The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-07-29
OBITUARY.
Madame Marie Ratnzzi.

NUN Athsth "
A cable telegram from Florence brings Us the
intelligence that the celebrated Madame Ratazzi
is no more. che was a cousin of Napoleon Ill,
her grandfather having been Lucien Bonaparte,
Prince Of Canine, and one of the brothers of
Napoleon l. Prince Pierre Bonaparte, who shot
Victor Noir, is an uncle of the deceased lady,
whose mother, the Princess Letitia, married in
1921 Sir Thomas Wyse, the British Minister
to Greece, by whom she had several children,
including the subject of this sketch. The
domestic relations of Sir Thomas and Lady Wyse
were unhappy and they finally separated. The
wife then went to Paris, where she was thrown
in society as Madame Wyse-Bonaparte. Her
daughter was born in Athens on the 2lst of July,
1888, was educated in Paris, and became distin-
guished in society for her beauty aud talents.
In 1859 she married, at Strasbourg, M. Fleischer
Solms, and was known for some years as the
Countess Solms. In 1862 she separated from her
husband, and in 1868 married Urbano Ratazzi,
the famous Italian statesman.
When Louis Napoleon became President of
the French republic he recognized his cousin as
a member of his family, and she was welcomed
at the EIysees. At the time of the coup d'etat
Maria Wyse was q mere girl of nineteen years,
a belle of society, and much sought after in
marriage. AS stated above, she first married
Solms and separated from him-or rather he
left her, because the pair discovered that
they we're not affinities. During the follow
ing year she married Ratazzi, who had
already achieved reputation as a statesman
of Italy. AS a member of the fdmtle ciuile she
received a pension of five Thousand dollars per
annum. The greater part OF the time she resided
in Paris, where she had already made q reputa-
ton as an author. What attracted attention in
her writings was the boldness with which she
satirized persons moving in the highest circles
of society. For q time nothing was said to her,
but finally she published a romance, under cover
of which she violently attacked Count Cavour
and the most eminent ministers of the French
Government, hardly concealing their names
from the public. The book created intense
excitement everywhere in Italy and France. So
profoundly was political society stirred by the
scandal that Napoleon was compelled to take
official notice of it. Madame Ratazzi's pension
was taken from her, and she was ordered to
leave Paris. Going to Florence, she engaged
actively in political intrigue. 1t was not long
before she published another romance, full of
personalities, in which the characters of the
most aristocratic ladies of Italy were shamefully
attacked. Hating Louis Napoleon with the ut
most intensity, she used her influence with her
husband against him. Ratazzi resigned the
Premiership of, Italy for the purpose of going
into opposition to the Emperor, and
became a strong advocate of an alliance
with Prussia. ALI that she could do to injure
the occupant of the Tuileries, Madame Ratazzi
did. Her war against him never ceased. Fail
ing to make Victor Emanuel a convert to her
views she revenged herself by calling him a
blockhead and exposing some of his love in
trigues. Not that she was, herself, like Caesars
wife,, for some strong stories have been told
about her; but she was, nevertheless, O woman
of great ability, and one whose influence in
Italian politics was at one time considerable.