#duke of bolton

[mea-gloria-fides]

Arms of The Most Noble Charles Paulet, 2nd Duke of Bolton.

[princessanneftw]

Why Princess Anne will be the King’s bedrock of support

The royal world has changed once again – but the industrious Princess Royal will keep the show on the road

By Camilla Tominey for the Daily Telegraph

Over the years, she has tumbled down the line of succession to a lowly 17th place in the Windsor pecking order.

On paper, the Princess Royal may not be the most prominent royal, lagging well behind her nephew Prince Harry and her brother the Duke of York – even though they are no longer “working” royals.

But when it comes to putting in the hours on behalf of the family Firm, few could dispute Princess Anne’s status as one of the King’s most stalwart supporters.

As the 75-year-old monarch on Monday began what Buckingham Palace has described as a “schedule of regular treatments” following his cancer diagnosis, his 73-year-old sister was the first to ride to the royal rescue.

With typical gusto, the grandmother-of-five put her best foot forward to carry out an investiture at Windsor Castle at 11am on Tuesday, before turning her attention to three further royal engagements.

After handing out gongs to the likes of media doyenne Elisabeth Murdoch, conductor Ivor Bolton, tenor Nicky Spence and wheelchair rugby league player James Simpson, the Princess made her way up to the Midlands for yet more pressing of the flesh.

On Tuesday afternoon, she was due to visit Nottingham West Primary Care Network at Eastwood Primary Care Centre in her capacity as patron of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, as well as popping in on woolmaker GH Hurt and Son.

She then plans to travel the 128 miles back to London to present The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering at the Science Museum.

Although the jobs will have been in the royal diary for months, they reiterate the importance of the Princess’s role as the Royal family’s resident trooper.

Last year, she was once again crowned the hardest-working royal, clocking up an impressive 457 engagements, 32 more than the 425 carried out by the King.

Not that there is any sibling rivalry between the pair. Although they used to “fight like cats and dogs” when they were little, according to Ingrid Seward, the veteran royal author and commentator: “Charles and Anne’s relationship is very good now.

“They have a great mutual respect. Before the prospect of Charles marrying Camilla became a possibility, the late Queen always thought it would be Anne at Charles’s side, acting as a sort of incognito Queen. Elizabeth II always had that vision – that Anne would play a hugely significant supporting role.”

Her bond with the King was plain to see during their mother’s funeral, when the Princess was the only woman to join the solemn march behind the coffin for the procession to Westminster Abbey.

As her brother’s eyes threatened to overflow with tears, his characteristically calm and collected sister looked him straight in the eye with a silent show of support.

In her 2022 book The Palace Papers, the journalist Tina Brown even went so far as to suggest that “there are plenty in palace circles who believe she is the best king we will never have”.

Stalwart, straightforward and surprisingly down to earth (despite being an unapologetic stickler for royal protocol), the Princess’s popularity within the household and beyond has been built on her reputation for getting on with it with little fuss or fanfare.

As Valentine Low explained in his 2022 book, Courtiers: “That was Harry and Meghan’s downfall – there was too much ego. Anne has no ego. She recognises that this is the job, and you just get on with it.”

It is a testament to the Princess’s work ethic that Buckingham Palace has stressed that the King will not need to use counsellors of state – royals authorised to carry out the monarch’s official duties should they be incapacitated or overseas.

Historically, they are the sovereign’s spouse and the next four people in the line of succession who are over the age of 21. Until recently, the King’s were Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Andrew and Princess Beatrice.

Amid concern that Princes Harry and Andrew no longer undertake official royal duties and that the former does not even live in the country, a change was made to the Regency Act of 1937 to include the Princess along with her youngest brother, Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Both will be expected to increase their workload in light of the King’s cancer diagnosis, which has forced him to cancel all forward-facing public engagements to minimise any health risks.

As heir to the throne, the Prince of Wales will also undertake royal engagements on behalf of his father along with the Queen.

Yet with the Princess of Wales also out of action until after Easter after undergoing abdominal surgery, the monarchy has never looked more “slimmed down”.

Naturally Anne was one of the first to identify the potential pitfalls of stripping back the number of “working” royals.

“Well, I think the ‘slimmed-down’ [monarchy] was said in a day when there were a few more people around to make that seem like a justifiable comment,” she said in an interview last year.

When it was put to her that the world changes, she added: “It changes a bit. I mean, it doesn’t sound like a good idea from where I’m standing, I have to say. I’m not quite sure what else, you know, we can do.”

The royal world has changed once again – and as ever, industrious Princess Anne is front and centre of efforts to keep the show on the road.

#an anne #princess anne #princess royal #british royal family #brf

[ecoamerica]

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

#ACLA24 #ACLA24HighSchoolStudents #youtube #youtube video #climate leaders #climate solutions #climate action #climate and environment #climate #climate change #climate and health #climate blog #climate justice #climate news #weather and climate #environmental news #environment #environmental awareness #environment and health #environmental #environmental issues #environmental education #environmental justice #environmental protection #environmental health #high school students #high school #youth #youth of america #school

[docpiplup]

Jon was tired. I need sleep. He had been up half the night poring over maps, writing letters, and making plans with Maester Aemon. Even after stumbling into his narrow bed, rest had not come easily. He knew what he would face today, and found himself tossing restlessly as he brooded on Maester Aemon's final words.

"Allow me to give my lord one last piece of counsel", the old man had said, "the same counsel that I once gave my brother when we parted for the last time. He was three-and-thirty when the Great Council chose him to mount the Iron Throne. A man grown with sons of his own, yet in some ways still a boy. Egg had an innocence to him, a sweetness we all loved. Kill the boy within you, I told him the day I took ship for the Wall. It takes a man to rule. An Aegon, not an Egg. Kill the boy and let the man be born."

The old man felt Jon's face. "You are half the age that Egg was, and your own burden is a crueler one, I fear. You will have little joy of your command, but I think you have the strength in you to do the things that must be done. Kill the boy, Jon Snow. Winter is almost upon us.  Kill the boy and let the man be born."

Jon II, A Dance with Dragons

It could be very interesting if a Great Northern Council is held at Winterfell for deciding who will be the next Lord of Winterfell/King in the North after the downfall of the Boltons.

Like, maybe this Northern Great Council parallels the Great Council for deciding the heir to the Iron Throne among Maekar I's children and/or their descendants, and in this case the Northern Great Council will choose the heir to the Noth among Ned's children.

We know that the Great Council offered the crown to Aemon and he rejected it and Egg was crowned instead. In my opinion, I think this Northern Great Council could offer the crown to Jon, since he is the eldest and most prepared sibling, and he will accept it because if duty.

I feel like there is a strong connection between Jon and Aemon & Aegon V, Jon accepting the crown due duty I feel like it reflects in some kind of sense the "Kill the boy and let the man be born" Aemon said to Egg and Jon, both the last time they were going to see Aemon and time before/when they became kings, Aemon went to the Wall to join the NW and Egg became Aegon the Unlikely, and Aemon left the Wall and died during the trip to Oldtown, and some time after that Jon could be crowned King in the North.

We could also take notes at Aegon V's nickname " the Unlikely", because he was the fourth son of a fourth son, and Jon becoming Lord of Winterfell/King in the North being a bastard isn't something expected for Westerosi society due to generally being classist and having prejudices towards bastards.

