He begged, therefore, that if such humble (though, as he added, clean and comfortable) lodgings would satisfy me I would take his place. He had gladly accepted, but now found that his duties would not permit of his absence. Hearing that I was bound for Strelsau, he came to see me while I was breakfasting, and told me that a sister of his, who had married a well-to-do tradesman and lived in the capital, had invited him to occupy a room in her house. A passing reference to the burning of the White Palace in 1848, and thus the conclusion that there was a Revolution of 1848 in Ruritania, as in other parts of Europe, highlights the social and political divisions described in the other works.I was not so unreasonable as to be prejudiced against the duke's keeper because he disliked my complexion and if I had been, his most civil and obliging conduct (as it seemed to me to be) next morning would have disarmed me. For example, Albert von Lauengram's role in the Black Michael conspiracy is illuminated when one learns that he was a descendant of Rudolf III's younger brother. This volume covers some of the historical background of Ruritania, and provides additional information that may aid the enjoyment of the two complete novels. The narrative may seem sentimental and insubstantial to the modern reader, but it is of a common style in Victorian literature. Princess Osra's heart is not as memorable as the other two components of the trilogy, but it expands and deepens the fictional world Hope created. Sooner or later, in fact, Osra acknowledges and acknowledges the act, yet she does not deserve the love that inspired her. He performs his act, in most cases, without expecting Osra to acknowledge his deed, much less acknowledge or reward it. He does not act to to win the affection of the princess, or to prove his worth. In allegiance to his courage, he performs an extraordinary act of courage, wit, or passion. A man meets Princess Osra, and immediately develops a consuming romantic passion for this extraordinary woman. "The nine individual stories follow a pattern. And since Osra is not merely a prize to be valued, but a human being capable of valuing, she herself can learn what their suitors learn that romantic love inspires extraordinary action. In Ruritania, love is the appreciation of the uniqueness of the beloved, accompanied by the commitment to rise to the best. Who will love Osra best? The one who knows her best, and combines her. of "Osric", it is not an invention, but it is unusual enough to suggest that the character is extraordinary, separated from the routine of life. Literary scholar Shoshana Milgram Knapp has observed that Hope's stories in this book are both analytical and acclaiming toward the inspiration of romantic love: "Osra's physical beauty is a metaphor for spiritual beauty. The stories are about the love life of Princess Osra, the younger sister of Rudolf III, the shared ancestor of Rudolf Rassendyll, the English gentleman who acts as a political decoy in The Prisoner of Zenda and Rudolf V of the House of Elphberg, the absolute monarch of that Germanic kingdom. This interlinked collection of short stories is a prequel: it was written immediately after the success of The Prisoner of Zenda and published in 1896, but takes place in the 1730s, a century before the events recounted in The Prisoner.
The Heart of Princess Osra is part of Anthony Hope's novel trilogy set in the fictional country of Ruritania and which spawned the Ruritanian romance genre.