Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1885-07-18
THE HOUSE OF HANOVER.
story of Philip of Konigsmark and the
Mother Of George III. OF England.

When that adyenturer, Philip of
Konigsmark by name, appeared at
the court OF Hanover he received n
commission as colonel in the SER
vice of the elector. Philip was
handsome, dandy, and great
villain. He had 5oen. when q lad,
a page al the court of Cole, and
there Sophia Dorothea, as child,
had known him. The unhappy
woman received him as an old
friend; they met often IN the pres
ence of Sophia's maid, their only
eonfidante, and soon the princes
found that sine loved him with all
tho strength of her passionate ma
ture, and every duty was forgotten.
Among the busy, slanderous
tongues OF the court that OF the
wicked old coutess of P.aten was
bnterest and loudest. Through
jealousy Of Konigsmark, who had
betrayed and insulted her, she
caused the guilty pair to be watch
ed, and, in consequences, Sophia
Dorothea received reproaches and
threats from her husband AT this
period Konigsmark begged and
obtained his dismissal from SER
vice, and the princess, taking adj
vantage OF her husbands absence
In berlin, flew to her father at
Celle and prayed him to allow her
to return home. But George VIII
helm, perhaps not knowing the
danger which threatened his
daughter, bade her to return i'm
.nediately to Hanover. The nn-
Iappy woman now saw only one
course open to her, She consent
ed to hv with konlgsmark to
Wolfenbuttel. The I'd Of July,
1894, was the time decided upon.
The evening before, konigsmark
came to confer with the princess
upon their last plans and left her
at midnight. AS he stepped into
the corridor he found four guards
awaiting him, who had been plac-
eI there upon an order procured
from the elector by the Countess
Plated and who endeayored to seize
him. He defended himself val
iautly and cut his way through
them to the entrance Of the Ritter
saal. Hers he sank back, mortally
wounded. As he lay upon the
floor the old countess of Platen
came from her apartments. and
when he saw her he cursed hei
v iii hrs i Il l;+st ls hsea j Tie anger, $.
woman stamped in fury upon bis
mouth with her heel. In the pal
ace was horror. and in the city
dark rumors flew from mouth te
mouth. In order to silence Sian.
der the dead body of the wretcheo
man was quietly and quickly dis
posed of and silence imposed upor
all. So well was TINS observed
that no one knows where the body
| of Konigsmark was laid. 1t is true
that remains supposed to be hi
have been found when alterations
about the palace hsve been made
but as the ground upon which 1t II
built was in former years the bur
ial ground of the monks there cal
be no certainty in regard to them
After the murder of Konigsmatl
Sophia Dorothca was taken to haI
angry father at Celie, who sent he
to dis castle Of Ahlden. On th'
29th of Dhcember, 1904, she wal
legally separated from her hus
band. who had already ascendee
the throne of England as George l
Her son, George H., always be
| lieved in his mothers innocence
as we'll as many others, who befor'
the divorce endeavored to cause
reconciliation. However, letter
| which have been found written b.
Sophia to her lover tend to prove
the contrary.
AT the age of 2S the unhapp,
| Sophia Dorothea forsook the worl'
and became n prisoner in the cas-
| tie of Ahlden. During The thirty
two long years which she passe'
here her only consolation was il
| the love of her mother, which neve
failed her, and In her deeds Q
charity to the poor in the neigh
bon hood Of her prison. She die,
on the 18th Of Noyember,s 172t
and was buried at Celle, in tn
| darkness and silence of night AM
without courtly pageant. Yet So
phia Dorothea was honered b
| fate as the ancesstress of the En-
plisl and Prussian houses Dos