And I don't suscribe to what some people say about that Jon can't inherit and become king because he's a bastard, it's well-known that one of the main inspirations for Westeros is Medieval Europe, especially medieval English history, and there some other bastards that became kings, like William I the Conqueror (1028-1087), illegitimate son of Duke Robert I of Normandy and Herleva of Falaise, although I would say his Asoiaf equivalents are Aegon I the Conqueror and his bastard brother Orys Baratheon, plus there were others like Ramiro I of Aragon (1006-1063), Henry II of Castile (1334-1379), John I of Portugal (1357-1433) and Ferdinand I of Naples (1423-1494).

Plus if Robb's Will is brought to the discussion, Jon has been legitimised by Robb and could be another reason to be considered a good candidate by the Council.

#asoiaf #a song of ice and fire #jon snow #canonjonsnow #canonjon #adwd #maester aemon #aegon the unlikely #aemon targaryen #aegon v targaryen #egg #meta #valyrianscrolls

[grandmaster-anne]

The ‘minor’ Royals are the very best of British

The Telegraph commentary article by Madeline Grant | Published 21 December 2022

A few years back, a BBC documentary shone an unwittingly hilarious light on the lives of the minor working royals. The Queen’s first cousin, the Duke of Gloucester, has been sent to open a new IT department at a school in Croydon. “There are some things that you’re interested in, and some that you’re not” he admits. “It is slightly difficult to feign an interest”. We then cut to some school-children dancing (badly) to a song from Footloose. Trying to make conversation with a teacher, the Duke points to the ceiling of the sports hall and asks, “Is this an insulated roof?”

The Duke’s small-talk proved an unexpected hit on social media; at my birthday I realised to my astonishment that half my guests could quote the scene word for word – perhaps not the most obvious viral sensation among a bunch of 30-year-olds. But there is something rather moving, as well as relatable, about it. While the Sussexes redefine the concept of “service” to mean whatever is convenient to them; those sliding down the pecking order with each new royal arrival continue their efforts on behalf of the institution. No frills, no tantrums, dull events, small-talk galore – and lasting loyalty.

The Princess Royal’s unshowy work ethic has won great public respect. This week the 72-year-old once again topped the list as the most industrious working royal. The Earl and Countess of Wessex carry out public engagements in the background, without fanfare. Royals will often be patrons of the same charity for 40 or 50 years; understanding the DNA of these organisations; and many keep serving well beyond the official retirement age.

The late Queen’s cousins the Duke of Kent and Princess Alexandra, 87 and 85, still regularly perform royal duties. At Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, the Duke joined in the procession, having previously flanked George VI’s coffin as a teenager in 1952. He looked unsteady on his feet at times; but there he was, faithfully serving his cousin as he had all his life. The Duchess of Kent quietly worked as a music teacher in Hull for 13 years and would often be found mopping the floors of a local hospice where she was a longtime volunteer.

The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester have remained working royals well into their 70s, spending decades giving unshowy support to their good causes. A passionate tennis-lover, the Duchess has been Honorary President of the Lawn Tennis Association for over two decades and may well enjoy glamorous occasions, such as appearing in the Royal Box at Wimbledon. But she is much more often found far from the limelight, cheerfully opening public courts in Tottenham or watching unknown British hopefuls battling it out in the dreary fastnesses of indoor tennis centres in Telford or Bolton.

When the couple married in 1972, her husband was working as an architect. Just six weeks later his dashing older brother, Prince William of Gloucester, died in a flying accident and the couple were propelled into royal duties. Their quiet, steady work, plus the wackier gigs – representing Queen Elizabeth at the coronation of King George Tupou V of Tonga in 2008, for example – has never excited much media attention; and were it not for the death of the Duke’s brother, they would have probably led much more independent lives. But they rose to the occasion uncomplainingly. As the Duke explains in the documentary “I don’t expect huge crowds lining the street, as if Her Majesty came. It’s valid, even without a great deal of fuss.”

The King’s aspirations for a slimmed-down monarchy are well-known, but the sheer number of royal duties means scores of lesser lights are surely required to share the load and represent the crown overseas. The monarch and his immediate heirs could never physically fulfil half the commitments requiring a royal presence.

The minor royals don’t just opt for less glamorous causes; but also more historic and esoteric ones. The Earl of Wessex is a tremendous ambassador of the ancient sport Real Tennis, while the Duke of Gloucester is patron of the Richard III Society. They make many charities viable; supporting the quirky sports, passions and amateur pursuits woven into the nation’s social fabric.

Of course, in this sense The Firm is like any other institution: so many of which run through the hard work of unseen individuals doing unglamorous jobs. Churches depend on people giving up their time as wardens, vergers, and church council members. It is their quiet graft that keeps some of our most ancient buildings in good repair. The bishops would do well to remember them next time they pontificate on political matters.

This feels like a generational divide – and one I’ve been thinking about a lot since I lost my grandma this year. She was a stalwart of the community and an indefatigable volunteer who put in countless hours baking cakes for the church, Girl Guides and tennis club, and running the WI and local Country Market. What will happen to civic society without such people around? I am reminded of George Eliot’s beautiful words at the end of Middlemarch, “the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric acts … the number who lived faithfully a hidden life, and rest in unvisited tombs”.

We may not hear so much about them, but members of the late Queen’s extended family, well beyond the core royals, continue to follow her example of lifelong duty, as do thousands of community-minded “good eggs” up and down the country. All our lives are richer for their service.

#princess anne #princess royal #duke of gloucester #duchess of gloucester #duke of kent #princess alexandra of kent #earl of wessex #countess of wessex #duchess of kent #the telegraph #article

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 2.26

Beer Birthdays

Gabriel Sedlmayr II (1811)

Frederick C. Miller (1906)

Art Larrance (1944)

Five Favorite Birthdays

Tex Avery; cartoon director (1908)

Johnny Cash; singer, songwriter (1932)

Jackie Gleason; actor, comedian (1916)

Plato; philosopher (428 BCE)

Theodore Sturgeon; writer (1918)

Famous Birthdays

Robert Alda; actor (1914)

Grover Cleveland Alexander; Philadelphia Phillies P (1887)

Erykah Badu; singer (1971)

William Baumol; economist (1922)

Michael Bolton; pop singer (1953)

Godfrey Cambridge; actor (1933)

"Buffalo" Bill Cody; scout, entertainer (1846)

Honore Daumier; artist (1808)

"Fats" Domino; singer, pianist (1928)

Herbert Henry Dow; chemical manufacturer (1866)

Bill Duke; actor (1943)

Kevin Dunn; actor (1956)

Marshall Faulk; St. Louis Rams RB (1973)

William Frawley; actor (1887)

Jennifer Grant; actor (1966)

Victor Hugo; writer (1802)

Betty Hutton; actor (1921)

John Harvey Kellogg; dietician, doctor (1852)

Kara Monaco; model (1983)

Teresa Palmer; actor (1986)

Tony Randall; actor (1920)

Mitch Ryder; rock singer (1945)

Levi Strauss; inventor (1829)

Jenny Thompson; swimmer (1973)

Elihu Vedder; artist, illustrator (1836)

Wenceslas of Bohemia; ruler (1361)

#Birthdays

[sankta-starkova]

LETTERMAN

015; typecasting

previous chapter | next chapter | masterlist

summary: the one where ej and andy realise that there may be some romantic feelings between them that hadn't been there before, or had they? the new year test this revelation

wordcount: 1.7k

They all sat down in the cafeteria at lunch time, talking about things when Carlos stood up randomly.

