Talk:Elise, Countess of Edla

Identity
In addition to the entry in Appletons', which doesn't quite accord with this article, there are many US newspapers mentioning a person "Eliza Hensle" with a similar but slightly different story. Here's a piece from the Sacramento Daily Union, vol. 44, no. 6835, 28 February 1873:


 * ELIZA HENSLER'S FORTUNE.
 * A Boston Shoemaker's Daughter Married to the Ex-King of Portugal.
 * One of the Queens of Europe at the present time is an American lady of decidedly humble descent. She is the wife of King Ferdinand of Portugal, who, finding the duties of his office incongenial to his retiring tastes, abdicated a few years ago, and making, during a trip to Paris, the acquaintance of a very good-looking actress, offered her, in 1869, his heart and hand, which she joyfully accepted. They were married with considerable pomp at Lisbon, and the actress, although she is no reigning Queen, is treated by her royal relatives with ail the respect due to her husband's exalted rank, and she is addressed as "my sister" by Queen Maria Pia, the daughter of Victor Emanuel, and as "Her Majesty" by her attendants and servants.
 * King Ferdinand's wife was born in 1840, in Boston, where her father was a poor German shoemaker, and she has many acquaintances in New York. Her name previous to her marriage was Eliza Hensler. She attended the public schools of her native city until she was fourteen years of age. She was then a beautiful, rosy-cheeked girl, with large blue eyes and a wealth of golden ringlets. Moreover, she possessed a very fine voice, and an operatic manager who had heard her sing at a school examination prevailed upon her old father to let him send her to a renowned music teacher and have her prepared tor the stage. The old man joyfully consented. Young Eliza proved a very excellent pupil, and two years afterward she made her debut In this city at the Academy of Music, in Arditi's opera, "The Spy." Although Mme. Lagrange sang in the same piece. Miss Hensler achieved a decided success, and was engaged for the season. Her brother, or cousin, who had enabled her to appear at the Academy of Music, was at that time leader of the chorus, and remained in that position lor several years afterward. In 1858 Miss Hensler returned to Boston and appeared there on the stage with decided success. She then went to Paris to study her profession more thoroughly under Auber and Thomas, and sang repeatedly at the Grand Opera, without, however, meeting with much encouragement. She was glad to accept an engagement at the Royal Opera at Lisbon, where she sang for several years and became a great favorite of the public. It was there already, perhaps, that King Ferdinand became acquainted with and enamored of her; but the King's first wife was then alive, and it was not until after her death that he made advances to Miss Eliza Hensler. who had, meanwhile, returned to Paris, where she made a somewhat precarious living by giving music lessons, a severe cold having greatly impaired the beauty and strength of her voice. Her royal husband is said to be exceedingly fond of his Boston wife. They have two children, and their happiness is much commented upon in Lisbon, where it is well known that the present King does not live on the best of terms with his highborn Italian consort.

Is this the same person? Was she born in Boston, or in Switzerland and her family then moved to Boston when she was twelve? -- Michael Bednarek (talk) 12:58, 30 October 2013 (UTC)

410 million réis for what?
The article says that the king gave Elise 410 million réis in order for the Cuntess to mantain her states, but in ptwiki it is said that that amount was the price for the king to get back the palaces. None of those versions have references, but at least one of them must be wrong. Pere prlpz (talk) 17:58, 30 January 2023 (UTC)