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Princess Isabella of Bourbon-Parma

1922–2015

Born
14 Mar 1922, 7th arrondissement of Paris
Country of birth
France
Died
26 Feb 2015, 14th arrondissement of Paris
facts
8
sources
1
images and files
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Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

A life in time

  1. Born · 7th arrondissement of Paris

    Birth, 7th arrondissement of Paris

  2. Child born: Comte Eudes de la Rochefoucauld

    Birth

  3. Child born: Comte Sixte de la Rochefoucauld

    Birth, 7th arrondissement of Paris

  4. Child born: Comte Hughes de la Rochefoucauld

    Birth

  5. Child born: Comte Charles de la Rochefoucauld

    Birth

  6. Child born: Comte Robert de la Rochefoucauld

    Birth

  7. Died · 14th arrondissement of Paris

    Death, 14th arrondissement of Paris

What was it like?

The world around 7th arrondissement of Paris, 1922: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Princess was born the same year as Pierre Cardin, Judy Garland, and Christopher Lee.

Born the same year

  • Pierre Cardin

    French-Italian fashion designer (1922–2020)

  • Judy Garland

    American actress, singer, dancer and vaudevillian (1922–1969)

  • Christopher Lee

    English actor and singer (1922–2015)

  • Doris Day

    American actress and singer (1922–2019)

  • Ademir de Menezes

    Brazilian footballer (1922–1996)

  • José Saramago

    Portuguese novelist (1922–2010)

Fashion

Casual attire for French servants

In contrast to the rigid uniform requirements seen in Britain, French domestic servants in the 1920s often wore their own clothes covered by a simple apron. Many servants felt sartorially integrated into the crowd of ordinary female workers rather than distinguished by a specific house uniform.

Wartime fashion shifts for women

During World War I, the women's suit became an essential, functional wardrobe item for both shopping and the workforce, often paired with a blouse. Because of fabric shortages and the movement of women into new professions, skirts became straighter and shorter, and women even began wearing trousers for outdoor labor.

Music
Around 1914–1918

Children Singing in Wartime Shelters

During wartime, children in a shelter spontaneously sang together to overcome fear, with over 300 voices joining in songs like Au Clair de la lune. These songs were part of a shared national repertoire learned in families and schools.

Instruments of the Paris Bal Musette

In the early 20th century, the cabrette, a small bagpipe, was the signature instrument of Parisian bal musette, but it was gradually joined or replaced by the accordion introduced by Italian immigrants.

Getting around

Dim train lighting required portable candles

Trains were so dimly lit that passengers wanting to read had to bring their own portable candlesticks.

Train vendors moved between carriages via footboards

Traveling by train was often an adventure, with vendors known as swallows selling goods like perfume and cognac while moving between compartments via exterior footboards.

Daily life
Around 1925–1928

Limited water access in Graulhet

Before 1928, the town of Graulhet could only provide three liters of water per day for each inhabitant. Households often relied on public fountains and carried water home in buckets or enameled jugs.

Compulsory schooling and literacy

By 1900, free and compulsory primary education created a new generation of literate children who often acted as cultural mediators for their illiterate parents and grandparents.

Food
Around 1875–1914

Tax-free home distillation privileges

Between 1875 and 1914, French peasants had a legal privilege to distill part of their own wine, cider, or fruit harvest into spirits without paying any taxes or needing declarations.

Prices and wages

Rising Bread Prices 1910–1925

The price of a kilogram of bread in Paris rose from 0.39 francs in 1910 to 1.58 francs by 1925.

Work
Around 1930–1930

Immigrant labor in French mines

By 1930, immigrants made up 42 percent of the labor force in the French mining industry.

Common Jobs in France, 1900–1924

Common jobs included industrial roles for men and women, such as mechanics, carpenters, and laborers, while the service sector featured many domestic workers, concierges, and shop assistants. Clothing and textile trades, including tailoring and dressmaking, were major employers for women.

News and letters

Parisian pneumatic mail system delivered in minutes

Paris residents could send urgent messages across the city in under an hour using a pneumatic tube system, known as 'petits bleus' for their blue color.

During their lifetime

  1. 1944

    Women gain voting rights in 1944

    In October 1944, a government ordinance finally granted women the right to vote in France.

  2. 1950

    Creation of the minimum wage

    In 1950, the government established the minimum wage (SMIG) to improve workers' purchasing power.

  3. 1956

    Third week of paid vacation

    In 1956, French workers were granted a third week of paid vacation, significantly increasing their leisure time.

  4. 1967

    Legalization of the contraceptive pill

    The 1967 Neuwirth Law legalized the contraceptive pill, allowing women greater control over family planning.

  5. 1975

    Legalization of abortion

    The 1975 Veil Law legalized abortion in France under specific circumstances, marking a major shift in women's rights.

  6. 1982

    Reduction of work week to 39 hours

    In 1982, the work week was reduced to 39 hours and employees received a fifth week of paid vacation.

Family

Parents

Spouses

Children

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.