"Attention Thespians, I have a brief announcement," Carlos said and everyone turned to look at him.

"After spending the last couple of weeks Google stalking the Menkie Awards I've discovered there is no award for best choreography, I've decided that I will be auditioning to be on stage this year," he explained.

Everyone cheered, proud of Carlos. All of a sudden, EJ walked over, looking at Ricky.

"You're welcome," he said to him and Ricky looked up at EJ confused.

"For what?" He asked, watching as EJ sat down in the spare seat between him and Andy.

"I've decided to take myself out of the running for the Beast, I've got a lot on my plate," he said.

EJ started to dig through his bag and Andy sat there disappointed. A little part of her wanted to be Belle and the Beast with EJ.

"Which reminds me I should probably pick a meal plan for Duke, I also have this," he said.

"Wait! You officially got in?" She asked and Ricky narrowed his eyes at EJ, realising something.

"Back up, you're not doing the musical either?" He questioned.

"No, I've only got the bandwidth for a supporting role," he explained, reaching into his bag again but he stopped when he realised something, "What do you mean either?"

"I'm, uh, not sure if I'm auditioning this year," Ricky explained, "You know, once a skate rat,"

"No Ricky, I'm still a skater and I do theatre, we are all sure you can do this," She said.

Although her and Ricky had spent less time at the skatepark together, she still enjoyed it and missed spending that much time with him.

"Before I forget, Andy, I have something for you," EJ said as the silence it got awkward.

He reached into his bag and everyone waited to see what he had. EJ pulled out a blue Duke hat identical to the one he had on his head.

He placed it on her head, "Ta-da, can't have my best girl not having a Duke hat," he said with a laugh.

Andy smiled at him, her heart fluttering as he called her his 'best girl' but she knew that he didn't like her in the way she liked him.

"Well thanks EJ," she said, pulling out a small hand held mirror and checking what it looked like.

Suddenly, a random blonde girl approached the table, "Sorry, I've been trying to work up the courage to say this," she said.

She looked at EJ, furrowing her brow as she silently questioned what was going on. He shrugged and then they looked at the girl.

"Okay, I can't believe in standing in front of both Troy Bolton right now, both your performances were incredible," she explained quickly.

The two boys thanked her, EJ still smiling at Andy and not really caring.

He loved seeing her in the hat, his hat, but he couldn't think of her that way, not after Nini broke his heart.

"No, thank you. I mean, you both inspired me to try out this semester. You guys are all so talented, do you mind if we take a picture," she asked.

Everyone agreed and the girl took the photo, everyone smiling at it.

Just before auditions, Ashlyn came up to Gina, Kourtney and Andy with a proposal.

"I know this is totally last minute and feel free to say no, I have a song I've been noodling on all week its a quartet," Ashlyn explained.

She handed the sheets of paper to each of them, Andy smiling as she flipped through them.

"Gina, living with you is the closest thing to having a sister. Andy, it's only a matter of time before you become my cousin and Kourt, I know you must be missing Nini so I was thinking we could audition as a girl group," She explained.

Andy smiled at her, she was so glad to have these girls as friends, "I'm totally in Ash, good job me and EJ decided not to do Suddenly Seymour," she said.

Kourtney chuckled, "Yes, but is the vibe Destiny's Child or Cheetah Girls?" she questioned.

"The vibe is all of the above, plus a little spice girls," Ashlyn said before turning to Gina, "So, you in?"

"I'm sorry Ash, I'm gonna stick with auditioning on my own," Gina said and everyones face dropped, it was disappointing but Andy got it.

The bell rang before auditions and Andy walked to them with Big Red and Ricky after meeting up.

"I am feeling the German word for anxiety, hunger and deathly fear of disappointing the one you really want to impress," Big Red explained with frustration.

He sighed, walking over to the wall and leaning against it in defeat.

"Its actually pretty simple right, you like Ashlyn?" Andy asked and Big Red groaned.

"Understatement of the year," he said as he slid onto the floor, feeling defeated.

Andy and Ricky joined him on the floor, "One thing last semester taught me is that really liking a girl can get you through a lot of crap, including stage fright," Ricky explained.

"At least if I choke up today, I won't be alive to see Ashlyns disappointment," he said as he leaned back against the wall.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, "I don't think you've ever disappointed anyone in your whole life," Andy said.

"You know what would make me feel a lot better? Knowing you would be up there too Ricky," he said, trying to convince Ricky to try out.

"I haven't ruled auditioning out," he said before the bell rang and they rushed to auditions.

Later, the group all gathered around, preparing for the audition when Miss Jenn walked over.

"All right, as you know, this year's audition process will be in a two- step process," she explained.

Andy nodded her head, listening to her explain that there was a group vocal warm up and a song of your choice.

"Circle up, take your neighbours hand for a moment of silent reflection," Miss Jenn said.

Andy smiled, reaching for Seb and EJs hands as they stood in the circle.

They seemed to have gotten over the awkwardness from three weeks ago of the near kiss, she knew it was just a moment.

Suddenly, Ricky ran in. They all performed their parts in Belle before heading up for the solos, or in this case, a trio.

Andy, Kourtney and Ashlyn stood on the stage, "This is an original song I wrote about the power of friendship, it was originally a solo but then I wrote it for four people but we'll be singing for two," Ashlyn explained.

"Wait!" Gina called out after she heard Lily make a comment about them, "Is there still room for a fourth?"

"Do you know the song?" Ashlyn asked, a smile on her face as she realised Gina will be singing along.

"I was curious so I spent the afternoon kinda studying it," she stated, "Its brilliant,"

"Oh, and picture us in sequined jumpsuits. On a light up dance floor. In an abandoned warehouse," Ashlyn added before they performed the song.

They finished and everyone applauded, wowed by their performance. EJ smiled at them from the crowd, giving them a thumbs up.

"Well now I'm a little sad we're not doing Heather's," Miss Jenn said as she watched the four girls hug.

Everyone else performed their numbers until it was just Big Red left.

Andy gave him a thumbs up from the crowd and he started to tap dance when suddenly he fell.

She gasped, hating that this had happened to her best friend. But then she heard Lily snicker, "Seriously," she whispered to herself.

Both Ashlyn and Andy turned to glare at her, they looked at each other and Andy jumped up.

Her and Ricky both ran onto the stage to comfort their best friend, "You got this dude," Ricky asserted.

Andy nodded, smiling at him, "Lets show them what you can do. We've got you okay," she said before her and Ricky went backstage.

Big Red smiled at them before he started to perform again, smashing it. Everyone cheered him on, Andy glaring at the girl.

Afterwards, they looked at the cast list, Andy nodding her head as she realised she had gotten the role of Chip, a huge grin on her face.

"Gaston!" Andy exclaimed and EJ pulled her into a hug, spinning her around slightly.

"Chip!" He smiled at her, "God, I'm so proud of you,"

She blushed, looking around before seeing Ashlyn, "be right back," she said before walking over to congratulate her.

But then she saw that Ashlyn got Belle, pulling her best friend into a hug before Ashlyn ran off to cheer with Big Red.

"Hey, Lily," Andy called out as she saw the girl walk away.

Lily turned around, an angry look on her face for not getting the role of Belle.

"I don't care where you're from, but at East High, we don't make fun of people that make mistakes," Andy said, she was fuming, hating that someone thinks they can waltz in here and mock people, especially her best friend.

