Queen Elisabeth of Belgium - Handwritten letter few months before the outbreak of World War I - 1914

An original autograph of the later world-famous Belgian monarch known as “Queen Elisabeth” – a personal expression of thanks from the Belgian royal family, just a few months before the outbreak of the First World War.

Handwritten letter with signature. Brussels, 15 January 1914. 1 page, single-sided (23 × 18 cm), in French, with a large handwritten signature “Elisabeth”.
--------------------------------------

Personal letter from the Belgian Queen Elisabeth (born Duchess in Bavaria) to a Cardinal, who is addressed with “Mon Cousin” and “Votre Éminence.” Elisabeth thanks him for the Christmas wishes sent to her and her family and replies with her best wishes for the recipient. The letter closes with the formal courtesies “la bonne Cousine” and a decorative, large signature. Dated Brussels, 15 January 1914, the letter was created only a few months before the outbreak of the First World War and provides an authentic glimpse into the diplomatic and familial correspondence of Europe’s ruling houses on the eve of the turning point of 1914.

Transcription:

Mon Cousin,
I am greatly touched by the sentiments which Your Eminence was kind enough to express to me in the letter she sent me on the occasion of the Christmas holidays. I sincerely thank Her for the wishes she forms for my happiness and that of my Family. On this, I pray God, Mon Cousin, that He keeps You in His holy and worthy guard and I am,
of Your Eminence,
la bonne Cousine,

The future Queen Elisabeth enjoyed a high reputation far beyond Belgium for her humanitarian efforts during the First World War, her promotion of science and the arts, and her close ties to numerous European royal houses. Autographs from her early reign are sought mementos of European monarchy history.
--------------------------------------
Overall, a very beautiful, clean autograph with legible handwriting, a strong signature, and only a slight horizontal crease.