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Description
[Royalty]
Karl-Wilhelm Naundorff or Charles-Louis, Duke of Normandy (1785–1845), the impostor Louis XVII
A rare set of four letters, 1834–1835, 10 pp. in-4 and in-8, written in Kurrent (an old German script), addressed to his wife Johanna Einert and his daughter Amélie
Better known as Karl-Wilhelm Naundorff, a clockmaker of Prussian origin, who arrived in Paris in 1833 claiming to be none other than Louis XVII, the son of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. According to his account: he did not die in the Temple prison in 1795; loyalists had smuggled him out and replaced him with another child; and he had spent years in captivity or exile under various identities before claiming his rights.
Although modern science (DNA tests carried out in 1998 and 2014) has proven that he had no biological link to the Bourbons, he managed to convince many former members of the court at Versailles at the time through his knowledge of intimate details concerning the royal family.
L.A.S., 16 October 1834, written from Paris, whilst in exile, addressed to his daughter in Dresden, Saxony, in which we see a father concerned about his daughter’s artistic education (piano, guitar, harmony) but also one who is very protective of her moral character, warning her against seducers such as this ‘Monsieur Sabatier’. The signature ‘Duke of Normandy’ shows that he firmly maintained his royal claim, even in his private correspondence with his children.
Letter from the author, Paris, 4 June 1834, addressed to Johanna Einert, his wife, staying with Madame de Survilliers in Dresden, Saxony, in which we discover a practical aspect of the Naundorff family’s life: the practical arrangements for their exile, the sending of luxury gifts, and the cultivation and affirmation of family ties with the European nobility
Letter from the author, 2 July 1834, Chartres, addressed to his daughter, encouraging her to perfect her French in preparation for an upcoming meeting with her aunt (presumably the Duchess of Angoulême, Marie-Thérèse, the sister of the true Louis XVII, whom Naundorff was desperately hoping to convince)
Letter from the author, 2 July 1834, Chartres, addressed to her daughter, encouraging her to perfect her French in preparation for an upcoming meeting with her aunt (presumably the Duchess of Angoulême, Marie-Thérèse, the sister of the genuine Louis XVII, whom Naundorff was desperately hoping to convince)
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See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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