1911 Signed Fine Leather Binding ; Archduchess Louisa of Tuscany , Royal Scandal

Description: My Own Story By Louisa Of Tuscany Ex Crown Princess Of Saxony Translated Under Supervision of the Author With 19 Illustrations Published By G. P. Putnam's Sons New York and London The Knickerbocker Press 1911 First American Edition Signed Fine Leather Binding. The binding is signed " G. P. Putnam's Sons " at the upper-left corner of the front endpaper. Also, beside the publisher's signature is the hand-written binder's note : " 3/4 English Calf - Polished ", with initials underneath. ( see the photos ) Antique hardcover binding. Three-quarther leather. 3/4 Polished English Calf , as noted by the binder. Calf leather spine and corners. Marbled boards. Raised spine bands. Gilt spine decoration. Top page edge gilt. Marbled endpapers. Silk bookmark ( detached, but present ). 112 years old. First American edition of " My Own Story " by Louisa Of Tuscany , in a fine, signed leather binding. Archduchess Louise of Austria ( 1870 - 1947 ) was by marriage Crown Princess of Saxony as the wife of the future King Frederick Augustus III, the last King of Saxony. Threatened with a lifetime of internment in an insane asylum after her affair with a French tutor was discovered, the escape of Crown Princess of Saxony was the first great scandal of the German nobility in the 20th century. -------- Very Good Condition. The spine leather is somewhat dry, but is intact. The calf over the boards is in very good condition, with just a little wear at the corners. ( see the photos ) The hinges are tight. Binder's signature and binder's note at the upper-left corner of the front endpaper ( as noted above ). No other writing. No markings. Some foxing. The pages are otherwise in good condition. The original silk bookmark has become detached, but is still present. The calf has been recently treated with Bookbinder's Leather Preservative-Restorer , to replenish essential oils and help preserve the old leather. Carefully packed for shipment to the buyer. -------- Biographical information : Archduchess Louisa of Austria ( 1870 - 1947 ). She was born on September 2, 1870, the second child of Ferdinand IV, the last Grand Duke of Tuscany and his second wife, Princess Alice of Bourbon-Parma. Through her mother, she was a great-great-granddaughter of King Charles X of France. At 17 years old she attracted the attention of potential suitors - including several princes - but none appealed to her. In the summer of 1887 at Pillnitz Castle she met Prince Frederick Augustus of Saxony (eldest son of Prince George, who became King of Saxony in June 1902). They married at Vienna on November 21, 1891, in a lavish ceremony which cost the groom the sum of 20,000 marks. In return, Louise fulfilled her royal duties, and bore him six children; however, she did not follow etiquette at the strict Dresden court, which resulted in arguments with her father-in-law, the Interior Minister Georg von Metzsch-Reichenbach, and her sister-in-law Princess Mathilde. Louisa was popular among the people ; her popularity greatly exceeded that of any other member of the Saxon Royal Family. The other Saxon Royals made her life difficult with intrigues, some small, some great. Soon whispers and rumors began to circulate that Louisa had had an affair with a dentist and with her children's French tutor. A telegram sent to Giron, the French tutor, seemed to confirm that the rumored affair was true. Louisa was threatened by her father-in-law, King George of Saxony, with being interned in a mental asylum at the Sonnenstein Castle ...for life. On December 9, 1902 and with the help of two of her maids, Louisa ( who was pregnant with her seventh child ) fled from Dresden towards Lake Geneva. Andre Giron, the French tutor, was there waiting for her. In the Saxon court, at first, it was believed that Louisa'a trip was for recreation, however she had in fact arranged to meet her elder brother Archduke Leopold Ferdinand of Austria ( Leopold himself had begun a liaison with Wilhelmine Adamovic - a prostitute whom he later married ). Three days after their arrival, the Louisa's maids left Geneva and in the meantime, the tutor Andre Giron ( who was with Louise's brother ) contacted a notary in Brussels to lay a false trail to the Belgian capital, and obscure Louisa's true whereabouts. A few days later, however, the maids were discovered, and the secret was out. The escape of the Crown Princess of Saxony was the first scandal of the German nobility in the 20th century. It was especially hurtful for the staunchly Catholic Saxon Royal Family. The wrath of King George of Saxony descended - on Feb. 11, 1903 the king declared the marriage ended - without so much as consulting his son. Less than 2 years later, the king was dead.

Price: 150 USD

Location: Coventry, Rhode Island

End Time: 2024-12-09T16:58:37.000Z

Shipping Cost: 6.88 USD