Featured Help identifying signature and translating from French.

Hey guys, I found this thing on-line for sale, and the signature says V A R Prince d'Orleans. I found it a bit confusing, in the begining it seems to say Cher Mr. "Someone" (Dear Mr. Someone) and so written by the Prince.In the end it seems to be signed by this Mr. and adressed to the Prince, mostly because the Prince wouldn't sign V A R (Votre Altesse Royale, Your Royal Highness), but also, this Mr. Someone wouldn't start a letter with Dear Mr Someone.

Can anyone help me? French translator. People who are good with handwriting, maybe could identify what's written.




* I say Mr Someone because I couldn't identify his name

Here's a link to the full size image.
https://i.imgur.com/iCT7t45.jpg

 

to me this says Dear Mr Lafusie(?) and is addressed to him at (chez) the home of V>A>R> whatever

 

That makes sense

 

Here is an wikipedia article about the princes of Orleans.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princes_of_Orléans

 

In the time this was written, the Chateau d'Eu was owned by the Prince Gaston of Orleans, Count of Eu and his wife, Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil. His descendants had the title of Prince of Orleans-Braganza at that time, so probably Gaston was the only Prince of Orleans in the Castle by then. But the strange thing is, he was usually refered to as Count of Eu, even his wife, who was Head of the Brazilian Imperial House, would sign as Countess of Eu

 

It's SAR, Son Altesse, not VAR.

 

SAR makes a lot more sense unless it's adressed to the Prince, but I have a hard time seing an S instead of a V

 

Compare the S in SAR to the S beginning Siberia at the top of the card.

 

Wow, I would never imagine it said Siberia...

 

Best I can translate only what I think I can read from the writing...so it may not be 100% accurate.
At my home..... on July15 1910.
I received the ...from Pel...Thank You...which I only spread......but I am very complete....after our Ambassador is....would have for 3 but....(I couldn't read much after that) Signed your A. Goebel

 

The address is Chateau d' Eu.
The chateau d’Eu, the last royal estate in France, has been King Louis-Philippe's residence.
But before him, many illustrious people have pushed open the doors of this historical residence. The Duke of Guise, La Grande Mademoiselle, the Brazilian Imperial Family, Queen Victoria who signed the entente cordiale between France and Great-Britain, the Countess of Paris, etc. and the list goes on and on.

 

Eu is a town in France.

 

Chuzuya près Nikko le 15 Avril 1910

Cher Mr Latapie!
J’ai bien reçu votre carte de Pekin mercie (!) beaucoup, excusée (!) que je ne répond que maintenant mais j’ai été très occupé à cause de la visite du duc de Meklembourg, et puis après notre ambassadeur est parti en envoyé pour 3 mois, et depuis quelques jours nous sommes ici pour éviter le (!) chaleur de Tokio (!). Quand nous serons de retour en Europe j’espère d’avoir le plaisir de vous revoir. Saluts sincère (!), votre ? Goebel.

 

It seems it was a correspondence between two domestics/intendants/butlers friends.
Some misspellings from mr Goebel, who was very busy because of the visit of the duke of Meklembourg and the mission of « our ambassador ».
The place seems to be in Japan, and maybe the card travelled by the Trans Siberien train to reach France through Europe...

 

I agree. Part of a pleasant exchange between servants who travelled with their respective bosses. A nice testimony of 'downstairs' social history.
Son Altesse Royale - His Royal Highness - indicates that neither writer nor addressee are 'his royal highness' himself.

 

Think it should be Mecklenburg, no?

The word 'chez' means something like 'at the residence of' or 'place of', so here it's like 'in care of'.

 

Yes.

 

Yes, another misspelling, phonetic!

 

Looks to me like sender got Mecklen written correctly, but French instincts led to 'bourg' before 'burg'.

 

It could have been the accepted French spelling. A bit like Londres, which we spell Londen, btw.