The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-09
MUCH MONEY FOR DRESS
The Most Expensive Wardrobe in
Europe Owned by Young
Prince Albert.
Sixteen Suits Ordered at Once as
Soon as He Became
of Age.
Easily Chief Of the Dudes Among the So.
rcne Highnesses Of Europe
others Like Him.

Tho best dressed young mar in Europe, IL
expenditure for clothing and taste for costly
attire is a criterion, is young Prince Albert
of Thurn and Taxis in Germany. This
young man ia not yet 25 years of age, but
his income Ia enormous, and he is one of
tho few of the old German nobility who re-.
tain their fortunes unimpaired. One rem
son of this 10 that his estates Ito both in
Prussia and Austria, and his ancestors have
had an excellent excuse for maintaining
complete neutrality during the wars be-
tween the two powers. Another reason has
been the prudent tutelage of his mother,
the Princess Helene, who has always
shown a remarkable capacity for the man.
a2eaent of property, and whose advice in
such matters is sought for even by such
men as Minister Miguel, of Prussia and
tho prince regent Of Bavaria. 1t is now
about ten years since tho young Prince
Albert began to display his taste for
extravaganza in clothing. He Wa 8
then a student at Bonn, and confounded
his fellow-students bs changing his attire
three times a week, of course complying
with the college regulations as to form.
Herman R~heinbarber, the son Of a rich
lawyer OF Lubbock, tainted the youthful
prince with effeminacy, and with paying
more attention to his clothes than to his
studies. A duel followed. Albert got the
worst of it, but he bore himself so
bravely that he was never again accused of
effeminaoy.
Upon coming of age Prince Albert
ordered sixteen suits at one time from the
leading tailors of Paris. each suit being ap-
propriate to one Of the numerous dignities
inherited in his family. In one he appeared
as an Austrian councillor, in another AZ a
Prussian lord, in a third as one of the no.
bility of Bavaria. and SO forth, through the
whole gamut of hereditary honors. About
the Bavarian regiment Of horse, and as he
rode through Munich the splendor
of his uniform Of gold and velvet. with a
gold-handled sword, in a gold edged scab-
bard. and golden spurs, attracted moro at
%tention than all the rest OF the command.
most brilliant in the Beyarian army. So
far no fair one has succeeded in capturing
for a husband the prince of Thur and
Taxis. 1t is said that his intense devotion
to dress really absorbs all other passions,
and that, like the mad king, Louis of Ba-
vsria, he cares nothing for women. He has
been known at. an imperial ball to decline
an introduction to n lady because the flow
ers she wore did not, in his idea. match be-
comingly with her dress and hair. and
while reviewing his regiment he summary
ordered Il lieutenant from the ranks on &C
count of a crease in his trousers. Alto
gether the young prince of Thurn and
laxis easily bears the palm as champion
dude among the royal n serene high
nessea of Europe.
of Austria. is another young man who takes
great interest in clothes. When he went on
Il few days visit recently to the car Of
Russia ten immense trunks were needed to
carry the princely wardrobe, and every day
in st. Petersburg he wore a new uniform,
being, however, careful to omit his uni
form as an officer of the Prussian Uhlans.
No member of tie Russian imperial family
pretended to vic with the Austrian heir in
maRniieenee aud extravaganza of attire.
One fact in particular that attracted atten-
ton to Franz was his wearing a golden
bracelet OF the right wrist and a sparkling
collar of diamonds. The diamond collar,
it is true, bore the badge ola Russian order,
but it is a badge usually accompanied by q
simple ribbon.
OF the great r~eigning sovereigns of Eu-
rope. the czar is the least ostentatious in the
matter of dress. But for his almost gigan-
tic height and build it would be quite i'm
possible for a stranger to distinguish him
among a crowd of his officers, for the Rus
sian military unifo. M is the plainegt in
IuIOpc, anu Nv ull OQub tuS U1Okt pCNCGlC6l.
When DESTROYS OF doing special honor to a
foreign prince or envoy the car wears the
naval or military uniform of the honorary
rank, if any, which he (the czar) may hap
pen to hold in that country, for it is the
custom of European sovereigns TO appoint
each other colonels and admirals in each
others service. But as a Russian the
ear is severely simple. The czarowitz in
herits his fathers taste az to simplicity in
dress. The "dude" of the Russian impe,-
ial family is young Michael Michael
ovitch. who recently married the beauti-
full Countess Nuremberg, daughter Of
Prince Nicholas OF Nassau. The younp
man is snid to be the handsomest memb,r
of the house OF Romanotf, which is say
ing a good deal, as the family is noted for
splendid physique. Az aide-de-camp of
the car md chief of the chasseurs of the
guard, he was the most conspicuous officer
in the palace, and his uniform was as
brilliant as military regulations pei
mitted.
The German kaiser is perfectly neat, but
not snowy in personal display. Only once
since his promotion to the throne has he in
dulged in anything like pomp. That wal
on tho occasion of receiving deputies from
the local parliament of Alsace-Lorraine,
and tho object evidently was to impress
them with the conviction that the provinces
they represented were part and parcel for
ever of the German empire. Outside of
Germany it is not known that the kaiser
tavors an admiral's uniform, and wears it
on every possible occasion. BY this he
evinces his interest in the navy. about
which he seems to feel much more anxiety
than he does about the army, doubtless
because he appreciates that the navy
would be Gcrmany's weak point in a con
fict with France.
collars and Cuffs" the nickname given
to the duke of Clarence, is not undesetved.
The young man, who will be king of Eng
land if he ~outlives his father and his
grandmother, is already q years of age,
and if he possesses any ability outside of d
capacity for dressing well he has not yet
begun to display it. The collars and cuffs
worn by the young prince are not more
prominent than thoss of other gentlemen.
but he has q mania for changing them on
oysry possible occasion. He first showed
this peculinrity at a dinner given by tho
German Ambassador, Count Hatfield, about
three years ago, when the dukes sudden
disappearance from the banquet hall was
accounted for by the whispered statement
mat he had gone to change his cuffs. On
ia return it was apparent that he had
hanged not his cuffs alone but also his
COLLAR. From that time he began to DO
I'nown as collars and Cuffs" Like tho
Great majority OF English noblemen,
..nPthor nf rDuol ~ Ia,aar Jonpaa nuIya