It appears people saw her as their ideal; as they would picture their perfect woman. Some saw her with golden hair, some with brown, and others dark brown. It’s too bad there were no cameras in 1805. (portraits: Luise of Prussia in early Regency evening gowns which were pastels)
… Luise of Prussia was very popular, well loved, and well painted by many.
.. approaching 1810, we note the Regency style has picked up more ornamental elements. As typical of royalty, there is a lot of gold embroidery.
… “the soul of national value”. The Russians created the “Order of the Louise”, which was like the Iron Cross in honoring those who fought valiantly. Statues extolling her virtues were raised across the country. (The order of Louise medal, and Louise herself in about 1805)
.. Here she shows court fashion to please Napoleon in adding more trim, ornament, and layers of clothing to the early (1804 estimate) “little white dress” that was the current Regency fashion.
… Napoleon liked her very much; her countrymen loved her very much. She met with Napoleon to plead the Russian cause; to get him to leave them alone. (Painting: the meeting of Luise with Napoleon I in her attempt to get Napoleon to “lay off” Prussia in his efforts to …
.. and intentionally became fluent in French, as she felt it was the language of diplomacy. She had been sent away from her German family to be raised by her grandmother, who trained her in politics. (portrait: Luise in late 18th century robe. Note the powdered hair typical of the …
… King Frederick William III, who was the leader of Russia as Napoleon I fought against them. (Portrait: A royal couple who DID love each other. Luise and Frederick on their wedding day in 1794)
.. brunette? The many idealized and fantacized portraits painted of her, and the later Nazi posters her son made of her, have her hair color from golden to deep ebony. As best we guess, she had light brown hair with golden highlights and deep brown lowlights. (Portrait: closer to 1810, …
… Queen consort of Prussia in the early 1800’s at the time of the French Revolution. Luise was a minister for Prussia to France, and well respected by all in both countries.
