Social Victorians/People/Kinsky

Also Known As

• Family name: Kinsky
• Countess Kinsky
• Countess Josephine Kinsky
• Count Charles Kinsky
• Karl Kinsky
• zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort

Acquaintances, Friends and Enemies

"Charles" (Karl Rudolf Ferdinand Andreas), 8th Prince Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau

• Jennie Jerome Churchill, romantic partner

Timeline

1864, Friedrich Carl Kinsky Graf von Wchinitz und Tettau and Sophia Marie Emanuele Julie Gräfin von Mensdorff-Pouilly married.

1895 January 7, Charles, Count Kinsky and Countess Elisabeth Wolff-Metternich zur Gracht married.

1897 July 2, Friday, Josephine Kinsky attended the Duchess of Devonshire's Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball at Devonshire House along with her sister, Thérèse, Countess Clary-Aldringen as well as Countess Isabel Deym and Count Kinsky. (Josephine, Countess Kinsky is #394 on the list of people who attended.)

1898 September 27, Josephine Kinsky and Aloys Joseph Kamill Leopold Michael Anton Maria, Hereditary Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg married.

1908, Aloys Joseph Kamill Leopold Michael Anton Maria became Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg on his father's abdication.

Costume at the Duchess of Devonshire's 2 July 1897 Fancy-dress Ball

Countess Josephine Kinsky in costume as Princess Pauline Borghese. ©National Portrait Gallery, London.

David's Coronation of Napoleon, with detail of his sisters

Countess Josephine Kinsky

At the Duchess of Devonshire’s 1897 Duchess of Devonshire's fancy-dress ball, Josephine, Countess Kinsky was dressed as one of Napoleon's sisters, Princess Pauline Borghese.

Henry Van der Weyde's portrait (right) of Princess of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (née Countess Josephine Kinsky) as Princess Pauline Borghese in costume is photogravure #38 in the album presented to the Duchess of Devonshire and now in the National Portrait Gallery. The printing on the portrait says, "H.S.H. Princess Lowenstein (née Countess Josephine Kinsky) as Princess Pauline Borghese," with a Long S in Countess and Princess. The National Portrait Gallery calls her Her Serene Highness Lowenstein because, while she was still unmarried when the portrait was taken, she married later so they use her highest title, as would be normal.

Newspaper Descriptions of Her Custom

• Josephine, Countess Kinsky "represented [one of] the three sisters of Napoleon, from an Isabey engraving."
• "Countess Clary, Countess Kinsky, and Countess Isabel Deym were dressed as the three sisters of Napoleon I."
• "Countess Isabel Deym, Countess Clary, and Countess Kinsky created quite a sensation as Napoleon’s three sisters, in exquisite Empire dresses of white crêpe de chine, embroidered with gold and jewelled with pearls both black and white."
• Countess Kinsky (along with Countess Clay and Countess Isabel Deym) was dressed as one of the three sisters of Napoleon I.
• "Countess Clary, Countess Kinsky, and Countess Isabel Deym went as the three sisters of Napoleon I., in dresses which were perfect copies of an engraving by Isabey. All three being tall, handsome, and graceful, the effect was excellent." (42, Col. 1c)
• A "very effective trio was formed by the Countess Clary d'Aldringen, Countess Isabel Deym, and Countess Kinsky, as the three sisters of Napoleon."

Princess Pauline Borghese

Josephine, Countess Kinsky's dress matches that of her sister, Thérèse Kinsky, Countess Clary-Aldringen. Perhaps the original of Isabey's engraving mentioned in the newspaper reports is Jacques-Louis David's famous The Coronation of Napoleon (Le Sacre de Napoléon) (right), completed in 1807. This large, complex painting has a number of very specific portraits, including some of Napoleon's sisters in dresses similar to this one worn at the ball. This painting was the source for several costumes at the ball, besides Countess Clary, Countess Kinsky, and Countess Isabel Deym, who were dressed as Napoleon's three sisters. Candida, Marchioness of Tweeddale, for example, was dressed as Joséphine, Napoleon's wife, at her coronation.

