Amalia of Oldenburg
Queen of Greece 1836-1862 shown here wearing the Amalia dress |
Marie Frederike Amelie, Princess of Oldenburg and Queen of Greece (Oldenburg 21 December 1818-Bamberg 20 May 1875 was the Consort of King Otto (1815-1867). Born the daughter of the Paul Friedrich August, Grand Duke of Oldenburg and Princess Adelheid von Anhalt-Bernburg-Schaumburg-Hoym, she married King Otto on 22 November 1836 in Oldenburg.
She arrived in Greece as Queen in 1837 and 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, what it became a national Greek costume still known as the Amalia dress.
It follows the Biedermeier style, with a kaftan (καβαδι) top over which is worn a richly embroidered jacket. It was completed with a cap or fez, traditionally worn by married women, or with the kalpaki (a toque) of the unmarried woman, to which was added the black veil donned by Roman Catholics for going to church.
This dress became the usual attire of all Christian townswomen in Turkish-occupied as well as liberated Balkan lands as far north as Belgrade.
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This was the Palace of Otto and Amalia, built in 1838. Today it houses the Greek Parliament
Greece's agricultural productivity was insufficient to feed the entire country. Much of the most fertile lands tilled by Greek farmers was still under Ottoman control. Queen Amalia was keenly interested in agriculture and horticulture and she promoted wine growing. Under the direction of Queen Amalia, the Royal Gardens were created just behind the new palace that was built in 1838. The Gardens were laid out in 1839 and over 500 species of plants were ordered from all over the world. Unfortunately, the climate in Athens proved too harsh for many of the plants; still many varieties remain today.
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 city of Amaliada was named for the Queen.
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 Roman Catholic, in an almost-universally Orthodox country, throughout her reign.
In February 1861, a University student named Drusios attempted to assassinate the Queen. He was unsuccessful, but he was hailed as a hero for his attempt. In just over a year later, while on a visit to the Peloponnese, an uprising in Athens took place. The Great Powers who had supported the King and Queen urged them not resist and the reign of Otto and Amalia was at an end. They left Greece aboard a [[United Kingdom|British] warship with the Greek royal regalia that they had brought with them. King Otto and Queen Amalia spent the rest of their years in exile, back home in Bavaria. They determined 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.
External Links
http://www.annaswebart.com/culture/costhistory/amalia/
References
Zaoussis, Alexander L.; Αμαλια και Ωθον (Amalia and Othon) (in Greek) Okeanida, 2002 ISBN: 9604102540