Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-12-18
Scandal in the Czar's Court.

Tremendous cuortS are DelnS naue III
court circles. beth il Russia and Germany,
t. stine the scandal concerning the domestic
misery OF the Grand Duke Sergius Alex.
an6rovitch Of Russia and his bride, the
Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Louise Alice
Of Hessc The fact that the Princess had
begged for divorce leaked out last week,
but the report was promptly met by an
official denial cmauating from the court OF
-. Petersburg. The denial, however, failed
10 have tho weight that was desired, for too
many details of the scandalou5 conduct OF
the bridegroom, both before and since his
marriage, had already become public prop
erty.
The Grand Dake, who is tho third son Of
the late Gar, and the youngest but one of
the Imperial Grand Dukes, is said to have
a Cossucl:' IS love for female conquests, and
10 be reckless and unscrupulous with wo-
men, ,.rou if their rank is equal to his own.
\ marriage was arranged for him with the
Princess Elizabeth OF Hesse, who is the
granddaughter OF Queen Victoria, and 81
daughter of the Grand Duke Louis ~. OF
HesSe by his second wife, the late Princess
ALICE Of England. Sergius was twenty.slx
| years Old anti Elizabeth 10 when he went
to Darm.iadt TO go through the formality
of having court to the Princess. The we'd
ding was arranged for last April, but the
d=rth Of Prince Leopold of England caused
a pos;ponement and it was not solcmn'Zed
until June
In the meantime it is said the Grand
Duke Sergius brought very attractive
French woman 10 Darmstadt and maintain
ed her ut a hotel. He visited her frequently
and he seemed to make no attempt to con.
ceal his admiration for her. At length the
Darmstadt police felt bound to interfere.
They reasoned that "a Prince can do no
,rc0g." aud therefore the blame must be
with the woman. She was compelled to
ieava the Grand Duchy and returned to
Paris, where, it is said, she was soon after
ward joined bs the Grand Duke.
Toa wedding OF The Grand Duke and the
Princess was Snenmlzed Oh the 18th Of last
.Juus in The Winter Palace at 81. Peters
:.urg. The Princess came by railway from
Germany, and was met al tho st. Peters
,,ur. station OH June Is By the Car ard
'2ar;r.,. he Grand Duke Sergns, aud other
august ptr-on2gcs. The streets from the
| -,as!2a 10 the palace Were donbiy lined with
loops, and every house noIder along tue
raiiie had been warned by the police 10
nt-t' us uOO:o du't "luipNS 'iOSS'' 'tb' W
| admit nc stranger under any pretext. The
! marriage ceremony was so!emniZed two
iavs later with the customary pomp. Two
| services were recited according to the Ortho-
lox and Lutheran rituals, and Il salute OF lOl
guns signaized the end OF the ceremonies. In
the evening there was = state banquet, at which
elaborate toasts were offered 10 the bride and
groom the Gar of Russia the Queen of England,
and the Grand Duke Louis Of HcsSc.
Now the Princess wants divorce. According
to Russian law the only authority in the world
that can divorce the wife OF Romauof is that OF
the Car Asthr temporal and spiritual father Of
All Russians ne has power over all marriages and
srpar:.tons but he possesses special and unlimited
powers in this case as the head of the Romanotf
family. Princess Elizabeth accordingly has placed
at tn. feet OF the Gar heI petition for divorce or
scpar ton from his brother. The petition rcctes
that the Grand Duke still maintains his liaison
| with the Paris beauty who caused the scandal
| at Darmstadt, and it charges him with various
specific acts OF nfideity and cruelty.
The main facts in regard 10 this scandal have
been received ia London society circles by letters
and kilograms from st. Petersburg aud Darmstadt.
/, is learned from confidential and trustworthy
source that the young Princess, who is spirited
woman tells her friends that she does not pro-
pose TO play the part of neglected wife, or to
wear the willow for any man as long as he Is
! alive