W. John Koch

A book about the life of the English Princess of Pless. Daisy Cornwallis-West made a spectacular, though loveless, marriage to the German Prince of Pless. The book describes her marriage, her friendships with King Edward VII of Britain, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, and other notable personalities. Her friendship with the Kaiser is of particular interest to the reader, as she was able to talk with him frankly and honestly without fear of repercussions. At the time of World War I, Daisy worked with the Red Cross, though was later falsely accused of being a British spy, which forever tarnished her reputation in Germany. The Kaiser did come to her aid and tried to rehabilitate her name, but his own name was in shambles.

The book also talks about Daisy's life after the war, made extremely difficult by divorce, ill-health, and near poverty. A few factual mistakes do not hinder the book, though some portions of it seem long and drawn out.… (mehr)