Mesalliance
Jun. 22nd, 2016 11:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
marycatelliI have noticed recently one bit of flawed but frequent world-building: people underestimating how little social distance is needed to create views of "Mesalliance!"
Depends on the society, of course. When the king reigns over a post-stamp sized realm and speaks with the peasants and works on his demense farm, a fairy-tale-like is not too shocking even in more realistic scenarios.
But when you are doing ancien regime, or 19th century -- royals all over Europe were shocked, shocked, shocked, when one of Queen Victoria's daughters married a subject. It had been a long time since any member of the royal family had, over three centuries. Even though the bridegroom was the heir to a duchy, the very highest rank of peerage.
Other royals even argued with her about thinking the offspring of morgantic marriages suitable for her descendants.
Depends on the society, of course. When the king reigns over a post-stamp sized realm and speaks with the peasants and works on his demense farm, a fairy-tale-like is not too shocking even in more realistic scenarios.
But when you are doing ancien regime, or 19th century -- royals all over Europe were shocked, shocked, shocked, when one of Queen Victoria's daughters married a subject. It had been a long time since any member of the royal family had, over three centuries. Even though the bridegroom was the heir to a duchy, the very highest rank of peerage.
Other royals even argued with her about thinking the offspring of morgantic marriages suitable for her descendants.