New-York tribune., 1889-10-20
THE BRUNSWICK LEGACY.
A ROYAL WILL CONTEST ABOUT TO BE FL
NALLY SETTLED

NAlIlJ1 Sci 1IItJD
trRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE 1RIBUsEl
Berlin, October 3.
Within The next fortnight one of the
most remarkable causes cecbres Of the
present century will at length be brought
10 close. 1t was begun thirteen years
ago, and since that time both of the original
parties to the suit, one of whom was an exilcd
sovereign, have died. and their places have been
taken, on the part Of the defendant by reigning
King and by prince of Great Britain and Ireland,
and on the part of the plaintiff by couple of young
| French noblemen, bearers Of an ancient and hon
ored name, which one of them, however, has tar
nlshed by sentence Of imprisonment for fraud
which he incurred at Paris four years ago. Strange
though 1t may appear, the German Court of Ap-
peal is about to give judgment in favor of the
Two young Frenchmen, one Of them as above
stated being an ex-convict, and to condemn the
royal and lustrious defendants not only to the
payment OF the enormous costs Of the case, but
also TO the restitution of n considerable portion
of the great fortune which they inherited a few
years ago from the late Duke of Brunswick
Duke Charles, the original defendant, attained
his majority in 1923 while in London, but continued
to reside there and in Paris until 1s25. While
in the British metropolis he had become infa5-
uated with the charms of the Hon. Miss COvle,
the beautiful daughter Of Admiral Lord Colvlle
of CulrOSS aud was stated to have contracted IL
secret and morganatic marriage with her. At any
rate she was received, although not at court yet
everywhere in London and Paris society, as his
wife, and lived publicly under his roof In the
| spring Of 1925 he returned to his Duchy for the
purpose of assuming the reinS of government, and
was followed a few weeks Eter by Lord Col
yilles drughter. On reaching tie frontiers Of
! = l.
and local authorities with prncey hOnOrs, ard
was conducted with much stRte and ceremony to
the Ducal Chateau of Wendessen, on the outskirts
Of the ancient little capital. The Duke never al
lowed a day to pass without riding out to visit
her and was frequently to be seen driving with
her through the streets of Brunswick. Late in
the summer of the SANG year she gave birth to
little girl Duke Charles was overjoyed at the
event. publicly admitted his paternity of the child
and insisted on his only brother William becom-
ing godfather thereto. On August 7, 1928, the
little girl was christened in the parish church of
Album, received the names of Marie Elizabeth
Wilhelmine, and was inscribed upon the parish
register Countess Of Colmar. Duke Charles
and his brother william who aftermrd
succeeded TO his sovereignty, were present
at the ceremony as sponsors, and signed
assert that within a few weeks afterward~ the
Duke had deposited in the Royal Archives a patent
wherein he, under sign and seal, definitely recog
nized the infant Countess of Colmar as his
daughter This statement is corroborated by the
lIeeper-in-chief of the Ducal Archives, the late
Counsellor Won Bitter who testified on oath before
his death that he had himself seen, filed and
registered the document in question. 1t was also
further confirmed by the Baron d. Andlau the
Grand Chamberlain Of Duke Charles, who swears
to having read and seen it in the archives. At
the time, however. when the Duke was driven out
Of his country by his exasperated subjects in S4S
the palace was burnt down and al OF the archives
were destroyed by the flames, The patent has,
therefore, never been found since, and the de-
fendants have taken advantage thereof TO base
their entire case on the absence of the document.
which. they declare, has never at any time been
In existence.
In the year following the birth of the little
Countess of Colmar her mother began to
urge the Duke to announce officially and proclaim
the morganatc marriage which had taken place
between them three years previously in London.
This. however, the Duke refused to do, and having
meanwhile transferred his affections elsewhere, soon
began TO neglect Lord Colviles daughter The
latter, refusing to accept the role OF mere mis-
tress-and discarded one AZ that--departcd from
Brunswick aud returned 10 her fathers house in
London, leaving, however, her little girl to the
care Of the Duke, who promised 10 provide brill
anty for her future. The little Countess was
educated AS Princess OF the Blood. ana when
at the Ar. of seventeen she was confirmed at the
Reformed Church OF the Louvre, at FarlS' tno
Duke himself entered his name upon the cnnrc"
and ,.ri.b reoister as being her father. Three
,.oo,s lotcr she became acquainted with The amonN
o,onl,' Father Laeordaire. and so impressed was