Grand Duchess Maria Teresa

[bumbershoot]

Maybe one of the issues is that she isn't tall, lean and aristocratic looking. Instead she looks like she's comfortable in her bones, and seems remarkably energetic for a woman of her age. When I first saw photos of her, I had no idea she had adult children.  It must have been very difficult to marry into such and old and snobby family. Plus, as a Cuban exile, much of her life has been about the experience of being a stranger in a strange land.  So it sounds like she brought some unavoidable baggage with her into the marriage, and then hit the brick wall of her mother-in-law's disfavor. Would take a lot of diamond tiaras to compensate for all of that. 

[GoldCrest]

As Sydney said Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte was the one who welcomed MT into the family and was the one who had to convinced Grand Duchess Charlotte and Grand Duke Jean to allow Henri to marry MT. MT said so herself in an interview, the stories of her mother-in-law unwelcoming to her in the family were pure "rubbish". Now what happened later on, it is anyones guess. I don't view Grand Duchess JC as the evil monster-in-law just because MT decide to spill private family matters to the press while GD JC chose to remained silence. Whatever issues it is between JC and MT, I don't believe MT is entirely innocent because it has been said that MT has a difficult personality and can be hard to get along with.

[SydneyLux]

I agree with GoldCrest, it was probably a simple clash of personalities, by many accounts both ladies were/are pigheaded. JC had the attitude that whatever life throws at you, you just keep your face straight and smile. (When you think about it, life threw a lot in her direction with her mother's early death or how her father handled WWII.) She always put the duty and the country first and probably she could not accept that MT tried to put her own well-being first by fleeing from Luxembourg for example. MT's first years in Luxembourg smooth sailing and some of her actions are understandable. So, neither was JC an evil mother-in-law nor was MT an evil daughter-in-law.

[editorathome]

There are two royals whom I wish would write tell-all books:  Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and MT.  I have a feeling that they both have a lot to say

OMG, that would be FASCINATING

[pixiecat]

There are two royals whom I wish would write tell-all books:  Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and MT.  I have a feeling that they both have a lot to say

OMG, that would be FASCINATING

Yes it would!   I'd run right out to buy those books.  I'd even pay double the normal price. 

[editorathome]

There are two royals whom I wish would write tell-all books:  Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and MT.  I have a feeling that they both have a lot to say

OMG, that would be FASCINATING

Yes it would!   I'd run right out to buy those books.  I'd even pay double the normal price. 

I'll split the cost with you

[pixiecat]

There are two royals whom I wish would write tell-all books:  Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and MT.  I have a feeling that they both have a lot to say

OMG, that would be FASCINATING

Yes it would!   I'd run right out to buy those books.  I'd even pay double the normal price. 

I'll split the cost with you

Deal!   Now, ladies, start writing those memoirs!  Your audience awaits

[PeDe]

 



 




 

 

 

 

 

[sleepyvalentina]

The turquoise is one of the more interesting tiaras in her collection. I think I prefer it on Tessy. In the US, we're used to seeing turquoise in sterling silver with a southwestern esthetic. It's so interesting to see it with diamonds like that.

[honeybunny]

Soon after she went through a transformation in her appearance which included very obvious breast implants and plastic surgery. She started wearing low cut dresses and fake nails (see Felipe and Letizia's wedding.) it seemed to be a real crisis of sorts in her life.  Did this take place because of Henri's alleged affairs? Then there was the interview for her 25th wedding anniversary when she said that marriage is an "interesting journey." This was a very different tone than she had taken before in interviews about her marriage.

This is just a thought, but maybe she was fed up with conforming for the sake of everyone else and wanted to go a little wild. I've been there myself. She likely was horrendously repressed by the hostility of JC and likely could finally break out and become more exuberant. She could live for herself.

I agree with GoldCrest, it was probably a simple clash of personalities, by many accounts both ladies were/are pigheaded. JC had the attitude that whatever life throws at you, you just keep your face straight and smile. (When you think about it, life threw a lot in her direction with her mother's early death or how her father handled WWII.) She always put the duty and the country first and probably she could not accept that MT tried to put her own well-being first by fleeing from Luxembourg for example. MT's first years in Luxembourg smooth sailing and some of her actions are understandable. So, neither was JC an evil mother-in-law nor was MT an evil daughter-in-law.

You know, maybe JC should have stayed in Cuba when the revolutionaries were cutting a path loaded with bloodshed in front of them, determined to murder every member of the Cuban upper class. As for fleeing Luxembourg, if she was subjected to verbal or emotional abuse, I'm glad she walked out. At least she knows to LEAVE a bad situation.

[fogdancer]

As Sydney said Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte was the one who welcomed MT into the family and was the one who had to convinced Grand Duchess Charlotte and Grand Duke Jean to allow Henri to marry MT. MT said so herself in an interview, the stories of her mother-in-law unwelcoming to her in the family were pure "rubbish". Now what happened later on, it is anyones guess. I don't view Grand Duchess JC as the evil monster-in-law just because MT decide to spill private family matters to the press while GD JC chose to remained silence. Whatever issues it is between JC and MT, I don't believe MT is entirely innocent because it has been said that MT has a difficult personality and can be hard to get along with.

is tricky to judge we know, but in the middle of sharks with all the spider webs, of aristocracy, pomp and circumstance my opinion is that if she were weak and dependable she wouldn't be here so far. Everybody got issue, she made her way, and the most important she works a lot. Her Linux should learn something...

[Aliza]

Maybe one of the issues is that she isn't tall, lean and aristocratic looking. Instead she looks like she's comfortable in her bones, and seems remarkably energetic for a woman of her age. When I first saw photos of her, I had no idea she had adult children.  It must have been very difficult to marry into such and old and snobby family. Plus, as a Cuban exile, much of her life has been about the experience of being a stranger in a strange land.  So it sounds like she brought some unavoidable baggage with her into the marriage, and then hit the brick wall of her mother-in-law's disfavor. Would take a lot of diamond tiaras to compensate for all of that. 

Bumbershoot: I know it's an older post, but it was so dead-on to what I was thinking, too, as I read the previous posts. 
       

[pixiecat]

Looking at those tiara pictures makes me realize that MT's hair stylist isn't very good at styling hair for a tiara.  

Stephanie looks like she's got gangster eyebrows.  She's rocking some 1990 Kid n Play style in that pic.  Scary and inappropriate unless one is a hip hop artist or trying to be a gangster.

[temi]

Maybe one of the issues is that she isn't tall, lean and aristocratic looking. Instead she looks like she's comfortable in her bones, and seems remarkably energetic for a woman of her age. When I first saw photos of her, I had no idea she had adult children.  It must have been very difficult to marry into such and old and snobby family. Plus, as a Cuban exile, much of her life has been about the experience of being a stranger in a strange land.  So it sounds like she brought some unavoidable baggage with her into the marriage, and then hit the brick wall of her mother-in-law's disfavor. Would take a lot of diamond tiaras to compensate for all of that. 

Bumbershoot: I know it's an older post, but it was so dead-on to what I was thinking, too, as I read the previous posts. 
       

I never really appreciated her until now - her fairy tale story was overshadowed by Diana. But the more I learn about Maria Theresa the more impressed I am. Really, who cares that she doesn't look like a super model. She doesn't have an eating disorder, she's had five kids for goodness sake. I think she's lovely. She looks approachable and exudes friendliness and warmth.

[Duchess-in-themaking]

 



 




 

 

 

 

 

She looks better than both her daughter in laws...