The Lady With The Poison Pen: La Marquise De Fontenoy!

In the 1913 edition of Who’s Who In America, there is an insertion of biographical information pertaining to an individual, not standing alone itself mind you, but contained within the entry of another individual, relegated to a mere mention because said individual was the spouse, albeit the second one, of the individual profiled in the work.

In retrospect, it is interesting to note that at the time, it was felt that although not warranting her own stand alone profile, she was listed by default in her role as spouse.  Yet if mentioned today, keeping in mind that both are obscure and rarely known to most, it is the sidelined individual who is more readily identifiable after all these years, while the subject of the profile of this tome of the rich and famous barely registers in one’s recognition or recollection, esoteric or otherwise.

Let us read the very insertion of which I make mention:

“CUNLIFFE-OWEN, (Philip) Frederick, editor; b. at London, Eng., Jan. 30, 1855; e. s. of late Sir Philip (K.C.B.) and Lady Jenny (nee Baroness von Reitzenstein)  C.;  m: Countess Marguerite, d. of Count Jules du Planty de Sourdis (she possesses, among other orders, the gold palm leaves of the Ordre d l’Instruction Publique of France, in recognition of per portrayals of Breton Life)………”

Although the profile continues on more in depth about Frederick Cunliffe-Owen, it is more his wife that we find of interest here.

Marguerite Cunliffe-Owen was a historical novelist, nonfiction authoress and poison penned syndicated newspaper columnist, more commonly known as La Marquise de Fontenoy or the Countess du Planty.

Apparently, after losing their European fortunes, the Cunliffe-Owens were forced to make a new start with their lives and came to the United States; ‘the golden land of opportunity’  in 1885, from France.  It was here in America that they each began their respective writing careers.

Frederick wrote newspaper editorials and society columns concerning for the most part, European affairs and the social life of the nobility, becoming an editor of the New York Herald Tribune in 1889.

Marguerite herself published a series of biographies and novels. For a decade and a half she was quite productive in her output.  Her works included: The Martyrdom of an Empress (1899), The Tribulations of a Princess (1901), A Doffed Coronet (1902), A Keystone of Empire (1903), Imperator Et Rex: William II of Germany (1904), The Trident and the Net (1905), Gray Mist (1906), Emerald and Ermine (1907), The Cradle of the Rose (1908), Snow-Fire: A Story of the Russian Court (1910), Moonglade (1915) and More Uncensored Recollections (1926).

At the time, many of her works dealing with the royal courts of Europe were published anonymously or under the nom de plume, La Marquise de Fontenoy.  Mainly due to the fact of the explosive information contained within.  It was only sometime later that the true identity became known and it was discovered that Marguerite Cunliffe-Owen was the author responsible.

To coincide with the popularity of her novels, and the sensationalism attributed to her supposed ‘in the know’ position and status, the marquise was a highly sought after columnist as well.

It is in this capacity to where we find Marguerite the most tantalizing, scribbling forth her snippets of information regarding the comings and goings of late 19th and early 20th century royalty.

LA MARQUISE DE FONTENOY

Aged Grand Duke Of Luxemburg

Surrenders His Scepter

His Son And Successor

(Special To The American)

The Baltimore American

April 25, 1902

Almost stone blind, completely broken by age and infirmity, the 85-year-old Grand Duke Adolphus of Luxemburg has surrendered the reins of government to his only son, Prince William, who has now assumed the title of Viceroy and Stadtholder of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg, exercising the powers and the prerogatives of Regent.  While theoretically Luxemburg does not belong to the states comprised in the confederation known as the German Empire, it belongs therefore for principal purposes, being included in the customs union of the empire, and the railroad and postal systems of the Grand Duchy are likewise comprised in those of the German Empire.  The new Stadtholder of Luxemburg is a man just 50 years of age, celebrated as one of the stoutest and most pleasure-loving princes of Europe, and who was looked upon as the gayest of confirmed bachelors until he suddenly astonished all his friends and acquaintances by marrying, nine years ago, the Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal, daughter of the late ex-King Miguel of Portugal, and sister of that Duke of Braganza who is at the present moment the legitimist pretender to the throne of Portugal.  Although he has now become the most devoted of husbands, and a thoroughly domestic man, yet he explained at the time of his marriage that his sole object in wedding was to assure the succession to the throne of Luxemburg – in fact, that he was marrying solely for dynastic and state purposes.

So far his marriage has been useless for purposes of this character.  For his consort has given birth to no less than five girls to succession, who are barred from the throne by reason of the Salic law, which prevails there. However, the people of Luxemburg still live in hopes that the hereditary Grand Duchess will fulfill in course of time what they are pleased to describe as her ‘duties,’ and provide the nation with a male heir to the Grand Ducal throne.

