OUT OF PRINT!

Memoirs of the Duchesse de Dino 1836 – 1840,

Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1910

We usually first encounter the Duchesse de Dino (1793-1862) through her lover and companion Prince Talleyrand. Talleyrand, one of the most enigmatic diplomats in history, is famous for deftly surfing the political waves of changing regimes and contributing to Napoleon’s downfall. There was only one person who captured Talleyrand’s heart and that was the Duchesse de Dino.

Born in 1783, the same year that Marie Antoinette was guillotined, her memoir is astutely political and captivatingly feminine. We learn about dresses and dinner parties as well as conversations she had with her friend, the last king of France, Louis-Phillipe who was forced to abdicate in 1848 and spent the remainder of his life in exile in England. This is the ultimate insider’s guide. The duchesse knew everyone and went everywhere. She made it a point to only write about what she saw and knew firsthand — and it was plenty.