|
Which Queen in Pearls Understood Their Power?Which queen in pearls never had enough of them?Who turned the tide of pearls' popularity among royalty making the phrase "Queen in Diamonds" more common than "Queen in Pearls"?
Queen Elizabeth the First (1558-1603) understood power. And she understood the power of pearls. I hope this dear lady liked changing clothes because she reportedly had not less than 3,000 gowns that were embroidered with pearls. (I wonder how many "everyday dresses" she had?) To match the various gowns she had 80 pearl studded wigs.
Queen Elizabeth I...a true queen in pearls...routinely wore seven ropes of pearls on a daily basis. She had an unquenchable desire for these amazing gems. When the natural supply ran low, she ordered imitation pearls made. King Louis XIV (1638-1715), the Sun King, brought sparkle to his reign and kingdom through diamonds. Purchasing a courier's entire cache of diamonds from India, King Louis XIV had them all sewn on a fantastic sparkly cloak. The abundant diamonds made the cloak so heavy that after wearing it during a meal, he needed to change it for a lighter coat. When foreign royalty wanted diamonds for a coronation or other ceremonial event, they would borrow them from the Sun King. King Louis XIV put street lights up in Paris, giving it the name: City of Lights. Sparkle became the buzz word of the day...causing pearls to take a nose dive in popularity. The Palace of Versailles, outside of Paris, was King Louis XIV's crowning glory...but if going to look at it don't wear new shoes...the cobblestones in the front courtyard will kill your feet...there's lots of walking. As a homeschooling mom...I've discovered a way to get my children flipped out over history...by reading historical novels out loud to them. Yes, they take their turns reading too. For French history I recommend Alexander Dumas' books. During my husband's college days he acquired the entire set of unabridged Dumas' novels. We've read several. Many have been made into popular movies such as "The Three Musketeers," "The Man in the Iron Mask," "The Queen's Necklace," and " The Count of Monte Cristo." Alexander Dumas' lavish personal lifestyle prompted him to keep writing. The "Count of Monte Cristo" covered two books and when we finished, our good friend, the Count, was missed greatly. And I really wanted to see the Palace of Versailles after reading the "Queen's Necklace"...a diamond necklace, not a queen in pearls necklace. If you enjoyed this page about Queen in Pearls, you may also enjoy Pearls in History.
|
