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Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria's Tiara
Meet Maria Anna, the Austrian archduchess who got to wear Marie Antoinette's jewels…and had one hell of collection of her own.
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The Tiara | Meet the Parents | Growing Up Royal | Put a Ring On It | Married Life | The War to End All Wars | Post-War Drift | Who Inherited This Tiara?
On November 13, 2018, Sotheby's auctioned off over 100 jewels from the Bourbon-Parma family. One diamond tiara had been a wedding present from Emperor Franz Josef of Austria to his great-niece, Archduchess Maria Anna. It sold for 250,000 CHF to a buyer who was not me.
The star of the show that night was Marie Antoinette's pearl and diamond pendant, which sold for a mind-boggling 36,427,000 CHF. But I found myself wondering more about Maria Anna. Who was she? Why hadn't I seen any pictures of her if she had such a fantastic jewel collection at her disposal?
So I did what any self-respecting royal researcher would do. I told everyone else to get lost until I had an answer.
The Tiara
Maria Anna's tiara was created by Köchert, the Austrian court jeweler, around 1900. Emperor Franz Josef gave it to her when she married Prince Elias of Bourbon-Parma.
It's kind of a weird looking tiara, to be honest:
Image: Sotheby's. Colored background: yours truly.
According to the auction catalog, these are circular-cut diamonds pave- and collet-set into a foliate scroll setting. The central cluster and side motifs are detachable, in case you're too busy to do your hair but still want to rock an assload of diamonds. Snap those puppies off, pin 'em to a lapel, and you're good to go.
In her jewel ledger, Maria Anna called it "a small diamond tiara or bandeau" (Sothebys.com). Even she didn't know what to make of it, apparently.
This tiara appears in an extremely rare book of Köchert jewelry designs. This design is dated 1901, with a note that it was made for Franz Josef. But Maria Anna and Elias didn't get engaged until 1902, so we know this tiara definitely wasn't designed for Maria Anna. We don't know if it was made as soon as it was designed, or if the drawing sat around until Franz Josef (or, let's be real, someone on his staff) picked it out for Maria Anna.
If you want a copy of that Köchert book, be prepared to cash in some stock options. They only printed 150 copies, and the one on eBay will set you back $4,800 plus $20 for shipping. (Side note: You can't get free shipping on a book that costs almost five grand? Seriously?) Before you sell a vital organ, there are copies in the Getty Research Institute, the Library of Congress…and, of all places, the Cleveland public library.
Meet Maria Anna
Now that you've seen the tiara, let's see what we can dig up about its owner.
Maria Anna was born on January 6, 1882 in Linz, a city in northern Austria. The astronomer Johannes Kepler had once been a teacher there, and a few hundred years later, Adolph Hitler would spend his childhood here. He liked the place so much he later decided to build his Führermuseum there. Eww.
Mom and Dad had been crossing their fingers for a boy, but Maria Anna joined her older sister Maria Christina in the nursery while her parents went back to the baby-making drawing board…er, bed. Let's meet them, shall we?
Maria Anna's dad, Archduke Friedrich, was the heir to the duchy of Teschen and a crap-ton of property in Hungary. Never heard of the duchy of Teschen? That's okay; I hadn't either. It was a Habsburg possession in Eastern Europe. Today, the city of Cieszyn (Teschen) straddles the borders of modern-day Poland and the Czech Republic.
Map generated via maps.wikimedia.org. Labels and cool shading by yours truly.
Friedrich's Uncle Albrecht, the duke of Teschen, had no sons to inherit his lands and properties. Friedrich knew an opportunity when he saw one. His own father had died relatively young at the age of 56 in 1874, so he dropped a massive hint that Albrecht should adopt him and make him his heir. Albrecht agreed. In an instant, Friedrich stood poised to inherit a fortune that would make him richer than the emperor. Nice work if you can get it, right?
But this dude wasn't all work and no play. It goes without saying that every Austrian archduke joined the army. But his parents had also insisted he take up a trade, so he learned carpentry. In his spare time, he played five instruments and wrote love songs. With those mutton chops, it's like he's a ready-made hipster, if hipsters owned, like, half of Hungary.
Croÿ Me a River
In 1878, Friedrich went to Belgium to visit his cousin, the queen. There, he met Princess Isabella of Croÿ-Dulmen. According to the Marquise de Fontenoy, he fell in love so fast he proposed just a few days after meeting her. Most accounts describe theirs as a true love match. Later, however, in a New York Times article, Frederick Cunliffe-Owen (the Marquise de Fontenoy's husband) would call Isabella "the most designing young woman at King Leopold's Court" (3 January 1926).
Image by Fritz Luckhardt, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Whether Isabella set out to seduce Friedrich or not, the point is that it happened. And once it did, she knew she was Samantha Baker getting noticed by Jake Ryan.
The Croÿs were noble but not royal. Oh, they'd tell you they were descended from a handful of medieval kings and saints, but as Janet Jackson said, "What have you done for me lately?"
Oh, they'd tell you they were descended from a handful of medieval kings and saints, but as Janet Jackson said, "What have you done for me lately?"
This was a HUGE DEALBREAKER for the Habsburgs, who routinely married cousins because no one with a different last name could measure up. Brides had to be royal, period, no exceptions, final sale, no refund.
But Friedrich had an ace up his sleeve. He called his fairy godfather, Uncle Albrecht, who convinced Emperor Franz Josef to unclench for, like, five seconds. Long story short, Friedrich got his way. In 1878, he married Isabella in the Croÿ family's Chateau de l'Hermitage, shown below.
Image by Jérémy Jännick, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
This marriage did not go over well with the rest of the Austrian royal family. They hated the fact that Isabella—a freaking nobody—was now one of the highest-ranking women in the empire. So they talked smack and dissed her in public every chance they got.
It was a humiliation Isabella absorbed to the very marrow of her bones. Before long, she channeled Dee Snider and decided she wasn't gonna take it anymore.
When Friedrich's military command took him to Pressburg (now Bratislava), Isabella flipped Vienna the bird. The couple rented Grassalkovich Palace and never looked back. Pressburg would remain their primary residence until 1905. Today, that palace is where the president of Slovakia throws all his shindigs.
Image by Fortepan / Budapest Fováros Levéltára, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Growing Up Royal
While in Pressburg, Friedrich rose through the military ranks and Isabella rose through society's ranks. She hosted visiting dignitaries, local nobility, and royals, including Friedrich's sister Maria Christina, the queen of Spain.
She also started popping out babies. The first, Maria Christina, arrived a year after the wedding in 1879.
When Maria Anna arrived in 1882, Friedrich and Isabella were probably a little disappointed, but a second daughter wasn't the end of the world.
What probably did feel like the end of the world was the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth daughters that arrived next.
Isabella must have been losing her ever-loving mind. But she and Friedrich kept calm and got their groove on…and at age 41, she finally produced their longed-for son, Albrecht, long after everyone else had given up.
He joined Maria Christina, Maria Anna, Maria Henrietta, Natalie, Gabriella, Isabella, and Maria Alice. Another sister, Stephanie, had died at age four in 1890. One year later, Natalie would die at age 14, leaving Albrecht with six living sisters. Here they are in 1898:
Unrelated note: Look at Maria Anna's hair (second from left)…this girl has a head of hair like no one's business, perhaps rivaled only by Crown Princess Cecilie of Prussia. There'll be more pictures later. Stay tuned.
Growing up, the girls probably didn't see their father very often. Friedrich spent lots of time with the army instead of with his family. Sources hint this was often by choice, since Isabella wasn't the easiest person to get along with. One lady-in-waiting later described her as "self righteous" and "not easy to serve" (King & Woolmans, 41).
I don't know if the kids noticed how hard their mom was on everyone, or wondered why their dad was gone so often.
Did the kids notice how hard their mom was on everyone, or wonder why their dad was gone so often?
If they did, they seem to have taken it in stride. They all looked happy and comfortable in the photos I saw in Ein Photoalbum aus dem Hause Habsburg. For example, there's a picture of a family afternoon in the music room, with Friedrich on the drums and Isabella on the zither. They were outdoors a lot, too, hiking and hunting and boating.
Of course, growing up royal didn't mean you were completely sheltered from the outside world. Sometimes, something so earth-shattering happened that there was no hiding it, even from kids.
On January 30, 1889, Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria, the heir to the throne, committed suicide after killing his teenage mistress, Baroness Mary Vetsera, in a suicide pact.
While the effect on Maria Anna and her family was minimal at the time, this was one of those "butterfly effect" moments that would change the course of world history.
The Sophie Chotek Scandal
In 1888, Maria Anna's mom, Isabella, added a new lady-in-waiting to her staff: an impoverished Bohemian aristocrat named Sophie Chotek.
A few years later, when her oldest daughter was just hitting the marriage market, Isabella decided she wanted Sophie to help Maria Christina land a husband. And not just any husband…Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austrian throne.
Image by Carl Pietzner, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Isabella invited the tubercular, mustachioed Franz Ferdinand to a string of hunting parties at their country houses, where he was supposed to fall head over heels for the teenage Maria Christina.
Franz Ferdinand fell in love with Sophie instead.
Isabella must have been waiting for the infatuation to burn itself out, at which point Franz Ferdinand would realize what a good little empress Maria Christina would make.
But that's not what happened—not by a long shot.
One day in 1899, Isabella's servant handed her some stuff Franz Ferdinand had left behind after a recent stay. One of the items was a pocket watch, the kind men often used to hold pictures of their beloved.
Isabella couldn't resist.
She opened it, expecting to see her daughter's face looking back at her.
It was Sophie.
Isabella went into beast mode. All the humiliation she'd felt as a bride came rushing back to her…except this time, it was on behalf of her daughter. In her mind, Maria Christina had been cruelly snubbed by that dickwad Franz Ferdinand.
Isabella went into beast mode. All the humiliation she'd felt as a bride came rushing back to her…except this time, it was on behalf of her daughter.
