Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-04-08

To De Presented This Year to Marie
Therese, of Wurtenbu..-


Therese, of WurtemDu-G.
One of the most unhappy women in
the world will shortly receive one of
the greatest honors coveted by women.
This woman is Marie Therese, the
wife of Duke Philip of Wurtemburg.
The honor which is about TO be con-
ferred upon the wife of the future king
of Wurtemberg will come from the
hand of Pope Leo. 1t is the rare deco
ration of the golden rose. Although it
is true that Duke Philip, on the death
of the present king of Wurtemberg
and of his childless old uncle, Nicholas,
will become the first Catholic ruler of
that important South German state
since the days of the reformation, this
mark of Pope Leo's favor is none the
less recognition of Marie Therese's
noble qualities of mind and heart pre-
served in spite of her marital suffering.
The holy golden rose is a mark of
special favor and regard, which, since
the twelfth century. has been annually
presented by the pontiff of the day to
some great lady, exclusively of imperial
and royal rank. No woman not prin-
cess Of the blood has ever been thus hon.
ored, and there is no foundation for
the statement that the golden rose has
been presented either to Gen. Sher-
mans wife, or to Miss Gwendolin Cald-
we'll, now marquise de Monsters, both
of these ladies having been distin-
guished with handsome gold medals
specially struck for them by order of
the pope. Among the royal ladies now
living who have received the golden
rose areeX-PrincessE ugenie of France;
Queen Isabella and the queen regent of
Spain, the ex-queen of Naples and her
sister, the widowed crown princess of
Austria, the queen of Belgium, the
queen of Saxony and the ex-crown
princess of Brazil. ""
The golden rose is not, as generally
believed, a single flower. 1t is golden
branch, to which thorns are appended,
and is covered with leaves, buds and
flowers, the topmost rose being the
largest. The whole is deity wrought
in pure gold. Within the principal rose
is placed small receptacle, usually a
tiny cup with q lid over it, in which the
pope, when blessing the flower, places
palm and musk. The branch is plant
ed in n gold vase, of which the shape
and design vary according to the fancy
of the august donor. BUTT always has
engraved on it's side the armorial bear
ings and the name of the pope who be-
slows, as we'll as the armorial bear
ings and the name of the lady to whom
it is presented.
- The decoration will be, as usual, con-
veyed to the duchess by Count Edouard
Soderini, who is married to an Ameri-
can lady and enjoys the well-deserved
reputation of being tho most attrac-
tive ugly man in the court of the vat
lean. He is vested with bearing the
golden rose with all the attributes and
privileges of a full-fedged ambassa-
dor, and is accorded all the honors,
military and otherwise, that are paid
to dignitaries of that Importance.
The blessing of the rose by the pope
invariably takes place at the, high mass
of Mid-Lent Sunday. The rose is
placed between two lighted tapers on
table in the sacristy and is presented
by the youngest cleric of the pope's
household to his holiness on his way to
the Sistine lchapel.-Chicago Inter
Ocean. 49, ..