Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-08-16
An American Princess.

An American Princess.
It mas been stated in the GAZETTE that
Genera! Won Waldersee has been appointed
by Emperor William OF Germany to sue.
ceed General Won Moltke, who has been
placed on the retired list. Count Walder.
see has seen great deal of service. He is
member of one of the ancient families Of
Prussia, handsome, and owes great part of
his success to his wife, who is an American
woman. The daughter of David Lea, q
banker of New York, in 1864 married NOR.
ganatically Prince Frederick, OF Schleswig
Holstein. During their bridal tour he
willed her his estates Worth ST 100000, and
died shortly afterward of apuplexy. In the
meantime she had been created a Princess
of the Austrian Empire, and when she be-
came widow was one of The wealthiesg
women in Europe. Madame de Noer, uu.
der which name the Princess was known,
met at German watering place Count WAL
dersee, who was great favorite at the Court
of Prussia and especially with Count Bis
marck The former was regarded as one Of
the most prominent staff officers in the Ger
man army.
By the time that Princess dc Noer's first
year of widowhood had expired the battle
at Sadowa had been fought, and the Count
had been promoted from the rank of Colo
mel to that Of Major General. AS his wife
the young American was far more likely 10
be able to enjoy to the fullest extent the
advantages OF her rank as Princess than as
ingly, toward the end Of 1866 a marriage
took place between the Count and the wild
ow, who shortly afterward proceeded with
her husband to take up her residence in
Berlin.
Aided by his charming wife's clevernsss
and wealth Count Waldersee became an
important parsonage in the Prussian capt.
tai. A favorite of Field Marshal Won Molt.
ke, and maintaining his intimate relations
with the great Chancellor, he gradually got
to be looked upon in the light of the latter's
representative on the headquarters staff
He greatly distinguished himself during the
Franco German war, and when, couple
years later, increasing age and inhrmties
forced Won Moltke to ask for a deputy, Gen
eral Count Waldersee WAS nominated to the
post with the rank of Quartermaster Gener-
al of the Imperial German Empire. His
wife's salon had meanwhile become power
in Berlin. 1t was the rallying place of the
Chancellor's party as opposed to that of the
-Bismarckian court factions, and the
great statesman, who has nodded in go
wonderful manner the German Empire
and German unity, is never tired of express
ing his warm regard for and high appreca
tion of the services rendered to his policy by
the American Princess.
When, in 1881, Prince William, the present
Emperor, married Princess Victoria, of
Schleswig. .Holstein, the power and influence
OF the Waldersees still further increased, for
by virtue of her first marriage Princess de
Noer is a graud-aunt of the royal bride.
The latter, who is neither attractive nor
clever, did not meet with much kindness at
the hands either of the Prussian Royal fam
lily or of the Imperial court. Her mother
in law, the Empress Dowager Victoria, who
is one of the most talented and clever women
in Europe, is intensely intolerant of stupid
women; and, unfortunately, she made no
pretense of hiding the fact that she placed
her eldest sons wife in that category. Thor
oughly unhappy, disconnected and friend
less, Princess Victoria was only too glad to
seize the helping hand held out to her by
Count Walder5ee's wife, and to avail her
self of the relationship which existed be-
tween them to turn to her for guidance and
advice. Few persons were better qualified
than Countess Waldersee to act the part OF
mentor to the young Princess among all
the pitfalls of the Berlin court and society.
Nor was the result long in making itself
felt. The present Empress became COM
pletey subject to the will and direction OF
her clever relative, and the Emperor was
not long 10 following his wife's example,
and is now almost as subservient as the lel.
ter to the talented American.
AS soon as Emperor Frederick ascended
the throne the Waldersees were thrown into
the background, and on March 20 last the
Count was removed from his position as
Quartermaster General in the general staff
and ordered to the command of the Army
Corps of the Rhine. 1t was understood at
the time that Prince Bismarck acquiesced
in the transfer because of his annoyance
over the anti.Semitic affair of last Decem.
ber. 1t was generally believed, however,
that Count Won Waldersee would be recall.
ed to the capital as soon as the Emperor
Frederick had passed away and his son had
come into power.
The Empress Victoria has always display
ed marked antipathy toward Count Wal
dersee's wife, whom she regards as parve-
nu, an intriguante and even as an adventur-
ess. The bitterest enmity RACES between
the two women, and partly to this must be
attributed the exceedingly strained relations
between the Empress Victoria and her cid
est son and his wife. 1t was due to the in
huence of Countess Waldersee that for sew
eral months before the Emperor Frederick's
death the present Empress entirely ceased
to correspond with her mother-in-law, and
it is likewise due to the Countess that both
the present Emperor and his wife have dis
played such marked favor to the well-known
Court Chaplain stoecker. the leader of the
"Judenhetz'' movement, who is probably
the bitterest and most openly avowed of tbs
anann;aa of the Emnarnr Eredarink and the