Author's note: the publication of a biography of the late Queen Juliana of the Netherlands inspired me to write a story in the form of an interview with the author of King Rupert's biography (chapter 1) as well as a review of said book (chapter 2). I used some ideas/characters from other stories of mine but there's no connection intended to those stories. The story is set pre-PD and Philippe is still alive.

HIS PARENTS OFFERED HIM THREE BRIDES TO SELECT FROM. RUPERT CHOSE THE YOUNGEST

After his award winning biography of former Prime Minister Suarez professor doctor Roger d'Essai is about to publish a biography of our late King Rupert II. In his office at the University of Pyrus he was interviewed by Claude Barrio.

Q: What made you want to delve into the King's life?

'When I was working on my Suarez biography I learned that King Louis VI was anxious to see his eighteen year old heir wed. It seemed trivial for Rupert didn't marry for another eighteen years so I didn't mention it. But it made me think why Louis VI was so outspoken. Was his health poor? Was his son a womanizer already and did he fear the threat of illegitimate grandchildren? I concluded that Louis VI, who was a bit of a hypochondriac, was afraid that he would not become older than his own father who died at age forty-five, the same age Louis had in 1935 when Rupert turned eighteen. In response to his father's request to get married the prince started to romance married women who were for that reason alone unlikely to wed him. He understood his father's anxieties but he felt that he was too young to be married. He wanted to have fun and enjoy himself. At age twenty-five his parents gave him half a year to find a wife or they would find him one.'

Q: Would his parents have wanted him to get married while there was a war going on?

'They wanted him to get engaged, that is for certain. Their timing again made me wonder whether the prince had been a party-animal and to my surprise I found that though he had dated several women over the years, he had also worked very hard to improve and create refugee camps for the victims of countries invaded by the nazis. I was intrigued and I decided to learn more about him.'

As I pick up the biography Mr d'Essai handed me on my arrival, it is clear that the professor wrote down a lot about the late King. There are four modest sections with pictures in the nine hundred page book and nearly eighty pages containing notes. With the Royal Archive not opening its files on Rupert II for many decades, I ask the professor after his sources.

'I was introduced to people from the King's circle. Some didn't want to talk but many did and they were my first sources apart from the documents I'd already gathered. I was grateful when count Courcy, the King's lifelong friend, proved willing to share his memories about the King. He was a very valuable source. Once it got to be known that I was working on a biography, I was approached by among others the grandson of the King's nanny who handed me the letters his grandmother had written to her family. Naturally I always cross-checked data and when I had doubts about this or that, I merely used it in a note or ignored it.'

Q: Checking the index I see that the first chapter is called "Obituaries". Why is that?

'I wanted to remind readers how the King had been looked upon. Actually I planned to end the book with an obituary written by me but my editor convinced me that such a summary of a life would not do justice to either man or book.'

Q: You mentioned having learned things about King Rupert when researching for another biography. How did you approach him?

'The way I like to work is to note down questions I want to answer. I then collect data – two of my students helped me with that–, process it and note down new questions. For instance I learned that Rupert had been understanding when his eldest son wanted to become a priest. This made me look into his past to see if there were indications that he himself had thought of a future outside the royal family. Once I reach the point where all of my questions are answered, I start writing.

When I compare my two biographies the striking difference is that people barely knew Suarez, while King Rupert was known since birth. Everyone, myself included, had an opinion about him and as a researcher I had to ignore that opinion and be open. The King surprised me.'

Q: How so? For not getting married when his parents wanted him to?

'Well, it did start then. By working hard for the war victims he proved to be more than a connaisseur of women and wine. He seemed ready for marriage but he ignored the task that had been set to him thinking that the King and Queen were bluffing. Knowing that he didn't get married until 1953, I concluded that he'd been right. He'd been wrong however. When he didn't bring home a fiancée his parents offered him three brides to select from. Rupert chose the youngest: lady Clarisse.'

Q: Lady Clarisse as in Queen Clarisse? But she was only seven in 1942. What or who are your sources?

'Among others count Courcy showed me a letter the prince had sent him about his options. The count graciously allowed me to bring experts on handwriting and paper and such and they confirmed the letter to be authentic.'

Q: Were the other two brides-to-be also children?

'No they weren't. One was nineteen, the other twenty-two.'

Q: Why did the prince chose a child to be his future wife?

'It allowed him to remain a bachelor for another eleven years.'

Q: Rumour has it that after he married he still lived as if he were a bachelor.

'Those eleven years didn't turn him into a faithful husband. However, unlike people think he didn't sleep around once he was wed. He had eight affairs during his marriage, lasting from eight months till seven years. As a married man he was very discrete when it came to his "partners": they never made it to the papers. He spent his time with them in one of count Courcy's mansions.'

Q: Have you interviewed any of his mistresses?

'Out of the eight ladies one passed away years ago. Someone whose affair with him took place in the 1960's was willing to talk. She kept seeing him after the relationship ended and she became a confidant when it came to his affairs.'

Q: Have your inquiries into his private life led to other new facts?

'Yes, among others I learned that he was afraid to become the sort of father his father had been to him. Louis VI wasn't unkind, but he was distant. He communicated through letters. Queen Clarisse taught her husband that he could be sponteaneous, that is was all right to hug. As a result Rupert became a father who showed his sons that he loved them. He was also a kind, supporting brother and a loyal friend. As for a husband: obviously he didn't keep to his wedding vows but he was fond of the Queen and he highly respected her judgement. They made for a great team. In later life he tried to make up for all those years when he took her for granted.'

Q: As a King, what was his greatest strength?

'His love for his people. He wanted to improve the lives of his subjects. It first showed during WWII and it never stopped. He was also good at promoting Genovia and Genovian trade abroad. He's done a lot for the Genovian Olympic Commission: he in fact initiated it.'

Q: Have you changed the way you thought about the King?

'He wasn't the partying womanizer I expected him to be. What surprised me most was that my idea of him as a politician was incorrect. He was a man for hands on action. '

Q: You mean that he preferred offering direct help over defending proposals in Parliament?

'As I said: he and Her Majesty made a great team. He was capable of persuaing people to do his bidding and he in fact liked this power of his but she was the all round politician of the two. And the diplomat as well. The King had a bit of a temper and on occassion the Queen prevented a heated moment to turn into a diplomatic affront.'

Q: To finish this interview, there is talk of making a statue of the King. How would you prefer that to look like?

'It's usually head to toe isn't it? The King made a striking figure in uniform and he liked being around soldiers, so a statue in uniform is to be expected. I'd say that in a painting one could show more of his personality.'

Q: How would a painting of Rupert II have to look like?

'His sons would have to be in it too for he dearly loved them and the feeling was mutual. I can picture the three of them standing by a chair in which the Queen is seated. Like in old works of art there'd be various symbols in it. I don't know a lot about paintings though. You do, don't you? (I nod.) So after you read Rupert, the king, the man you can tell me how his painting ought to look like.

Note: next week's Country's Voice will contain a review of prof. dr. d'Essai's book.