The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-03-08
ECHOES FROM ABROAD.


Crown Princess Stephanie on her
deathbed recalls the annual curse
which seems to alight on the royal
house of Belgium. This year it may
be said to have brought two mistor-
tunes in its train, first Of all the
public disgrace and punishment from the
court of Vienna of Princess Louise Of
Belgium, whose husband. Prince Phil
ippe, of Coburg,i has. been compelled by
the flagrancy of her improperly at Nice
to fight duel with her lover while
news is officially given out that her sis
ter. Stephanie. is dying, and has receiv-
ed the last sacraments.
While the conduct Of the princess has
been at times liable to a good deal of
criticism, it cannot be denied that there
is much to be said in her excuse, and
even her numerous enemies are forced
to admit that of all the royal ladies in
Europe she has been the one who was
the most thoroughly chic and elegant
The second daughter of King Leopold
brought up by a mother who devotes
ali her time to horses and to feats of
equestriansm of the circus character
when she is not laid low by alcoholic
fever or else recovering therefrom.
Princess Stephanie had before her eyes
the spectacle of her fathers immorali-
ties. which have been in the past and
continue to this day such as to cause
his name to have become a term of re-
proach to all decent people. He has long
lived apart from his wife, and does not
hesitate to show himself in public with
ladies of the demi-mondaine, one OF
whom he kept in great pOmp and luxury
at Brussels and who used to go by the
name of Queen of Congo Leopold be
| ing, as everybody knows, the sovereign
| of the Congo Free State.
Princess Stephanie was still a school
| girl when affianced through the articles
| of her eldest sister already then mar
| ried to Prince Philippe, of COburg, and
| established al Vienna. When the marri-
age took place the princess had in no
| sense of the word attained womanhood,
| was in many respects mere child and
| physically as we'll as mentally untitled
| to become a mother. The crown prince
| was already noted for his dissolute con-
| duct. and only a month before his mar
| riage one of the great furniture stores
| on the RingStrasse exhibited in its win
| dows beautiful suite of bedroom fur
! niture. each article of which bore a card
| intimating that it had been ordered by
| the crown prince for lady of the half
| world, with whom his name had been
associated in the most scandalous man
ner. For this breach of propriety he was
| placed under arrest by his father until
within week of his wedding day.
At the wedding the Princess Stephanie
could not fail to notice the extent 20 which
her father and mother were sighted by
the family into which she was marrying
| Il circumstance all the more remarkable
| seeing that Queen Henrietta herself is al
Austrian archduchcss, and after the mar
| riage the little princess was thoroughly
made to feel how very little the Austrian
| reigning family cared for her. She die
| not give birth to child until she haG
been married two and a half years, ant
then only to a girl, the medical authors
| ties at the same time declaring that she
| could never again become mother. Thi:
| served 10 increase the lack of considera
ton and regard with which she was treat
ed not only by her husbands family, bu
by the Austrian people, while her hus
| band now neglected her more than ever
having at no moment since his marriage
seen fit to alter his previous mode of life
or to interrupt his numerous intrigue!
with the fair sex.
No wonder that she became soured II
temperament. which, OF course, increased
his distaste for her and he deserted he
so openly for Baroness Marie VetZerd tha
when he went to London for Queen Vic
torias jubilee in 1857 aud met the Kin:
and Queen of the Belgians there il wa
observed that they declined to hold an!
intercourse with him whatsoever. TIL
princess on several occasions was on tn
point of leaving her husband only yield
ing to the solicitations of Emperor Fran
els Joseph, who wished at all costs Il
avoid a scandal, while the crown prime
himself pestered his father in vain to per
nit him to secure from the pope an an
nullment of his marriage During the las
year of the crown princes life he was il
a state of semi-dementia from drink in
dulging in rotations of champagne witt
brandy, and it was finally in drunken
orgie that he met with his shocking dealt
! at Meyerling, after having previousl.
killed his fair companion, Baroness Mari
| NetZera.