"Well East High doesn't deserve me anyway, she shouldn't be Belle and you all know it," Lily said with a huff.

Andy scoffed, she couldn't believe that this girl was do big-headed that she thought she was the best.

"She's a better person then you'll ever be, and she's the best actress and singer here," Andy refuted, not taking any more of this girls insults.

"Fine, but when you lose the Menkies because of her, you'll come back, or maybe go crying to that idiot of a boyfriend," she said before turning around.

"Fine, talk that mouth off but if I see you anywhere else, you better watch out," Andy spat back, she had been in her fair of street fights.

As Lily walked away, Andy clenched her fist, shaking her head, "Calm down Andes, she doesn't deserve your time," EJ said as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

"You're right, Eej, thanks" she said and she walked over to Ashlyn, the two celebrating.

Ashlyn smiled at them. She knew all about their nicknames, and how they'd only use them once they were dating - but neither of them seemed to have noticed.

They also didn't seem to notice how they looked like a couple, his chest pressed against her back, arms around her middle. Ashlyn just smiled, letting them be oblivious for a moment

Taglist:

@maggiecc

#letterman; ej caswell #ej caswell fanfic #ej caswell x reader #ej caswell fanfiction #ej caswell x oc #ej caswell #hsmtmts fanfiction #hsmtmts fanfic #hsm the series #hsmtmts #high school musical the musical the series fanfiction #high school musical the musical the series #high school musical #matt cornett

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

#ACLA24 #ACLA24Leaders #youtube #youtube video #climate leaders #climate solutions #climate action #climate and environment #climate #climate change #climate and health #climate blog #climate justice #climate news #weather and climate #environmental news #environment #environmental awareness #environment and health #environmental #environmental issues #environmental justice #environment protection #environmental health #Youtube

[diamondperfumes]

I don't have strong feelings about the Dance-era characters, especially the adults. They are, by design, antagonistic, ruthless, and generally distasteful. I don't find it surprising that many people take the line of "they're all oppressive monarchs, so why should I take a side" on the Dance.

I think ASOIAF fans have a habit of disingenuous pseudo-intellectualism and pseudo-progressivism when it comes to Rhaenyra (and many other Targaryens, especially Daenerys). "Why should I care about a monarch being usurped when they inherited the throne through oppression" being applied to her is hypocritical because it's not applied to fan favorite characters. E.G., if I said that I shouldn't care about House Stark being usurped by the Lannisters and Boltons, I'd be accused of lacking empathy and misunderstanding the core themes of the text.

But why shouldn't the same logic apply? Neither the Starks nor Rhaenyra were democratically elected to their positions. Both enjoyed a life of privilege prior to war. Both are feudal-era nobility and royalty enjoying the luxuries their statuses afford them. Both of their wars cause untold suffering upon the land.

In fact, the smallfolk Arya Stark meets as she's imprisoned at Harrenhal essentially express something similar: a hatred of the Starks, Tullys, and Lannisters equally. To them, the Starks and Tullys are not the righteous heroes fighting the villains. The Starks and Tullys are just another set of villains salting their lands, destroying their villages, and enabling mass rape and murder.

If you view the Dance as "equally corrupt monarchic factions duking it out," you should view the War of the Five Kings in much the same light. But if you believe that this reading of the War of the Five Kings lacks nuance and understanding, at least remain consistent. Don't switch from one standard for one set of characters to another standard for another set of characters, when the commonality is that they're all nobility fighting for selfish reasons.

#asoiaf #rhaenyra targaryen #my discourse

[theduchessgeorgiana]

Georgiana Cavendish

Born to the Spencer family at Althorp, Georgiana was the eldest of three children born to John, the future 1st Earl Spencer and his wife Margaret Georgiana. Aged just 17, Georgiana married the Duke and became mistress of Chatsworth, Hardwick Hall, Chiswick House and Lismore Castle, as well as the estates at Londesborough and Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire.

Embarking on her marriage full of optimism, Georgiana was described as having a warm and vivacious personality, while her husband was regarded as being more reserved. The new Duchess enthusiastically established herself at the heart of London society, welcoming fellow aristocrats, royalty, actors, playwrights and musicians to her home. She also entertained prominent members of the Whig political party.

In 1782 Lady Elizabeth Foster (1759-1824) and Georgiana began a friendship which would last the rest of Georgiana’s life. Elizabeth, known as Bess, became a companion and support to the Duchess but Bess also had a relationship with Duke.

After nine years of marriage, the Devonshires would celebrate the birth of their first child, Georgiana (1783-1858) known as Little G, who was followed two years later by Harriet (1785-1862), known as Harryo. The sisters were joined by a brother William, known as Hart, who would become the 6th Duke of Devonshire (1790-1858) in 1790.

Sadly Georgiana was denied the opportunity to raise her fourth child, Eliza Courtney (1792-1859) because she had been conceived during an affair with politician Charles Grey (1764–1845). The Duke exiled Georgiana, forbidding her to return until invited and only on the condition that the baby was placed elsewhere. Georgiana was able to see Eliza as she grew up, acting as an unofficial god-parent, but Eliza was only told of her parentage after Georgiana’s death.

After years of ill health and enduring blunt and brutal medical interventions which had impaired her sight and left her weakened, Georgiana’s final illness occurred in March 1806. She died at Devonshire House, the family’s townhouse in Piccadilly, aged just 48.

#fashion #fashion history #history #georgiana cavendish #the duchess

[singeratlarge]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Robert Alda, Erykah Badu, The Beatles’s 1970 HEY JUDE (AGAIN) LP, Lazar Berman, Buffalo Bill, Michael Bolton, Bunny Briggs, Jonathan Cain, CL, Dane Clark, Jaz Coleman (Killing Joke), Paul Cotton (Poco), Ida Cox, Mark Dacascos, Fats Domino, Bill Duke, Cyrus Faryar, William Frawley, Jackie Gleason, Hagood Hardy, Bob “Bear” Hite, Victor Hugo, Betty Hutton, John Harvey Kellogg, Husband E. Kimmel, Marta Kristen, Christopher Marlowe, Max Martin, Seth Morrison, Michael Pate, Pepe, Corrinne Bailey Rae, Tony Randall, Nate Ruess, Mitch Ryder, Doug Sandom, Schubert’s 1869 Symphony No. 4, Levi Strauss, Dub Taylor, Yōsuke Yamashita, and the legendary singer-songwriter, musical pioneer, actor, and Bible scholar Johnny Cash.

No matter where I went as a kid, the “boom-chicka-boom” of Johnny Cash and The Tennessee Three were playing in the background, with emphasis on the Sun sessions and the prison albums. Cash was one of the unifying sound-streams amongst family and friends who’d, otherwise, never agree on what to listen to. With his own brand of rebellious humility, he sang about the temporal and the eternal, intertwining the world view of a hardscrabble working man with that of a mystic. Throughout my life, in consistent and sometimes surprising patterns, Cash spoke to me about spiritual matters, even if I didn’t get it on the first pass. Musically he proved that stark and simple could be amazingly effective. HB JC and thank you for being a role model. Please enjoy my cover of “Ring of Fire”…

#birthday #JohnnyCash #ringoffire #juncarter #merlekilgore #bandan #oregon #johnnyjblair #SunRecords #prison #tennesseethree #arkansas #dyess #fire 

#johnny j blair #singer songwriter #music #singer at large #Johnny Cash #birthday #June Carter #Ring of Fire #fire #Bandan #Oregon #prison #Arkansas #Youtube

[danceofdragonsrphq]

dance of dragons is taking applications!

below are the key wanted connections from the kingdom of the north, as well as some plot context and ideas applicants could build from. keep an eye out for similar posts about the vale, dorne, the riverlands and the crownlands/occupied stormlands.

