Middletown transcript., 1897-09-11
ROYAL LOVE MATCHES.

Isn't it funnyP"
So
| ROYAL LOVE MATCHES.
Queen Wilhelmina of the Neither
lands declines to accept the husband
her mother and her mothers advise
have chosen for her. Although sh,
has not said it in SO many words, shl
evidently thinks that her cousin once
removed, Prince Bernhard of SAKE
Welmar-like Curran. the Irish Orator
carries MANS pllviltge of being
ugly little too far; and rather thar
mate with him, she prefers to remain
single for another couple of years
Even then she intends to follow the
dictates of her own heart. This claim
of the girl sovereign to stand On an
equality with the humblest of her SUBJ
jects has raised quite flutter of sur
prise among the Courts of Europe, and
feeling stronger than surprise among
the Dutch themselves; but inasmuch
as one of their own and greatest of
princes, William the Silent's eldest son,
told them nearly three centuries ago
that sit takes two to make either a
marriage or quarrel" they will have
no alternative but to abide by their
young Queens decision.
This is absolutely as it should be; a
Queen in her own right should be al
lowed to select the companion of her
life and the future father of her chill
dren. The world in general may feel
disposed to look with greater or lesser
leniency on the love eSeapades of kings;
it will not tolerate similar adventures
on the part of queens; and in order to
guard against these, the latter should
not have forced upon them consorts
who from the outset are repugnant to
them. If James | was the SON of Rizzio
and not of Darnley, the subsequent
misfortunes of the house of Stuart
and also of England-were not the vis-
itation of justly offended Providence,
as Balzac endeavored to make out, but
the consequences of crime committed
by Elizabeth in compelling Mary Stu
art to marry that imbecile. The scan
dals of Isabella's reign in Spain were
partly the work Of Louis Philippe and
partly that OF Palmerston. The former
in order eventually to secure the throne,
to his youngest sons wife, Isa-
bella's sister-and practically to her
husband, the late Due de Montpensier
mated her with Don Francis d'Assis,
who was notoriously unfit to contract
a marriage at all, albeit that Palmer
ston pretended to have become aware
of the fact only after the bond had
been tied. Even then he might have
left i'll alone and the devil to his own
devices; but he strengthened the evil
ones hand by his ultimatum to Gui-
Zot. "If Isabella has not child with
in twelvemonth," he said to Louis
Phillippe's Minister, "then there will
be war between England and France. -
We are not prepared to say what
would happ in the event of Queen
Wilhelmina's premature death, or in
the event of her marriage without is
sue; the question is too complicated to
be treated in few lines. 1t is sufficient
however, to state that the kings of
Prussia have never abdicated their
right to the Dutch crown in default of
lineal succession, and that the attempt
to enforce this right. would unquestion-
able set Europe ablaze. Queen. Wilhel-
minia, who is reported to be highly in
telligent, and who has, moreover, had |
The advantage of the best masters, is
no doubt aware of all this, yet one can |
not blame her for refusing to link her
lot with youth for whom she feels no |
and, being young and in the
best of health, for wishing to wait un-
Ill the right Prince appears. Young as
she is, her exalted position has afforded
ler an opportunity of learning much
'f the chronique intime of European
eourts-an advantage denied to baser-
born mortals. She is likely to know
where the shoe pinches" in royal
contracted either for rea-
IONS of State or because the contract
ng parties, having been unable to
marry those whom they loved, endea-
vored to love those whom they mar.
led. Young as she is, her natural in
diligence and fast-ripeniDg womanly
instinct have by this time taught her
hat there are compensations for "Ioye-
ess marriages'' within the reach of
men, but denied to women who respect
themselves. She has probably no wish
0 enact the "Virgin Queen" in the
ense that Elizabeth of England and |
Elizabeth of Russia enacted the char
cter; but she has equally 40 wish to
nake ber name byword in history in
of. Catherine the Great,
christine of Sweden, Mary Stuart. and