Supposedly, she called a staff meeting and ripped into Sophie in front of everyone. At the end, she pulled a Donald Trump and told Sophie, "You're fired."
But firing Sophie wasn't enough to make her feel better. She needed to destroy her. Remember those old cartoons, where Bugs Bunny gets mad and says, "Of course you know this means war"?
That's what happened here.
Franz Ferdinand married Sophie in 1900. For the next fourteen years, Isabella would do everything in her power to belittle and ostracize her. For possibly the first time in her life at court, Isabella was at the cool kids' table, joining with the other archduchesses in tormenting the new arrival.
Unknown photographer, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Maria Anna was sixteen when the scandal broke. She must have known what was happening, especially since it involved her own sister. I leave it to you to decide what effect that would have on a teenager.
The Hofball: Imperial Vienna's BFD
On January 6, 1900, Maria Anna turned eighteen, the traditional age for girls to "come out" into society.
She made her debut at the yearly court ball (hofball), the first since Empress Elisabeth had been assassinated in 1898. When you debuted, you were presented to the empress (or, if she was assassinated, the senior ranking woman of the family), after which you could mix and mingle in polite society. It's like the debutante ball in Gossip Girl times a thousand.
That year, there were three very important debutantes: Elisabeth (the dead Rudolph's daughter), Margaret (the Duke of Tuscany's daughter), and Maria Anna.
Unlike other balls, the hofball included people who weren't royal (gasp). Invitations went out to diplomats, nobles, churchmen, politicians, and soldiers of the Vienna garrison. As a non-royal, it was your one shot to give your friends the vapors by telling them you'd love to Netflix and chill, but you had to swing by the Hofburg first.
As a non-royal, it was your one shot to give your friends the vapors by telling them you'd love to Netflix and chill, but you had to swing by the Hofburg first.
That night, Maria Anna and 2,000 other party guests descended on the palace's great ballroom, the Redoutensaal. It had been retrofitted for electric lights, illuminating the giant mirrors that ran the length of the ballroom. Today, this room holds 750 people, so I'm guessing that with 2,000, you were basically in a fancy mosh pit sans deodorant.
Image by Wiener Hofburg Orchestra, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Here's how it worked.
The doors opened at 8pm for the non-royal guests, who mingled freely until the imperial family arrived. Maria Anna and her parents waited with the rest of the imperial family in an antechamber until the Grand Master of the Court (Obersthofmeister) told the emperor that everyone had arrived. Then the family lined up in order of precedence and said a few words of welcome to the gathered diplomatic corps—this chitchat took about an hour.
At 9:30 pm sharp, Grand Master Flash (I'm calling him that and you can't stop me) led the royals into the ballroom. Again, they marched two by two, in order of precedence. On this night, Emperor Franz Josef escorted the Duchess of Cumberland (Thyra, sister of Russian empress Maria Feodorovna and Britain's Princess Alexandra of Wales).
Once the royal procession was over, musicians began to play. You were meant to dance, but it was hard to bust a move without bumping into anyone. If you were a cardinal or a diplomat, you might skip the dancing and head straight for the emperor to say hi or try to ask for a favor.
"Hofball in Wien" by Wilhelm Gause, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
All the young ladies coming out were presented to the senior ranking archduchess, Maria Josepha, who sat on a red satin sofa surrounded by palm trees.
Some of those lucky ladies scored an invite to take tea with Maria Josepha, while the others were free to dance or nosh at the buffet.
Oh, yes, there was a buffet, set up for your snacking pleasure from 10 pm to midnight. If you weren't hungry and could find the space, you kept on dancing—Archduchess Elisabeth danced for three hours that night.
But, as the poet said, nothing gold can stay.
At midnight, most of the imperial family left, which was the signal for everyone else to start wrapping things up. By 1 am, the party was over and your carriage turned into a pumpkin again.
By 1 am, the party was over and your carriage turned into a pumpkin again.
Everything from the dancing to the food to the conversation was beautiful and delicate and gentle, choreographed within an inch of its life. Such was the glory and the paralysis of imperial Vienna.
For Maria Anna and the other debutantes, the hofball presented a bit of a problem. It's hard to move, let alone flirt, when you're surrounded by 2,000 other people. That's why there was a second shindig at the Hofburg in February, called the ball at court (not to be confused with the court ball).
This time, the guest list was limited to royalty and nobility…just you and 700 of your closest friends, dancing in the Knights Hall (Rittersaal), with a sit-down dinner instead of a buffet.
Maria Anna was there, as were most if not all of the single archduchesses over age 18. Why? Because there was a very special guest, one reportedly looking for a wife: Prince Max of Baden. Dude was bae all day—handsome, smart, and connected, thanks to his Russian grandmother, the daughter of a tsar.
Image by Voigt TH, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
But Maria Anna's dance card didn't include Max, it seems. She waltzed with Count Hans Larisch and Count Alfons Boor, danced a bolsa with Count Moriz Rumersfirch, and danced the quadrille with Prince August Lobtowiz; she was also seen chatting with Prince Alois Liechtenstein.
Five bucks says Isabella was watching her daughter's every move, waiting for one of these guys to hold her hand just a little too long…a sign, any sign, that Maria Anna had already landed a potential suitor.
It didn't happen.
But there were more plenty more parties, balls, soirées, and special dinners for the imperial family on the schedule. Maria Anna attended them for two and a half years before we get even a hint of a relationship developing.
In the fall of 1901, big sister Maria Christina got engaged to Prince Emanuel of Salm-Salm. A British newspaper said it was a love match – the "bride is one of the best known and most popular of the Austrian Grand Duchesses" (Dundee Evening Post, 6 Nov 1901). I hope that's actually true. It makes me happy, especially after all the fuss Isabella caused over Franz Ferdinand.
Maria Christina by Wilhelm Förster, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Put a Ring on It
IN JUNE OF 1902, ISABELLA took Maria Anna and Albrecht to Carlsbad for some R&R. Carlsbad was a popular hangout spot for royalty traveling incognito. It was a spa town, so you went there to relax, take the waters, socialize, and generally de-stress from your high society life.
It's possible Maria Anna met someone there, because that August, a headline broke in two different Austrian newspapers: Archduchess Maria Anna was engaged.
The lucky groom? Dom Pedro d'Alcântara, Prince of Grão Pará.
Image by Mariano Procopio, Juiz de Fora, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
If you're scratching your head and going "Who?", you're not alone. I'd never heard of him either.
Here's the deal: Pedro's grandfather was the exiled king of Portugal, Dom Pedro II. Young Pedro grew up in France, and was a lieutenant colonel in the Austrian army. Interestingly, it seems he had a condition much like Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II—his left shoulder muscles had been damaged during birth, and despite lots of medical treatments, his left hand and arm were much weaker than his right.
But you don't need to remember any of that because there was no wedding.
Maybe this was fake news, made up by a reporter on deadline. It's also possible there was an engagement that fell apart. All I can offer is one small clue: Pedro had already met the woman he would later marry, a Bohemian countess named Elisabeth Dobrzensky de Dobrzenicz (below). Maybe they were on a break?
Image by an unknown photographer, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
It doesn't look like Maria Anna lost any sleep over it. Three months later, she was engaged—for real, this time.
That November, Friedrich and Isabella hosted a hunt in Klausenburg (Cluj-Napoca), the capital of Austro-Hungarian Transylvania. One of the guests was Prince Elias of Bourbon-Parma, a lieutenant in the 7th Regiment of Austrian Dragoons.
By the end of the month, he'd proposed to Maria Anna and she'd said yes. What did they bond over? I wish I knew. Maria Anna seems to have loved horses—later, society journals document her attendance at numerous derbies and show-riding competitions. Also based on later events, Elias seems to have loved cars and hunting. Maybe they connected over a love of animals, the outdoors, or the shared experiences of growing up in a large family.
In any case, Elias met Franz Josef in a special audience in early December to ask the emperor's permission to marry Maria Anna; it was granted. With that formality out of the way, the news went public the next day.
Later that December, there was an official engagement ceremony in Pressburg, and a dinner at Elias's parents' home, Schwarzau Castle, in Lower Austria.
On January 6, the mayor of Pressburg led a deputation to the palace to offer their congratulations and serenade Maria Anna with a military band. I find this unbelievably charming.
Meet Elias
LET'S TAKE A QUICK STEP backward to meet Elias and his family. After all, they're the ones who inherited Marie Antoinette's jewels that Maria Anna would get to wear after the wedding. Plus, some crazy stuff went down in this family that you're not gonna believe.
But first things first.
Prince Elias was born on July 23, 1880. His father was Duke Robert of Parma, who'd been deposed during the unification of Italy. Robert never lost hope that one day, unified Italy and the house of Savoy would fall and he'd be invited back to rule Parma. It didn't happen. In the meantime, he raised his family at Schwarzau Castle in Austria, with summers spent at the Villa Pianore in Italy.
Elias's mom was Princess Maria Pia of Bourbon Two-Sicilies. Here is an absolutely adorable picture of the two of them:
Now, despite being deposed, Robert left Parma with a crap-ton of wealth in the form of art, jewels, and properties. Where'd he get it all? Short version: the French royal family (his mom was King Charles X's granddaughter).
Elias's mom had a total of 12 kids, but she died giving birth to the last one. Not all of them survived, but of the ones who did, six (her two oldest sons and four of the daughters) were mentally handicapped. This was likely the result of generations of royal inbreeding. Maria Pia's family tree didn't have nearly enough forks; cousins married cousins and uncles married nieces on the regular.
Maria Pia's family tree didn't have nearly enough forks; cousins married cousins and uncles married nieces on the regular.
Two years later, Duke Robert married again—this time, to Infanta Maria Antonia of Portugal, who also gave him 12 kids. Are you doing the math here? THIS DUDE HAD 24 KIDS. Here's a family portrait with 18 of them from 1906:
