Handwritten note from Princess Isabel (1907)

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In 1907, Princess Elizabeth thanks the generosity of Paul Darblay, a well-known French businessman.

• Handwritten note from Princess Elizabeth to Paul Darblay.
• One page, with the original envelope without the stamp.
• In French.
• 13 cm x 10.3 cm.
• France, March 11, 1907.
• Excellent condition.
• Unique piece.

Dear Mr Darblay,

I am touched and grateful for your generosity to my beloved Boulogne.
My going to Eu stopped me.

Its very affectionate.

Isabel Countess of Eu.

The Imperial Princess of Brazil (1846 - 1921), better known as Princess Isabel, is the daughter of Emperor Dom Pedro II. A liberal woman open to the world, she signed the "Free Womb" Law in 1871, which gave freedom to the children of slaves and, in 1888, the Áurea Law, which abolished slavery in Brazil. Both decisions provoked great opposition among coffee and sugar farmers. Brazil was the last Western country to abolish slavery, which lasted three centuries, exploiting 12 million black Africans. From 1889, Princess Isabel went into exile in France, where she spent the rest of her life with her family.

The Darblay family is a powerful 19th century industrial family who made their fortune in milling and stationery. It was part of what was called the "two hundred families", that is, the shareholders of the Bank of France. The founders of this family's fortune are the brothers Auguste-Rodolphe Darblay and Ayme-Stanislas Darblay, who acquired and operated with great success mills and, later, a stationery store developed by Paul Darblay, recipient of this note.

The Count d'Eu owned the castle d'Eu in Normandy, but he and Princess Isabel bought a mansion in Boulogne-sur-Seine with the sale of their assets in Brazil. There, in a noble peripheral neighborhood of Paris, they received illustrious Brazilians who came to visit them. We don't know the contribution that Paul Darblay had in "cher Boulogne".

In addition to being entirely handwritten by Princess Isabel, and in perfect condition, it deals with the personal life, in France, of the illustrious daughter of Emperor Dom Pedro II. Anyway, the big signature is particularly beautiful.