The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-12-30
PRINCESS and PAUPhR.
An Bmperor's Grandchild WEEDS a
Poor Lieutenant,
REsIGNING AN EMPRESS CROWN.


Princess Elizabeth of Austria, After Ro-
pcated Appeals to Emperor Francis
Joseph. Gains Royal Consent to Her
Marriage with the Man of Her Choice.
VIENNA, Dec. 80-According to The
Meme Freie Presse the marriage of the
Princess Elizabeth, granddaughter of EN-
peror Francis Joseph, who is only 90 years
old, and Lieutenant Siegfried, who is but
"a years of age, took place at Genoa on
Sunday, Dec. TO- and this paper stated
that Archbishop Reggie performed the
ceremony Both the parents of the bride
were said to have been present at the cere-
mony, and the consent of the emperor of
Austria to the marriage was said to have
been won by the princess after repeated
fearful interviews, during which the
young lady is snid to have thrown herself
on her knees before Francis Joseph and to
have threatened to take her life unless the
desire of her heart was granted
The love affairs of the Princess Eliza
beth and of the young Bayarlau lieutcn-
ant have long formed the subject of con-
siderable discussion in court circles
throughout Europe. When the princess
sister, the, Princess .Angusts, was married
to Archduke Joseph Augustin, of Austria,
the comment was made that it was
strange that the younger daughter of
Prince Leopold should marry before the
Older, and then the report spread that the
Princess Elizabeth had chosen herself a
husband without her parents consent,
aud that there was serious obstacle in
the way OF their marriage.
Then it gradually became known that
the Princess Elizabeth had met I.ieuten-
ant Baron Otto Won Siegfrled Butten-
holm at court ball some four years ago,
and that her royal highness became pas
sionately attached to the young officer
and expressed to her parents and other
relatives her determination never to marry
unless she was permitted to unite herself
to the man who had won her heart The
Bavarfan lieutenant, it should be added,
Is considered one of the haudsoDest men
in the German army. His family, how
ever is poor, though its nobility dates
back to the year 1915 The young Iieuten-
ants father is the chamberlain OF the Ba-
yarian court.
The emperor of Austria was finally ap,
pealed to. and is said to have notified the
Princess Elizabeth that she must give up
all ideas of marrying the poor lieutenant,
an that the crown of an empress was to
be hers after her marriage to Arehduke
Franz Ferdinand, heir presumptive to the
Austrian throne. Then it was, accord
ing to the story, that the young princess
threw herself. weeping at the feet of the
emperor and that she could not live unless
she could marry the man of her choice.
Some time later it was report ed that the
princess was engaged to the archduke mem
toned, and not long after the news was
flashed from Munich, where Lieutenant
Siegfried was in garrison, that the young
officer had met with an accident while
out shooting, 1t was stated, however. in
the innermost court circles, that the lieu
tenant upon hearing of the princess
engagement had attempted TO take his
own life.
Then, according to the story, Princess
Elizabeth again sought the presence of
Emperor Francis Joseph at Isehl, and
showed such unmistakable signs of grief
and begged so piteously to be allowed to
marry Lieutenant Segfried that the EN-
peror is said to have given way. and to
have agreed to the marriage. 1t was also
stated that about this time that the
Princess Elizabeth petitioned Emperor
William of Germany, asking him to allow
the Bayarlan officer to resign his com
mission in the German army, and it was
stated at the same time that the emperor
Of Austria would probably give the young
officer large estate in the Tyrol, and that
he would confer upon him the title of
connt aftor he had entered the Austrian