The XII Duke of Osuna, between aristocratic spirit and Dandy. The Russian embassy as a matter of honor
Russia and Spain re-established relations in 1856 after a two-decade diplomatic crisis caused by disagreements over Carlism. The appointment of Mariano Téllez-Girón, XII Duke of Osuna, as the plenipotentiary minister in the Russian court signaled a friendly reconciliation...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Russian |
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Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO)
2021-12-01
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| Series: | Ибероамериканские тетради |
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| Online Access: | https://www.iberpapers.org/jour/article/view/445 |
| Summary: | Russia and Spain re-established relations in 1856 after a two-decade diplomatic crisis caused by disagreements over Carlism. The appointment of Mariano Téllez-Girón, XII Duke of Osuna, as the plenipotentiary minister in the Russian court signaled a friendly reconciliation between the two countries. However, it meant above all the reaffirmation of the Spanish nobleman, who left his mark on the Russian royal and public sphere. The Duke of Osuna knew how to gain the Tsar’s trust and displayed his sense of honor, imbued with the aristocratic spirit and the European dandy. This work provides a portrait of the Duke of Osuna during his embassy in Saint Petersburg, against the backdrop of the ideal of Spanish liberalism, and of the dandy as a new archetype of bourgeois honor. The Letters from Russia, by Juan Valera, secretary of that embassy, help to understand the controversial image displayed by Osuna in the Court of Alexander II. The Duke not only adapted to the Russian noble and autocratic customs, but also presented a very particular way of understanding the figure of the nobleman, which allowed him to refute the existing stereotypes around Spain, as well as reinforce the prestige of Queen Elizabeth, formally recognized not only by Russia, but by the rest of the powers. |
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| ISSN: | 2409-3416 2658-5219 |