by Anne Doridou-Heim
Sovereigns have seldom been wrong about art. Manuel II (1889–1932), the last king of Portugal, which became a republic on October 5, 1910, was no exception: he kept this chimpanzee-shaped cigar lighter on his desk. A member of Russia’s imperial family gave him the whimsical yet useful item in 1913 when he married Princess Augusta-Victoria von Hohenzollern (1890–1966). Perhaps it was the famous Prince Felix Yusupov , who was very close to the young king and attended the wedding. Click here to read more.
