Queen of Spain
According to UKbutterflies "Queen of Spain" is the common name given to the fritillary butterfly on the photo by Moses Harris (an entomologist and engraver who wrote several books on British insects, illustrated with his own hand-coloured engravings) in his book "The Aurelian's pocket companion" of 1775, but he gives no explanation for this name.
In 1775 there was no queen of Spain, as Charles III king of Spain lost his beloved wife Maria Amalia of Saxony at the young age of 35 in 1760, he never remarried but remained king until 1788 when he died. Charles and Maria had been introduced to each other when she was only 13 years old (he was 22 and the king of Naples and Sicily and had been introduced to several potential brides, one of which was only 8, by his mother), they had 13 children together, she was clever, cultivated, very religous and politically influential (and a heavy smoker!). In 1759 Charles and Maria moved to Spain where he succeeded his brother to the throne. According to Wikipedia: "Maria Amalia deemed Spain to be ill managed and undeveloped.... She did not like it in Spain, and complained about the food, the language, which she refused to learn; the climate, the Spaniards, whom she thought to be passive and the Spanish courtiers, whom she regarded as ignorant and uneducated.....She described the Spanish court as depressed and hysterical....She planned great reforms to the Spanish system, but did not have time to finish them." ..surprise surprise, Maria died only one year after arriving in Spain!! I suspect it was not because of tabacco!
And now to the question: had Moses Harris met Maria? Was he taken by her beauty and power? Did he suspect that her death had been arranged as she was stirring things up in Spain and wanted her to be remembered through a beautiful butterfly? Why is there no conspiracy book or costume drama film based on her life?
- 36
- 6
- Canon EOS 70D
- 1/400
- f/4.0
- 105mm
- 100
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