14. Princess Pauline von Metternich was in an unhappy marriage to a prince, so she decided to have a good time – smoking, drinking and even engaging in topless duels with a rival female aristocrat
Princess Pauline – or, to give the royal lady her full name, Princess Pauline Clémentine Marie Walburga von Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein – was never happy to sit quietly in the background. Born into Hungarian nobility in Vienna in 1836, she married her uncle, Prince Klemens, when she was just 20. From the very start of their union, her husband enjoyed countless affairs, preferring the company of actresses and opera singers to his own wife. But instead of breaking her, the Prince’s infidelities inspired Princess Pauline to life live to the full and she became one of the best-known and colorful socialites in al of 19th century Europe.
Pauline’s great passion was for fashion. She also loved music and was one of the main patrons of Richard Wagner. What’s more, the Princess loved having a good time. She defied convention and smoked cigars. And then, in the summer of 1892, she challenged a fellow royal, a Countess, to a duel with rapiers. While not a ‘topless’ fight (the women kept their corsets on, but even this would have been shocking), the event made history, since the ladies’ ‘seconds’ were also female. Both women were wounded, but not seriously, and the debate over who won the duel continues to this day.