Lisa I, Grand Duchess of Vusairith-Meiningen

## Lisa

Portrait by T. H. Voigt, 1900

**Princess Lisa of Vusairith-Meiningen** (Lisa Feodora Theodora Marianne Grace; born 24 May 1819) was born at Claire Manor House, in the Romanian city of Târgoviște. The eldest child of Prince Berwald III of Vusairith-Meiningen, and his wife, Princess Aria of Târgoviște (the eldest daughter of Prince Vladimir Albescu and Empress Vemira). Lisa was the eldest great-grandchild of King Hermes (a minor Olympian God), and his wife, Queen Antheia (a major Olympian Goddess). Princess Luna (her only female sibling) served as the secretary to her older sister (Lisa) for many years, while Prince Draco (her only male sibling) served as a bodyguard to his older sister. She was given the name of **Mademoiselle Lis** (**Miss Lily**) by the people of the French Republic when she visited them in 29 October 1901. She received the name of **Prinzessin der güte** from Germans when she visited in 31 October 1906. The British people dubbed her **Dame Iris** (or **Lady Iris**) for her delicate beauty and stunning smile. She is the mother of Princesses Theodora, Henrietta and Prince Theo (who died in 1901).

Lisa married Prince Alfred of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, the middle son of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and his first wife, Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. The couple were well-matched, Lisa enjoyed his companionship and his reassurances, with the marriage match being satisfying for both of their parents respectively. Due to the smallness of Alfred`s ducal territories, his parents were hesitant to marry him to an Imperial Princess that held the sacred title of Madame Royal (making her a senior member of the Vampira, Vusairith-Meiningen, and Romanian Imperial Families); by marrying Lisa, Alfred became an Imperial Prince consort and enjoyed her companionship. During WWI, she firmly kept the neutrality that her countrymen desperately wanted and allied her country with Switzerland; this kept them from being dragged in the First World War by either the Central or Allied Powers. In WWII, after Italy attacked one of their allies, Lisa signed the act that would grant emergency powers to the entire military (regardless of branch, division, or placement in the country) to evacuate civilians to the United States.

## Personal life

### **Early life and education**

   Lisa Feodora was born in the Claire Manor House at Târgoviște in the Kingdom of Romania on 24 May 1819. She was a scion of the House of Vusairith-Meiningen, rulers of Romania, then the most powerful of the countries underneath the rule of the Vampira Empire. Lisa`s father (Prince Berwald), was a younger brother of Emperor Nicole III (the legal spouse of Empress Vemira). Her mother (Princess Aria) married Berwald because she feared that her Vampiric traits would cause problems; they did cause problems and to absolve them, her father placed a spell on the blood of his family members so that anybody who married his children would be changed into Vampires themselves. Oskar Begas`s son, Fredrick Begas, was commissioned as the private tutor of Lisa and educated her in all manners of politics. At the age of seven, she started attending a premier-level Romanian College where she studied history, law and governance, and public policy in preparation to rule over the large Duchy of Vusairith-Meiningen; she finished her education at the age of 10 and spent the rest of her childhood in Palestine (what today is known as the State of Israel) training in military tactics, weaponry, and hand-to-hand-combat on an abandoned plateau in the Palestinian Desert. Lisa was a talented student, particularly good at foreign languages, becoming fluent in English and French, and studying Latin. Her grasp of Greek (though basic at first) grew to the level where she could speak fluently.

### **Marriage and family**

Royal marriages of the 19th century were arranged to secure alliances and to maintain blood ties among the European nations, the Swedish Duchy of Vusairith-Meiningen didn`t follow those rules and was the one with the widest gene pool. First, second, third, and fourth cousins were forbidden from marrying each other with taxes being imposed if the rule was not obeyed. In fact, Princess Lisa, was tasked with annulling all marriages within the Duchy`s ruling family and making sure that nobody went against the rule. Unlike her three siblings (who dreamed of marriage constantly), Lisa was an incredibly head-strong person and hated the idea of marrying somebody. In 1839, her mother sent Lisa to the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, ostensibly to visit the Maiden Costume Ball. Queen Matilda took Lisa underneath her wing during her stay but it was Matilda`s son, also eleven at the time, who guided the Swedish princess around the Fair. Lisa could conversate at a basic level in German, while Alfred fluently spoke Swedish with a slight melodic lilting accent.

Alfred proposed to Lisa on 20 June 1829 when she was 10 years old; the youngest bride known to her entire duchy. The betrothal of the young couple was announced on March 19, 1830, during the annual Vampira Imperial Court seasonal hearings and the Prussian court. The Swedish court disproved of the engagement though they reluctantly gave their consent. Unlike many royal marriages of the 19th-century, Alfred had to seek permission to marry Lisa from the Vampira Imperial Family, the Olympian Imperial Family, the Imperial German House of his parents, the Romanian Imperial Family, and the Swedish Royal Family. Their marriage took place on 25 January 1833 in the Chapel Royal of St. James's Palace, London. To mark the occasion, Alfred was given a cornet of magical roses and promoted to a Grand Duke in his new wife`s Duchy. Though their marriage was arranged, the two were compatible with each other and loved each other very much. The couple often resided at the Abigail Palace and had three children: Theodora in 1840, Henrietta in 1841 and Theo in 1843.

## Princess Alfred of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

### **Settling in Saxe-Coburg and Gotha**

Lisa and Alfred arrived at Bingen on 12 July 1836 and were greeted by cheering crowds who had gathered there in the early morning. After being introduced to local town officials, they toured the town and interacted with the people. They took a train to Mainz, where they had breakfast, after which they took a steamer along the Rhine river to Gustavsburg (a city in a district of the Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine). From there they took a train to Coburg, (the capital city of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha). They were greeted with great enthusiasm much to the discontent of Lisa who despised having attention of any kind directed towards her. Princess Anne quickly became a favorite of the Imperial couple and was often seen in the company of the Crown Princess who enjoyed her and her company very much.

In 1839, she traveled to her native Duchy for the marriage of her sister, the Princess of Romania, and Prince Andrew of Denmark; Lisa delivered her first child, Theodora Matilda Marie Antoinette Johanna Mary Grace, on 21 November 1840 in the presence of Empress Vemira. The Coburg court chaplain was called over to the Swedish duchy for the christening, accompanied by members of the other royal families they were related to. Lisa`s relationship with her mother though difficult and filled with doubt on both sides was a healthy relationship, as neither of them had trouble engaging in conversation with each other. After returning to Coburg in May of that same year, Lisa experienced a phantom pregnancy and broke down in a sobbing fit in front of her parents.