The Puppet Crown

A crown has brought Leopold authority in name and weariness in practice. In the opening of Harold MacGrath's adventure novel, the king sits beneath an orange tree and draws in the gravel while a British diplomat watches him. A confederation chose Leopold because it wanted an obedient ruler, passing over the determined Josef. Leopold would rather think about philosophy than govern, and his ministers run the kingdom while he retreats into dreams.

The imaginary kingdom's unrest also frames Maurice Carewe's encounter with a princess. Thanking him for his gallant service, she invites him into her carriage and finally commands him to accept. His dusty clothes and nervous manners meet her pride, sadness and insistence on proper etiquette. News of the king's illness and noisy student demonstrations adds tension to their conversation. The novel offers readers court intrigue alongside dialogue about the gap between royal ceremony and actual power.