_Frederick Augustus, King_
Upon his father"s death, Frederick Augustus succeeded King George October 15, 1904. He is now forty-seven years old, while Louise is forty-two.
The King of Saxony has six children by Louise, three boys and three girls, five born in wedlock, the youngest born without wedlock. The children born in wedlock are:
The present Crown Prince, born 1893.
Frederick Christian, likewise born in 1893.
Ernest, born 1896.
Margaret, born 1900.
And Marie Alix, born 1901.
The youngest Princess of Saxony, so called, Anna Monica, was born by Louise more than six months after she left her husband and nearly three months after her divorce.
Louise desired to retain Anna Monica in her own custody, but though the child"s fathership is in doubt, to say the least, Frederick Augustus insisted upon the little one"s transference to his care.
_Allowance Raised and a Further Threat_
King Frederick Augustus raised Louise"s allowance to $12,000 per year, "which alimony ceases if the said Countess Montiguoso shall commit, either personally, directly or indirectly, any act in writing or otherwise liable to injure the reputation of King Frederick Augustus or members of the royal family of Saxony, or if the said Countess Montiguoso contributes to any such libellous publication in any manner or form."
_The Divorce of Royal Couple Illegal_
After divorce was p.r.o.nounced against her, Louise declined to accept the decree of the court, p.r.o.nouncing the proceedings illegal on the ground that both she and husband are Catholics and that the Roman Catholic Church, under no circ.u.mstances, recognizes divorce. Her protest gained importance from the fact that her marriage to Frederick Augustus was solemnized by the rites of the Roman Catholic Church. The Saxon court, on the other hand, justified its own decision by basing same on a certain civil ceremony entered into by Louise and Frederick Augustus previous to the church marriage.
_Louise Marries a Second Time_
When Louise realized in the course of years that Frederick Augustus would not take her back, she changed her mind as to the illegality of her divorce and married, September 25, 1907, Enrico Toselli, an Italian composer and pianist of small reputation.
This marriage was performed civilly. They have one child, a boy, about whose custody the now legally separated parents have inst.i.tuted several actions in law. The boy has now been allotted to the care of Toselli"s mother.
_King Did Not Marry Again_
King Frederick Augustus, though by the laws of Saxony and Germany allowed to contract a second marriage, has not availed himself of the license, probably in deference to the wishes of the Vatican. At the same time he spurned all of Louise"s attempts at reconciliation, the most dramatic of which was her _coup de tete_ of December, 1904, when she went to Dresden "to see her children," was arrested at the palace gate and conducted out of the kingdom by high police officials.
_Other Royalties Mentioned in This Volume_
Louise refers, in her Diary, to the Kaiser as "cousin." If there be any relationship between her and William, it is that imposed by the Saxon marriage, Saxon princes and princesses having frequently intermarried with the royal and princely Hohenzollerns, despite the differences of religion. There are four courts of Saxony despite that of Dresden: Weimar, Meiningen, Altenburg and Coburg and Gotha.
The latter duchy"s ruler, Karl Eduard, is of English descent, a son of the late Duke of Albany. Hence, Louise"s cousinship with Victoria Melita, sometime Grand d.u.c.h.ess of Hesse, now Grand d.u.c.h.ess Kyril of Russia.
Of course, Louise is closely related to all the Orleans and Bourbons.
Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, who died on the scaffold at Paris, October 16, 1793, she calls her great-grand-aunt and namesake, claiming, at the same time, most of the Kings and princes of France of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as relatives.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
MOTHERHOOD
PAGE
A sterile Royal Family once fruitful--Diary true record of self--Long legs of Countess Solms--A child only because he can"t help it--Wet nurse to Socialist brat--Royal permit for nursing--Royal negligee talk--A Saxon failing 1
CHAPTER II
THE SWEET FAMILY
Husband loving, but family nasty--Money considerations--Brutal caresses in public--Pests in the family--Awful serenity--Meddle with angels" or devils" affairs--Father-in-law"s gritty kiss 7
CHAPTER III
WEEPING WILLOW--EMBLEM ROYAL
A pious fraud--Theresa Mayer--Character of the Queen--Mopishness rampant 11
CHAPTER IV
MY UNPLEASANT YOUTH
Father hard to get along with--Royal imaginations--Kings cursing other kings--Poverty and pretense--Piety that makes children suffer--Up at five to pray on cold stones--Chilblains and prayer 15
CHAPTER V
A FIERCE DISCIPLINARIAN
Diamonds used to punish children--Face object of attacks-- Grunting and snorting at the royal table--Blood flowing at dinner--My brother jumps out of a window 19
CHAPTER VI
LEOPOLD DEFENDS MY HONOR AT HIS PERIL