We don't know what Maria Anna and her parents knew about genetics, or if they stopped to think about why so many of Elias's siblings were handicapped. If they suspected, it didn't stop her from accepting his proposal.
Elias and Maria Anna picked a classic date for their wedding: May 25, 1903. Earlier that month, Franz Josef had delivered her present, this tiara, in person at the Palais Albrecht, her parents' Vienna home.
My Big Fat Habsburg Wedding
THE VIENNESE COURT WAS KNOWN for its protocol, and an archduchess's wedding was no exception. Maria Anna couldn't elope to Vegas, like I did. Nope. You had to get through an exhausting weekend full of ceremonies and parties.
Here's what had to happen before Maria Anna could call herself Mrs. Elias of Bourbon-Parma.
That morning, Maria Anna had to formally renounce her claim to the throne. Every archduchess had to do it, and for whatever reason, they usually wore pink. By noon, the boring ceremony was over and it was time to party. That night, there was a soirée for 600 people in the Hofburg's Ceremonial Hall (Zeremoniensaal), shown below.
Painting by Artúr Lajos Halmi, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
On Sunday night, there was a smaller dinner for the imperial family at 6 pm, where Maria Anna sat in the place of honor on Franz Josef's right. If there were bachelor and bachelorette parties later that night, the Austrian newspapers tactfully refrained from mentioning them.
Just like a hofball, a royal wedding required the imperial family to line up in order of rank and walk together to the Hofburg's Pfarrkirche. Family members arrived between 11:00 am and 2 pm, when the procession began its march. A cardinal met the emperor and the bridal couple, escorting them to the altar. Here's what it looks like today:
Image by Dennis Jarvis from Halifax, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
The cardinal made a speech, blessed the rings, and read the vows. After Elias and Maria Anna exchanged rings, there was a Te Deum. Then, the imperial family left the church and headed for the Alexander Apartments, where Franz Josef greeted the newly married couple.
"Hope yours turns out better than mine," he said.
Just kidding. He didn't say that, but I bet he was thinking it.
"Hope your marriage turns out better than mine," Franz Josef said. Just kidding. He didn't say that, but I bet he was thinking it.
SO WHAT'S IT LIKE when you come from a rich non-reigning family and marry into a rich non-reigning family? In a nutshell, you have no work, little responsibility, and you can buy anything you want.
Image by unknown photographer, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Despite giving up her claim to the throne, Maria Anna was still a member of the imperial family, and her name shows up in the lists of attendees for various state occasions, balls, and gala dinners at the Hofburg right up until the end of World War I. For example, she met the future King George V and Queen Mary of Great Britain in 1904 on their state visit to Austria.
There was a never-ending whirl of family events like weddings, funerals, christenings, and vacations to Ischl, in addition to society events like art exhibitions, fashion shows, horse races, and military ceremonies. By the way, if you're wondering what she and Elias gave his half-sister Zita when she married Archduke Karl, it was a table centerpiece and two silver candelabra. Yeah, I go looking for details like that because I'm nosy.
When Zita married Archduke Karl, Elias and Maria Anna gave them a table centerpiece and two silver candelabra. Yeah, I'm that nosy.
In 1905, Maria Anna's family moved from Pressburg to Vienna when her dad took over the job of Inspector General of the army. They moved into the sumptuous Albrecht Palace, where Maria Anna and Elias were frequent visitors.
Image by Josef Lowy, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
In 1906, Elias and Maria Anna took a little time to travel. They showed up in Egypt, traveling from Cairo to Khartoum, where they went to a garden party thrown by Sir Reginald and Lady Wingate.
In 1907, Elias's father died. In his will, Robert of Parma left Elias half of his estate, with the other half in trust for the remaining 17 kids. Elias also became his handicapped siblings' legal guardian.
It's hard to overstate how huge this inheritance was. A British newspaper estimated Robert's fortune at £8,000,000 (Daily Telegraph & Courier, 18 Nov 1907). In today's money, that would be north of $1 billion. Part of that inheritance included Marie Antoinette's jewels. Maria Anna created an inventory with notes and pictures, which she later updated in 1932.
A British newspaper estimated Robert's fortune at £8,000,000. In today's money, that would be north of $1 billion.
Less than four months later, Elias's stepmom petitioned the Austrian court to declare Elias's six full siblings mentally incompetent. This cleared the way for Elias to take possession of the fortune and begin distributing it (or not) as he saw fit. Unfortunately, this really pissed off some of his half-siblings.
It's not hard to see why, when the inheritance at stake included the amazing Chateau de Chambord in France. Put a pin in this issue; we'll come back to it later.
MARIA ANNA AND ELIAS HADN'T just been traveling and partying in the decade since their marriage. They'd also been raising a family.
Their first daughter, Elisabetta, was born in 1904. A boy, Carlo, was born in 1905. Maria Francesca followed in 1906, Roberto in 1909, and Francesco in 1913. Three more kids would follow, Giovanna in 1916, Alice in 1917, and Maria Christina in 1925. Here's Maria Anna with her oldest, Elisabetta. LOOK AT THAT HEAD OF HAIR, YOU GUYS. I can't even.
Maria Anna with Elisabetta. Image from the Grand Ladies site, recolored in Photoshop.
But in 1912, Maria Anna's firstborn son, seven-year-old Carlo, died of meningitis. It was the beginning of a run of crap luck for this family and, oh, the entire freaking world.
There were signs that all was not well.
Signs the whole world should have seen, like the dick-swinging dreadnoughts Germany and Britain launched with frat-boy swagger. Like the tangled web of European foreign alliances that created a virtual Rube Goldberg device guaranteed to trip the panic switch if anything upset their delicate balance.
And more obvious signs, like a medium telling you, "Hey, morons, wake up—shit's about to hit the fan." That's what happened in 1912, if you believe a write-up in the Neue Freie Presse published twenty years after the fact (15 May 1932).
According to the story, Maria Anna's mom, Isabella, had invited Countess Bianca Beck-Rzikowsky to her Vienna salon and asked her to give a few predictions for the future. The countess, who hadn't yet rebranded herself as Madame Sylvia, went into a trance. Then, she said something along the lines of, "I understand your feelings about Franz Ferdinand and his wife, but you should be nicer to them because in two years, they'll be dead."
The countess went into a trance. Then she said, "I understand your feelings about Franz Ferdinand and his wife, but you should be nicer to them because in two years, they'll be dead."
Someone asked how they would die. The countess replied, "By the same bullet." She prophesied that "a huge red patch" would spread over Europe as a result of the event…but that it wouldn't be the end of the world. That wouldn't happen until later, she said, in another disastrous global war.
MARIA ANNA AND HER FAMILY were busy during the spring and summer of 1914.
In April, Maria Anna and Elias took their last trip to the Chateau de Chambord. At a party where they entertained friends and local nobility, neither the hosts nor the guests suspected they would soon be enemies.
By early June, they were back in Vienna. Maria Anna attended the annual derby and show-jumping competition, sitting in the imperial box along with her mom, dad, two sisters…and Franz Ferdinand and Sophie.
No one knew it was probably the last time they would all be seen together.
On June 28, Franz Ferdinand and Sophie were assassinated in Sarajevo, sparking the ultimatum that led to declarations of war between Austria-Hungary, Serbia, Germany, Great Britain, France, and Russia. Here they are, walking to their car in Sarajevo, about five minutes before the assassination:
Image by Bettmann/Corbis, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
The assassination changed everything. Elias's half-sister, Zita, would now be the next empress of Austria. Her husband, Archduke Karl, replaced Franz Ferdinand as heir to the throne. You'd think this would mean smooth sailing for Maria Anna and her family, right? Nope, not so much. Isabella and Friedrich didn't get along with Karl and Zita any better than they had with Franz Ferdinand and Sophie. Plus, Zita's full brothers were still pissed at Elias for bogarting the Parma inheritance.
The stage was set for war…and a family drama of continental proportions.
WHEN WAR WAS DECLARED, EMPEROR Franz Josef was too old to lead the army himself, so he put Maria Anna's dad, Friedrich, in nominal charge as commander-in-chief in the east.
But Friedrich wasn't the right guy for the job.
According to the army's head press honcho Edmund Glaise-Horstenau, Friedrich took orders by phone from Isabella on everything, including which uniform to wear (336). Some even called Isabella "the real field marshal" (Herwig, 203). Here's Friedrich with his good buddy, Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1915:
Image by Bain News Service, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
It wasn't just the officers who mocked him. Friedrich's soldiers nicknamed him "Archduke Bumbsti," which roughly translates to Archduke Kaboom (Habsburger.net).
It wasn't just the officers who mocked him. Friedrich's soldiers nicknamed him "Archduke Bumbsti," which roughly translates to Archduke Kaboom.
That's what he said when they showed him a film of a 30.5cm mortar exploding. Kaboom. Not, "Hey this is a pretty cool weapon, let's think about how to use this," or "Mother of God, we're going to blow ourselves to bits and lose all essence of humanity." Just…kaboom.
The war went badly for Austria from the get-go.
No one had expected the Russians to pose a real threat, but that's exactly what happened. After heavy early losses, Friedrich and General Conrad withdrew their headquarters behind the front, to Friedrich's palace in Teschen (Cieszyn). There it stayed until 1916.
On the home front, not much changed for our royal women. There were still society events to attend…although these took on a decidedly patriotic flavor. In early 1915, Maria Anna went to a lecture on "The Wife as Nurse." That November, she went to the second concert of the brand-new Budapest Philharmonic.
Outside the palace, however, there were rumors about Maria Anna's dad. Despite inflation that ran to 100% by 1915 and another 50% by 1916, Archduke Friedrich was making more money than he had before the war, thanks to his contracts for food, supplies, and ammo (Herwig, 225). Later, Cunliffe-Owen would describe him as "one of the most successful and greedy profiteers of the great war" (New York Times, 3 Jan 1926).
Later, the New York Times would describe Maria Anna's father as "one of the most successful and greedy profiteers of the great war."
We don't know what Maria Anna felt about her father's role in the war, or his image as a profiteer.
