It was clear from the start that the marriage of Winnaretta Singer and Prince Louis de Scey-Montbéliard could not bring happiness to either party. Therefore, both sought out what could be gleaned from a marriage of convenience. The Prince, in wedding a wealthy “dollar princess,” was now the symbolic—if not legal— “master” of a large and elegant hôtel and his wife's even larger fortune. As for Winnaretta, she was now a titled woman. She knew that there were obligations as well as privileges that came with her new identity. That she intended to make patronage a focal point of her life is affirmed in an 1888 letter from Paris Singer. “I wish you every happiness that this world can offer. There are many noble and charitable works to be done in Paris and I am sure you will occupy your leisure moments in relieving the wants of those whom God has not blessed with name, beauty and riches as he has you.” Winnaretta would spend a lifetime fulfilling this charge.

For the moment, however, being able to add the title of “princess” to her calling cards was satisfaction enough. She was now welcomed into the aristocratic salons, including the celebrated gatherings at the homes of the Baronne de Poilly and Madame Lydie d’Aubernon, whose literary salons were unparalleled in their prestige. Winnaretta was stimulated by the intellectual atmosphere at these gatherings, which welcomed artists, musicians, and dramatists, but also amused by the foppish behavior of some members of the nobility. Comte Barbey d’Aurevilly, for example, had sartorial tastes dating back to the era of Louis XV: he would come dressed in waistcoats of silk and lace, buttons of amethyst and rhinestone. Once novelist Paul Bourget made an admiring comment about his choice of clothing: “How handsome you are tonight, Monsieur d’Aurevilly,” to which the gentleman replied, “I am simply being polite.”

Winnaretta hoped that, having “settled down” with a prince husband, there might be a détente in her relations with her mother, but events soon focused all of Isabella's attentions on her younger daughter. Belle-Blanche had recently captured the affections of a young nobleman, Duc Élie Decazes; by January 1888 they were engaged.