In 1869 in Turkey, on her way to attend the opening of the Suez Canal in Egypt, built by her cousin Ferdinand de Lesseps, Eugénie de Montijo, the french empress was invited by Sultan Abdülaziz I to visit Beylerbeyi Palace. The story goes that immediately after arriving in there and despite her rang, the Empress had her face unexpectedly slapped by the sultan's mother for daring to enter the palace on his arm. The diplomatic incident was instantly stifled.
18 March, 2011
What About?
In 1869 in Turkey, on her way to attend the opening of the Suez Canal in Egypt, built by her cousin Ferdinand de Lesseps, Eugénie de Montijo, the french empress was invited by Sultan Abdülaziz I to visit Beylerbeyi Palace. The story goes that immediately after arriving in there and despite her rang, the Empress had her face unexpectedly slapped by the sultan's mother for daring to enter the palace on his arm. The diplomatic incident was instantly stifled.