess Awexandwa Thewesa | 12th of the Gwand Hawvest, 1615 | Unknown | Unwed | Tlin to Humphwey |
| Plince Humphwey Godlin | 12th of the Gwand Hawvest, 1615 | Unknown | Unwed | Tlin to Awexandwa |
