The Wasp — 1879 — page 606: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page features a portrait and biographical article about Margaret of Savoy, Queen of Italy. The text recounts a scandal involving Queen Margaret and a man named Thomas, apparently Church officials, and her separation from court life following "wonderful recovery" from an undisclosed illness. The article appears to be presenting this as a cautionary moral tale—the narrative involves suggested impropriety, religious intervention, and the Queen's subsequent withdrawal from public view. *The Wasp*, as a satirical publication, likely used this royal scandal to mock both the Queen and Italian court society. The formal engraved portrait contrasts with the gossipy, salacious details in the accompanying text, creating satirical tension between idealized royalty and scandalous reality.