THE KINGDOM OF THE NORTH.

open prince and princesses of house stark, two of each role is up for grabs. do they agree with owen’s drastic decisions in shaping the north, such as dismissing the maesters and forcing the night’s watch to bend the knee to him?

open lords and ladies of house bolton, including a position of master of whispers upon the council of king owen stark. in terms of background, these guys have had it rough - domeric was recently revealed as a bastard using the bolton name all along, and their border wars with the manderlys have resulted in house manderly obtaining the title of ‘dukes’ making them a step above the boltons socially. one word? revenge.

open lord karstark of karhold; younger brother of lord brandon karstark. he would have recently dealt with the death of his little sister sarra at the hands of wildlings, as well as returning from an internal war when ironborn pirates and thenns that attempted to take northern land. house karstark has also become dukes.

open lord and lady of house manderly of white harbor: siblings to lord nasir and lady manal manderly. their house has had the social improvement recently, though they are in charge of protecting the faith of the seven in the north. do they agree with nasir’s decision to remain loyal to the starry sept of oldtown, or do they believe tyland lannister has a point in centralising the faith? (note: it is expected this character would have a name of arabic/islamic origin and be a black fc)

open lords and ladies of house mormont of bear isle: their ruling lord rhydian mormont recently died as a result of a wildling attack. they also would have been involved in the war against the ironborn and the thenns. it is a great opportunity to explore a character trying to step into a responsibility they never thought they would have to, admist dealing with grief. 

#got rpg #asoiaf rpg #dance of dragons rp #fantasy rpg #game of thrones rp #wanted connection.

[venicepearl]

Jane Paulet née Savage, Marchioness of Winchester (1608–1631) was an English aristocrat, and her death was the subject of several poems.

She was a daughter of Thomas Savage, 1st Viscount Savage of Rocksavage and Elizabeth Darcy.

She married John Paulet, 5th Marquess of Winchester in 1623. Her surviving child Charles Paulet, 1st Duke of Bolton was born in 1629.

#Jane Paulet #Jane Savage #xvii century #people #portrait #paintings #art #arte

[owenstark]

the civil war update pt. 2

In this update for the civil war we continue to see the moving pieces of the North and efforts of the lords and ladies to protect their lands and their people, the efforts to keep North going. Owen knows that wisdoms have called for a long summer, his heart worries about the winter. Winter is always coming.

House Bolton

Princess Consort Glorie Bolton is currently in Winterfell handling matters of coin for the efforts against the umber cause. via raven she's sent for Bolton forces still loyal to her to join Stark factions at points where they're needed most along with sending smaller forces to aid the glover troops in Manal's recovery per his request. She is also handling the recovery of the iron banks repayment from the attack on the Manderly vessel. it is a matter that may require travel despite orders to remain in Winterfell, and she is prepared to do so. @northernglorie

The Hugors

The Formation of Seven worshipers has become a tale whispered among the people of White Harbor, hushed tones and quiet admiration for the strange men of the East who have taken the acts of the little King personally. Wearing black from head to toe, only their eyes are visible if one is lucky enough to see who brings them death. The Tales have reached the King of the North who has decided they are a special force and it will be written that they act on the orders of the Gods and their King.

The Hugors have taken to using the gorilla tactics often used by those of the Neck. Cloaking themselves in darkness they move through the black night of the North and poison water, seat food, and kill all they can reach in the camps without raising the alarm. They are leaving many camps sick, hungry, and bloodied.

The Warg King and Prince of the Night

King Owen Stark and his brother, @crreganstark, are establishing a hold as they fight their way to Castle Black. In THE BATTLE OF THE CAT the King was nowhere to be seen then his direwolf, Smoke, came charging in alongside Bandit, as the wolves took down horsed men, none noticed the King on the hill, his eyes rolled back as the great shadow cat descended on a Umber cousin, mauling him to death as the men around him ran.

"It's the corpse queen, risen again."

Meera Reed (@northernseer) has returned from the dead so say the rumors and with those rumors come whispers of the same sorcery used to trick Night's King in the Age of Heroes, that she will drain the life from Brandon Karstark ( @wintervsuns ) and make him twisted as that nameless King. As the Duke of Karhold protects his lands, his word is getting far more confusing.

#the umber war :: updates #plot drops in the north: the story so far.....

[officialleehadan]

Library Negotiations

Songbird Songs

+++

“Lady Dawn?”

Dawn was, for once, not out in he gardens. It was pouring sleet, dark, and grim outside. Instead, she had kissed the silver roses that were steadily climbing in through her bedroom window, and headed down for the libraries.

The royal library had a thousand years of archives neatly stored away and protected by tender care of a dozen librarians. Dawn had been making friends with the librarians since she arrived, and they knew she would be respectful of the books. That was a privilege not granted to everyone, and more than one young noble had discovered that the librarians would absolutely go to the queen if they had complaints.

The librarians were also, as it happened, delighted by Dawn’s request for books on music of the last age. There was more of it than she had expected, and now she was eagerly working her way through songs neither she nor Tefaelian had ever heard. It was her gift to him. He loved new music, and had heard the songs of his own people a thousand times.

The young male voice addressing her was, however, unexpected.

When she looked up, it was to see a man, about her own age and richly dressed, although somewhat rumpled, standing there. He was good-looking, but in a way that was somewhat closer to pretty than handsome. He wore cut-crystal spectacles with gold frames, and had a signet ring on his pinkie. Dawn couldn’t make out the coat of arms, and didn’t know him on sight, but that didn’t mean much.

“Yes, that’s me,” she said and slid a bookmark into the book before she gave the man her full attention. He didn’t seem like one of the young rowdies, but that didn’t mean anything. Most of the young rowdies didn’t look like young rowdies unless they were causing trouble. “Something for you, Lord…?”

She trailed off to prompt his name and he stared at her before giving a little jolt. “Oh. Aster. My name is Aster. I’m the Duke of Heddleweft’s second son.”

“Alright, Lord Heddleweft, what might I help you with?” Dawn asked, now entirely curious about this man who had approached her so timidly, clearly without much plan at all. A younger son of a duke, he was about the same rank as she was, as the oldest daughter of a duke, but her father was the cousin of the queen and his wasn’t. “I should warn you, the librarians are keeping an eye on us and I am not welcoming to offers of courtship.”

“Oh, no, I’m not- well, I sort of am, but I’m not suggesting anything like that!” Aster hurried to assure her and gestured to the chair across from her. “I would never dishonor you, and ah. Well, The servants all say that you’re very kind and you yelled at Bolton, who really needed yelling at and-“

Dawn held up his hand to stop the flood of nervous babbling and set her books aside. It seemed that this would be a longer conversation than most. She caught the eye of one of the servants who circled through the library, ready to bring anything the noble residents requested.

“Nip, would you bring us some tea?” she asked when the nearest serving girl came over. Dawn knew most of their names and used them when she could. She had known Nip for a while now and liked her. “And maybe something to snack on if it’s handy?”

“Of course, Lady Dawn,” Nip said cheerfully and headed off immediately. Dawn waited until she was gone to give Aster her attention again.

