A letter from Frederick II to his wife Elisabeth Christine, Queen of Prussia
Sepia ink on paper. "Madame, Je vous suis fort obligé de Votre Souvenir il faut bien que mon vieu Cadavre soutienne les fatigues tant bien que mal, j´aurai Le plaisir de Voir ma Soeur de bronsvic sur La fin de ce Mois, je Crois que le Duc Viendra ici quelques jours plustot, je Souhaite que Vous passiez agreablement votre temps a la Campagne en Vous pryant de me Croire avec bien de L´estime Madame Votre tres humble Serviteur Federic". Watermarked JHONIG & ZOONEN. Faint creases. H 23.1, W 18.8 cm.
Dated "le 14 Sept 1780".
"Madame, I am very grateful for your reminder. My old carcass has to endure the fatigue. I will have the pleasure of seeing my sister from Braunschweig at the end of this month. I believe the Duke will come here for a few more days. I wish you a pleasant time in the country, and I remain, with respect, your humble servant Frederick" - that would be the approximate translation of this very kind, binding but also slightly distanced letter to his wife, Elisabeth Christine von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern (1715 - 97), with whom he became engaged on March 10, 1732, and whom he married June 12, 1733 in Salzdahlum Castle. The marriage remained childless, as the king commented: "She is beautiful and cannot complain that I do not love her at all, in short - I really do not know why we do not have children".
Literature
Printed in: Preuss (ed.), Oeuvres de Frédéric le Grand, Berlin 1855, vol. 26, p. 59.