Amalia of Oldenburg
Encyclopedia
Amalia of Oldenburg, Queen of Greece (Greek: Αμαλία, Βασίλισσα της Ελλάδος) (born 21 December 1818 in Oldenburg
, died 20 May 1875 in Bamberg
) was the consort of King Otto of Greece
(1815–1867). Born the daughter of Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
and Princess Adelheid of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, she married King Otto on 22 December 1836, in Oldenburg
. In Greece, the title "Duchess of Oldenburg" was never in use.
as a Queen consort
in 1837, she had an immediate impact on social life and fashion. She realized that her attire ought to emulate that of her new people, and so she created a romantic folksy court dress, which became a national Greek costume still known as the Amalía dress. It follows the Biedermeier
style, with a loose-fitting, white cotton or silk shirt, often decorated with lace at the neck and handcuffs, over which a richly embroidered jacket or vest is worn, usually of dark blue or claret velvet
. The skirt was ankle-length, unpressed-pleat
ed silk
, the color usually azure. It was completed with a soft cap or fez with a single, long, golden silk tassel, traditionally worn by married women, or with the kalpaki (a toque
) of the unmarried woman, and sometimes with a black veil
for church. This dress became the usual attire of all Christian
townswomen in both Ottoman Empire
-occupied and liberated Balkan
lands as far north as Belgrade
.
In the early years of the new monarchy, Queen Amalia, with her beauty and vivaciousness brought a spirit of smart fashion and progress to the impoverished country. She laboured actively towards social improvement and the creation of gardens in Athens, and at first won the hearts of the Greeks with her refreshing beauty. The town of Amaliás
in Elis
, and the village of Amaliapolis
in Magnesia
, were named for the Queen. She was also the first to introduce the Christmas tree to Greece.
country, throughout her husband's reign.
for his attempt by certain factions, but the attempt also provoked spontaneous feelings of sympathy towards the royal couple among the people. Just over a year later, while the royal couple were on a visit to the Peloponnese
, an uprising in Athens took place. The Great Powers, who had supported Otto urged them not resist and Otto's reign was at an end. They left Greece aboard a British
warship, with the Greek royal regalia that they had brought with them.
. They decided to speak Greek
each day between 6 and 8 o'clock to remember their time in Greece.
Queen Amalia died in Bamberg
in 1875 and was buried in Munich
beside the King. She was found postmortem to have suffered from Müllerian agenesis
, a congenital malformation in women characterised by a failure of the müllerian ducts to develop, resulting in a missing uterus and fallopian tubes.
Oldenburg
Oldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig...
, died 20 May 1875 in Bamberg
Bamberg
Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
) was the consort of King Otto of Greece
Otto of Greece
Otto, Prince of Bavaria, then Othon, King of Greece was made the first modern King of Greece in 1832 under the Convention of London, whereby Greece became a new independent kingdom under the protection of the Great Powers .The second son of the philhellene King Ludwig I of Bavaria, Otto ascended...
(1815–1867). Born the daughter of Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg
Augustus, Grand Duke of Oldenburg was the Grand Duke of Oldenburg from 1829 to 1853.-Family:Augustus was born to the then Prince Peter of Holstein-Gottorp and his wife Duchess Frederica of Württemberg, a daughter of Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg...
and Princess Adelheid of Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, she married King Otto on 22 December 1836, in Oldenburg
Oldenburg
Oldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig...
. In Greece, the title "Duchess of Oldenburg" was never in use.
Fashion influence
When she arrived in GreeceGreece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
as a Queen consort
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
in 1837, she had an immediate impact on social life and fashion. She realized that her attire ought to emulate that of her new people, and so she created a romantic folksy court dress, which became a national Greek costume still known as the Amalía dress. It follows the Biedermeier
Biedermeier
In Central Europe, the Biedermeier era refers to the middle-class sensibilities of the historical period between 1815, the year of the Congress of Vienna at the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and 1848, the year of the European revolutions...
style, with a loose-fitting, white cotton or silk shirt, often decorated with lace at the neck and handcuffs, over which a richly embroidered jacket or vest is worn, usually of dark blue or claret velvet
Velvet
Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed,with a short dense pile, giving it a distinctive feel.The word 'velvety' is used as an adjective to mean -"smooth like velvet".-Composition:...
