Editing Basil Zaharoff (section)

==Personal life==
Zaharoff was fascinated by [[aviation]], and gave money and other support to pioneers in Great Britain, France and Russia. He encouraged Hiram Maxim's attempt to build a flying machine, and claimed he and Maxim were the first men to be lifted off the earth, when Maxim tested his first "flying machine" at [[Bexley]] in 1894.<ref>"Obituary: Sir Basil Zaharoff An International Financier", ''The Times'', 28 November 1936.</ref>

Zaharoff was a good friend of fellow Greek [[Jacques Damala]], from the noble [[Damalas|Zaccaria de Damalà family]], and his wife, world famous stage actress [[Sarah Bernhardt]], and took in Damala's illegitimate daughter with a theatre extra after she was left in a basket on Bernhardt's doorstep. Eventually, this girl was baptised ''Tereza'' (1889–1967) and was raised by a surrogate family that Zaharoff found for her in Adrianople, in Eastern Thrace, later becoming a socialite in royal Athens society, and an impactful lover of both [[Ernest Hemingway]], who called a her a "Greek princess", and [[D'Annunzio|Gabriele d'Annunzio]], as well getting acquainted with [[Benito Mussolini]], and serving as a model for [[Pablo Picasso]] in the early 20th century. The life of Tereza Damalas, including having been Zaharoff's ward and lifelong friend was the subject of the historical novel ''Tereza'', by Greek journalist [[:el:Φρέντυ_Γερμανός|Freddy Germanos]].

In September 1924, Zaharoff, 74, married his mistress María del Pilar Antonia Angela Patrocinio Fermina Simona de Muguiro y Beruete, in her own right 1st Duchess de Villafranca de los Caballeros. Previously married to a cousin of the [[King of Spain]] [[Alfonso XII of Spain|Alfonso XII]], the Duchess was reputed to be one of the richest women in Spain.{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}

About eighteen months after their marriage, the Duchess died of an infection. He then began selling his business assets and drafted his memoirs. He apparently burnt the manuscript after it was stolen by a valet and recovered by police.{{citation needed|date=July 2018}}

Zaharoff's country house, the Château de Balincourt, at [[Arronville]] near Paris, was formerly the property of King [[Leopold II of Belgium]] and was filled with works of art and one of the most beautiful in France.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}}

Princess [[Marthe Bibesco]] claimed Basil Zaharoff was an illegitimate son of her maternal grandfather.<ref>Princess Bibesco, "La Nymphe Europe", p. 473</ref>