The Scandal That Shook the Throne
A Historical Novel Inspired by the Praslin Affair
A murder that shook a kingdom. A confession that rewrites history.
A historical fiction novel based on the real Praslin Affair, this book uncovers the murder that shook France and reimagines it through the eyes of the man accused of the crime.
A Gripping Reimagining of the Murder That Helped Topple the French Monarchy
The Scandal That Shook the Throne is a historical fiction novel rooted in the infamous Praslin Affair, the 1847 murder that accelerated the collapse of the French monarchy. While Rachel Field’s All This and Heaven Too and its Bette Davis film adaptation told the story through the eyes of the governess, this novel turns the lens toward the one figure history tried to silence: the murderer himself.
This is the Praslin Affair as you’ve never seen it — intimate, unsettling, and told from inside the mind of a man whose crime shook an empire.
For decades, the world has known the Praslin case through the perspective of Henriette Deluzy‑Desportes, the governess portrayed by Bette Davis — a woman admired by the Duc de Praslin and adored by his children, yet despised by the Duchess, whose jealousy spiraled into tragedy.
Rachel Field’s 1938 bestseller cast Henriette as an innocent victim destroyed by aristocratic obsession and cruelty.
Nearly ninety years later, The Scandal That Shook the Throne offers a radical shift:
the same events retold from the viewpoint of Duke Charles de Choiseul‑Praslin — the man accused of murder.
A New Perspective: The Duke’s Confession
What if the Duke did not die in 1847?
Drawing from French archival records and Nicaraguan family oral tradition, this novel explores a provocative premise: that the Duke escaped France, lived under an assumed name in Nicaragua, and carried the weight of his crime for another 35 years.
Through his confession, the novel examines:
• Power and its corruptions
• Obsession and its consequences
• The thin line between guilt, remorse, and self‑preservation
• How the powerful evade justice while the innocent pay the price
This is not just a retelling — it is a reckoning.
Where Documented History Meets Family Legend
Author Jaime Pasquier brings together 15 years of genealogical research, 19th‑century archival material, and inherited family memory to reconstruct a version of the Praslin Affair that history never recorded.
The result is a narrative that blends:
• Verified historical events
• Oral tradition passed down through generations
• The hidden movements of aristocrats in exile
• The moral ambiguity of a man seeking redemption for an unforgivable act
This intersection of fact and legend creates a story that feels both historically grounded and hauntingly personal.
Secure your copy and step inside one of the most explosive scandals of the 19th century.
Praise & Reviews
“A gripping historical fiction that intertwines documented history with family legend.”
“A powerful exploration of how scandals topple social systems and reshape literature.”
“A vivid portrait of aristocratic decay and justice denied.”
About Jaime Pasquier
Jaime Pasquier specializes in bilingual historical fiction and genealogical mysteries, weaving together documented history and family oral tradition to illuminate the forgotten corners of the past. His work bridges continents, centuries, and cultures — revealing how private tragedies can echo across generations.