Posted by karenl on November 6, 2014, 5:43 pm, in reply to "Re: Soviet gifts?"
Thank you Arthur. You're very correct about Soviet wives and the lack of glitter and indeed, the prime perks for the Communist elite was dachas, abundant food and nice houses/cars. I've noticed in recent years the wife of the Chinese President tends to wear more glitter than any other previous leader's wife, but she's a well known singer in China so hence the increased glamor and jewels, but it's something that wouldn't have been seen years ago in China. I loved your information about President de Gaulle and Mrs. Kennedy. Very interesting. --Previous Message-- : No offense perceived, don't worry! : : Relations between De Gaulle and Jacqueline : Kennedy were more complex than what it : looked at first sight. It is well known that : Jacqueline Kennedy used her charm and her : knowledge of the French language (which she : knew thanks to her French descent [Bouvier : family] and to her studies at the Sorbonne : in Paris) to try to "seduce" : (within decent limits, of course) the French : President and his entourage, and to : influence them in favour of Kennedy's : foreign policy. : : The French press of the time fell litterally : in love with Jacqueline Kennedy and was : enthusiastic about the young, beautiful, : glamorous French-speaking First Lady. But De : Gaulle remained unsensitive to Mrs Kennedy's : charm offensive. He probably perceived her : as a futile superficial woman, and more : generally, he was a kind of old-fashioned : mysoginist, who had always perfect : gentleman's manners towards women, but : considered that politics was not a matter : for them (though he granted voting right to : women in 1945) and that spouses of political : leaders were not entitled to interfere in : political affairs. In his memoirs, former : Gaullist minister Alain Peyrefitte recalls : De Gaulle's terse reply to one of his aides : or ministers who had been literally : conquered by Mrs Kennedy's charm (and who : assumed that De Gaulle had been subjugated : too): : "- General, you had the opportunity to : talk a lot with Mrs Kennedy during this : visit. How did you find her? : - Very well dressed." : And shortly after John Kennedy's death, De : Gaulle is reported to have contemptuously : said in private about the widowed : Jacqueline: " She will end up on the : yacht of an arms dealer " (which was : quite a well-thought premonition). : : On the other hand, Jacqueline Kennedy was : disappointed by De Gaulle's will to protect : France from American influence - an even : bitterer disapointment for her since she had : highly admired De Gaulle for his role during : WW2. In tape interviews made in 1964 with : journalist Arthur Schlesinger Jr. (but : released only after Jacqueline Kennedy's : death), she described De Gaulle as " : egomaniac " and " spiteful ". : But she described André Malraux, the French : novelist and De Gaulle's Culture minister, : as " the most fascinating man I’ve ever : talked to ". : See, about Jacqueline Kennedy's interviews: : http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/12/us/12jackie.html?_r=3&ref=todayspaper& : : A few pictures of the glittering gala : reception (in white-tie! ) given by General : de Gaulle at the Château de Versailles ( ) : in honour of President John Fitzgerald : Kennedy and Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (who : wore a nice tiara/hair ornament... those : were the times! ): : : : : : (source for the two pictures immediately : above: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library : and Museum, Boston) : : (Source: Paris Match, picture by René Vital) : : As for the Communist leaders, I tend to : disagree with your comments. Not that I want : to defend in any way these awful : dictatorships, but I have the impression : that the Communist leaders' wives mostly : remained in the shadow of their husband : (Elena Ceaucescu and Raissa Gorbacheva were : two exceptions). And when they appeared in : public, these wives were not expected to : display any sign of "decadent" : patrician glitter, which would have been : totally unfitting for the wives of prominent : "comrades", who were supposed to : live the decent but frugal life of any other : worker in an egalitarian society. The : duller, the better... None of the Soviet : First Ladies was ever seen bedecked with : jewels like Evita Peron, for instance. Of : course, it is true that Communist leaders : and their families enjoyed, behind closed : doors and away from the press, a lavish and : grand-style way of life which was totally : unknown of the ordinary citizens of their : country - but my impression is that this : grand style was more about houses, summer : "datchas", furniture, better : healthcare or food than about fashion or : jewels. : : : : :
on November 6, 2014, 5:43 pm, in reply to "