The Somerset reporter., 1898-04-21
REFUSED TO BE KING.
MORE THAN ONE MAN HAS SPURNED
ROYAL HONORS.

Some of Those Who Have Declined to
Wear . Monarch's Crown-The Golden
Wreath That Was offered to and Re.
fused by Beaconsfeld.
1t is no mean distinction to have re.
fused crown There is probably not
one man In million who would decline
kingdom if it 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 refused the crown of Eng
land more from fear of others than from
any other motive
But there have been many men since
Cromwell who have refused to wear a
monarchs crown. Thirty.five years
ago, when the throne of Greece was va
cant. more than one great English
statesman might have ruled over the
destinies of that classic country, but the
difficulties in the way were formidable.
Mr. Gladstone's name was freely men
toned in connection with the crown Of
Greece, though, as Mr. Gladstone was
member of the government at the
time, the proposal never took definite
shape.
The late Lord Derby, however, who
had strong sympathies with Greece, was
offered the crown and refused it, throw
ing away 600. 900 year and king
dom. 1t was not the first time man
had declined to sit on the throne Of
Greece, Prince Leopold, the father of
the present king of the Belgians, hav-
ing refused the crown when Greece was
declared kingdom in 1880. Prince
Leopold's reason for refusing the crown
was that the proposed boundaries Of
the country were insufficient the ex-
olusion of Crete especially influencing
his decision.
One of Queen Victoria's sons the
Duke of Edinburgh, has also been offer
ed the Grecian crown. He was appealed
to in the sixties at the time Lord Derby
declined 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 Greece. The throne
was then offered to the present king, on
Their, the king Of Denmark.
The crown of Austria Hungary was
refused in the middle of the century by
the Archduke Franz Karl, the father Of
the present emperor. King Ferdinand
abdicated in Decem der, 1S48, the throne
then descending in the ordinary course
to Archduke Franz Karl. The arch,
duke, however, declined the crown,
which he handed over to his son, who
still wears it.
Another crown which has been more
than once refused is the crown of Rou-
mania. When Roumania was declared
kingdom, it was settled that the
throne should descend to Prince Leo
pold, the eldest brother of the then
reigning king. The prince, however,
voluntarily yielded his rights to the
crown in favor Of his son, Prince Will
helm, the remuneration being registered
in the senate in October, 1880. Prince
Wilhelm remained heir apparent for
eight years, but toward the end of 1888
he formally refused to accept the crown
and his brother became heir apparent,
being now Prince OF Roumania. The
prince has since married Princess Marie,
granddaughter of Queen Victoria.
Not many years ago nephew Of the
great Napoleon died in exile, after re-
fusing crown. Prince Napoleon, nick
named "Plon- Plon, son of brother of
Napoleon Bonaparte, was invited to sit
on the throne of Roumania as the first
king of that country, hut 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
solitary exile. He had sacrificed one
crown in the hope of receiving another
and lost both.
Early in the present century Ferdi-
nand VII renowned the crown of Spain
in favor of his father, who again refused
it in favor of Napoleon. The great con-
queror had to face a nation in arms
however, and never took the throne.
The story of Lord Beaoonsfield' g gold
en- crown provides us with another in.
stance, though there was no throne with
this strange crown. The man In whose
brain the idea of browning Lord Bea-
consfeld originated is now dead. but as
long as he lived he never recovered from
the blow of Lord Beaconsfield's refusal
Of his tribute Tracy Turnerelli receiv
ed subscriptions from So people to-
ward his gold laurel wreath, but in
June, 1879, when he formally offered
the crown to his idol, it was refused. -
Philadelphia Times.