His life was the subject of the book Lilac Days, by Gavan Naden and Maxine Riddington (HarperCollins ()), where it was claimed he had a 30-year affair with an American, Edith Travis.
hɪz lˈaɪf wʌzðə sˈʌbdʒɛkt ʌvðə bˈʊk lˈaɪlək dˈeɪz, baɪ ɡˈævæn nˈædən ænd mæksˈiːn ɹˈɪdɪŋtən hˈɑːɹpɚ kˈɑːlᵻnz, wˌɛɹ ɪt wʌz klˈeɪmd hiː hæd ɐ θˈɜːɾijˈɪɹ ɐfˈɛɹ wɪð ɐn ɐmˈɛɹɪkən, ˈiːdɪθ tɹˈævɪs.