Her Majesty's Minister

"Her Majesty's Minister" by William Le Queux is a novel written during the early 20th century. The story revolves around Gerald Ingram, a second secretary at the British Embassy in Paris, as he becomes embroiled in diplomatic intrigue, personal relationships, and mysterious events surrounding a young woman named Yolande. The narrative promises a blend of romance and political tension, set against the backdrop of looming war in Europe. At the start of the narrative, Ingram is consulted by His Excellency, Lord Barmouth, about recent diplomatic complications that seem to have been leaked, potentially endangering England's strategic position. During their conversation, Ingram's past acquaintance with Yolande, who has recently arrived in Paris, raises suspicions that lead them to believe she might be connected to the information leak. As Ingram visits Yolande, he learns disturbing details about her associations and her apparent connection to a man named Rodolphe Wolf, whose presence causes her distress. The opening sections set a tone of mystery and intrigue, hinting at deeper conspiracies that intertwine personal emotions with diplomatic duties, culminating in Yolande's death, which raises further questions about betrayal and loyalty. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

William Tufnell Le Queux was an Anglo-French journalist and writer. He was also a diplomat, a traveller, a flying buff who officiated at the first British air meeting at Doncaster in 1909, and a wireless pioneer who broadcast music from his own station long before radio was generally available; his claims regarding his own abilities and exploits, however, were usually exaggerated. His best-known works are the anti-French and anti-Russian invasion fantasy The Great War in England in 1897 (1894) and the anti-German invasion fantasy The Invasion of 1910 (1906), the latter becoming a bestseller.