WORLD WAR I CAUSED A big problem for Elias and his siblings. Elias and his half-brothers Rene and Felix were in the Austrian army; his half-sister Zita was married to the heir to the Austrian throne, Archduke Karl (shown below). Clearly, they were on Team Central Powers, with Germany and the Ottoman Empire.
But Elias's full sister Beatrice and half-brother Louis were married to Italians. Plus, his half-brothers Sixtus and Xavier had married Frenchwomen, and enlisted in the Belgian army. Both the Italians and Belgians fought for Team Allied Powers, with the French, British, and Russians.
This was not going to end well.
In Austria, Elias requested not to be sent to France, where he might end up facing one of his half-siblings across the battlefield. Army bigwigs approved his request and he fought in Serbia and Romania instead.
But his position in the Austrian army cost him, big time. In 1915, the French government requisitioned the Chateau de Chambord.
To them, it was inconceivable that a national historic landmark like Chambord should belong to someone fighting for the enemy. So they made like the otter in that meme. "I need dis," they said, and took it.
ON JUNE 4, 1916, TWO years into the war, Maria Anna's father Friedrich celebrated his birthday with a gala dinner at army headquarters. Isabella had come for the occasion, too. That's when Conrad got the terrible news: the Russian soldiers of the Brusilov offensive had overrun the Austrian Fourth Army.
"Minor setback," he said. "Party on, Wayne."
But it wasn't a minor setback.
It was the death knell of the imperial Austrian army.
Friedrich & Conrad at headquarters. Image by Bain News Service, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
As Austrian losses mounted, Germany began to pay closer attention to its bumbling ally. Conrad chafed under German oversight. So did Franz Josef, but he could read the writing on the wall: "How on earth can we pursue even a tolerable foreign policy when we fight so badly?" he said (Herwig, 107).
Then, that November, Emperor Franz Josef died at the age of 86.
Maria Anna's cousin Karl was the new emperor. This spelled trouble because Karl was no fan of Friedrich or Isabella (he called her "the beast") (Herwig, 226-7).
One of the first things he did was demote Friedrich and move army headquarters out of Teschen. I bet that made the next family gathering, Karl and Zita's coronation, a teensy bit awkward. Here's Maria Anna in court dress, similar to what she would have worn to the coronation in 1917:
Image by Kosel, from the Grand Ladies site, recolored in Photoshop.
It didn't matter how good Karl's intentions were. Nothing he could do could save the empire. When the Entente powers finally defeated Austria-Hungary and Germany, revolutions toppled both monarchies.
Friedrich and Isabella were stripped of their titles and lost their Austrian properties—gone was the beautiful Palais Albrecht, with the attached Albertina museum and its priceless art collection. All in all, Friedrich's sequestered property was estimated to be worth $200 – $400 million (New York Times, 31 Dec 1936).
Friedrich and Isabella hitailed it to Lucerne, Switzerland. My guess is they wanted to put some distance between themselves and the new Austrian government…you know, in case things went sideways like they had in Russia, where the Bolsheviks were killing Romanovs right and left.
They put some distance between themselves and the government…in case things went sideways like in Russia, where Bolsheviks were killing Romanovs right and left.
You know who joined them there? Maria Anna's oldest sister, Maria Christina. Her husband, the prince of Salm-Salm, had been killed at the Battle of Pinsk in 1916.
In 1921, when it was safe, Friedrich and Isabella resettled at Féltorony castle in Hungary with their two daughters still living at home, Gabriella and Maria Alice.
Because Maria Anna was married and no longer considered a Habsburg, she didn't have to give up her personal possessions in Austria. Elias had fought honorably in the Austrian army, earning a promotion to Colonel along with four decorations, so he was safe, too. Aside from short stays in Paris, they remained residents of Austria.
Elias's Family Feud
WHEN WE LAST LEFT THE beautiful Chateau de Chambord, it had been seized by the French government. Elias protested, as did his half-brothers Sixtus and Xavier. Their tug-of-war started a years-long legal battle in France.
In 1920, Elias hit upon a solution…or thought he did. He called up King Alfonso XIII of Spain and said he needed to prove he wasn't Austrian. "I got this," said Alfonso, who granted him Spanish nationality on April 18, 1920. "Ha!" Elias said to the French government. "I told you I wasn't Austrian."
But the French legal courts were like, dude, you can't use your friends as job references. Thank you, next.
So the case dragged on.
Finally, the Orléans Court of Appeals put an end to the siblings' bickering. They ruled that Elias had been the rightful owner, which also meant the government seizure had been valid and lawful. As the rightful owner, he now had a decision to make: try to take back the chateau, or leave it with the French government and ask for compensation.
As the rightful owner, Elias now had to try to take back the chateau, or ask the French government for compensation.
Elias asked for the money.
The French government wanted Chambord so badly they agreed to pay him 11 million francs. As a result, since April 13, 1930, the chateau has belonged to France (Pelluard, 61).
Elias & Maria Anna Post-War
There aren't a lot of headlines about these two post-war. Apparently, people had bigger concerns than writing about former archduchesses. As a family, they stuck close to Vienna. That's where Maria Anna had her last baby, Maria Christina, at the age of 43 in 1925.
I did find a few interesting stories, however.
THE GENTLEMAN BURGLAR
On January 16, 1922, police arrested a burglar in Paris. That burglar, Serge de Lenz, claimed to steal only from the rich. He operated by a strict set of rules: always work alone, dress the part, don't call attention to yourself, and only steal during lunch hour when no one's paying attention to you.
His system worked. Until, that is, he failed to recall the timeless advice of the real Grandmaster Flash (not the Austrian master of ceremonies): white lines – don't do it.
According to the French newspaper Le Gauloise, De Lenz became a coke addict and it made him sloppy.
According to Le Gauloise, De Lenz became a coke addict and it made him sloppy.
He got caught on the way out of a robbery when a bystander asked him an innocent question. He looked so freaked out that she called the police.
Later, in court, he told the judge an interesting story. "One time, at band camp," he said, "I went to Prince Elias of Bourbon-Parma's apartment on the Avenue Bois-de-Boulogne. I only took one tiny thing to remind me of my visit—a small silver plate with an image of Franz Josef on it. I could have taken more, but I don't roll like that."
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
It looks like Maria Anna and Elias were able to give their kids the same sort of life Maria Anna had while growing up – lots of time outdoors, lots of travel and excursions.
They divided their time between Schloss Schwarzau (below) and a hunting estate called Glashütte, with occasional visits to Paris and Maria Anna's family's great hunting estate Bellye (Bilje) in Hungary. Their daughter Alice's fondest memories included her time with Elias, hunting at Glashütte during their long summers there. She was quite the hunter, bringing home her first trophy deer in 1929 at age 12 (Cazavision.com).
Image by Steindy, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
In the 1920s, Maria Anna still made the Austrian society pages…but now, she wasn't attending events with her mom and sisters. She was with her daughters. The events were also more low-key; there would be no hofball for the next generation. Maria Anna and Elias attended parties at the home of the French ambassador, Count Clauzel—a soirée in honor of Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, for example, and a dinner dance in honor of the Association of Recognized Automobile Clubs.
INEVITABLY, AS HER KIDS GREW up, Maria Anna's parents aged and eventually passed away. Isabella died of pneumonia in Budapest in 1931, shattered after her only son, Albrecht, made a morganatic marriage and destroyed her hopes of a Habsburg restoration in Hungary. All the kids had obeyed her summons to come see her one last time—even the disgraced Albrecht (below).
Photo Habsburg Corvina-Verlag, Budapest, public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
Maria Anna's dad, Friedrich, outlived his wife. He died in Magyaróvár, Hungary on December 30, 1936 of a heart attack following a severe flu.
But Friedrich was still alive when his granddaughter, Alice, had married earlier in the year. She'd grown into an expert hunter and horsewoman, never happier than when she was out with her horses and dogs.
On April 16, at age 18, she married Infante Alfonso, the nephew of the deposed King Alfonso XIII. The wedding took place in Vienna, at the Church of the Minorites. Because of Spanish royal etiquette, Alice couldn't wear any jewels during the ceremony; she wore a simple long veil crowned with orange blossoms. The couple settled in France, but later moved to Switzerland and then Spain in 1941. That's them coming out of the church after their wedding below.
Alice was Maria Anna's only child to marry and have kids of her own. If you find that odd, you're not alone. I can't help but wonder if they saw what had happened to many of Elias's half-siblings and thought, "Nope. Gene pool needs to be drained."
I can't help but wonder if they saw what had happened to many of Elias's half-siblings and thought, "Nope. Gene pool needs to be drained."
Imagine meeting someone, falling in love…and not being able to marry them because you've personally sworn not to reproduce…this being before the era of readily available birth control.
Of course, there's another perspective I have to mention. In a 2017 article, Christophe Vachaudez, a royal jewel historian who knew the family, wrote that five of Maria Anna's eight children were "autistic, as one says euphemistically" (Eventail.be). Unfortunately, I don't have any information about what sort of lives they lived to show how capable (or incapable) they were. We may never know, and that's okay.
IN 1940, MARIA ANNA WENT to Lausanne, Switzerland for the baptism of Alice's second daughter, Inés. She died there suddenly on February 25, at the age of 58. She was spared the chaos and horror of World War II.
Elias died in 1959 at the age of 78. Before his death, he sold Schloss Schwarzau to the Austrian government. It is now a women's prison.
Elias and Maria Anna are buried in the crypt of the chapel near the hunting lodge on the Glashütte estate, Thalberger Schwaig.
Their only direct descendants are Alice's children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Alice's only son, Carlos, was hand-picked by the Count of Barcelona to room with his son, the future King Juan Carlos of Spain, at a special Spanish boarding school created with Francisco Franco's approval. Today, Carlos's son Pedro (Maria Anna's great-grandson) manages the family's estate, La Toledana.
Who Inherited This Tiara?
