MARIE-LOUISE (IMPERATRICE). [DEPARTURE FOR THE RUSSIAN CAMPA - Lot 219

Lot n° 219
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Result : 3 640EUR
MARIE-LOUISE (IMPERATRICE). [DEPARTURE FOR THE RUSSIAN CAMPA - Lot 219
MARIE-LOUISE (IMPERATRICE). [DEPARTURE FOR THE RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN: "J'AI UNE TRISTESSE AFFREUSE..."] Autograph letter signed "Louise", addressed to her "dear duchess" [A LA MARECHAL LANNES, duchesse de Montebello Louise Guéhenneuc, veuve du maréchal Lannes]. S.l., [April or early May 1812]. 1 p. 1/2 in12. Napoleon I was soon to take Marie-Louise to Germany, from where he would leave her to lead the Grande Armée into Russian territory. "My dear duchess! I've just received your letter and I'm going down to the Emperor to ask what I should do about Mr Lacépède. I'm going to start by scolding you for not telling me anything about your health... and what Monsieur Corvisart [Napoleon I's personal physician, Jean-Nicolas Corvisart] has ordered you to do. I want details of everything that interests you. I'M TAKING A DRUG HE ORDERED. HE FINALLY FOUND ME SICK and told me that I needed to take care of myself and take something when I'm alone in St-Cloud [Marie-Louise, a bit of a hypochondriac, often complained of minor or imaginary ailments]. I still have his fingerprints in my stomach, and I think he found something wrong there, because he told me he was happy to have examined me for treatment. He was also angry about a bet he lost against me, but that's a story too long to write and I'll tell you about it. I promise not to eat because I haven't been hungry for at least eight days. I hope you won't say that this nausea is a consequence of pregnancy. MY STOMACH STILL HURTS AND I'M TERRIBLY SAD... [Marie-Louise took up her pen again shortly afterwards to write:] "I'VE JUST TAKEN THE DRUG. YOU REALLY HAVE TO HAVE ALL THE CONFIDENCE I HAVE IN MR CORVISART NOT TO THINK SHE'S BEEN POISONED... L'EMPEREUR tells me to let Mr de Lacépède know this evening to come at 8 or 8.30, so I beg you to tell him right away. Please believe in my friendship..." DAME D'HONNEUR DE L'IMPERATRICE MARIE-LOUISE, LA MARECHALE LANNES (1782-1856) had been widowed in 1809. Daughter of Senator François-Scholastique Guéheneuc, she was Josephine's lady of the palace before becoming Marie-Louise's lady-in-waiting.
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