Royal Names

Royal Names

(The couple’s reflections, being called Leopold and Victorine)

(Leopold II ruled as patriarch over Belgium, at the time Queen Victoria was ruling ‘Brittania’)

 

Her name cried out victory

Now fearing her defeat

Dependant on her family to eat

She had little choice but marrying a name of doubtful royalty

 

Though he was not the seventh son

He was given the king's name

As an officer he knew the army’s game

Now merely an tin soldier melting in the sun

 

Soon they were to meet

She, gifted with a spirit as ferocious as a cat

He worrying about the fainted colour of his hat

Not aware of the building heat

 

In the apparent shy near to withdrawn lady

Wondering whether she would be able to engage

In communication with this shadow of a king she had to gauge

His arguments were, at the least, a bit shady

 

Surely he was able to provide

His position, refined manners and rank

Life had been kind to him; he had his superiors to thank

For now he had to prepare for a change of tide

 

This feminine intellectual wave

A sea of words arriving at his end of the shore

He now was confronted with a woman, not an army w***e

He was grateful for the precious gift the old man gave

 

For they had both royal names

Suited by class, language and intellectual merit

They could be a royal couple; though she doubted

She would have the freedom to engage in intellectual games

 

Her thoughts wandered off to her friends

 Having children much adored and tutored up to standard, nothing to tell

Maybe she would mother too and share her wisdom well

Anxiously, she accepted her ordeal to meet the ends

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

To be continued in the next chapter...
No I am not related to any of the royal families mentioned!
It just struck me that my great grandfather was called Leopold and his wife was called Victorine, which is a French version of Victoria.
Besides King Leopold never married queen Victoria, that is what I remember from history lessons!
But royal marriages are still being arranged sometimes today, though some might not admit to it.

Reviews

[R J Askew]

Again you focus your reader on an aspect of history that in the west really is history, the arranged marriage. Reading your poem makes me think how truely strange it must have been to see your arranged partner for the first time. Of couse some must have got lucky and ended with spouses 'above their pay grade' so to speak.

[Kimberly]

Ooh, I love this! Absolutely, especially that you hint at Victoria's name in the beginning -"Her name cried out victory/Now fearing her defeat" - as well as her personality and the position she was placed in. I admit that I'm not very well versed in European History, but I am a history buff in general and I love this. I have a question, though, I thought the first poem in this collection was about a relation of yours, are you related to either Victoria or Leopold, or are you using their arranged marriage to reflect the other? I guess I'll find out in the next chapter.

[Tuff Stuff]

Wow. Nice Work!
I really enjoyed this!
Keep it up.
T.S.

[The Rock And Roll Cowbo..]

I love it... and very well structured that takes a fun look at what the life of royalty is like.

[AK]

Remarkable.

[Wicahpi]

"For they had both royal names
Suited by class, language and intellectual merit
They could be a royal couple; though she doubted
She would have the freedom to engage in intellectual games

Her thoughts wandered off to her friends
Having children much adored and tutored up to standard, nothing to tell
Maybe she would mother too and share her wisdom well
Anxiously, she accepted her ordeal to meet the ends"


Nicely done! I could do History lessons if I could read it all in
poetry like this :-)