The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-09
THE PRINCESS AnrEL1E.
A Sketch of the Real Claimant of the Heirs
of Connie de ChambOrd.

Paris Letter to London Truth.
The present or technical claimant is an officer
in the Dutch navy He serves King Wllilam
under the name Of Emmanuel de Bourbon. One
Of his brothers. Adelbert is officer in the
horse Marines the Netherandish Chasseurs.
The real "Purser," as the Scotch would say of
the heirs of the Comte de Chamb0rd, is the ED
est daughter of the first claimant. She is known
as the Princess Amelie. Her legal name is Nine.
de Leparde, nee de Bourbon, or Naundorf. |
have never seen a more unique woman. She is
innocent of paint, powder, or hair dye; is with
out any pretense to fashion, and owns to sixty
five. Yet it would never occur to anyone to call
her an old woman. She startlingly resembles
both Marie Antoinette and the Duchesse d An
gouleme and has the small blue eyes of the
former and the pink eyelids Of the latter. This
popularity is not caused by any disease. Where
the Princess Amelie is unlike her alleged grand
mother" and 'aunt7 is in the extraordinary
bulk of her forehead which is finely developed
in all directions. The conversational powers OF
this lady are astonishing She can talk with flu
ency, force, propriety and elegance in English.
Dutch, French and German Her manners are
easy and affabe, and yet there is something in
them which enforces deep respect. With strang
she is lively, without being at all frivolous
But when she conVerseS about her family history
she does so with pathos which makes the flesh
of the listener creep. One would say that she
has an inherited sentiment of all the woes that
were experienced by the captives in the Temple
| feel with her when she ism confidential mood
that she did not commit forget that am moth
ing to Hecuba nor Hecuba to me. Herfather may
have been an impostor, but she must be in good
faith in thinking him the son of Louis
XIV and the martyr of an ironical destiny
La Princess Amelia resides on a pretty
ground floor near the Arch of Triumph,
which a wealthy Legitimist lady has placed at
her disposal. 1t is elegantly furnished. The
household is composed of three domestics, the
landlady Ia charming person., and lady of
honor Ia Niscontesse of old Poitevin family,
whose husband was the editor of one of the prin-
cipal Legitimist journals subveutoned by Cham
bord. There is no royal household in all Europe
mieux style.
Princess Amelia has seen a good deal of eourtly
society, and no queen ever understood better
how to hold a drawingroom a petite levee
In her girlhood, forty five years ago, she was
much noticed and petted by the King and Queen
of SaXony, and later by the Queen of the Neither
lands nee Grand Duchess of Russia. Her
courtly air may therefore be initiated, sponta
neous though it appears. The company one
meets in her drawing room is. II gagged by the
heralds standard, tout quil-y-a de plus dis
tinque. l wanted her lady of honor to let me be
indiscreet in publishing list Of those who flock
around 1.-The Princess" but as many of them
have not vet broken with the Orleans and the
other Bourbons, she thought better to decline.
The family of the alleged eldest branch, being
honorably known in Holland, distinguished old
Dutch families come to the Princess Ameles
soirees They include very ornamental young
Spanish cross, and neat figures. They dance
and dress we'll. Without being flirts they have
a simple gayety that becomes their age. A Min
lister Plenipotentiary of, l must not say what
nation, is cousin of the widowed landlady, and
brings young secretaries and attaches of
legation. journalism is represented by
very big editor Of the Debats and by
gentlemen belonging to the Figaro,
Voltaire, Temps and other papers. Editors of
defunct Legitimist organs also flock in. At the
day reception one meets Brittany and Vendean
priests, who enter and make their exit timidly.
They, and the lalcs Of their way OF thinking, are
attracted TO the Princess because of the great
difficulties of her case. They have been educa
ted to believe in, and hope for, miracles. What
staggers my faith strengthens theirs. Racine,
too, has prepared their minds for miraculoUsly
preserved Dauphin, in his tragedy of "Athalie."
If the soidistant grandson of Louis XVI had
money and energy he might go far in a country
in which tout est possible But he and his
brother are poor and unenterprising. They may
win partisans in royalist ehateus, but cannot
hurt the republic