MARIE HENRIETTE OF AUSTRIA: (1836-1902) Queen consort of the Belgians 1865-1902, wife of King ...

MARIE HENRIETTE OF AUSTRIA: (1836-1902) Queen consort of the Belgians 1865-1902, wife of King Leopold II. A.L.S., with her initials M. H., two pages, 8vo, Alcsut [Palace, Hungary], 3^rd May 1870, to her husband, King Leopold II, ('Mein lieber Leopold'), in German (interspersed with a little French). The Queen informs her spouse that, after a few tiring days in Vienna, she is now comfortably resting at Alcsut, and continues to send social news, 'As I predicted to you, I recognised the road to Alcsut as well as if I had never been away. Clot is very handsome but very strong. She and my brother commend themselves to Your Grace….In Vienna the hustle and bustle is such that I was in despair and very tired. The Emperor was extraordinarily friendly, the small Louis did a great job, he became infinitely polite. I found my sister very different and tres etroite d'idees - so embarrassing…..We kept my brother in bed today because he has flu. I drove Clot to the farm where we drank cow's milk which was delicious…' An unusually warm letter of the Queen to her husband, whose unhappy marriage had been arranged against the will of both parties, the couple not sharing common interests and Leopold's open adultery becoming such a source of humiliation to the Queen that they were to live separately and not be involved in each other's personal lives from 1872 onwards. Some heavy damp staining and some tears and small areas of paper loss, largely restored to a good standard, FR

Leopold II (1835-1909) King of the Belgians 1865-1909 and the self-made autocratic ruler of the Congo Free State 1885-1908. The King had married Marie Henriette in 1853 although had many mistresses throughout his life including Caroline Lacroix, a 16-year-old French prostitute whom he met in 1899 in his 65^th year. They remained together until his death, secretly marrying in a religious ceremony five days before the King passed away, although their failure to perform a civil ceremony rendered the marriage invalid under Belgian law.