“Right,” she said when they were alone again, but for the watchful gaze of the librarians, who were the best chaperones Dawn could wish for. Not that her virtue was anywhere but in her Faerie’s keeping, but no one in the castle needed to know that. “Start from the top. You talk to the servants?”

“Yes. I’m… not much for court,” Aster said uncomfortably and gestured at himself somewhat ashamedly. “I’m more fond of books than horses, and I’m dreadful with a sword. It’s the spectacles. I’m nearly blind without them. The servants here are so nice though, and they always know the gossip.”

“They do,” Dawn agreed, which explained how he had found her. Her presence in the library was not widely known outside the servants, and her preferred chair was hidden out of the way from the doors. “I assume you did not like Bolton?”

Bolton, after his attempted dishonoring of Belle and his successful disgrace of himself, had been sent back to his father’s estate with his tail between his legs. Since then, most of the rowdies had gotten much more subdued. It was a welcome change.

“Not at all,” Aster said with a wince. “My older brother is friends with some of his friends, so he came around once in a while. If I could throw a punch worth a damn, I would have punched him myself.”

“I’m liking you more by the moment,” Dawn said with a half-smile. “Now, what was that part about not offering a courtship?”

Aster ducked his head, clearly uncertain about the whole thing. Dawn waited for him to get his thoughts together and didn’t press him.

“I think you and I may have complimentary problems,” he said with a cautious, barely-there glance at the servants, who couldn’t hear them, but were still close enough to keep an eye on things. “You see, my father is after me to wed. My brother is betrothed already, but if I was betrothed to the heir of a duke myself, he would leave off.”

“I’m not accepting courtships,” Dawn said strictly. She wouldn’t have been so direct if he had a more important title, but he didn’t. “I hope that wasn’t what you came here for.”

“No I know that. You said,” Aster assured her hurriedly. “And I believe you. I don’t want to wed you, if it’s any comfort. Or maybe I might, if you were amiable, but you’re not and I don’t…”

He gave another, much more wary glance at the servants, who certainly already knew his secrets even if he didn’t realize it himself.

“I don’t… prefer the company of ladies,” he said in a hurried almost-whisper. “So whoever it is that- that keeps you so firmly against courtship, I understand. I have someone…. Someone I love, who I cannot marry. But our fathers, they want both of us to wed someone and the servants all say you’re very kind.”

Suddenly a lot of things made more sense than dawn liked. Although it was common enough to take a lover of ones own sex here and there, it was discouraged in the nobility. Heirs were so vital that nobody wanted a title to come under fire because a lord refused to produce an heir, or if a lady with a lady of her own produced an heir that was distinctly not her wife’s.

It was foolish and backwards. Dawn had spent many hours railing about it to Kelaerafell over the years. Eletha was trying to change things but it was slow going.

The proposition, however, was an interesting one.

“To be clear, are you suggesting a fake engagement that eventually ends once my sisters and your brother are safely married, or a real one, in which we largely go our separate ways?” Dawn asked, intrigued despite herself. It was, she thought not a bad solution to a number of problems, provided that Aster wasn’t lying. That part would be easy enough to confirm through her friends among the servants. “You certainly have my interest, although not yet my agreement.”

“Either way, I’d rather like to be friends at least,” Aster admitted, somewhat less frantic now that he had gotten his mad plan out and she was still listening to him. “A real marriage would be a protection to us both. You would inherit your father’s title, and we could name one of your sisters’ children as our heir, or we could simply claim to be taking our time, and then have a dramatic falling-out.”

“Or quietly let things fade once Eletha is done getting you permission to wed the one you actually love,” Dawn mused. She sat back in her chair and smiled as Nip reappeared with a tray in her hands. Their tea and snacks. “While I join my sister’s household in time. Perhaps you could even come with me. I hear that Pyrewatch is lovely.”

“I’ve heard the same,” Aster said, brightening substantially when Dawn dismissed Nip with a nod and poured tea for them both. “I know it’s perhaps not kind but… well, I’d rather have a friend I can talk to than someone I’ll have to lie to all the time.”

“So would I,” Dawn said and sipped at her tea. “Alright. Let’s tall this out. I’m not saying yes yet, but you’ve given me the most compelling offer I’ve ever received from a human man.”

+++

Songbird Songs:

Sing the Revel

The Highest Window

Of Weddings and Braids  (Subscriber Only!)

The Bond of Sisters

Heart and Hand 

Through the Trees  (Subscriber Only!)

By Firelight  (Subscriber Only!)

Vanish or Vanquish

Under the Peach Tree  (Subscriber Only!)

Thorns and Flowers (Subscriber Only!)

Alliance Match

Birdsong of the Garden (Subscriber Only!)

Library Negotiations (New!)

+++

MASTERLIST

#Writing #writing prompt #story #novel #romance #love #spilled ink #spilled writing #spilled romance #spilled feelings #writeblr #lee hadan #LGBT #inspiration #long post

[tinfairies]

This is Nascar Au Ricky Bobby B’s spouse whenever he wins a race. I just wanna add I see reader being like a long time friend of Ned’s and she meets Bobby after his first race and tells him he could do better 💀 “I’ve seen blind old women drive this track better then you and what was that maneuver? Are you tryna get into a bad wreck already? I would’ve never hit a move like that especially around Bolton blah blah blah” and Ned’s telling her to take it easy on him meanwhile Bobby is looking at her legs in those Daisy Dukes and her boobs in that tight ass tank top

Bobby says "I'm looking disrespectfully"

#tin talks

[countessofravenclaw]

The real villain of HSMTMTS is Cash Caswell and he has only been in one episode. Cash Caswell is basically like HSMTMTS version of Jack Bolton from the original films putting pressure on their sons to be the best and wanting their sons to be just like them by going to their alma mater. Then their sons telling them that they want to do their own thing by not going to their alma mater. EJ is a lot more similar to Troy than most people think even though Ricky is similar to Troy in some ways.

Cash definitely is the villain at this point. During S2 I thought he would be a person who would understand EJ after he didn't want to go to Duke since that's how they make it seem, he even endorsed Mazzara, but now he is sending his only son and child to school afar away so he doesn't "tarnish" his legacy. Ej is pretty much being punished for making his own decisions. Shouldn't this be called abuse, and if not then at least toxic parenting? Can you blame EJ for being stressed and desperate.

You compared this to Troy my dear anon, but I know a better comparison that I am more familiar with: Matteo Balsano.

His dad is forcing him to go to a school so he can follow the family legacy when he doesn't want to do that and travel far away from his friends and the girl he is in love with. Gina being Luna Valente at this point. When Matteo refused to go to the school to follow his own passions, he was disowned by his dad and same might happen to EJ.

The solution that EJ tried to do and Matteo should have done is to tell their respective girl about the situation so they could help. But neither of them did it/have done yet to avoid hurting Gina/Luna, but just end up hurting them in the process.

At least EJ is on the right path with wanting to tell her. Val in this situation represents Gastón who was the voice of reason for Matteo. But if Val planted the letter for Gina to find (doubtful, but a slight possibility), then Val is also Ambar.

We also have no idea where their respective mothers stand in all of this. We got a direct mention of Ej's mom in ep. 3 so I take she is alive and around, but is she agreeing with Cash? We don't know where Matteo's mom is but I personally think she is dead.

And Tim thought this would be an original storyline... DCLA/D+LA have done this twice already.

So lets all welcome Cash Cashwell to the club of toxic Disney parent with German Castillo, Pricilla Ferro, Sharon Benson, Alexander Balsano and Marco's dad from Enstrelazadons.

