UPDATE: Thanks to a comment from Dutch historian Ignaz Matthey, it looks like we can debunk the story of this duel. I fell for the fake news! So embarrassing, right? If this is your first visit, read the story of the duel below as I originally wrote it, then stick around for a little debunking at the end. If you …
The Princess in the Concentration Camp
I came across this story while researching a post for Tiara Tuesday. And now that I know it, I can’t forget it, so I’m going to share it with you. It’s about Mafalda of Savoy, an Italian princess who died in a concentration camp during World War II. Before the Storm Princess Mafalda of Savoy was born in Rome in …
Madame du Barry & Me: What an 18th Century Courtesan Taught Me about Modern Life
If you’ve ever wondered where writers get their ideas, sometimes it’s when they were looking for something completely different. Case in point: I’ve been reading the biography Du Barry by Stanley Loomis, as part of my research for the sequel to The Romanov Legacy. The book is a fascinating glimpse at Louis XV’s last mistress. I related to her in …