Daisy, Princess of Pless, 1873-1943

Book excerpt: Married to one of Imperial Germany's wealthiest princes, Daisy of Pless nee Cornwallis-West occupied a prominent place in Edwardian Society. The biography of Princess Daisy of Pless becomes a journey of discovery through the life of a woman who was beautiful, intelligent, idealistic, and creative in pursuing her humanitarian and political goals. Daisy of Pless was the friend of King Edward VII and Emperor Wilhelm II. She fought against many adversities for the betterment of life of the poor and the working class and for peace in Europe. In the end, although as a woman and as a member of her class she was ahead of her time, her accomplishments went unrecognized and she was quickly forgotten except by the poor and the working people of Lower Silesia she had helped so effectively. Celebrated as one of the great beauties of Edwardian England and as the glamorous hostess of the international set at Castle Furstenstein in Imperial Germany, Daisy of Pless led a life of remarkable triumphs that ended suddenly with the onset of the Great War.Between 1914 and 1918, condemned to life in enemy country, she served as auxiliary nurse on German and Austrian hospital trains in France and in Serbia. Her last triumph was the publication of her diaries after 1927. Her life ended in a great tragedy of chronic illness, social isolation, and poverty. With this startling biography, the accomplishments of Daisy of Pless may rise from obscurity to a recognized place in history and inspire readers everywhere.