Welcome to the Street Prophets Coffee Hour cleverly hidden at the intersection of religion and politics. This is an open thread where we can share our thoughts and comments about the day. Let’s start by looking at some Romanian Royal Artifacts.
Queen Marie of Romania (1875-1938) was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria of England on her father’s side and granddaughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia on her mother’s side. She was raised in England. She married Crown Prince Ferdinand of Romania in 1893. According to the display in the Maryhill Museum of Art:
“Although Marie had never been to Roumania before her marriage, she came to love her adopted country and wholeheartedly embraced Roumanian folk culture and tradition. Known in her lifetime as a beautiful celebrity, Marie was a skillful diplomat and an accomplished author and artist.”
Queen Marie first met Samuel Hill in 1893. In 1902 she met dancer Loie Fuller at the Romanian National Theater. In the aftermath of World War I, Queen Marie’s friendship with these two Americans was cemented when Samuel Hill, Loie Fuller, and Alma de Bretteville Spreckels, provide war relief to Romania. In 1926, Queen Marie dedicated the Maryhill Museum.
The Maryhill Art Museum near Goldendale, Washington has a large collection of Romanian items which had once belonged to Queen Marie. Most of these items were donated to the Museum by Alma Spreckels.
Open Thread
This is an open thread—all topics are welcome.