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<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-17/nellie-boustead-antonio-luna.webp" alt="Antonio Luna's ex-fiancé Anglo-Filipino Nellie Boustead" loading="lazy" />
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(Antonio Luna and Nellie Boustead seated first and second from left)
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Nellie (or Nelly), was one of the two pretty daughters of the wealthy businessman Eduardo Boustead, son of a rich British trader, who went to the Orient in 1826. Her mother was a Filipina who came from the rich Genato family in Manila. The Bousteads hosted Rizal's stay in Biarritz in February 1891 at their winter residence, Villa Eliada on the French Riviera. Rizal had befriended the family back in 1889-90 and used to fence with the Anglo-Filipino Boustead sisters (Adelina and Nellie) at the studio of <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/705/today-in-philippine-history-october-23-1857-juan-luna-was-born-in-badoc-ilocos-norte" class="news_link">Juan Luna</a>.
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Having learned <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1066/today-in-philippine-history-april-11-1867-leonor-rivera-was-born-in-camiling-tarlac" class="news_link">Leonor Rivera</a>'s marriage to Henry Kipping, Rizal entertained the idea of having romantic relation with the highly educated, cheerful, athletic, beautiful, and morally upright Nellie. He wrote some of his friends about his affection for Nelly and his idea of proposing marriage to her.
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His friends seemed to be supportive of his intentions. Tomas Arejola, for instance, wrote him: 
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"... if Mademoiselle Boustead suits you, court her, and marry her, and we are here to applaud such a good act."
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Even <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1322/today-in-philippine-history-october-29-1866-antonio-luna-was-born-in-binondo-manila" class="news_link">Antonio Luna</a>, who had been Nelly's fiancé, explicitly permitted Rizal to court and marry her. It could be remembered that Jose and Antonio nearly had a deadly duel before when he (Antonio), being drunk one time, made negative remarks on their "common denominator". As regards Jose's courtship to Nelly later, Antonio gentlemanly conceded to Rizal through a letter:
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"With respect to Nelly, frankly, I think there is nothing between us more than one of those friendships enlivened by being fellow countrymen. It seems to me that there is nothing more. My word of honor. I had been her fiancé, we wrote to each other. I like her because I knew how worthy she was, but circumstances beyond our control made all that happiness one cherished evaporate. She is good; she is naturally endowed with qualities admirable in a young woman and I believe that she will bring happiness not only to you but to any other man who is worthy of her ... I congratulate you as one congratulates a friend. Congratulatons!" 
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As Nelly had long been infatuated to Rizal, she reciprocated his affection. With Nelly, Rizal enjoyed his stay in Biarritz as he had many lovely moonlight nights with her. Inspired by her company, Rizal was also able to work on the last part of his second novel at the Bousted's residence.
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Antonio Luna's ex-fiancé Anglo-Filipino Nellie Boustead and her love affair with Jose Rizal