Charlotte of Blankenburg, Princess of Wolfenbüttel.
On the north side of the Harz mountains lies the town of Blankenburg, the origin of which is long prior to the time of Charlemagne, probably during that of the Sassens. It existed during the stone and bronze age, as has been proved by the discovery of warlike implements which have been dug up in the neighbourhood.
On a low mountain above the town stands Blankenburg[[1]] Schloss, white and shining in the summer's sun, and looks out on the vast plain, the Devil's Wall, and the mountains. Its long suites of bright and homelike apartments are adorned with many costly works of art, the most precious of which being the wondrously carved ivory crucifix in the chapel, by Michael Angelo. With all this we have at present nothing to do, but rather with the singular destiny of a lady who was born here, whose portrait hangs in the drawing and billiard room.
[[1]] Blankenburg, the shining castle.
Duke Ludwig Rudolph, second son of Duke Anton Ulrich of Brunswick, was presented by his father with the Earldom of Blankenburg. He lived with his wife, Princess Christine Louise von Oettingen, thirty years in Schloss Blankenburg.
They were the parents of three princesses, noted as well for goodness of heart as for grace and beauty. The eldest was Elizabeth Christine, born in 1691. The second, Charlotte Christiane Sophie, was a year younger. The youngest, Antoinette Amalie, was born in 1696.
The eldest, Elizabeth, was chosen at the age of thirteen, by Kaiser Leopold, as consort of his son Carl III., king of Spain, later Carl VI. of Germany. She was the mother of the great Maria Theresa. The young princess went over to the Romish faith, and met her royal bridegroom in Barcelona, where they were married. In consequence of this alliance with the Imperial family, the Earldom was raised to a Principality by Joseph I. It now belongs to the Duchy of Brunswick.
The second, Princess Charlotte, was chosen by the Czar, Peter the Great, who spent some time here, as consort for his son and throne-heir, Alexis.
The third, Antoinette, the loveliest of the three sisters, married Duke Ferdinand Albert of Brunswick-Bevern. She is the ancestress of the now reigning family of Brunswick.
It is the history of the second sister, Princess Charlotte, with which we have to do. Her marriage with the Czarewitch Alexis took place in 1711, in the great hall in Torgau.
The savage, vulgar Prince had made his character still more degraded by a dissipated life. An unconquerable aversion to the amiable and refined Princess led him to the horrible decision of poisoning her. He made three attempts, all of which failed.
The inhuman treatment of this monster increased daily, and no courtier dared to defend the unhappy Princess against his brutality. He so far forgot his manhood as frequently to strike, and even kick her.
At length, one day, the Czar and Catherine being on a distant journey, Alexis rushed into Charlotte's presence, made the most brutal demands, struck her with his fists, kicked her repeatedly, and left her lying insensible.
Directly after this revolting scene the raging monster set off on a journey, without troubling himself to learn the result of his barbarous and fiendish cruelty. A premature birth was the result.
But now the friends of the Princess united for her rescue; the opportunity was too favourable to let slip.
A courier was despatched to the Czar, and also to Alexis, with the news of Charlotte's sudden death. In his terror of the Czar, Alexis ordered an immediate interment. The funeral followed as had been commanded, but the coffin contained only a wooden doll.
While all the courts of Europe put on mourning, and the father wept for his untimely loss, and caused a commemorative coin to be struck, Charlotte, with the aid of confidential friends, especially the famous Aurora von Königsmark, escaped, weak and ill, from her palace. With gold and jewels, and as much money as could be commanded in the hurry, the Princess left St. Petersburg with a single femme de Chambre and a faithful man-servant, reached Paris unrecognized, sailed for America, and lived many years in Louisiana.
Here she made the acquaintance of the Chevalier d'Aubert—or d'Auban—who had been in St. Petersburg. One day, when alone with Charlotte, he fell on his knees and confessed his recognition of her.
The Princess took from him the most solemn promise of the strictest secrecy.
Not long after the papers brought the news of the tragical end of Alexis, the probability of his having been beheaded.
Charlotte, however, resolved to remain as dead. The death of her devoted man-servant, who had been of such service, caused her many tears, and d'Aubert devoted himself to her, became her chief prop and stay, and at length the royal widow rewarded him with her hand.
D'Aubert finally fell ill, and they returned to his native France, where his recovery was her reward.
They were in the habit of walking in the gardens of the Tuileries. One day, sitting there conversing in German, chance led the celebrated Marshal Moritz von Saxony past them. Surprised to hear his mother tongue so purely spoken by Americans, as he imagined, he approached them, addressed the lady, started, and instantly recognized the Princess Charlotte of Blankenburg, whom he had long years reckoned among the dead.
Madame d'Aubert conjured him not to betray her secret, told him her story, and how it had been chiefly through his mother she had succeeded in escaping from Russia.
Delighted at the double discovery, Moritz promised to keep the secret three months, at the expiration of which time he declared it to be his duty to communicate the fact to the King of France, Louis XV.
D'Aubert being recovered, they sailed for l'ile Bourbon. At the end of three months Moritz revealed the secret to the French sovereign, and the governor of the island of Bourbon received forthwith the command to treat Madame d'Aubert with royal honours. The King wrote to Maria Theresa, acquainting her with the fabulous history of her cousin. The Empress wrote to Madame d'Aubert, beseeching her to leave her husband and repair to the Austrian Court. This the Princess refused to do, and remained on the island till d'Aubert's death, in 1754. After the death of both husband and daughter, she returned to Paris, settled the affairs of her husband, and retired to Brussels, where she received an annual pension from the Austrian Empress. Charlotte lived a retired life, no one but the now aged waiting-woman who had fled with her having the remotest idea of her high rank and astounding fate. Charlotte died in 1770.
The portraits of the three sisters and the great Maria Theresa hang in Blankenburg Schloss.