The Savannah morning news., 1900-08-03
THE CoBURG SUCCESSION.
How the Duke of Albany Becomes
the Duchies' Ruler.

| EX-Attache, in New York Tribune.
1t was in the capacity of a music stand
that l first made the acquaintance of
Queen Victorfa's second son. who has
just died so suddenly, as reigning Duke
Of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha He was on his
way back from st. Petersburg, where he
had just become engaged to Car Alex
ander lis only daughter Marie, and had
broken his journey for a few days at vi
enna taking up his quarters at the Brit
lsh Embassy. Each night during his stay
| there was dinner party and after each
| dinner the Duke was asked to perform
on the violin, his accompanist being in
variably the lovely little Countess Dom
non, who. after a sensational elopement
| with her husbands secretairie a Ambas-
SADIE and divorce, is now married 10 the
aforesaid secretary, at present Minister
| of Foreign Affairs of the German EN-
pire. l am sorry to say that the EN-
bassy furniture did not comprise such
thing as music stand, and accordingly
| Lady Buchanan amiably suggested that
as the youngest member of the party
| should act in that capacity. Accordingly
chair was perched on a quantity of big
| folioS and footstools, and 1 was estab-
| llshed in the chair. to hold the music book
| in slanting position toward the Duke.
| My face appeared above the edge of the
| book, and l was consequently compelled
| to keep staring at the Duke, while every
| time that he raised his eyes from the
| notes he encountered my gaze. Perhaps
| he derived inspiration therefrom. At any
rate. each evening that he was al the
Embassy he played from the moment
| that dinner was over until the party broke
up, and he iaid the tired violin to rest in
the case, covered by the dainty satin and
lace apron worked for him by his I'M
perial fancee. In that way the Duke be-
came as familiar with my features as he
would with those of any other equally
artistic piece of furniture while his hand
some face and magnificent eyes became
firmly impressed upon my memory. IT
is only fair to add that the Duke before
he left Vienna presented to me charm
ing souvenir in recognition. so he said,
of my Intelligent appreciation of music"
and that this was the beginning of an ac-
quaintance marked by many an act of
gracious kindness on his part
1t is owing to the fact that the Duke
of Connaught end his only son, Prince
Arthur, waived their rights of succession
to the throne of SaXe-Coburg that the
young Duke of Albany, son of Prince Leo
pold, who was the most delicate of all
Queen Victorias children, now succeeds
as sovereign duke of the two German
duchies in question. In order to under
stand how an English Prince, who is like
wise British peer. comes to succeed to
the crown of one of the numerous indie
pendent states of Central Europe compris-
ed in the federation known as the Ger
man Empire, it is necessary to recall the
fact that Queen Victorias husband was
the younger of the two sons of Duke Err
nest / of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The
elder of these two sons, Ernest II. died
a few years ago without issue, his crown,
therefore devoiving on sons of his younger
brother Albert, Consort of Queen Vic
toria. and who had preceded him. The
English constitution will not permit a for
eign crown to be held simultaneously with
| that of Great Britain. and the constitu-
| ton of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha is likewise
opposed to a foreign ruler becoming SOW
| ereign of the two duchies. The heir APP
parent of the British chown can be titu-
lar sovereign of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
until he ascends the throne of Great Bril-
tain but even in that case it is stipulated
by the Coburg constitution that he should
appoint a vceroy or stakeholder TO ad-
minister the sovereignty of the duchy, it
being regarded as inadmissable that the
heir apparent to a foreign throne should
actually exercise the duties of rulership
| of the duchy.
In order to avoid all these difficulties
the Prince of Wales some time before the
| death of his uncle, Duke Ernest of Sake
Coburg waived his own rights and those
of his son and sons sons to the throne
! of Saxe-Coburg. His abandonment was
not absolute, but conditional. True, he
renowned his own rights and those of
| his children, but only TO the younger
| brothers and 10 their male descendants.
In the event of their dying without issue,
| or without ascending the throne of Co
| burg and Gotha the crown of these two
| duchies does not pass to the other men,
| bers of the house of Coburg, as has been
stated, but reverts to the Prince of
! Wales, or rather to his son and grand
| sons. Thus, If by any misfortune the new
| Duke of Saxe-Coburg- Gotha-that is to
| say, the Prince of Waless nephew, nov
| a delicate lad of sixteen-were to die be-
fore attaining his majority the Prince of
| Wales would become ipse facto reigning
| Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha but as
| heir apparent TO the English crown would
| be compelled 10 administer the sovereign
ty of the two duchies through viceroy,
| who might be his own son, the Duke OF
York The Duke of York would, how
| ever, have to give up the viceroyalty 70
some other prince on his becoming the
! Prince of Wales himself, while his father
on becoming King of England, would be
Obliged 10 surrender to him the title OF
Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. as well
as all the revenues of the duchy and the
vast estates which go with the crown.
Kingdom without n Court.
The entire affair is somewhat compli-
Gated. but IL is necessary to bear 1t In
mind, inasmuch as difficulties in connec-
ton with the Saxe-Coburg succession
have already and are likely to occur
again. The Coburgers entertain vivid
remembrance of the fate of the people OF
Hanover. who for more than eighty years
were left without even a glimpse OF their
English ruler who pocketed his revenues
as King of Hanover but neither main
tained a court in the kingdom nor even
visited it. Neither George III of Eng
land. nor George ", nor William ~,
ever took the trouble to run over 60 see
their kingdom of Hanover while on the
throne of England. and 1t was not until
Victoria became Queen of Great Britain
and her uncle Ernest by virtue OF the
Salic law in Hanover, became King OF
Hanover. that the worthy Hanoverians
knew what it was to have full-hedged
court. g.,
when the Prince of Wales waived his
rights TO the throne Of Coburg and Gotha
he aid so in favor of his second brother,
Alfred the sailor Duke of Edinburgh. who
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