. The skirt was ankle-length, unpressed-pleat
Pleat
A pleat is a type of fold formed by doubling fabric back upon itself and securing it in place. It is commonly used in clothing and upholstery to gather a wide piece of fabric to a narrower circumference....
ed silk
Silk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
, the color usually azure. It was completed with a soft cap or fez with a single, long, golden silk tassel, traditionally worn by married women, or with the kalpaki (a toque
Toque
A toque is a type of hat with a narrow brim or no brim at all. They were popular from the 13th to the 16th century in Europe, especially France. Now, it is primarily known as the traditional headgear for professional cooks.- Etymology :...
) of the unmarried woman, and sometimes with a black veil
Veil
A veil is an article of clothing, worn almost exclusively by women, that is intended to cover some part of the head or face.One view is that as a religious item, it is intended to show honor to an object or space...
for church. This dress became the usual attire of all Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
townswomen in both Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
-occupied and liberated Balkan
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
lands as far north as Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
.
In the early years of the new monarchy, Queen Amalia, with her beauty and vivaciousness brought a spirit of smart fashion and progress to the impoverished country. She laboured actively towards social improvement and the creation of gardens in Athens, and at first won the hearts of the Greeks with her refreshing beauty. The town of Amaliás
Amaliada
Amaliada is a town and a former municipality in Elis, West Greece, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Ilida, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit. It has 32,090 citizens...
in Elis
Elis
Elis, or Eleia is an ancient district that corresponds with the modern Elis peripheral unit...
, and the village of Amaliapolis
Amaliapolis
Amaliapoli is a village at the western part of the Pagasetic Gulf, in the Magnesia Prefecture of Greece, also known as Nea Mitzela. It was the northernmost border village of the newly independent Greek state, and was named after Queen Amalia, the first queen of the modern Greek state, in the 1840s....
in Magnesia
Magnesia Prefecture
Magnesia Prefecture was one of the prefectures of Greece. Its capital was Volos. It was established in 1899 from the Larissa Prefecture. The prefecture was disbanded on 1 January 2011 by the Kallikratis programme, and split into the peripheral units of Magnesia and the Sporades.The toponym is...
, were named for the Queen. She was also the first to introduce the Christmas tree to Greece.
Political activity
As King Otto and his Bavarian advisers became more enmeshed in political struggles with Greek political forces, the Queen became more politically involved, also. She became the target of harsh attacks when she became involved in politics - and her image suffered further as she proved unable to provide an heir. She also remained a Protestant in an almost universally OrthodoxEastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
country, throughout her husband's reign.
Assassination attempt
In February, 1861, a University student named Aristeidis Dosios (son of politician Konstantinos Dosios) unsuccessfully attempted to assassinate the Queen. He was sentenced to death, but the Queen intervened, and he was pardoned and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was hailed as a heroHero
A hero , in Greek mythology and folklore, was originally a demigod, their cult being one of the most distinctive features of ancient Greek religion...
for his attempt by certain factions, but the attempt also provoked spontaneous feelings of sympathy towards the royal couple among the people. Just over a year later, while the royal couple were on a visit to the Peloponnese
Peloponnese
The Peloponnese, Peloponnesos or Peloponnesus , is a large peninsula , located in a region of southern Greece, forming the part of the country south of the Gulf of Corinth...
, an uprising in Athens took place. The Great Powers, who had supported Otto urged them not resist and Otto's reign was at an end. They left Greece aboard a British
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom during the period when what is now the Republic of Ireland formed a part of it....
warship, with the Greek royal regalia that they had brought with them.
Exile and death
King Otto and Queen Amalia spent the rest of their years in exile, home in BavariaBavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. They decided to speak Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
each day between 6 and 8 o'clock to remember their time in Greece.
Queen Amalia died in Bamberg
Bamberg
Bamberg is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in Upper Franconia on the river Regnitz, close to its confluence with the river Main. Bamberg is one of the few cities in Germany that was not destroyed by World War II bombings because of a nearby Artillery Factory that prevented planes from...
in 1875 and was buried in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
beside the King. She was found postmortem to have suffered from Müllerian agenesis
Mullerian agenesis
Müllerian agenesis is a congenital malformation in women characterised by a failure of the müllerian ducts to develop, resulting in a missing uterus and fallopian tubes and variable malformations of the upper portion of the vagina. It is the second most common cause of primary amenorrhea after...
, a congenital malformation in women characterised by a failure of the müllerian ducts to develop, resulting in a missing uterus and fallopian tubes.
Titles
- 21 December 1818 – 20 May 1875: Her Highness Duchess Amalie of Oldenburg, Princess of Holstein-Gottorp
- 22 December 1836 – 23 October 1862: Her Majesty The Queen of Greece
- 23 October 1862 – 20 May 1875: Her Majesty Queen Amalia of Greece