Aardvark

Yep,

Mary Stuart, daughter of Charles I, Princess Royal, Princess of Orange and Countess of Nassau was only 9 when she was married for political purposes to William II, Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau. Although it is said that consummation didn't take place for some years because of her age, we have to wonder what the Prince of Orange did with his child bride of an evening.

This example to the working classes can only have encouraged licentious behaviour throughout the United Provinces, England and Scotland. It would be difficult to consider a more blatant act of encouragement to paedophiles by our own royal family. Whilst it is probable that the new Countess of Nassau would rather have played with dolls she was instead used as a pawn in a political game that saw her nearly married to a son of Philip IV, the King of Spain, or to her cousin the Elector Palatine, Karl Ludwig.

As none of the people involved was the founder of Islam or a used camel seller it is probably okay that a 9 year old should be shipped half way across Europe to share the bed of some Spanish princeling (age of consent in 2008 is still 13) or her German cousin or a Dutch aristo.

This method of forming political alliances worked throughout Christendom from the earliest of times and would have been copied by the aristocracy and educated classes in order to secure land rights.

Like Mohammed's marriage to his child bride, it has historical relevance, but is not the grounds for twentieth century moralists to attack the early Christian church which would have supported the institution of child marriage.

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When in Woking do as the Wokes do.

"I do not wish to form my opinions by thoughtlessly quoting others; I wish others to support their opinions by sensibly quoting me." Paul Wesson (Aardvark) 13th April 2008

Tony Bennett

Aardvark, I can't fathom any reason for your posting, since Mary Stuart did not found a new religion, did not claim herself to be God's last messenger on earth, nor was her marriage consummated until she was at least in her mid-teens. Nor did her husband proclaim himself a prophet etc. What your post has to do with anything is an unfathomable mystery. Unless you are making a strictly limited point about the practice of arranged marriages in cultures other than Islam, in which case you have a point.

I found this especially weird: Quote: "...not the grounds for twentieth century moralists to attack the early Christian church which would have supported the institution of child marriage".

REPLY: Where on earth did you get that from?

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Aardvark

The royal marriages over the centuries were the ones that had the public blessings of the church. There were child brides all over Europe. Mary Stuart was married in a church. Her father was the temporal head of the Church of England and appointed all of its bishops; she might not have founded a new religion, but her ancestor certainly founded a new denomination. Her father did not believe himself to be a prophet, but he believed he reigned by divine right and indeed it was this assertion that led ultimately to him being executed. Mary appeared in public at official functions at the age of 13 and had presumably been bedded by then; we do not know for certain when she first shared the marital bed although I am sure it is written down somewhere.

I think there are a lot of parallels.

__________________
When in Woking do as the Wokes do.

"I do not wish to form my opinions by thoughtlessly quoting others; I wish others to support their opinions by sensibly quoting me." Paul Wesson (Aardvark) 13th April 2008

Tony Bennett

Aardvark, you've not answered my question, which was:

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I found this especially weird: Quote from Aardvark: "...not the grounds for twentieth century moralists to attack the early Christian church which would have supported the institution of child marriage".

REPLY: Where on earth did you get that from?

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2nd REPLY: The 'early Christian church' is usually held to have lasted from Christ's crucifixion in A.D. 31 or 32 for the next 300 years or so. Where is there even a scintilla of evidence that this 'early Christian church' supported child marriage?

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Aardvark

I took the early church as being slightly later than you might have. Certainly Anglo-Saxon children could consent to marriage at age 7 during the Christian era. As they occupied much of north-west Europe we can interpolate and assume surrounding peoples were the same.

Anglo-Saxon Women

__________________
When in Woking do as the Wokes do.

"I do not wish to form my opinions by thoughtlessly quoting others; I wish others to support their opinions by sensibly quoting me." Paul Wesson (Aardvark) 13th April 2008