Książ is perhaps the finest castle you've never heard of. Set atop a slab of rock, the fortress rises over the surrounding woodland in south-west Poland like a galleon cast adrift on an emerald-green ocean. The Silesian duke Bolko I the Strict built it in the 13th Century, but each subsequent owner left their mark, embellishing it in a rich Rubik's Cube of styles: Gothic, Baroque and Rococo flourishes give way to stone turrets, while salmon-coloured walls support patina-clad cupolas high above the gorge of the Pełcznica river below.
Yet despite its location in the heart of Central Europe, this "impossibly photogenic" castle has become inexorably linked with an English aristocrat named Mary Theresa Olivia Cornwallis-West (better known as Daisy von Pless). Lauded by Victorian gossip magazines as one of Europe's most beautiful women, she transformed the region with her visionary social reforms, and even tried to stop World War One. Now, 80 years after her death, this once-forgotten princess is being remembered anew.
"Her memory was erased by the communists," explained Matt Mykytyszyn, founder of the Daisy von Pless Foundation that aims to promote her legacy. "However, through a combination of factors, I think we can call her 'the Silesian Princess Diana'."
Daisy was born in 1873 in Ruthin Castle in North Wales. She hailed from a prominent family and caught the eye of the Prince of Pless, Hans Heinrich XV of the Hochberg dynasty. The couple married and took up residence inside two of the Hochberg family's castles – including Książ (then called Fürstenstein, as this part of Poland belonged to Germany before World War Two).
The princess was just 18 years old when she entered a world of strict decorum and Germanic formality. It was a time when Europe's nobility were the celebrities of the day, and Daisy's youthful antics drew widespread attention, shaking high society while simultaneously endearing her to the public.
"She was the life and soul of the party," said Barbara Borkowy, author of Daisy's biography Sisters: Princess Daisy of Pless and Shelagh Duchess of Winchester. "She was very approachable, even flirtatious, and adored by everyone." Playful by nature and "very British in her sense of humour", according to Borkowy, stories abounded of pillow fights in the corridors of Fürstenstein Castle, as well as pranks such as entering a banquet dressed in nothing more than a sackcloth dress.
"Titles like Vanity Fair were filled with Daisy stories, of the clothes she wore and the parties she held," said Mykytyszyn. "When she left the castle, journalists would follow." In 1901, when her speeding car got into an accident, the mishap made headlines as far away as Australia.
But beyond the mischief, there was another side to Daisy. Though never formally educated, she showed remarkable prescience. As WW1 crept closer, she attempted to reconcile the leaders of Europe's superpowers in a bid to stem the looming catastrophe.
"Maybe it was a little naïve," said Mykytyszyn, "but she thought if everyone could meet at Fürstenstein, [the] war could be averted." As Europe spiralled towards conflict, Daisy was a voice of reason amid the madness. "She saw how relations were deteriorating and did her best to arrange a meeting between Kaiser Wilhelm II and King George V," said Borkowy. "Though ultimately futile, her persistence was heroic."
WW1 would prove a watershed moment for Daisy. In Germany, many suspected her of being a British spy. Britons, meanwhile, were critical of her work for the Red Cross treating German soldiers. The popular socialite was shunned by many of her friends. "This troubled her deeply," said Borkowy. "In one of her letters, she spoke of how she contemplated drowning herself in a lake close to Fürstenstein."
The war was also a tipping point in her marriage, and she and Heinrich eventually divorced in 1922. Dependent on alimony, she remained in Fürstenstein and continued the humanitarian work for which she was already known.
"Hans Heinrich was 12 years her senior," said Mykytyszyn. "Never mastering German, her life here in Fürstenstein was lonely and she found solace in charity." She introduced free pasteurised milk stations for children and founded a school for mentally impaired infants. "Such initiatives were already happening in the UK," said Borkowy, "but in Lower Silesia, they were completely unheard of."
Daisy also established a cooperative for female lace workers, ensuring that the profits remained in their hands, and recruited the British bacteriologist Robert Green to identify the pollutants running through the Pełcznica river. "This environmental effort was ahead of its time," said Mykytyszyn. "It took years, but because of her, typhus and cholera were eradicated from the town."
