[LOUIS (Bonaparte, 1778-1846, brother of Napoleon I and father of Napoleon III, King of Holland 1806-1810)]

Group of 7 Autograph Letter Signed or LS, 4 from M. Chantal, in the Comptroller's office at Huis ten Bosch, 2 from his colleague Heer v. Kerkhoff, addressed to M. de Sénégra, the King's Master of the Household currently in Paris, and 1 from M. Mésangère, probably to a colleague who has accompanied Sénégra, there is no news about the Household ('le Service') except that M. Suberbie has not come back from Het Loo with the documents needed for "the Commission" (apparently the Auditors) (2nd June 1807), "M. Mésangère not having fulfiled his promise I have put everything in order, both to satisfy the suppliers and to be in a position to close the account for May", the Commission have examined Mésangère's books and cash, but "no doubt believing that they were not authorized to work with an employee" have not made a finding, the Household debt is now over a million florins, he has drawn up the accounts for their Majesties' visits to Wiesbaden and the Queen's to Mainz, and encloses the current plans [not present] of architect Thibault for redesigning the interior of Huis ten Bosch (13th June 1807), in the next letters the items to be authorized by Sénégra keep piling up, Kerkhoff stands in for Chantal who has a fever, and discusses the case of the Royal Domains in what was Prussian East Friesland, Chantal explains why the Household expenses are up in spite of their Majesties' absence, being brought forward from May, finally there is the letter from Mésangère whose social life is clearly taking over, spending part of every day with the Vanderhoffs and their talented daughter, he compliments his correspondent on being able to mix pleasure and business in Paris, and ends with a complicated story of money being held for his account in the Treasury but not all available as cash, "What impertinence!" (23rd June 1807), together 16 sides 4to., The Hague, 2nd - 30th June margins of letter of 30th June trimmed, barely touching two letters at top

Holland was occupied by the French from 1795 to 1813, initially with the support of the Dutch republicans. In 1806 Napoleon made his brother Louis, who was married to Napoleon's step-daughter Hortense, King of Holland as Lodewijk I.
Louis and Hortense arrived at Huis ten Bosch on 18th June 1806.

Item Date:  1807

Stock No:  52085      £425

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