Rex Carolvs means what?

Continuing the illustrated, annotated version of

Last Night's Scandal

...

As followers of the

Two Nerdy History Girls

blog are acutely aware, I spend a lot of time on historical trivia that many readers probably don't find all that thrilling. You can imagine my excitement, then, when a reader is sufficiently intrigued to ask me to explain an obscure detail in one of my books. 

Today's query relates to this exchange:

 ~~~

“What have you got there?”

     “Dunno.  Brass button?”

     “Let me see.”

     After scraping off dirt, Roy said, “A medal, maybe.”  He peered at the object.

     “Old medal?” said Jock.  “Some of them fetch a good price.”

     “Could be.”  Roy scraped some more and peered some more.  Then he spelled out painfully, “R-E-X.  Then a mark, not a letter.  Then C-A-R-O-L-V-S.”

     Jock, whose reading skills extended to recognizing a tavern sign, said, “What is it?”

     Roy looked at him.  “Money,” he said.

My alert-to-details reader wanted to know what REX CAROLVS signified.

The reference is to King Charles I, who appears as Rex Carolvs (Rex Carolus) on the coins of his reign.  One of the plot elements of the book deals with a legend dating to his reign, the turmoil of the Civil War, and its unfortunate conclusion for him and those who supported him.

These illustrations are by Classical Numismatic Group.  You can see more examples

here

and

here

, at the Welsh website, Gathering the Jewels.  Another fine example is at the

British Museum

.  You can even buy a

reproduction at the Royal Mint

.

The clothes Olivia bought in Paris...

FRENCH FASHIONS

OPERA DRESS. A DRESS composed of rose-coloured

chaly

, a low

corsage

finished by a lappel of a perfectly novel shape, which falls very far over the sleeve, and is embroidered in a light running pattern in white lloize silk. The sleeves are between the

Amadis

and

gigot

shape. The fronts and border of the dress are embroidered

en tunique

in white floize silk. The embroidery, narrow at the waist, becomes progressively broader, and is very rich round the border. The

chemisette

, which falls, en

pelerine

, over the bust of the dress, is trimmed with a double fall of blond lace, set on with very little fulness; it is fastened in front by a richly-chased dead gold brooch. A rose-coloured crape hat; the crown is low, and round; the brim, short at the ears, and rather deep, is ornamented on the inside with

palmettes

of gauze ribbon to correspond: on the outside is a blond lace drapery which falls a little over the left side of the brim, turns hack

en bavolet

, and passes under the right side, where it meets the

palmettes

. This drapery is ornamented with a loose

rouleau

of gauze ribbon, terminated at each end, by a full bow. A

bouquet

of rose-coloured ostrich feathers, is placed near the top of the crown on the right side. The hair is parted on the forehead.  Ear-rings, bracelets, and

ceinture

buckle dead gold.

  WALKING DRESS. A HIGH dress composed of

gros de Naples

; the colour, a new and extremely rich shade of brown. The corsage, made to sit close to the shape, is ornamented in a very novel style with a row of points lightly embroidered, which forms it in a heart shape before and behind. The sleeves are

à l'Amadis

. The pelerine is made with a standing three-pointed collar, which descends in front in the lappel style. A very broad trimming is set on full round the border of the pelerine: it is surmounted by a row of

pattes

with a gold button in the centre of each. Satin hat of the same colour, lined with white satin, but bordered with the material of the hat round the edge of the brim, the inside of which is trimmed with

coques

of lilac and white striped gauze ribbon. Bands and bows of ribbon arranged in a novel style decorate the crown. Neckknot to correspond with the dress, fastened by a gold clasp.

Bottines

of chocolate coloured

gros des Indes

. A sable boa tippet, or cachemere shawl, should be thrown carelessly round the shoulders.

What Olivia wore

Alert readers will have noticed the comments running through

Last Night’s Scandal

regarding fashions.   I thought I would post some illustrations, to give you a better sense of what my characters were talking about.

You'll find the description for the Carriage Dress and Bonnet(at left) over at

Two Nerdy History Girls

.  Here's more from FASHIONS FOR NOVEMBER, 1831 from

La Belle Assemblée

. 

DINNER DRESS. A DRESS of rose-coloured

gaze Polonais

, over a

gros de Naples

slip of a similar colour. The

corsage

is cut low ; it sits close to the shape behind; the front is arranged in folds which cross so high in the centre of the bosom, that very little of the blond lace

chemisette

is seen. The sleeves are between the

gigot

and

Amadis

form, but incline more to the latter shape. The

chemisette

is made with a round collar, which falls low over the back and shoulders, and is trimmed with a double fall of blond lace. The hair is parted on the forehead, and arranged in a platted braid

en couronne

on the summit of the head. The ends of the braid, disposed in corkscrew ringlets, fall over the comb placed behind the

couronne

. A

ferronière

composed of gold chain, with a ruby

agraffe

, is brought rather low upon the forehead. The jewellery worn with this dress should be of gold and rubies. Swansdown boa tippet.