Tiara Tuesday - Lent 30

 

Hortense Eugenie - Queen of Holland
Musee National De Chateau de Malmaison

But Mordecai persisted. 

“Surely if you do not say something, our people will be delivered by some other means.

You are likely to be safe in your palace, but I will not be. Consider, perhaps you were made Queen for

such a time as this?” 

So Esther replied. 

“Go and summons the faithful people to call on the Creator,

and abstain from food. I and my household will do the same. Then I will see the King, and if this

means death, well, so bit it.”  Esther Chapter 4

Some people's lives eh? Hortense de Beauharnais was the daughter of Vicomte of Beauharnais and Josephine, future wife of Napoleon Bonaparte.  Her father was beheaded during the Terror, and her mother narrowly escaped death, due to the intervention of another 'edge liver', Therese Tallien.  

Hortense was persuaded by Napoleon to marry his brother and become the 'Queen of Holland'.  Hortense thought this grand, so long as she could rule from Paris.  This was not felt to be possible.   

The Marriage was a disaster, though not without issue.  Hortense became the mother of the future Napoleon III, an elected French leader, who latter became a dictator, until the Franco-Prussian War disaster put an end to all this pomp, and he came to live in St James Square, London.   

Hortense died aged 41, and did not see her sons phenomenal rise to power.  Her life and Esther are interesting to compare.

PRAYER:  I also live a privileged life, and have a choice of who to serve.  I choose to serve you.