The old Grand Duke, who has thus laid down his scepter and given public expression of the fact that he is weary of his crown, descends from his throne for the third time.  His history has, indeed, been a strange one, for he reigned for more than a quarter of a century as sovereign Duke of Nassau before being deprived of his dominions and of his throne by Prussia after the War of 1866, in which he had taken sides with Austria.  That war robbed him not only of his crown, but also of the chief sources of his income, which was derived from the public gambling tables at Wiesbaden, which were, promptly closed by Prussia.

For the next 23 years he lived happy and contented in Austria, spending the season at Vienna, where he still owns a magnificent palace.  In 1889 he was notified of the death of King William III of Holland, and of his own accession to the latter’s crown as Grand Duke of Luxemburg, Duke Adolph, in deference to the requests of Luxemburg officials, immediately took train for Luxemburg, arrived there, was hailed as Grand Duke and officially installed as such, when suddenly, to the consternation of all concerned, the news came that the old King of Holland had come to life again: that what had generally been believed to be his death had been a species of cataleptic trance, and that he had likewise recovered his reason, which had been clouded for several months previously. It was added that he was furious both with his widow for taking upon herself the duties of Regent of the Netherlands, and with what he was pleased to describe as the ‘indecent haste’ which his cousin Adolph had displayed in taking possession of the throne of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg.

Accordingly Duke Adolph left Luxemburg by night, returned to Vienna and remained in Austria during the ensuing 12 months.  For King William did not die until the end of 1890.  Nor was it until he had been safely entombed in the old church at Delft, where all the Princes of the House of Orange repose, that Duke Adolph would consent to leave, and take once more possession of the Grand Ducal throne of Luxemburg.

The old Grand Duke until a few years ago was celebrated as one of the finest four-in-hand whips in Europe, and his numerous spills were due, not to any bad driving, but to the fact that he was fond of having pretty women beside him on the box seat, and that he devoted the attention to them that he should have given to his horses.  Within the last 10 or 15 years he has smashed his bones at least a dozen times, recovering each time from the effects of the mishap in the most extraordinary manner.  He has one brother, Prince Nicholas of Nassau, married to the divorced wife of the former Russian Chief of Police General Doubelt.  She bears the title of Countess Merenburg, and is a child of Russia’s most famous poet, Pushkin.  Indeed it was her birth that led to the duel in which Pushkin was killed by his brother-in-law, Baron Heeckeren, at the mention of whose name every patriotic Russian considers it necessary to spit on the ground.  The brother, Prince Nicholas, whose marriage is a morganatic one, and the new Stadtholder and Regent of Luxemburg are the only two male relatives of the aged Grand Duke, and unless the Regent’s wife gives birth to a boy the line of Nassau will become extinct, and the people of Luxemburg, whose neutrality is guaranteed by the great powers of Europe, will be called upon to elect either a Grand Duke or else a President; that is to say, if they choose to convert the government of their country into a republic.

Prince Nicholas of Nassau

Natalia Pushkina

Countess Merenberg

If Germany were to make any attempt to take possession of it France would immediately go to war. For while France can tolerate Luxemburg as a neutral state, absolutely devoid of any fortifications, it could not allow it to be converted German stronghold! Luxemburg, it may be remembered, was already once before the subject of a bitter dispute between France and Germany which brought the two nations to the very verge of war. King William had arranged in 1867 to cede the Grand Duchy to France in return for pecuniary and other compensation.  But at the last moment the scheme was frustrated through the agency his American ‘belle amie,’ Madame Musard, who warned the Prussian government of the project and put an end to the whole affair.

The accession of Prince William of Luxemburg to the throne of the Grand Duchy as Regent serves to call attention to the large numbers of European countries that are now governed by Regents.  Sweden and Norway are at present under the direction of the Crown Prince, who has been appointed as Regent during the absence of his father, King Oscar, in France and in Germany.  Spain remains for a few days more subject to the regency of Queen Christina. A regency is likely to be established in Holland owing to the severe illness of the young Queen, the reins of government being entrusted to her mother, the widowed Queen Emma, who rules so wisely as Regent during her daughter’s minority.  The Kingdom of Bavaria is controlled by a Regent in the person of Prince Luitpold, owing to the lunacy of his nephew, King Otto.  Count Ernst of Lippe is Regent of the Principality of Lippe, whose sovereign is crazy.  Prince Albert is Regent of the Duchy of Brunswick.  The eldest son of the Prince of Reuss-Gera is Regent of the dominions of his father owing to the objections of the subjects of the latter to the old gentleman’s second marriage with an actress and Reuss Greiz is also now to be administered by a Regency owing to its new ruler being an imbecile, blind, deaf and dumb.

NR

© 2011 The Esoteric Curiosa. All Rights Reserved