IN THE LONG RUN, ALICE. I'm not sure if she inherited it as soon as Maria Anna died, or if it went to one of her siblings, whom she then outlived and inherited it from them in turn.
Elisabetta died unmarried in 1983.
Maria Francesca died unmarried in 1994.
Giovanna was killed in a shooting accident on her sister Alice's property in Spain in 1949.
Maria Christina lived until 2009. She loved opera, history, jewels, was friends with the Queen of Thailand, and never married. Alice's kids called her "Aunt Putz." That is so cute.
Alice was the longest-lived of all Maria Anna's children. In 2017, at age 99, she died in Madrid. She was the only sibling with kids, so presumably Maria Anna's entire jewelry collection had come to her, one way or another, including Marie Antoinette's jewels.
After Alice's death, the family auctioned off many of these jewels, including Maria Anna's tiara. Alice had never worn many jewels – she just wasn't the type. All her life, she remained a devoted hunter, preferring her horses and dogs and the outdoors to social functions.
We don't know who bought Maria Anna of Austria's tiara in 2018 at auction. Was it you? If so, please drop me a line – I'd love to see a picture of it in your collection!
Liked this post? Download the PDF.
Loose Ends: Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria's Tiara
There is so much more information I want to share about this family, but holy crap, this post is already over 8,000 words long. Maybe this will become a short book. I have more to tell you about Isabella, Maria Anna's siblings, and the family's strong Spanish connection. Another time…
Nora Fugger's memoir, The Glory of the Habsburgs, has a slight twist to the story of Friedrich and Isabella's courtship, as well as the story of how the Franz Ferdinand/Sophie Chotek affair was discovered. I didn't include her Franz/Sophie story here because it's the only one that says the big reveal/firing happened in Abbazia; the overwhelming majority of sources say it happened at Isabella's house. When it comes to Friedrich and Isabella, Fugger implies they met in Vienna. How would she know? Because she said Isabella was a frequent guest at her mom's house (her mom married Isabella's cousin once removed). Fugger doesn't come out and say that's how they met, just that everybody knew Friedrich was in love with Isabella. Radziwill noted that Friedrich fell fast, proposing just days after meeting her. Cunliffe-Owen wrote that they met in Belgium, while he was visiting his cousin. Is C-O wrong? Is Fugger right? If you know any more about this, please contact me.
A portrait of "Archduchess Maria Anna" painted by Joseph Bernard (real name: Hans Zatska) sold at auction in 1979. Is this a painting of our Maria Anna? Are there any photos of it?
A portrait of Maria Anna and Maria Henriette by Laszlo appeared in an exhibit in the painter's studio in 1905. It's not currently listed in the catalog raisonné online, but the Laszlo Foundation is adding to it all the time. Are there any photos of this painting?
Does anyone have any information about Giovanna, killed in a hunting accident on her sister Alice's property in Spain?
Daily Telegraph & Courier
Dundee Evening Post
Le Gauloise
Neue Frie Presse
The Pall Mall Gazette
The San Francisco Examiner
Sport & Salon
Wiener Salonblatt
The Assassination of the Archduke: Sarajevo 1914 and the Murder That Changed the World by Greg King and Sue Woolmans (affiliate link)
Ein General Im Zwielicht: Die Erinnerungen Edmund Glaises Von Horstenau by H.E. von Glaise
Ein Photoalbum Aus Dem Hause Habsburg by Archduchess Isabella, Vilmos Heiszler, Margit Szakács, and Károly Vörös
The First World War: Germany and Austria-Hungary 1914-1918 by Holger H. Herwig (affiliate link)
The Glory of the Habsburgs by Princess Eleonora (Nora) Fugger (affiliate link)
La famille de Bourbon-Parme Chambord, enjeu d'un procès de famille by J. Pelluard, accessed via gallica.bnf.fr
Prelude to Blitzkrieg: The 1916 Austro-German Campaign in Romania by Michael B. Barrett (affiliate link)
ABC.es: La Infanta Doña Alicia «era una mujer de campo, siempre coqueta y muy puntual»
Cazavisión.com: Adiós a Doña Alicia, la Infanta cazadora
Dinastias.forogratis.es: Muere doña Alicia de Borbón, la infanta-decana
L'Eventail.be: Disparition de la princesse Alice de Bourbon-Parme
Habsburger.net:
The Subtle Distinction between a Court Ball and Ball at Court
"Erzherzog Bumbsti"
Hofburg.com:
Redoutensaal
Zeremoniensaal
Rittersaal
Sothebys.com: Diamond tiara, Köchert, circa 1901
Music, post audio: "Viennese Spirit" by Johann Strauss, Jr. via Musopen.org.
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text:
A Western Strategy for the South Caucasus
By Svante E. Cornell, S. Frederick Starr, and Mamuka Tsereteli
The South Caucasus is key to Western efforts to shape intersection between Europe, Eurasia and the Middle East, and to Western commercial and strategic access to and from the heart of the Eurasian continent. Yet far from developing, Western influence in the region is at an all-time low. As Western influence has declined, and partly as a consequence of it, the region's development has stagnated. This situation is the result of a lack of strategic vision in the West and to a series of tactical errors. This paper analyzes the shortcomigns of western policies, and offers proposals for a new Western approach to the region.
From a Western perspective, the Caucasus is far more important than its size alone would suggest. Its significance to the United States and Europe lies in its crucial geographical location. Its strategic importance derives from its location at the point of intersection between the key Eurasian powers of Russia, Iran and Turkey, and its central role in the burgeoning east-west transport corridor connecting Europe to Central Asia and beyond. The Caucasus is therefore key to any Western efforts to shape future interactions between Europe and the Middle East, and to Western commercial and strategic access to and from the heart of the Eurasian continent. At a time when the two most salient challenges to the transatlantic alliance are Russia's aggressive expansionism and the Islamic radicalism emanating from the Middle East, the Caucasus is a strategically important pressure point in both directions: a bulwark against both Moscow and the Islamic radicalism of the Middle East. The Iranian theocracy's continued efforts to expand its influence from Syria to Yemen, and the growing anti-Western authoritarianism with Islamist underpinnings in Turkey, further enhance the importance of this role.
These considerations alone should dictate a growing American and European engagement with the states of the Caucasus, but this has not occurred. Quite the contrary, Western influence in the region is at an all-time low. As Western influence has declined, and partly as a consequence of it, the region's development has stagnated. This stagnation is evident in areas as diverse as security, energy, governance, and human rights. Meanwhile, new challenges to the region's security and development have multiplied and strengthened, threatening its long-term viability and eroding important Western interests.
This situation is the result of a lack of strategic vision in the West and to a series of tactical errors. At the core of Western shortcomings in the Caucasus are serious flaws in the analytical lenses through which leaders and analysts perceive events in the region:
A failure to grasp the changing nature and importance of the region's unresolved conflicts, particularly their transformation into key components of Russian geopolitical maneuvers.
A failure to grasp the nature of regional politics, succumbing too often to a simplistic schema of "government versus opposition," when the real and relevant political divides have been equally within each of these groups.
A failure to understand the inter-connection between security and democratic development, in particular the powerful negative effects of a worsened security situation on the prospects for internal political reform.
Compounding these analytical errors, several factors of a strategic nature have contributed to the West's failures in the Caucasus.
The failure to embrace a regional approach to the Caucasus, focusing instead on bilateral relationships; and subordinating these to the West's ties with various regional powers.
The failure to coordinate effectively legitimate interests in diverse areas, particularly between security and governance.
The failure to grasp dynamic changes in the broader geopolitical environment, particularly internal changes in Russia and Turkey, which should enhance the potential role of the Caucasus in Western policy.
Western policymakers have also made serious mistakes that are operational in nature:
Insufficient coordination between relevant governmental agencies in Western capitals and across the Atlantic.
The assignment of the Caucasus and Central Asia to different organizational entities within Western governments has led to the neglect of Trans-Caspian connections.
The resort to finger-pointing and hectoring in the promotion of democracy and human rights has been deeply ineffective, alienating governments rather than influencing them.
To remedy this situation, this paper calls for a new strategy toward the Caucasus. This strategy should rest on the following analytical components:
All policies toward the Caucasus must be rooted in a regional rather than purely bilateral approach.
Policies must be engineered in recognition of the diverse forms of Western interests in the region and must take into account the ways in which these interests interact with one another on the ground.
Western powers should re-engage the region in the area of sovereignty and security, which will do more than anything else to pave the way for progress in other areas.
The West cannot expect progress on governance and human rights without a clear commitment to security issues; conversely, the states of the Caucasus cannot expect Western support for their security without a commitment to governance and human rights.
On this basis, the paper offers the following proposals for a new Western approach to the region:
Increase rhetorical and concrete support for the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of all three of the regional states.
Develop a substantial and sustained Western initiative on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, including strong U.S. Government leadership from the top level and a willingness to bypass, if necessary, the Minsk process.
Increase cooperation in defense and security.
Provide Armenia a strategic alternative to the Eurasian Union.
Seek ways to anchor Azerbaijan in the EU's Eastern Partnership.
Adapt policies to improve governance and human rights to changing realities, including greater emphasis on improving effectiveness and accountability on the part of governments.
Support the trans-Caucasus transport corridor as a "Land Suez" connecting Europe with both India and China, focusing especially on the role of businesses and of soft infrastructure.
Improve and clarify intra-agency, inter-agency, as well as transatlantic coordination on issues relating to the Caucasus.
Read 23772 times Last modified on Thursday, 12 February 2015 21:04
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More in this category: « Retribution and the Rule of Law: The Politics of Justice in Georgia Economic Aspects of the Chinese-Central Asia Rapprochment »