This sense of service came to define her. At Christmas, hundreds of locals were invited to Fürstenstein and she would gift children with toys. She also enjoyed secret English-style Christmas parties with her retinue of loyal British servants, spoiling them with mince pies and Christmas pudding.
Today, you're never too far from Daisy when visiting Poland's third-largest castle – known as "the Pearl of Silesia". It's an apt moniker, considering Daisy was famous for owning the longest pearl necklace in the world. Presented to her by Heinrich during their honeymoon, the disappearance of the 6m (19ft) chain remains one of the castle's enduring mysteries. It also plays a central role in the ghost tours that have become a favourite with visitors.
Directed by a caped, lantern-wielding guide, these nocturnal roams tell of a demonic dwarf once sighted by Daisy herself. However, the castle is equally compelling during daylight, with the bejewelled Maksymilian Hall among the core attractions. This is where Daisy and Heinrich received visiting dignitaries, including Winston Churchill.
Churchill was then an upcoming politician and he visited Fürstenstein in 1905, 1906 and 1912. Though related to him via her brother's marriage to Churchill's mother, Daisy was far from a fan. "She was very critical of Winston," said Mykytyszyn. "She described him as loud and brash, but noted with some certainty he would one day become prime minister."
Elsewhere, a permanent exhibition at Książ displays photos of castle life as captured by the head chef, Louis Harouin. A keen photographer, many of his images show Daisy with her family, and even her beloved domesticated wolf.
Opened to the public last year as part of celebrations to mark what would have been Daisy's 150th birthday, her former private quarters have been faithfully recreated and include original elements such as her personal mirror and restored fireplace. By her own admission, Daisy was happiest while sitting by this English-style fireplace or engrossed in her multitude of books. It was here, in her salon, where she would also write her journals, three of which would be published in her lifetime. "She was a magnificent chronicler of her age," said Borkowy. "It's almost guaranteed that any historical work concerning Edwardian or Victorian Britain will quote or cite her as a source."
The natural world, too, gave her great pleasure, and the terraced gardens and shaded alcoves where she would retreat are an integral part of the charms for visitors.
However, Daisy would not die in Fürstenstein. The Hochberg's were once one of the richest families in Europe, but Heinrich's lavish spending had a heavy impact on their fortune. In exchange for the annulment of the Hochberg's soaring debt, the castle was acquired by the Nazis in 1943. "Plans were drawn up for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to be based here," said Mykytyszyn. "It was foreseen that Hitler, Goring and Ribbentrop would all have apartments here."
Although the dramatic collapse of the Eastern Front meant that Hitler never visited, some of the plans were enacted and secret tunnels were carved 50m (164ft) beneath the castle. Their purpose has never been established, though it has been theorised that these weren't just shelters, but also places to produce Hitler's so-called "wonder weapons" and store stolen treasures.
In 1941, Daisy was exiled to the nearby town of Wałbrzych (then known by its German name, Waldenburg). By 1943, she was wheelchair-bound and suffering from multiple sclerosis. On 23 June that year she celebrated her 70th birthday with a glass of Champagne while a colliery band played jaunty British anthems. She died the next day. The villa where she saw out her final days remains standing, albeit as a derelict, abandoned husk. Located inside a public park, it makes for a poignant walk; as the trees whisper overhead, you can almost picture Daisy gazing from one of the gloomy windows.
Decidedly more upbeat is the ornate Palm House located between Wałbrzych and Książ. This 1,900 sq m (20451 sq ft) complex – consisting of a 15m (49ft)-tall greenhouse, Japanese-style garden, rose garden and vegetable garden – is home to 250 plant species and was another extravagant gift from Heinrich to Daisy, which he modestly described as being the equivalent of giving his beloved "a giant bouquet of flowers".
True Daisy enthusiasts can also head three hours south-east of Wałbrzych to find a statue dedicated to the princess in the town of Pszczyna, a monument that honours her fleeting residence in another Hochberg castle, Schloss Pless (now called Zamek Pszczyna). In Britain, meanwhile, her childhood home at Ruthin Castle has been revived as a luxurious spa retreat.
