Pride and the Poor Princess

by Barbara Cartland

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Handsome, infinitely wealthy war hero, the Duke of Buckminster or 'Buck' to his many friends, is bored with civilian life after the excitement of the Great War. His fabulous yacht, The Siren, is packed with guests, including Dolly, a famous Society beauty who is determined to trap the Duke into marriage. He reluctantly agrees to sail to Constantinople so that he may purchase for Dolly a treasure trove of jewels and sables, exploiting the desperation of Russian refugees from the 1917 Revolution. The Duke is appalled by the poverty and suffering of the Russians and Turks alike - and when an old ally, Prince Ivan Kerenski whom he met before the war in St. Petersburg, demands that he uses The Siren to smuggle Russian Royalty out of the clutches of the Bolsheviks, who are hounding them, he quickly agrees. Almost instantly, he is captivated by the beautiful young waif Militsa, daughter of the Grand Duke Alexis. Pure, innocent and intelligent, she is everything the spoilt Dolly is not - but surely love between them is impossible. After all as an Englishman he is the enemy and Her Serene Highness Princess Militsa makes it very clear that she hates him -… (more)

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Spoilers: Russian Princess Militsa is rescued from Turkey with her father the Grand Duke, Prince Ivan and Alexander by the Duke of Buckminster. They are escaping the Bolsheviks who are searching for the Grand Duke to kill him. Buck carries them on his yacht to Cairo where Prince Ivan and Alexander leave the ship and his original passengers disembark including his married lover Dolly whose husband arrives to reclaim her. A doctor comes on board to examine the Grand Duke and diagnoses cancer requiring surgery in Monte Carlo. The Princess who hates the English for refusing to save the Romanovs, has avoided Buck and refuses to accept anything from him due to her pride being all she has left. When everyone leaves the ship and she realizes that the Duke will not only carry them to Monte Carlo but pay for her father's surgery she offers herself as his mistress in place of the now absent Dolly. He accepts verbally but does not act on it but woos her with conversation. The Grand Duke dies one day away from Monte Carlo and is buried at sea. Upon arrival at his villa in Monte Carlo he orders a wardrobe for Militsa who accepts understanding that it is what a mistress would do. When the beautiful gowns arrive he tells her to dress in the most fancy and they travel to the home of a Russian imigre and he marries her in a Russian orthodox ceremony...love has happened. (

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Karen74Leigh | May 8, 2023 |

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Bantam Barbara Cartland Library (134)

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Canonical title

Pride and the Poor Princess

Original title

Alternative titles

Original publication date

1980-12

People/Characters

Duke of Buckminster

Princess Militsa of Russia

Important places

Constantinople, Turkey

Important events

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Epigraph

Dedication

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Disambiguation notice

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Handsome, infinitely wealthy war hero, the Duke of Buckminster or 'Buck' to his many friends, is bored with civilian life after the excitement of the Great War. His fabulous yacht, The Siren, is packed with guests, including Dolly, a famous Society beauty who is determined to trap the Duke into marriage. He reluctantly agrees to sail to Constantinople so that he may purchase for Dolly a treasure trove of jewels and sables, exploiting the desperation of Russian refugees from the 1917 Revolution. The Duke is appalled by the poverty and suffering of the Russians and Turks alike - and when an old ally, Prince Ivan Kerenski whom he met before the war in St. Petersburg, demands that he uses The Siren to smuggle Russian Royalty out of the clutches of the Bolsheviks, who are hounding them, he quickly agrees. Almost instantly, he is captivated by the beautiful young waif Militsa, daughter of the Grand Duke Alexis. Pure, innocent and intelligent, she is everything the spoilt Dolly is not - but surely love between them is impossible. After all as an Englishman he is the enemy and Her Serene Highness Princess Militsa makes it very clear that she hates him -

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The Duke of Buckminster drew Princess Militsa of Russia along the passage and as they reached the end of it there was the sound of music.

The Duke had given her his arm, and now as her fingers tightened on his, she said:

"I... I shall not know... how to... behave."

The Duke stopped.

"It is not a party," he answered. "It is in fact a private Chapel. Your father told me to look after you, and that is what I intend to do--as my wife!"

"Y-you are... asking me to... m-marry you?" She asked in a voice he could barely hear.

"I am- not asking you--I am commanding you!"

Then he drew her forward through an open door into the light of the candles on the altar and those flickering in silver sanctuary lamps hanging from the arched roof.

Haiku summary