Count Charles Kinsky

Count Charles Kinsky (at 575) is listed as having attended with Count (at 205) and Countess Clary (at 191); Countess Clary was Josephine Kinsky's sister Therese. Count Kinsky was "Charles" (Karl Rudolf Ferdinand Andreas), 8th Prince Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau.

Elisabeth Wolff-Metternich zur Gracht, Countess Kinsky, Charles Kinsky's wife, does not seem to have attended.

Demographics

• Nationality: Austria-Hungary, now Czech Republic
• Religion: Catholic

Family

• Friedrich Carl Kinsky Graf von Wchinitz und Tettau (13 February 1834 – )
• Sophia Marie Emanuele Julie Gräfin von Mensdorff-Pouilly (30 July 1845 – )

1. Therese Marie Franzisca Judith Gräfin Kinsky (10 December 1867 –1943)
2. Wilhelmine Marie Gräfin Kinsky (12 August 1869 –)
3. Josephine (Marie Josephine Wilhelmine Philippa) Gräfin Kinsky (23 August 1874 – 23 April 1946)
4. Maria Franz Joseph Alfons Aloysius Ignatius Johann von Nepomuk-Paschalis Kinsky Graf von Wchinitz und Tettau (11 May 1879 – )

• Josephine (Marie Josephine Wilhelmine Philippa) Gräfin Kinsky (23 August 1874 – 23 April 1946)
• Aloys Joseph Kamill Leopold Michael Anton Maria, Hereditary Prince of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (15 September 1871 – 25 January 1952)

1. Marie Sophia Prinzessin zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort (9 May 1900 – 16 Feb 1982)
2. Marie Agnes Prinzessin zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort (13 Jul 1902 – 1991)
3. Karl VIII Fürst zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (8 Feb 1904 – 23 Aug 1990)
4. Maria Monika Prinzessin zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (25 Feb 1905 – 28 Dec 1992)
5. Felix Joseph Friedrich Prinz zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort (6 Apr 1907 – 21 Oct 1986)
6. Maria Theresia Prinzessin zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (27 Dec 1909 – )
7. Franz Ferdinand Prinz zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (27 Dec 1909 – 8 Feb 1990)
8. Maria-Anna Prinzessin zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (25 Feb 1914 – )
9. Johannes Prinz zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg (8 Jul 1919 – )

Another Branch of the Family

• Ferdinand Bonaventura, 7th Prince Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau (German: Ferdinand Bonaventura Christian Josef Hieronymus Rudolf Rafael Fürst Kinsky von Wchinitz und Tettau; 22 October 1834 – 2 January 1904)
• Princess Maria Josepha of Lichtenstein (1835–1905)
  1. Countess Wilhelmine Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau (5 April 1857 – 1 October 1909)
  2. "Charles" (Karl Rudolf Ferdinand Andreas), 8th Prince Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau (29 November 1858 – 11 December 1919)
  3. Rudolf, 9th Prince Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau (11 December 1859 – 13 March 1930)
  4. Countess Franziska Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau (26 December 1861 – 11 July 1935)
  5. Countess Elisabeth Wilhelmina Maria Prokopia Cyrilla Methodia Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau (4 July 1865 – 10 July 1941)
  6. Count Ferdinand Vincenz Rudolf Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau (8 September 1866 – 3 February 1916)
  7. Countess Marie Clotilde Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau (30 May 1878 – 19 July 1945)

• "Charles" (Karl Rudolf Ferdinand Andreas), 8th Prince Kinsky of Wchinitz and Tettau (29 November 1858 – 11 December 1919)
• Countess Elisabeth Wolff-Metternich zur Gracht (1874–1909)

Notes and Questions

1. At an earlier social event, an R. Kinsky is reported to have been present.
2. Sophia Marie Emanuele Julie Gräfin von Mensdorff-Pouilly (30 July 1845 – ) is related to Albert Viktor Julius Joseph Michael Count von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein (5 September 1861 – 15 June 1945)?