Carolina of
Orange-Nassau
Moniek Bloks
Princess
Wilhelmina Carolina of Orange-Nassau was born in 1743 to William IV
Prince of Orange and Anne of Hanover. When her father was made
Stadtholder to the Dutch Republic, she was included in the line of
succession, in the event that there were no male heirs. But as a
little brother was later born, he eventually took the position of his
father although Carolina did act as regent for him until he came of
age.
I
have to admit, probably like a lot of readers I didn't know anything
about Carolina of Orange-Nassau before reading this book. And I agree
with the author that she has been largely forgotten by history, which
is a pity because she seemed to play such an essential role in her
brother's early life and when acting as regent on his behalf. But
what struck me most was the fact that by the time she was 43 years
old she'd had sixteen pregnancies that resulted in fifteen births of
which only seven children survived to adulthood. Of course, this
wasn't unusual at the time, and the author points out the numerous
pregnancies and deaths of Carolina's mother and others. However, it
is so difficult to imagine the hardships these women and especially
Carolina endured. Despite the numerous pregnancies and changing
circumstances, Carolina was able to run a household, take an interest
in her husband's affairs and find time for promoting the music she
loved. At one point while organizing a concert, she took an interest
in Mozart and his sister. Both were ill at the time of their visit,
and due to her care and attention, they were able to recover in her
home, perhaps shaping the history of music in the course.
This
account of her life is fascinating on its own but also noteworthy due
to the fact that her descendants are scattered across the Royal
Houses of Europe. I was also happy to learn that the author runs a
blog devoted to the history of royal women.
Thanks
to Chronos Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an
honest review.
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