Below you will find a small selection of letters sent between 1855-58 by the teenage Princess Françoise d'Orléans 1844–1925 to an friend she has made while in exile.
Françoise d'Orléans was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine the daughter of Prince François, Prince of Joinville (son of King Louis Philippe I), and of Princess Francisca of Brazil (daughter of Emperor Peter I of Brazil). On 24 February 1848, during the February 1848 Revolution, King Louis Philippe abdicated. On 26 February, the Second Republic was proclaimed. He fled to England and spent his final years incognito as the 'Comte de Neuilly' and his family remained in exile in Great Britain in Claremont, Surrey. The collection also contains locks of hair and teeth from the infant Princess.the western front. He saw joining the army as much a part of his civic duty as any other task he had undertaken as an Epsom councillor.
Full transcripts below.
7223/3/24 Image Number :7223-2-24b
My Dear Aimely
I am always thinking of you, and wishing to see you again. It will be so very nice to spend a good winter together, darling. My Uncle (Montpensier) has arrived this Friday evening with his numerous family, Christine and Amelie are pretty but Amelie is a darling the most agreeable and able to all then the new ones Ferdinand he is quite rather ugly and so is Me_____ but the baby is most beautiful. We are now an immense family we took two benches at church this morning.
On Friday we all expected the ______ and the Montpensier went to a morning and evening party at Twickenham. (Le Nafson) sung played from little vaudeville, he is most amusing, there was an imminence quantity of people. _____ the most curious of all was Madame De Castiglione a enamoured beauty who has a brain at least with feet on the ground just like a queen on the theatre. We danced from nine to 11 o’clock it was very amusing. I hope you enjoyed your day at London, the country is most lovely here. We ride often with the two cousins (Lobonry). My joy would be complete if Papa should come back but , woe alas this was is so terribly long. I have good hopes to see my brother next month.
Good-bye darling, my Kindest remembrances to your mother.
Yours most affectionately
Francoise d’Orleans
7223/3/16 Image Number :7223-3-16a-c
Dearest Aimely
Thank you very much for your letter. I was sorry to hear that you were going to have those horrible London friends come back here on Saturday. I am very happy to be at home and with dear (Philip)....Dear Granny is going on well, she is better however she is still very fatigued and was not able to go for a walk. Yesterday for the first time since she is here she came down for breakfast but she did not dine with us, it would have been too much for her.
Thursday I road to Twickenham on my dear (Framboise). I breakfasted at Orléans House and on coming back in the carriage I and Miss Garden who make a great bow.
On Wednesday we went to London and we saw Louis Davis at the station at Esher always laughing and hollering very elaborately.
I hope that you shall nor go to Mr Brigg because it is always a very loathsome thing to go to the dentist. This morning my Papa and my brother our out hunting. I never not say how I should have longed to go with them, I walked quickly with Johnny who is always my great favourite....
Goodbye dear Aimely. I love you with all my heart and hope to see you soon.
Your Friend
Chiquily.