Talk:Dorothea Lieven
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[edit] Almack's
Why remove the reference to Almack's? It is one of the more important things she did socially while she was in London. Her social influence was vast. Laura1822 15:49, 23 January 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Cleanup
The article has been vandalized many times and obviously needs a good clean-up... ISasha 07:56, 29 January 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Judith Cromwell v ISasha and others
Systematically replacing a useful article with a new article results in deleting some information (e.g. the Russian transliteration of the Russian subject's name) and links to other useful sources, etc. While one may be an authority on the life of Daria Lieven, and provide a useful reference to one's own book on the subject, it may be better to edit in combination with other users, rather than engage in tit for tat editing.Tagilbert 18:25, 21 February 2007 (UTC)
That's right. As for me, I keep an open mind. But replacing continues with categories and useful information deleted...again. ISasha 06:14, 22 February 2007 (UTC)
I started cleaning up the new version before I realized there was an old version. I've now put the two together; perhaps the problem would be best approached by merging the two, since there are clearly good elements in both. - Nunh-huh 09:01, 23 February 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Revision of the page as of August 2006
Countess, then Princess Dorothea von Lieven (Russian: Дарья Христофоровна Ливен, Daria Khristoforovna Liven), neé Benckendorff (December 30, 1785 — January 27, 1857), was a Russian noblewoman, the wife of Prince Khristofor Andreyevich Lieven, the Russian ambassador to London between 1812 and 1834.
[edit] Biography
Dorothea Benckendorff was born on December 30 (December 17 Old Style), 1785. She was educated in Smolny Institute for Noble Maidens in Saint Petersburg, and one year before finishing the institution, she was assigned as a maid of honour to Empress Maria Fyodorovna of Russia. In 1800, some months after finishing studies, Empress Maria married Dorothea to Prince Christopher von Lieven. Princess Lieven spent the first years of her marriage life in Russia, and in 1810 left abroad as her husband was appointed as an envoy to Berlin, and later in 1812 ambassador in London.
In London, being in touch with renowned statesmen, Princess Daria Christophorovna Lieven developed an interest in politics, especially due to her friendship with Klemens Wenzel von Metternich. A salon she maintained in London was the most fashionable in the city. Through that salon, thanks to her attractiveness and intelligence and despite her low erudition and poor education, the princess established herself as an influential person in political affairs.
In 1834 she had to return to Russia as her husband was appointed educator to the heir to the throne, tsesarevitch Alexander Nikolaevich. But unsatisfied with her life, Dorothea Lieven left for Europe under the pretext of changing climate because of health problems. She stayed in Baden-Baden, but finally settled in Paris, where her salon rivaled the circle of Madame Recamier, inflicting criticism of the latter's admirer, Chateaubriand, in his Mémoires d'Outre-Tombe.
In 1837 started her friendship with François Guizot, that lasted for the rest of her life. They became very close after the death of Princess Lieven's husband in 1838.
Daria Christophorovna Lieven died on January 27 (January 15 of Old Style), 1857 in Paris. She was buried in the family estate Mezoten near Mitava.
[edit] Legacy
Princess Lieven caustically reported the daily life of the British aristocracy in her letters to the Empress Dowager and to her own brother, Alexander von Benckendorff. Her vast correspondence has been collected and published several times in English, incurring the censure of Duke of Wellington:
"I have no doubt the inclination of the lady to do this country all the mischief in her power in return for much kindness and good will with which she was treated during a long residence here".
