The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-21
REFUSED TO BE KINGS.
some of Those Who Have Enjoyed This
Tin ute Distinction.

Ii is no mean distinction to have refused
a crown. There Is probably not one man
in million who would decline n king
dom If II were offered him. in spite of
the restless nights and fearful days that
are commonly supposed to be the lot of
a king. Even Cromwell is said TO have re-
fused the crown of England more from
fear Of others than from amy other mo-
tive.
But there have been many men since
Cromwell who have refused to wear
monarchs crown. Thrty-fiVe years ago,
when the throne of Greece was vacant,
more than one great English statesman
might have ruled over the dcstinies Of
that classic country. but the difficulties IN
the way were formidable. Mr.. Gladstone :
name was freely mentioned I'm connection
with the crown of Greece. though, as
Mr.. Gladstone was Il member of the gov
eminent at the time, the proposal never
took definite shape.
The late Lord Derby. however, who had
strong sympathes with Greece. was Of
fered the crown and refused II, throw
ing away G50090 year and Il kingdom.
1t was not the first time a man had de-
elined to sit on the throne of Greece.
Prince Leopold the father of the pre- sent
king of the Belgians. having refused the
crown when Greece was declared a king
dom in 1890. Prince Leopolds reason Tor
refusing the crown was That the pro-
posed boundaries of the country were in
SufflClent. the exclusion OF crete eSpe-
cially influencing his decision
One OF Queen Victorias sons. the Duke
of Edinburgh. has also been offered the
Grecian crown lie was appealed to in
the sixties at the time Lord Derby de-
clined the crown, but was compelled to
refuse the offer owing To the attitude of
the powers. who strongly declared their
opposition to Prince Alfred being crowned
king of the Greeks. The throne was then
offered To the present king. on whose be-
half II was accepted by his father. the
king Of Denmark.
The crown of Austria Hungary was re-
fused in the middle of the century by the
Archduke Franz Karl. the father Of the
present emperor King Ferdinand l. abdi-
Gated in December. 1913 the throne then
descending in the ordinary course to
Archduke Franz Karl. The archduke
however, declined the crown. which he
handed over to his son. who stilI wears
H.
Another crown which has been more
than once refused is the crown OF Rou-
mania. When Roumania was declared Il
kingdom IL was settled that the throne
should descend to Prince Leopold the
eldest brother of the then reigning king.
The prince. however. voluntarily yielded
his rights to the crown in favor of his
son, Prince Wilhelm, the remuneration
being registered in the senate in October
1880 Prince Wilhelm remained heir appar-
ent for eight years but toward the end
of lSsS he formally refused to accept the
crown. and his brother became heir APP
parent, being now Prince of Roumania.
The prince has since married Princess
Marie. a granddaughter of Queen Nicto-
ria
Not many years ago nephew of the
great Napoleon died in exile. after re-
fusing a crown. Prince Napoleon nick
named "Plon-Plo son OF a brother of
Napoleon Bonaparte, invited TO sit
on the throne Of Roumani!t as the first
king Of that country. but he declined the
offer. believing at the time that he might
ascend the throne of France. So the
bird in the hand flew away and the bird
in the bush was never caught. The man
who had hoped To be crowned king OF
France died out of that country in soil
tary exile. He had sacrificed one crown
in the hope of receiving another and lost
both.
Early In the present century Ferdinand
VII, renowned the crown of Spain in ia
favor OF Napoleon The great conqueror
had to face nation In arms, however
and never took the throne.
The story of Lord Beaeonsfield's golden
crown provides us with another instance,
though there was no throne with this
strange crown. The man in whose brain
the idea of browning Lord Beaconsfield
originated rs now dead. but as long as he
lived he never recovered from the blow
of Lord Beaconstield's refusal of his
tribute. Tracy Turnerei received sub
scriptions from 50 00N people toward his
gold laurel wreath. but IN June. 1879 when
he formally offered the crown to his idol
il was refused.