PERSONAL COPY of Princess Anne of Denmark / 1925, Lady Susan by Jane Austen / Limited to 250 Copies / Wonderful Unique Collector's Item

An exciting discovery! When I saw the name "Bowes-Lyon" on this copy of Jane Austen's Lady Susan I was immediately interested. Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was the maiden name of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (wife to King George VI and mother of our current Queen Elizabeth II). This copy belonged to (Anne Ferelith) Fenella Bowes Lyon she was closely related to the Queen Mother: Anne's paternal grandfather was Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, father of her aunt Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Fenella herself would go on to become Princess Anne of Denmark. Making this book, the personal copy of a central figure in the English aristocracy who would go on to become Princess of Denmark.

Not only that, this is already a collectable edition, being limited to only 250 copies and produced on beautiful handmade paper. In very good condition. Published by Oxford at the Clarendon Press in 1925 reprinted from the original manuscript.

This is the first time that Lady Susan was published on its own and not in conjunction with Austen-Leigh's Memoirs or The Watsons.

Lady Susan is a short epistolary novel by Jane Austen not published in her lifetime and finally in 1871 in conjunction with other works. This early complete work, which the author never submitted for publication, describes the schemes of the title character. The 2016 film starring Kate Beckinsale, Love and Friendship was based on Lady Susan.

The Preface of this edition reads:

"Nothing is known of Lady Susan except what may be learned from the author's manuscript. Miss Austen wrote a fair copy of the piece on paper bearing watermarks 1805. She gave it no title......The story is now reprinted from the autograph by the courtesy of its present owner, the Earl of Rosebery. The manuscript, unlike those of Sanditon and The Watsons, is not a draft but a fair copy. It is beautifully written and almost free from correction and erasure."

Inside the pages are bright, clean and tightly bound with no signs of wear at all and no writing or inscriptions. With some mild toning and tanning to the closed outside edges.

In grey-green Ingres papered boards with cream cloth spine and paper title plate. All clean and bright with just a couple of lght marks to the papered boards. With the book-plate attached to the front board. The paper title plate on the spine has a small area of loss at the top. There is a spare title plate attached to the end of the book as issued which is crisp and bright. You could affix the new title plate but I personally like the original with a bit of age to it.

At time of writing I also have a matching copy of The Watsons with the book plate of Princess Anne (see separate listing). Making totally unique copies for a gift or for the collector. Your copy of Lady Susan will be wrapped with care in tissue and ribbon* and sent well packaged with tracking and insurance. I am always happy to add a gift card with a message to the parcel.

H 20 cm x W 13.5 cm, 173 pages plus many notes, 0.37 kg. I dispatch worldwide daily from the UK. With the exception of a small number of countries.

* If you would prefer for your book not to be decoratively wrapped and sent simply in the full packaging please add a note to the order.

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