James Boswell died in 1795 believing he had touched and kissed a cache of Shakespeare's original letters and papers discovered by a Mr. Ireland. His friend, Edmond Malone, publicly exposed the lot as a forgery just a year later.
Franz Xavier, Prince of Saxony
Franz Xavier, Prince of Saxony
Born Aug 25, 1730 in DresdenDied Jun 21, 1806 in Zabeltitz
Alias:
Franz Xaver Albert August Ludwig Benno von Sachsen
Graf von der Lausitz
Biography:
Son of Augustus III of Poland and Maria Josepha of Austria. In 1765 he married, secretly, Maria Chiara Spinucci (d. 1792), a Lady-in-waiting to his sister-in-law. Their marriage wasn't formally proclaimed until 1777.
Following the death of his older brother Frederick Christian in 1763, Prince Xavier acted as administrator of the electorate of Saxony on behalf of his nephew Frederick Augustus (1750-1827) until his coming-of-age in 1768.1 In 1769 he moved to France where he received the title of Count of Lusatia. At the beginning of the French revolution he and his family moved to Rome, where he stayed until a few years after the death of his wife 1792. He returned to Saxony and spent the rest of his life in Schloss Zabeltitz where he died in 1806.
Life with Boswell:
Boswell visited the Court of Saxony in Dresden on October 12, 1764, and subsequently described Xavier as having “something the look of Dempster”.
Note 1: The Dowager Electress Maria Antonia (1724-1780) acted a actual regent during that same period.
Add new comment