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
namespace blink {

class WebCLBuffer;
class WebCLCommandQueue;
class WebCLContext;
class WebCLMemoryObject;
class WebCLKernel;
class WebCLObject;
class WebCLProgram;

// WebCLMemoryUtil is a helper class to intialize the OpenCL memory to 0.
// It leverages the OpenCL kernel function to do it.
class WebCLMemoryUtil {
public:
    explicit WebCLMemoryUtil(WebCLContext*);
    ~WebCLMemoryUtil();

    void bufferCreated(WebCLBuffer*, ExceptionState&);
    void commandQueueCreated(WebCLCommandQueue*, ExceptionState&);

private:
    void ensureMemory(WebCLMemoryObject*, WebCLCommandQueue*, ExceptionState&);
    void processPendingMemoryList(ExceptionState&);
    WebCLCommandQueue* validCommandQueue() const;
    void initializeOrQueueMemoryObject(WebCLBuffer*, ExceptionState&);

    WebCLContext* m_context;
    RefPtr<WebCLProgram> m_program;
    RefPtr<WebCLKernel> m_kernelChar;
    RefPtr<WebCLKernel> m_kernelChar16;

    Vector<WeakPtr<WebCLObject>> m_pendingBuffers;
    Vector<WeakPtr<WebCLObject>> m_queues;
};

} // namespace blink

#endif // WebCLMemoryUtil_h

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


mUPS with two different DC power inputs?
I wonder what are the differences between PoE-in and DC-in in the mUPS?
Could I use both in parallel, possibly with slightly different DC voltages? If yes, what would be the "priority" between those two inputs?
- if both PSU1 and PSU2 are down, use battery to feed PoE-out.
Is this scenario possible using the two power inputs of the mUPS (PoE-in and DC-in)? Or do I need external hardware?
Re: mUPS with two different DC power inputs?
I can't say how things work on mUPS in particular. I have read an explanation by @Normis that when device (a RB device with PoE in) has connected both PoE in and barrel-plug, it'll use which ever power source has higher voltage by some margin (makes sense as it only involves a pair of diodes to make this happen). If one intends to use both power supply options, it is best to have some systematic difference in voltages so that power source used won't change too much.
The scenario of changing power source is the following: let's say that PoE in has 0.5V lower than barrel. Then device will start using barrel power source. As power draw increases, the power adapter will drop voltage slightly and it might decrease to 0.5V below the PoE in. So device will switch over to using PoE in. This will drop voltage on PoE in and allow barrel to increase again, causing barrel voltage to rise significantly above PoE in voltage. And RB will change power source over again.
This changing doesn't harm much the device itself as voltage fluctuations won't be critically high. However it might upset both power adapters due to constant switching between full power draw and idle states.
One of intended installation places of a mUPS is also directly on tower / antenna pole, where AC power might not be available. Hence possibility to power device over ethernet cable using provided PoE injector. If, however, AC power is available near the mUPS, it is always advisable to use barrel-type power input due to lower power drop.
feed PoE-in using provided PoE injector and non-standard 18V, 2A adapter (this gives same wattage as provided power adapter).
Accroding to mUPS brochure, mUPS regulates input voltage to 24V if input voltage is lower than that. Hence mUPS-powered devices won't notice the switch-over from barrel power source to PoE in.
Thanks a lot mkx for your detailed answer! Very useful information indeed.
In the meantime, anyone having more accurate information is more than welcome to share .
I perfectly understand the usefulness of having both RJ45 PoE-in and barrel-type connectors on mUPS. However, since barrel DC-in is there, I don't understand the need for an accessory PoE injector included in the mUPS package. That is, except if two power inputs are tolerated - or better, if such redundacy is considered by design.
I perfectly understand the usefulness of having both RJ45 PoE-in and barrel-type connectors on mUPS. However, since barrel DC-in is there, I don't understand the need for an accessory PoE injector included in the mUPS package.
Why does this surprise you? If installation demands PoE in as power source (which is quite likely, the same reasoning says voltage up-regulation performed by mUPS is a good thing), then one would need to purchase PoE injector. So why not include it? Price of the injector is quite low, shipping costs can easily surpass it. As almost all (if not all without exception) RB devices support passive PoE in, this PoE injector can come handy anywhere so no harm done is it's not needed for particular mUPS installation.
Okay, I understand now your comment about mounting it directly on a tower. Thanks for clearing that up!
Anyway it was definitely just a minor remark, and a bit off-topic I'll come back with news about the tests.


Decorate your Alice in Wonderland Party table with these 2 inch Party Circles that you can Edit & Print yourself!
5. PUNCH your circles by using a 2" circle or scalloped punch, attach to sticks to use as cupcake toppers or leave them as squares and use on drinks, straws or as party favor tags!
For information & instructions on downloading, computer system requirements, using Adobe Reader, editing, saving & printing, please visit our HOW IT WORKS or FAQ Page.


This is very challenging to start a total new venture after fifty. So, I thought to present random, short illusions/thoughts that can be developed to a sort of a short imaginary story; hopefully within a year. In addition, writing in English is another challenge as it is not my mother tongue language, I kind a like that. This is the very first writing experience apart form my Masters' degree dissertation and a published research paper related to my profession ; hope it goes well.
Kindly, excuse my poor English, my apologies for any mistake that I am happy to correct it once discovered.


text:
February 20, 2017 In Museums By snik
Museum of Arts and Sciences of Epirus
It is a museum of multiple kinds of exhibits (mixed), which is located at the Municipality of Preveza, at the 16th km of the National Road Preveza – Ioannina (at Flamboura), on the east of the road. It was inaugurated on 02-09-2013. By appointment. More info: Wikipedia
Click on the map for more details
See more sightseeings in Museums category below or return to Sights category


text:
Authoritarianism: Response to Police Misconduct? A Slap on the Wrist
Authoritarianism: when police misconduct is accepted. A cop trips up students on a soccer field for kicks; a woman is thrown to the ground, handcuffed and crammed into a police car by four officers, for jaywalking. In what other profession could anyone behave that way?
(04-30-2014, updated 07-15-2018) Have you seen this video of a Georgetown cop at a high school football game? Georgetown is a smaller town north of Austin. Clear police misconduct, no?
Did he get fired on the spot? No, he got suspended. Suspended! In what other field of work could you willfully kick, push and trip up your customers and not be fired on the spot? Librarians, can you imagine tripping up teenagers and keeping your job? Doctors? Shop attendants?
And even after something like that, people don't even dare say what needs to be said. The woman in the white t-shirt and pink pants in the photo is actually limping off the field because this thug just tripped her up and she fell hard. She never even confronted him. One young woman said afterward that the policeman "should have used better judgment". Wow, strong words. That is authoritarianism: when the authorities can do whatever they want and everyone just accepts it. They may have felt he could have used better judgement, but they didn't hold him to account. That was just their polite commentary later on, for the camera.
And then there were the cops who strong-armed a UT student in Austin because she was jaywalking (crossing the street away from an official crossing). She was jogging, with earphones on, and when she didn't react when cop #1 asked her to stop, he grabbed her by the arm from behind.
She reacted the way I would've: she was startled so she freaked out and said, "I don't care if you're a cop; get your fucking hands off me!" And for that she got forced to the ground, handcuffed and forced into the police car by about four cops. This is also authoritarianism –not only is it police misconduct, or at the very least excessive force, those cops abused their power — they punished her for reacting to their inappropriate behavior.
Again, librarians, can you imagine treating a student like that who can't hear you because they have earphones on when you try to tell them there's no eating in the library? Or doctors, when you try to tell a patient to not use his cell phone in the hospital? Or shop assistants, when you need to tell someone they can't be in the store holding a drink? So did at least cop #1 get fired on the spot for police misconduct? Again, no. Police chief Acevedo even defended him. Tried to spin it that there are so many pedestrian deaths in Austin and these cops were just trying to save lives.
Trying to save lives would go something like this: the cop would tap the jogger on her shoulder and beckon for her to take her earphones off. Then he would point out to her that she's jaywalking, talk a little about all the pedestrian deaths, give her a warning and send her on her way.
That's what civilized people do. That's what anyone else in any other job would do. But put an American in a police uniform and he can be the biggest asshole he wants and he gets away with it on a daily basis.
Of course, to compare American police with librarians or doctors is unfair on one level, because their training is practically non-existent. They learn nothing about deescalation strategies, let alone about not escalating perfectly harmless situations to begin with. But of course, they don't have to be trained in those things, because if they do cause situations to get completely out of hand, the most that happens to them is a weak slap on the wrist. Authoritarianism saves time and money, that's for sure.
Again, I'm completely disgusted.
(This post was first published on the blog Resident Alien: Being Dutch in America, under the title: "When Are We Going to Get Angry?", 04-30-2014)
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Posted on April 30, 2014 April 18, 2019 by Barbara Backer-GrayPosted in AUTHORITARIANISM, POLICE BRUTALITY, POLICE STATETagged authoritarianism, Police, police state, kicking policeman, police brutality, police misconduct, suspension.
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11 thoughts on "Authoritarianism: Response to Police Misconduct? A Slap on the Wrist"
I could not agree more. I remember when once upon a time we called these people 'peace officers' and their job was to serve and protect. Their violence is going WAY beyond bullying, too. Check out the Wikipedia article for police killings: They used lethal force 309 times in 2013 alone. I don't know of any other country in the global north with stats like that. Nobody seems to collect how many pet dogs they kill but that number is absolutely huge. Google news reports them all the time. I've even seen footage of them killing old arthritic tail wagging dogs and dogs sleeping on porches. They've gone power mad with all their military toys. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_killings_by_law_enforcement_officers_in_the_United_States_2013
Yes, I was just listening to an item on NPR today or yesterday about the use of lethal force by the Border Patrol. Apparently it had to be spelled out again that kids throwing rocks FROM MEXICO do not need to be shot to death, since they are not a threat to the cops' lives ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BORDER!
omg that just boggles my mind. I have been continuously astonished by the rudeness of people in various uniforms here in the U.S. It has to be a cultural thing because it is just so pervasive ….
Yes. The Dutch were extremely respectful of authority before WWII, always doing exactly what they were told by people in authority, like the police, and after WWII, gradually that changed, and when I grew up, anyway, we almost per definition had no automatic respect for authority. As a result, the police had to change. I was hired as a librarian at one of the five police academies when their training changed to include a lot more about society, and also about the role of the police during the German occupation. There are a lot of lessons Americans didn't learn from WWII because the country itself was not part of the arena, and not accepting everything from the police is one of them.
Plus, I think that because America practices perpetual war that the whole culture is geared to glamorize violence. When they stopped drafting people they had to create an army of mercenaries recruiting from the economically desperate and the morally bankrupt.
Hm, not that the economically desperate and the morally bankrupt are necessarily the same people. But yes, there definitely seems to be this idea that cops get to be tough guys all the time.
Yeah. I meant two different categories of people who tend to sign up. It sure would be nice if police departments would consider recruiting problem solvers instead of thugs.
gpicone says:
They are supposed to be public servants are they not? Yet they constantly harass citizens as though that is their real purpose. Those citizens you mentioned were lucky that they weren't shot on the spot which they may have been had they been persons of color and it was night time. Once We had police show up to our racially diverse school in full riot gear when they were notified that there was a fight going on in the cafeteria. When they arrived it was just a HS brawl between a few students so one of the officers waded through the crowd of students watching until he fell to the ground at which point "Officer down!" was shouted by the other policemen who then commenced beating all students to the ground because anyone who was in that cafeteria was then considered a combatant. The police seem to have their own rules and regulations and they all lead towards violence as the answer to any problem, which they seem all too happy to provide should you not have one.
Yes, it's disgusting. They need to remember who pays their salary.
onnovocks says:
Been outraged for years, but it's been a lonely place. Check out the murder of Nick Christie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0ajHN4cXiA&list=PLCoNz4DrrR5L9TtiqXmOymuxYUmtZTGJf&index=12
Needless to say, the Christie family settled with the Lee County Sheriff's Office for an undisclosed amount, leaving the taxpayer to pay the bill. Come to Lee County Fl. at your own risk, because no one committed this crime inside a locked county facility with no witnesses and self erasing surveillance video.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/15/nick-christie_n_2696234.html
There is lots more,but no one wants to hear it and I could go on all day and not finish. To the best of my knowledge no one was fired, suspended or convicted, nor will there ever be any consequences for the officers involved, only taxpayers will see an increase in their bills and not know what for.
Wow. And notice how all these videos of outrage are about cops abusing their powers against white people. Black people would perpetually have no more battery power left on their phones if they had to film every misbehavior the cops perpetrated against them. Ugh!
Suki Kim is a Korean-American journalist. She poses as an evangelical Christian posing as an English teacher at a school for the sons of North Korea's elite. Her experience and the information she manages to get via writing assignments are incredible. Definitely a lot more eye-opening that any CNN special.
Seven short stories about life during the Kim Il-sung regime, by a writer who still lives and works in North Korea, were smuggled out of the country and translated. Mind-boggling stuff.
"What a repugnant spectacle our country has become! Falsehood, cruelty and madness everywhere, and brute force in the wings waiting to finish us off. "
The story of a man who was born and spent his youth in a North Korean political prison camp before escaping (over a period of years) to South Korea.


