The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire
C.M. Mayo
Unbridled, May 2009, $26.95
ISBN 9781932961645
In 1864 with the Monroe Doctrine in limbo due to the American Civil War, French Emperor Louis Napoleon installs Maximilian von Hapsburg as the emperor of Mexico. However, Maximilian obsesses over having no heir as he and his wife remain childless. He persuades a couple to give him their two years old son Agustin in exchange for money.
When Maximilian decides to adopt Agustin and name him his heir to the Mexican throne, the infant’s American mother Madame Alice de Iturbide objects. Outraged by the affront to his power, he deports Alice back to the States. Her being separated from her son leads to an international squabble especially as the war to the north is ending over the rights of babies and their biological mothers. With his country collapsing and his wife Carlota becoming mentally unhinged, Maximilian has too much on his plate in order to maintain his rule so he lets the child join his mom.
Based on a true story, this is an engaging, though at times verbose with too much detail, historical biographical thriller that brings alive an intriguing point in the country’s history. The key characters come alive with Maximilian as the most fascinating as he struggles with the economy, his wife and his subjects on the brink while also battling to keep his adopted heir. C.M. Mayo provides a well written interesting look at THE LAST PRINCE OF THE MEXICAN EMPIRE.
Harriet Klausner
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