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- A London Story by George BUCHANAN (from the library of Elisabeta of Romania)
A London Story by George BUCHANAN (from the library of Elisabeta of Romania)
BUCHANAN, George. A London Story. London; Constable & Co., 1935.
First edition. 315 pp. 8vo, original cloth, spine faded. Very good.
From the Library of Elisabeta of Romania and Queen of Greece, doubly signed by her - first signature to The Book Society bookplate designed by Edmund Dulac; second signature, dated 1935, to the title-page.
Elisabeta of Romania (1894-1956) was the eldest daughter of Queen Marie of Romania (born into the British Royal family as Princess Marie of Edinburgh), and King Ferdinand of Romania (born Prince Ferdinand of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen). Princess Elisabeta was an accomplished musician, who had been taught piano by George Enescu. Upon her marriage to George II of Greece in 1922, Elisabeta became Queen of the Hellenes, but their reign ended in 1924 when the monarchy was dissolved and Greece became a republic. Following her divorce in 1935, Elisabeta lived in Romania until she was again driven into exile when the pro-communist government forced the abdication of her nephew King Michael, and abolished the monarchy in 1947. Elisabeta settled in the south of France where she made a living teaching the piano.
‘… she [Elisabeta] was most pleasant charming & I must say beautiful – would love to do many studys [sic] of her…I feel sorry for this fine face – unfortunate lonely woman’ (from the diary of the famous portrait painter Philip de Laszló, 1936)