The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-15
ALL THE CROWNED HEADS.



Heirs i'm the Red Book.
There is a fat little rcd book that comes
into every considerable reference library
ut about this time every year with
bursting load OF Information regarding
the nations of the earth and their rulers.
This book is the "Almanach de Gotha" In
tie diplomatic language OF the world, and
"Der Gothsische tlenealogisohe Hofkalsn-
der" in the language OF It's Eative land.
1t contains any amount OF information
that NAV be found in equally available
form elsewhere; it contains also several
hundred pages Of facts that never are
collected elsewhere in such trustworthy
and convenient form--facts relating to
the crowned heads of all monsrcbies,
tors and children and children's children,
and their collateral relatives far and near.
Every year the EDITORS OF the
"AimRnach de Gothao send to the
castles and palaces OF royalty, wherever
accessi bic, the proof sheets of the pages
concerning the ruling families, and none
Of these pages is published without hav-
ing been corrected by some princely
hand. Consequently q man may usually
rely on what he finds in the "Almanach"
about the crowned heads and their kind.
although not always, for crowned heads
err occasionally IS do uncrowned heads,
in roatters Of family history. Oa tbs
whole however, the "Almanach" is
about as trustworthy as any book OF 1850
pages could he.
The last "Almanacb." received q few
days ago from Europe, shows that tire
oldest reigning primes next to the Pope,
who is Sc, il the Grand Duke of little
Iuxem burg, who Is 30. Denmsrk's king
| is 7s;7the Grand Duke of Saxe-W Weimer,
| 78 Queon Victoria and the Grand Duke
of Mecklenburg- -Strelitz, II. Three ruling
princes have passed 20 in the last year
| the Duke of Saxe-Meininger, the Duke of
oaxe-Altenburg, aud the Grand Duke Of
| Baden. Nine sovereigns ara between 60
and 20, sesen of them being over Go.
| Eight sovoreigns are I'm their hf.ie5, six
| in their forties, three in their thirties,
aud three in their twentics. AS for sew
| eral years, Wilhelmina Of ths Netht rlapds
and Alfonso Of Spain are the youngest
sovereigns. According to length of
reign, Queen Victoria heads the list with
almost 81 years. She is followed by
Emperor Franz Josef of Austria vithsiS
years, and tho Grand Duke of Baden, also
| with As gears. The Grand Duke of sake
Weimar, the Duke of Saxe-Alten burg,
and the Grand Duke of Ode burg have
reigned since 1868. Seventeen of the
forty European sovereigns have reigned
more than 70 years and 13 less than 10
wears. In 1894 there was but one change
| In throne: in 1895, one; in 1895, none.
or ss reigning houses in Europe, but 20
have heirs I'm the direct line of success
sion. or the heirs to thrones, the Prince
| of Wales, with his 55 years, is the eldest /;
| then comes the Crown Prince of Dem
mark, SO years old; the Hereditary Grand
| Duke of Mecklen burg -Strelitz, as; the
Hereditary Prince of Meiningen. %; the
| Hereditary Grand Dukes OF Luxemburg
and Oliopbury, al. OF the whole num-
| ber OF heirs only IL ere married; six of
these have grandchildren.
| A curious addition hes been made to
! the diplomatic and stats tical part of the
| little red book. Ii relates to the national
| holidays of the countries OF the globe.
| In only few German states is there any
holiday at the anniversary of the EN-
psror's birth. In honor of tho shsh's
birthday, however, the Persiaus celebrate
| II holidays, and in one principal ty OF
India the birthday festivities last two
| weeks.