The Rival Princes or, a Faithful Narrative of Facts, relating to Mrs. M.A. Clarke's political acquaintance with Colonel Wardle, Major Dodd, &c. &c. &c., who were concerned in the charges against the Duke of York; together with, A variety of Authentic and Important Letters, and Curious and Interesting Anecdotes of Several Persons of Political Notoriety [2 Vols.]

Bookseller Notes

Laid in to the first volume is an autograph letter from Daphne du Maurier, dated January 26 1937, returning these books (the recipient addressed only as 'Dear Madam'). Du Maurier explains that 'My Mother has a copy of "The Rival Princes" in her possession, which I read before writing "The du Mauriers", therefore I return the two volumes to you'. The letter is on paper headed to Greyfriars in Church Crookham she was at this point engaged in completing 'Rebecca', having recently moved back from Egypt. The author of this book was an ancestor of du Maurier's, her great-great-grandmother, about whom she would later write the novel Mary Anne. Mary Anne Clarke was the Duke of York's mistress. Her influence over him was very great, and said to extend to advising him on the disposition of his considerable patronage. In 1809 eight charges of wrongful use of his patronage were brought against the Duke, which although not proven, forced (for a short period) his resignation as commander-in-chief. Clarke figured prominently in the trial, and subsequently published the present work which contains a remarkably free account of the state of relations between the two royal Dukes, York and Kent, and an attack on the instigators of the investigation. An erratum at the close of the first volume corrects 'public birth' to 'public mirth' as the thing that was occurring on the drawing-room carpets there mentioned.