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Grimaldi Lines is the main brand through which the Grimaldi Group offers cargo and passenger transport services in the Mediterranean Sea. The Shipping Company operates with state-of-the-art cruise ferries and modern ferries on Italian domestic routes to/from Sardinia and Sicily and on international routes connecting Italy with Greece, Spain, Tunisia and Morocco.
Minoan Agencies is the official agent of the Company and specialises in the sale of passenger maritime services, providing assistance with its booking centre.
A young and avant-garde fleet
Grimaldi Lines has the largest fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, with new generation, safe and environmentally friendly ferries. The Company is particularly attentive to the issue of environmental sustainability and has made and planned significant investments with the prospective goal of sailing and transporting goods and passengers with zero emissions. All Grimaldi Lines routes are operated by modern ferries, with an average age of only 10 years. They are furnished with attention to every detail and equipped with many quality services for a relaxing and enjoyable crossing.
Visit the fleet section for more information on Grimaldi Lines ferries.
Attention to the environement
Grimaldi Lines is particularly attentive to environmental issues. The Grimaldi Group was one of the first companies to equip all its ships with scrubbers - sophisticated systems to reduce harmful particles from exhaust gases. The flagships Cruise Roma and Cruise Barcellona have also been equipped with huge lithium batteries that power the ferries during docking in port and reduce pollutant emissions to zero.
By clicking on the map or visiting the destinations page you can find all routes and connections to the various destinations. Alternatively, you can find a detailed list of all routes at the bottom. In each section you'll find departure times, ships used and lots of other useful information. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact our call centre in Ancona.
Prestigious certifications
Grimaldi Lines is a founding member of the Clean Shipping Alliance, with which it is committed to implementing new IMO regulations on sulphur emissions.
In addition, the Grimaldi Group has ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 (for the environment) quality certification and in 2012.
The history of Grimaldi Lines
The Grimaldi Group's adventure began in Palermo in 1947, when the "Sicula Oceanica S.A." was founded by the brothers Luigi, Mario, Ugo, Aldo and Guido, the children of Amelia Lauro, wife of Angelo Grimaldi and beloved grandchildren of the shipowner Achille Lauro. In the beginning the fleet was made up of cargo ships used during the First World War and purchased at low cost by the Grimaldi family. The first ship was purchased by the United States and christened with the name "Orione" and used to transport goods by sea.
The first transatlantic voyages
In the following years the demand for transatlantic maritime connections increased exponentially and the Grimaldi brothers rode the demand by opening the sea transport of passengers on the routes from the Mediterranean to America with the purchase of the modern and comfortable steamships "Auriga", "Centauro" and "Lucania".
The economic boom of the 60s
In the early 1960s, in the midst of an economic boom, steamships were gradually removed from the fleet and replaced with modern bulk carriers, which resulted in an increase in the transport of goods.
1969 is a key year in the growth and affirmation of the Grimaldi brand. In fact, a new line connection between Italy and the UK was inaugurated, specifically designed for the transport of vehicles. Within a few years, the Company became a point of reference for several car manufacturers who entrusted it with the transport of vehicles from the Mediterranean to Northern Europe.
From that moment to the end of the century the Grimaldi Group consolidated its position as well as growing very rapidly thanks to the inauguration of new routes for the transport of rolling goods not only within the European continent but also from Europe to West Africa and from North Europe to South America.
The modern period is the one in which the Company started to follow an expansive policy, buying new vessels and opening new maritime lines.
Starting from 2004, the European "Motorways of the Sea" programme was embraced with the creation of a dense network of maritime connections able to offer itself as an eco-sustainable alternative to the road transport of trucks, containers and vehicles. To achieve this objective, in addition to acquiring new ships, Grimaldi Lines acquired several companies, the most important of which were Finnlines in 2006 and Minoan Lines in 2008.
Today the company connects the major Italian ports to Sardinia, Sicily, Spain, Greece, Malta, Tunisia and Morocco.