At least Ej has more brain cells than Matteo does. Ej won't probably fake another girlfriend or climb fences.

#hsmtmts #Soy Luna #And I never thought I'd be ever comparing Ej and Matteo #When our dear Eric james has always been Gastón

[gardenofkore]

During the lifetime of Earl William, a general law was made in Sicily, whereby the intails and strict forms of succession, which had rendered certain estates inalienable, were abolished, and the persons lawfully in possession of such estates, became absolute owners, and, as such, enabled freely to dispose of them, and Earl William, being conceived by this to have become absolute owner of Bronte, made a will, attested, as required by the law of Sicily, by six witnesses, and thereby, after reciting that he had, by the law of Sicily, become the absolute proprietor of the Bronte estate, he appointed and nominated as his absolute heiress and free successor, in and to all his hereditary estates in Sicily, and particularly in and to the Duchy of Bronte, with all and every its rights, members, and appurtenances, his daughter the Lady Charlotte Mary Baroness Bridport, wife of Samuel Baron Bridport, in such manner, that his said absolute heiress and successor might have free and entire power and authority to take and enjoy the said duchy, for herself and her heirs, and to dispose of the same, as well by acts and deeds in her lifetime, as by her last will and testament.

Earl Nelson v. Lord Bridport, in Reports of Cases in Chancery..., vol. 32, p. 558-559.

Charlotte Mary was born on September 20th 1787 to Reverend William Nelson, older brother of the Hero of Trafalgar, and his first wife Sarah Yonge. Charlotte was born most certainly in the small village Brandon-Parva (Norfolk), where her father had settled as a country parson the year before, after marrying. In 1788, her mother gave birth to a boy, Horatio.

William Nelson, described as ambitious and rowdy, benefited greatly from his brother Horatio’s fortune. In 1802 he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from both the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford and the following year he was appointed a prebendal stall at Canterbury. In 1805, following his brother’s death, William succeeded him since Horatio had died without legitimate issue (Horatia, the Admiral’s only child by his mistress Lady Hamilton, had been excluded from inheriting her father’s titles and possessions and, to make it worse, William didn’t respect his brother’s wishes to look after her). William became thus 2nd Baron Nelson of the Nile and of Hilborough, 2nd Duke of Bronté, 1st Viscount Merton of Trafalgar and of Merton, with special remainder to his father and father's male heir and, failing them, his sisters Susannah Mrs Bolton and Catherine Mrs Matcham . In 1806 he and his successors in the title were granted £5,000 a year (the pension was discontinued in 1951 on the death of the 5th Earl, Edward Agar Horatio Nelson) plus a lump sum of £90,000 to buy an estate to be named Nelson and to be inherited by every successor of the title. The chosen venue was the manor house of Standlynch (in Downton, near Salisbury), previously owned by the banker Sir Peter Vanderput, which, after being bought by the Nelsons, was renamed Trafalgar House and then Trafalgar Park, and would be owned by the family until 1948.

In 1808, William’s heir Horatio died of tuberculosis while his wife, Sarah Yonge, died on April 13th 1828. The following year, 71-years old William married Hilare Barlow, daughter of Admiral Sir Robert Barlow and widow of her father’s cousin, George Ulric Barlow. No child was born out of this union and, when William died on February 28th 1835, at age 77, his daughter was his only living child and heir.

Previously, on July 3rd 1810, in the parish of Marylebone (London), Charlotte Mary had married Samuel Hood, second son of Henry Hood, 2nd Viscount Hood, Chamberlain of the Household to Queen Caroline. In 1814 Samuel had succeeded (under the special remainder of that title in the Peerage of Ireland) his childless great-uncle Admiral Alexander Hood as 2nd Baron Bridport. Charlotte Mary would give birth to seven children, five daughters and two sons: Mary Sophia (1811-1888), Charlotte (1813-1906), Alexander (1814-1904), Jane Sarah (1817-1907), Catherine Louisa (1818-1893), Frances Caroline (1821-1903), and Horatio Nelson (1826-1832). The couple and their children resided in Cricket St. Thomas (Somerset), in the manor once belonged to the 1st Baron Bridport.

Upon her father’s death, Charlotte (as iy had happened to her cousin Horatia), being a woman, was unseated of her successions by her cousin Thomas Bolton, son of her aunt Susannah. Thomas, who legally changed his family name into Nelson as previously agreed, inherited all his late uncle’s titles except the Duchy of Bronté, who fell upon Charlotte, now 3rd Duchess of Bronté.

The Dukedom of Bronté (in Italian, Ducato or Ducea di Bronte) was a dukedom granted in 1799 to Horatio Nelson by King Ferdinando of Naples and Sicily (later Ferdinando I of the Two Sicilies) to thank the Admiral for saving the kingdom from being conquered by the French revolutionary forces of Bonaparte and (perhaps more importantly) having helped the Bourbonic royal family to repair to Sicily following Naples’ occupation by the Frenchmen and the instauration of the Parthenopean republic. It took its name from the town of Bronte, near Catania, where stood the Castello di Maniace, a former Benedictine abbey founded in the 12th century, which King Ferdinando donated to Nelson and his heirs. The title gave its holder the right to sit in the Sicilian Parliament within the military branch and was bestowed to whomever the precedent owner desired, strangers included. Nelson (and his heirs after him) was even given the power of mero et mixto imperio, such as the concession given to a feudal lord to administer justice. Misto imperio regarded low justice, such as the right to impose light sentences, such as mild corporal punishments, imprisonment and small fines. Mero imperio granted its holder the right to imprison, exile and condemn to death.

Nelson never visited his Sicilian estate (nor did his brother William), but seems to have much appreciated the title since he signed his will Nelson Bronte. Coincidentally, Nelson’s appointment as Duke of Bronté allegedly inspired Irish Anglican priest Patrick Brunty, father of the more famous writer sisters, to change his family name into Brontë. 

When the Sicilian Consitution of 1812 abolished the feudal system, William (and his heirs after him) maintained his feudal rights, at the expense of the people of Bronte. The Dukedom of Bronté, with its feudal connotation (aggravated by its foreign origins), was seen in England as an embarrassing relic of the past, but this never stopped the Nelsons to jealously hold on to it. 

Thomas Nelson died on November 1835, merely nine months after his uncle William, and was succeeded by his son Horatio, 3rd Earl Nelson. Not satisfied with all the titles and possessions he had just inherited, Horatio decided to also claim the Dukedom of Bronté. Charlotte Mary and her husband were forced then to embark on a long legal dispute (which lasted from 1838 to 1847) that would end with the verdict, dated March 12th, which would acknowledge Lady Bridport as the legitimate bearer of the title.

It wasn’t affection that had prompted the Duchess to protect her rights, but rather her interests to keep enjoying the dukedom’s lucrative profits. In fact, her first trip to Bronte had been a complete disaster (on her side). Around 1836, Charlotte Mary had convinced her reluctant husband to visit their Sicilian estates. For a refined and classy woman like her, the Sicilian rural landscape was unbearably primitive and squalid. Shocked by a ride on sedan-chair hanging between two donkeys, by the dark volcanic panorama, and by the gruesome tale of the atrocities  perpetrated by the people of Bronte during the 1820 Revolution (in their eyes, the manor was the symbol of oppression and abuse, and so they retaliated by beheadings and disembowellings the tyrant’s representatives), she swore she would “never came back to the Island unless there was a revolution in England, and even then would probably go elsewhere”.

