14: Prince Peter in Paris
Now we are in the foyer looking at Prince Peter zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, the “richest bachelor in Europe”, dressed in white uniform as a Russian military attaché in Paris. He had inherited about 1.2 million hectares of land from his mother, Princess Stephanie Radziwill, richly endowed with towns and villages, palaces and castles. In Paris, Peter fell in love with the actress Rosalie Léon, a liaison out of keeping with his rank and title. They built two castles in Brittany and died childless. The rest of his fortune went to his sister Marie.
Now let us head upstairs – by stairs or elevator – to Peter’s grandfather, the famous field marshal.