The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-11-27
MORGANATlC MARRIAGES.
HEARTS BROKEN FOR THE
GROWN AND SCEPTER.
Oesertsd Wife of N English Klng-The Prince of
Wales Prevented From Marrying u Com
moner--Sanctione by Law-The
Dutch Kings Early Love.

'oAAS "SO VutSu ICSdIuCO kluSS duu
princes as OF a different mould from
common men, and subject to a differ
sent code of morality, is the morganatic
marriage - that is, whatever its
technical definition may be, a
marriage between a royal person
and a person of inferior rank,
in which all the ordinary forms
of marital union have been complied
with, but which may be repudiated at
any time by the royal or princely hus-
oaud. Not a few of the living sover-
'signs OF Europe have had morganatic
wives, who have simply been discarded
when the time came for royalty to
match with royalty; and 80 deeply
rooted and generally accepted is this
polygamous practice that even Queen
Victoria, usually regarded as mentor
OF morality, permitted one of her
daughters to be welded to a German
prince, Louis of Hesse, who had
another wife, woman of plebain
blood, joined to him by the
sacred ties of matrimony. Yet
1t is perhaps not strange that
Queen Victoria should have slight
sympathy for the untitled woman
united in marriage to a sovereign for,
mad such marriages been valid in Eng
lish law, she would not be the ruler OF
the British empire. Her uncle and
predecessor, King William the Fourth,
lived for many years a happy married
life with an actress who won his heart,
and whom he deeply loved. By her
he had several children, whom the
laws Of England debarred from any
share in their fathers royal estate;
but who, had they been born according
TO act Of parliament, would have had
right to the throne prior to that Of
Queen Victoria. King William was in
many respects large-hearted man,
and it was not without the most bitter
pain that he separated, at the i'm
perious dictate of ambition, from the
devoted mother and wife, and sacri-
feed a heart for a crown.
1t is an open secret in English high
society that the Prince of Wales,
about two years before his marriage
TO the Princess Alexandra of Den
mark. was only prevented by his
mothers most strenuous Interference
from contracting a morganatic al
Iiance with a lady, now the wife of
one Of London's wealthiest bankers.
The lady, who was sincerely attached
TO the prince, it is understood, agreed
TO the marriage ceremony, when the
news reached the queen in time to
save the woman, if not also the prince,
roma life of misery. The dying king
OF Holland, William III. has sincu-
lslrly illustrated in his long life the
wrongs of which sovereign may be
guilty without incuring the penalties
that usually follow the less conspicu-
ois and potent offender against social
Justice. A descendant on his mothers
side of the unfortunate Emperor Paul
OF Russia. William appears to have
Inherited some of the vices, as we'll as
the better qualities of that tyrant.
One OF these vices was an utter disre-
gard in his earlier years for the
morality OF which a prince ought to
be shining example, When the
young heir to a throne met Miss Alice
Dugdale, the daughter of an English
merchant then on a visit to Amster-
dam, he seems really to have lost his
heart
Born outside of the unhealthy pale
of aristocratic society, Miss Dugdale
was as good as she was lovely, and
worthy of brighter fate than the
wretched one of being the morganatic
wife of a prince. She consented, how.
ever, to Williams ardent request for a
private marriage, and it was duly
celebrated, but in entire secrecy. The
prince for time was a devoted hus-
band, and the court of Holland, igno-
rant of the step which he had taken,
was surprised at his withdrawal from
society and the cessation Of the follies
which had scandalized the phlegmatic
Dutch burghers The couple, in a re-
tired villa near the Hague, were CON-
pietely happy, and Alice, content with
her husbands companionship, was
perfectly willing to live a life more
like that of sultana in an Eastern
harem, than Of a young married Eng.
lish woman. For about a year all wen
well, and the birth of son seemed 6
pledge for the future. But William
began to be frequently absent; and hi:
youthful wife, who had only common
honest blood in her veins, soon hat
reason to fear that her husband wai
being alienated from her. She was
not long in doubt. The newspapers
announced with a flourish the betroth
al of his royal highness to the Princes!
Sophia. -....Es.
The scene that occurred when Viii
liam and Alice next met, she with he
infant son in her arms, has never bee,
told, but may be imagined. It is tn,
same scene that has occurred frequent
ly within the present generation O