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Your group travel guide to Devon
12th February 2019 GTO Magazine
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Whether it's pretty fishing villages, historic properties and gardens, bustling cities or simply enjoying countryside and wildlife, Devon has much to offer all types of groups. Val Baynton suggests options for visits to the county.
Rich Heritage
Devon's historic houses reflect architecture from medieval times onwards.
Powderham Castle, just south of Exeter, was built in 1391 and has been owned by the Courtenays ever since. A guided tour of the castle will allow your group to discover the history of the family – now in the 28th generation, and learn about the interiors and architecture of the castle. The gardens are extensive and a Park Safari can be pre-booked to help your members explore the huge deer park and get a better view of the deer.
'The 'Monastic Way' exhibition is a highlight of a visit to Buckfast Abbey this year. Marking the Abbey's Millennium (1018–2018), this interactive experience offers insights into 1,000 years of Monastic life throughout Europe, and entry is free. The Abbey church, with its newly-installed organ, offers a spiritual haven throughout the day. Groups can also enjoy a bespoke tour of the tranquil grounds, including the RHS award-winning Millennium Garden. The Abbey gift and bookshops stock produce and wine from Buckfast and other European religious foundations. The Grange Restaurant provides food all day and, with a little advance notice, can accommodate large groups in designated seating areas.
Greenway House with the River Dart below © National Trust Images Andrew Butler
Killerton (National Trust) near to Broadclyst, Exeter dates from the 18th century and is set on 6,400 acre estate, which also includes a working watermill and a medieval hall house. Killerton boasts an extensive fashion collection of some 20,000 items, which was given to the National Trust in 1978. Examples date from 1690 to the 20th century and the collection also includes many couture designer items by the likes of Coco Chanel. This year's annual exhibition, The Tree of Life, runs until 3rd November and includes court uniforms once worn by the former owners of Killerton, the Aclands, which are decorated in gold thread with symbolic oak leaves and acorns.
On the English Riviera in South Devon, are two more National Trust houses. By the River Dart is Greenway, the holiday home of author Agatha Christie and her family. The relaxed and atmospheric house is set in the 1950s and filled with collections of archaeology, Tunbridgeware, botanical china and books. Fully opened to the public in 2009, Greenway will be celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2019 with a line-up of festivals including an inaugural 'Greenway Literary Festival' at the end of May and finishing with an 'Autumn Tea Festival'.
At Coleton Fishacre, close to Kingswear, groups can enjoy the Jazz Age at the former country home of the D'Oyly Carte family. Built in the Arts & Crafts style, a joyful atmosphere fills the rooms and music plays, echoing the family's Gilbert and Sullivan connections. Outside, in the RHS accredited garden, tender plants from the Mediterranean, South Africa and New Zealand thrive in the sheltered valley.
Hartland Abbey
Castle Drogo, near Newton Abbot, was the last castle to be built in England and was designed by Edwin Lutyens. A six-year restoration programme is mainly completed but now the interiors are being brought back together. Groups can visit the castle to see this transformation in progress, but pre-booking is essential. The gardens are also open.
Amongst other smaller historic properties to add to an itinerary is the 16-sided A La Ronde (National Trust), an 18th century house close to Exeter which has a shell gallery decorated with around 25,000 shells. Nearby, Cadhay, a Tudor manor house near Ottery St Mary, offers accommodation for up to 22 people – but is open to the public with guided tours of the house every Friday afternoon from May until September. Meanwhile, your group can go back to the 11th century at Chambercombe Manor, close to Ilfracombe, in North Devon. House tours are available and the gardens can be explored as well.
RHS Garden Rosemoor in North Devon
The historic properties mentioned above also have glorious gardens, but there are more to discover.
RHS Garden Rosemoor is one of the best places in the country to see roses. A five-week Rose Festival begins on 15th June with weekly floristry demonstrations, a floral themed craft market, guided walks, talks and loads of advice. There is also a dedicated Rose Weekend and craft market from 22nd to 23rd June, with specialist rose advice, free guided walks around Rosemoor's stunning rose gardens and a floral-themed craft fair in The Garden Room, where you will find a host of beautiful variety of crafts made in the West Country.
Aside from this there are many other events such as Rosemoor Live in May and a vintage weekend in late July as well as the Garden Flower Show in mid August. New for 2019 is a 'Cool Garden' created by garden designer Jo Thompson. Its theme is centred on the use of water in gardens, and how gardeners can deal with heavy rainfall, and the focus will be on blue and white flowers and silvery foliage and bark, all enhanced by water. Visits can always be finished with a delicious homemade Devon Cream tea for the quintessential English country garden experience!
Burrow Farm Gardens
Green fingered groups might also like to plan a visit to the Burrow Farm Gardens near Honiton in East Devon. The garden has interest through the year with an Azalea Glade and a Grasses Garden planted with Asters and ornamental grasses. Owner Mary Benger, who has created the garden over 50 years, will give guided tours to pre-booked groups.
In North Devon, Hartland Abbey, four miles from Clovelly is also worth a visit. The gardens were created by the Augustinian Canons who lived there from 1157 to 1539.
In the early 20th century Gertrude Jekyll helped Lady Stucley create intimate paths and terraces but post the First World War much of the garden, such as the Victorian Fernery, became overgrown. In the last part of the century and continuing into this, the Stucleys have carried out extensive restoration revealing areas such as the 'Baronets Bog Garden' and each year there are new plantings.
Exploring the County
Many attractions provide fun ways for all age groups to learn about Devon and the natural world.
Set along the Jurassic Coast and nestled in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is The Donkey Sanctuary and its home to hundreds of friendly rescue donkeys. Over recent months the Sanctuary has been developed to provide better facilities for the care of donkeys and for the welcome of visitors. The new Exhibition Barn explains the work of the Donkey Sanctuary worldwide and the centre also includes a new restaurant serving freshly prepared seasonal dishes and a gift shop stocking a variety of souvenirs and locally-made preserves.
Discounted group menus are available for pre-booked groups of 10 or more and includes a complimentary meal for the driver and a guided tour of the sanctuary. Pre-booking is essential with a minimum one week's notice. Admission and parking is free and there's an easy drop zone right at the entrance for coaches.
Beekeeper at Quince Honey Farm
The Quince Honey Farm is re-opening in April at a purposebuilt site close to South Molton. Having out-grown their current location, the family-run business is taking the opportunity to open as an attraction to explain the role of bees to a wider audience.
The attraction will include a Visitor's Centre housing the Farm Shop selling seasonal honeys and beeswax gifts plus a restaurant, over-looking the gardens and serving homemade dishes, drinks and special honey cream teas. The Honey Factory features a 'Products of the Hive' exhibition and viewing windows into the honey production area. A behind-the-scenes guided tour enables visitors to get a close-up look at how honey is extracted from the hive and then bottled in jars to sell in the shop. A daily activity programme includes beekeeping demonstrations and taster sessions, candle rolling and critter encounters. The new gardens are to be landscaped with seasonal planting and features such as dry stone walling and willow structures. All planting will be bee-friendly.
Stuart Line Cruises programme includes a daytrip to Brixham and Torquay
All round the county there's the chance to take a cruise to explore inland waterways or coastline. Stuart Line Cruises operates from Exmouth and provides various itineraries for groups of 15 or more. The Exeter Canal Cruise takes passengers down the oldest working shipping canal in Europe, while the River Exe Cruise departs from Exmouth Marina, past Powderham Castle and along to Exmouth's seafront. The boats each have a fully licensed bar on board and serve locally sourced seasonal produce.
Further down the coast, the Dartmouth Steam Railway and River Cruise Company offers many delightful ways to explore the Dart estuary. There are a variety of river trips such as Dartmouth to Totnes or a circular cruise around Dartmouth offering sights such as Kingswear and Dartmouth Castles, Sir Walter Raleigh's Boathouse, you can glimpse the pretty village of Dittisham and there are lots of chances to spot wildlife such as dolphins, seals and herons.
Pulling into Kingswear on the Dartmouth Steam Railway © Mark Lakeman
The steam train follows a picturesque route from Paignton along the coast to Goodrington and Churston, then through woods to Greenway Halt for the 30-minute walk to the holiday home of Agatha Christie. The best selling tour combines a river cruise, steam train and bus visiting Paignton, Dartmouth and Totnes. Discounted rates for groups of more than 20 people are available.
The 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings will be marked by events remembering the role the region took in training American troops, when Braunton Burrows, Saunton Sands and Woolacombe became the Assault Training Centre, Exhibitions in local museums will be held between April and October and a living history event will be held on 15th and 16th June at Saunton Dunes.
Exeter and Plymouth are easily accessible and make great bases for short breaks.
Great Western Railways (GWR) make it easy for groups to travel to Devon and as well as Exeter and Plymouth, many other towns are en route. GWR's Group Save offers for groups make this an affordable way to travel. Track upgrades and new trains will soon shorten journey times and improve capacity.
Roof top tours at Exeter Cathedral
Plymouth's highlights include Smeaton's Tower, a lighthouse built in 1759, the National Marine Aquarium – the UK's largest public aquarium and the Royal Citadel, which overlooks the harbour was built in c.1660 and is now owned by English Heritage. Tours can booked but as an operational military establishment access can be suspended at short notice. In 1620, the harbour was the final departure point for the Mayflower on its journey to the New World and this event will be marked by many activities next year including an exhibition in the city's new cultural hub, The Box. This development will tell the story of Plymouth and it will comprise a museum displaying the city's natural history and historic collections and hosting the archives. Art galleries are also included.
An elegant Cathedral City, Exeter welcomes groups all year round. The Gothic Exeter Cathedral has a range of tours for groups including evening tours that coincide with Choral Evensong, rooftop, tower, and library and archive tours. As well as The Royal Albert Memorial Museum with collections of local silver, glassware, clocks and watches, groups can book guided walking tours of the city with the Red Coat Guides choosing from topics such as the 'Woollen Cloth Trade' or 'Exeter in the Blitz' and even explore the city's underground tunnels.
Clovelly from the sea
Harbour Life
In Devon you are never far from quaint fishing villages offering sea views.
Once owned by a Queen of England, Clovelly, clinging to a 400 foot cliff overlooking Bideford Bay, is one of the prettiest seaside villages. Importantly, though, it is still a working fishing village, and no traffic is allowed through the narrow steeply cobbled streets, which has ensured its retained historic charm.
Events for 2019 include the annual "Seaweed" May, "Lifeboat & Maritime" August, "Lobster and Crab" September and "Herring" November and the village will be celebrating Charles Kingsley's Bicentenary with a host of activities including talks, workshops, exhibitions, live themed music and street entertainment from 12th to 16th June 2019. Kingsley lived there as a child and returned several times as an adult – hence the village museum in his honour. There are no additional charges for groups (or visitors) to attend Clovelly's annual events.
Brixham harbour
The Red Lion Hotel on Clovelly's 14th century harbour wall is undertaking further major renovations, which will be completed in March. In addition to the reception area and lounge, both bars will also be very much refurbished, whilst not losing their original character.
Another bustling harbour to visit is on the south coast. Brixham has a world famous fish harbour and despite the 6.00am start, tours of the harbour given by volunteers to raise money for The Fisherman's mission are very popular. There are a series of dates that small groups of up to 10 people can join, subject to availability. Additional dates may be possible on midweek dates for groups of up to 25 depending on volunteers and the agreement of the Brixham Trawler Agents.
Fish harbour tours are available
In Dartmouth preparations are underway for the Mayflower 400 taking place in 2020 with a week set aside for special events between 30th August and 5th September. It was in August 1620 that two ships – the Mayflower and the Speedwell – left Dartmouth for the New World America. The Speedwell started to sink at Lands End, so she returned to port. Amongst events being planned are a 'Warships, Tall Ships and Mayflower Replica' festival, a Son et Lumiére and a Grand Dart River Pageant.
Located on the Devon/Cornwall border the Arundell Arms in Lifton is just off the A30 road to Launceston. There are 26 individually appointed rooms, a cosy lounge and bar and a more formal dining room, and the hotel can cater for your group's specific requirements at a competitive rate. It's the perfect base from which to explore the peninsular and it is well-sited to enjoy the spectacular Dartmoor. With parking for 80 cars it's a great venue for classic car rallys too. As well as many places on the English Riviera, popular destinations such as Clovelly, The Eden Project, Bude, Boscastle and Tintagel can all be reached within 45 minutes.
Daish's The Devonshire Hotel, Torquay
In Torquay, Daish's appropriately named, The Devonshire Hotel, occupies a 1900s building overlooking Tor Bay. The 75-bedroom hotel has a heated outdoor pool in the summer, a lift, bar and dance floor. There's live entertainment every night with cabaret, dancing and a selection of games and quizzes including bingo also on offer. The team at the hotel can help arrange excursions and day trips and you can book travel to Torquay using one of Daish's own comfortable coaches. The group booking team will also tailor the whole break for you ensuring the holiday is as stress free as possible. Free places for GTOs and driver start at groups of 20 plus people.
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