FRANZ I, Holy Roman Emperor (1745–65), Fran-çois III Étienne, Duke of Lorraine and Bar (1729–37), and Francesco Stefano, Grand Duke of Tuscany (1737–65), were all the same person. At that period, as so often in its long history, Lorraine was a shuttlecock between its neighbours, France and Germany, and it became a vital element in the diplomatic manoeuvring that ended the War of the Polish Succession. Francis (for simplicity) was married to the Emperor’s heiress, Maria Theresa, whereas the defeated candidate in Poland was father-in-law to Louis XV.
Francis gave up his duchies to Polish Stanislaus, who, in time, would leave them to the French Queen. There was also a succession problem in Tuscany, where the last Medici had no male heir, so Francis was compensated there. In due course, he and Maria Theresa inherited the imperial crown, which inevitably ignited the War of the Austrian Succession—und so weiter, und so weiter.
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Denne historien er fra March 08, 2023-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Tales as old as time
By appointing writers-in-residence to landscape locations, the National Trust is hoping to spark in us a new engagement with our ancient surroundings, finds Richard Smyth
Do the active farmer test
Farming is a profession, not a lifestyle choice’ and, therefore, the Budget is unfair
Night Thoughts by Howard Hodgkin
Charlotte Mullins comments on Moght Thoughts
SOS: save our wild salmon
Jane Wheatley examines the dire situation facing the king of fish
Into the deep
Beneath the crystal-clear, alien world of water lie the great piscean survivors of the Ice Age. The Lake District is a fish-spotter's paradise, reports John Lewis-Stempel
It's alive!
Living, burping and bubbling fermented masses of flour, yeast and water that spawn countless loaves—Emma Hughes charts the rise and rise) of sourdough starters
There's orange gold in them thar fields
A kitchen staple that is easily taken for granted, the carrot is actually an incredibly tricky customer to cultivate that could reduce a grown man to tears, says Sarah Todd
True blues
I HAVE been planting English bluebells. They grow in their millions in the beechwoods that surround us—but not in our own garden. They are, however, a protected species. The law is clear and uncompromising: ‘It is illegal to dig up bluebells or their bulbs from the wild, or to trade or sell wild bluebell bulbs and seeds.’ I have, therefore, had to buy them from a respectable bulb-merchant.
Oh so hip
Stay the hand that itches to deadhead spent roses and you can enjoy their glittering fruits instead, writes John Hoyland
A best kept secret
Oft-forgotten Rutland, England's smallest county, is a 'Notswold' haven deserving of more attention, finds Nicola Venning
