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Preface
FewPolishvisitorstoLondoninthe
Czartoryska(1746-1835),thewifeofPrince
eighteenthcenturycouldequalthesta-
tusandrecognitionofPrincessIzabela
AdamKazimierzCzartoryski(1734-1823).
Izabelawasvastlyrich,acousinofthePolish
kingandthefemalefaceofthemostimportant
Polishpoliticalfaction,calledtheFamilia.She
wasamajorpersonalityinherownrighton
thesocialandpoliticalscene.Aconsummate
animatorofpublicspectacles,theatricalplays
andamasterchoreographerofthepatriotic
gesturesherelishedtheroleoftheengaged
politicalactivistpromotingherfamily)sgoals
andinterestsinaverypublicstyle.
Oftenonthemove,shetravelledthevast
territoriesofthePolish-LithuanianCommon-
wealthandvisitedthecourtsofEurope,sothere
wouldhavebeennothingunusualabout
her
spendingayearinLondonwithhereldestson
AdamJerzyatherside.However,1790wasnot
thetimeforhertobeawayfromPoland.The
GreatSejmwasinsession,warseemedinevita-
bleandthecountry)sverysurvivalwasindoubt,
andyetPrincessIzabelawassenttoEnglandas
achaperoneforthetwenty-year-oldAdamJer-
zy(1770-1861),toensurethathewouldcom-
pletehiseducation,introducehimselfasafu-
turestatesmantotheworldandstarthispublic
careerontherightfoot.Thisprovedtobeayear
ofveritableexile,awayfromallthedevelop-
mentsbackhome.Theyanxiouslywatchedthe
gatheringstorm,frustratedandconstrainedin
theirdailyschedules.WhileAdamtookinten-
siveinstructioninBritishconstitutionallaw,
IzabelawentonexcursionsaroundLondon,
acquiredbooksandobjectsofhistoricalinter-
estandcultivatedafewintimatefemalefriend-
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