The Barons Bridport kept relying on the Thovez family in the management of the property. Philip Thovez had administrated the Duchy on behalf of William Nelson since 1819. When Charlotte Mary inherited the title in 1835, she confirmed the older Thovez, who kept superintending until 1837 (he would die two years later), when he retired in favour  of his son William. With their masters so far away, the Thovezs acted like they were the true owners of the estate. They vexed the people of Bronte, closing the trazzere (rural roads that allowed access to the fields and allowed the cattle’s passage), imposing the payment of a toll and fencing woods and pastures, thus preventing poor people from collecting wood and fruits. Transgressors caught red-handed were whipped on the spot or denounced to the public authorities (conniving with the Duchy’s representatives), which condemned them to heavy fines or even imprisonment. The people of Bronte would keep living in a feudal world, even when, in 1841, the Bourbonic government ordered the transfer of a fifth of the many fiefs’ properties to the various surrounding towns so that it could be split to the destitutes. The Duchy refused to comply until 1846, when they were forced to cede to the town of Bronte ”metà delle terre boschive, un quarto delle terre aratorie e pascolabili e un terzo di quelle vulcaniche“ (half of the woodland, a quarter of the fields and pastures, and a third of the volcanic areas). The 1848 Revolution blocked the official distribution, but the same year indigent farmers occupied the vineyards and a part of the Duchy’s plots. William Thovez protested about the damage suffered and managed to obtain that a troop of the National Army came to Bronte to stop the squatters. Once the order was restored, the land division could be started, but the plots were given to the notables (nobles and bourgeoises) and not poor people as it should have been.

On May 11th 1860, Giuseppe Garibaldi and his troops landed in Marsala (western Sicily), starting the Expedition of the Thousands, which led to the conquest of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, ruled by the House of Bourbon Two-Sicilies. As temporary head of State of the newly conquered territories (Garibaldi acted as Dictator on behalf of Vittorio Emanuele II of Savoy, King of Sardinia), the Hero of The Two Worlds issued a series of statements, among them he urged the Sicilian picciotti (lit. guys) to fight the Bourbonic army; abolished the much hated tax on the mill, reformed the National Guard; crimes of homicide, theft, looting and destruction were to be judged by Councils of War and nobody could take the law into their own hand. On June 2nd, Garibaldi issued the decree which abolished the large estates, whose territories had to be shared among the needy and those who had fought for the liberation of Sicily. The Island was divided in 23 districts and new governors were elected for each district. Finally, on August 3rd, the Statuto Albertino (Kingdom of Sardinia’s consitution) was adopted also in Sicily.

The people of Bronte (like many thousands others) had put much faith in Garibaldi and his decrees. So it shouldn’t be a surprise they were very distresses to see that not only the Dukedom wasn’t abolished (nor was the tax on the mill) and its lands given to the town of Bronte, but Thovez had managed to convince the new Governorr of Catania to put up some posters on Bronte’s house walls which ordered the population to respect the Dukedom’s property. Moreover, even British General Consul for Sicily in Palermo, John Goodwin, had pressured Garibaldi to safeguard the Nelsons’ interest and “avvertire energicamente il Comitato di Bronte di rispettare e di far rispettare la proprietà della signora Nelson Bridport” (“energically warn the Bronte Committee to respect and ensure respect for the property of Mrs Nelson Bridport”). Garibaldi had responded that “che si son date oggi stesso [30 giugno] energiche disposizioni perché non avvenga il menomo inconveniente o abuso a pregiudizio della proprietà di Lady Nelson, Duchessa di Bronte” (“this same day, orders have been issued to prevent any inconvenience or abuse to the detriment of the property of Lady Nelson, Duchess of Bronte”)

Frustrated by the many broken promises, on August 2nd the people of Bronte rebelled. Popular hatred was directed agains the Dukedom’s officials. 15 people (mostly working for the Nelsons) were killed in the following two days. The mob burned down the theatre, the town archive and 46 notables’ houses.

As soon as the rebellion had started, William Thovez had informed the British Consuls in Catania and Messina, who related the information to Goodwin in Palermo, whom in turn informed the British Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Lord John Russell.

The British Government then decided to step in, pressuring (via Goodwin and the other consuls) Garibaldi and the Governor of Catania to “sopprimere l’insurrezione nella più sollecita ed effettiva maniera” (“suppress the insurrection in the most quick and effective way”).

As Garibaldi didn’t want to compromise his alliance with the British Government (they had supported his expedition), he obliged and sent to Bronte the loyal Nino Bixio. Despite Colonel Poulet, whom had been previously sent to stop the rebellion, assured Bixio that the violences had stopped and order had been restored (the majority of the most violent rioters had already fled the scene, fearing of being arrested), Garibaldi’s right hand decided the people of Bronte needed to be severely punished and the leaders executed. The population was heavily taxed and around 150 people were arrested. Nicolò Lombardo, a lawyer whom had been elected mayor following the start of the rebellion, together with 4 others was sentenced to death and expected to be executed by firing squad on August 10th. The sentence was executed, nonetheless, at dawn of that day, the soldiers refused to shoot at Nunzio Ciraldo Fraiese, a mentally-ill man, considered the village fool and who was guilty of having played a trumpet and shouted threats in directions of the much hated Bronte notables. Thinking he had been miracously saved by the Holy Virgin (while the firing squad had in fact volutarily missed him), Ciraldo Fraiese went to hug Bixio’s knees and pleaded for his life. Instead of pardon, the poor man received a bullet in his head.

In order to calm the spirits and meet the people of Bronte’s desires and necessities, on June 1861, Mary Charlotte Nelson agreed to stipulate a transaction with the town and ceded a good part of the Duchy’s territory to Bronte (although, it had to be noted that the Duchess kept the most fertile part and gave away a large part of the woodlands, barren lava deserts and only small portions of farmland).

In her lifetime, Charlotte Mary Nelson would make two more short trips to Bronte, one in 1864 and the other in 1868. Both times she was accompained by her son and heir Alexander, her daughter-in-law (Lady Mary Penelope Hill), and some of her grandchildren (among them Alexander Nelson, who fell in love with the place and inherited the title in 1904 despite not being the eldest son. The 5th Duke would be well-respected and liked by the population, spending half of the year in the Maniace estate and the rest in his villa in Taormina, where he hosted King George V in 1925).

The Duchess died on Janyuary 29th 1873, aged 85 at Cricket St. Thomas, Somerset. She was succeeded by her son Alexander, who inherited title (becoming the 4th Duke of Bronte) and properties.

Sources

- Charlotte Mary Nelson, Duchesa di Bronté, in The Peerage;

- COKAYNE, JOHN EDWARD, Bridport, Bridport of Cricket St. Thomas, and Bridport of Cricket St. Thomas and of Bronte, in Complete Peerage of England, Scotland, Ireland, Great Britain and the United Kingdom, ed. 1, vol. 2, p. 24;

- Earl Nelson v. Lord Bridport, in Reports of Cases in Chancery..., vol. 32, p. 527-574;

- GIANNINI, GIORGIO, I fatti di Bronte, Garibaldi e le responsabilità inglesi;

- Horatio Nelson, Primo Duca di Bronte;

- I sette duchi di Bronte (1799 – 1981);

- LAUGHTON, JOHN KNOX, Nelson, William (1757-1835) in Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, vol. 40.

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