The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-31
THE NEW KING OF ITALY.
Personality of Victor Emmanuel III.
Humbert's Successor.

Victor Emmanuel Ferdinand Marie jan
vier. Prince OF Naples, who succeeds to
the throne Of Italy, was born at Naples on
November IL, 1859. AS crown prince he
held the rank Of lieutenant general and
commanded the Tenth Italian Army Corps.
He married Helene. third daughter of
Prince Nicholas. Of Montenegro. In October.
1896. The civil marriage took place at the
Vuirlaai In the presence OF the King and
Queen of Itaiy and the members OF the
| reigning family of Montenegro. the Presi-
dent OF the Senate and the Chamber OF
Deputies. members OF the Ministry and a
number OF court dignitaries. The civil cere-
rnony was performed by Marquis Rudini.
the Minister of Foreign Affairs. in his ca
pacity as crown notary. The eisg1ous cere-
nony was performed an hour later in the
Church Of Santa Maria della Angeli. The
pair have no children.
The King was long ago nicknamed the
Little Prince" and the appellation has
stuck to him. He Is small In stature and
before his marriage was timid in society,"
rarely showing himself in public. For sew
eral years previous to his marriage gos-
sip of Europe had connected his name with
many OF the Catholic princesses OF mar
| riageable age.
| to marry his daughter to the present Car
OF Russia, then the Czarevitch. had failed.
arranged the betrothai, which ended in
her marriage to Prince Victor. His desire
to marry his daughter to the Czareviten
and his subsequent failure get all Europe
to talking at the time. She was the fair
est OF his six daughters. and he concluded
that beauty of the first order like Helene
should wear the purple. So IL was hat
n he
Petersburg.
The prince conducted his affairs in grand
style, drank and gsmbled enormously with
the grand dukes, and scattered the rubles
by the ten thousand. The court circle
thought him the best fellow In the word,
until he unwisely lee IL become known that
he was setting his daughters cap for tie
Czarevitch, now Car Nicholas. Foreign
and domestic influences were then ccTn-
bined 10 overthrow his power, ard the
prince FASTENED home and put down his
enemies.
Match making then stopped until IN 1855.
when King Humbert and Queen Margaret
and Prince Victor Emmanuel opened tie
International Art Exhibition in Venice.
They found Princess Helene and her
mother there. The success of NictoiGs
plan seemed assured from the first Hum
bert, whose appreciation OF female loye.i-
ness greatly disturbed domestic peace at
the Quirinal years ago. at once p, o-ou,cei
Princess Helene the most beautiful woman
OF iier years in Europe.
Victor Emmanuel echoed his fathers
oDinion. Wherever the Princess went
crowds gathered to admire her. She made
the popular success Of her life ald she
caatured crown prince. If he must
marry, as he had just promised his mother
he would within year, he would take
Prince Nicholas daughter. But the then
Italian Cabinet was averse TO the match.
The Ministers regarded it as poor politics
to marry Italy's crown prince into pow
erless little house like that of Montenegro,
and to call a SlaF woman. no matter how
beautiful, to sit on the throne OF Italy.
The negotiations for the betrothal wero
stopped.
1t locked as if Nicholas had had another
slip. However, it came otherwise. a new
Cabinet was formed Victor Emmanuel
again met Helene at the coronation cere-
monies in Moscow. King Humbert, while
not fayoring the politics of the match, re-
membered his youth and his unofficial hui
manity enough to consent to it. The Cabi-
net was willing. The Slay girl and the
Italian boy were betrothed. He gave her
a betrothal bracelet which cost 5000, 900.
The new King is a cultivated man. He
has not been in robust health. and for a
time there was some talk of his abdicating
in favor of the Duke Of AOsta, his cousin,
now heir to the throne. His wife is rec
ognized as one OF the most beautiful vo-
men in the royal families of Europe. She
is an excellent horsewoman and a good
shot Two volumes OF her verse have been
printed and circulated In the Montenegro
court One Of her sisters is the wife OF
Russian Grand Duke Nicolafvitch md an
other is welded to Prince George Of Leuch-
tenberg.
Prince Emmanuel Philibert Victor
Eugene Genoa Joseph Marie, Duke OF
Aosta, the heir to the throne. was born at
Genoa. January 13, 1863, and Is a major
general in the Italian Army. commanding
the artillery Of the First Army Corps He
married Princess Helene of Orleans,
daughter Of the late Count of Paris. and
sister of the Due d'Orleans, pretender to
the French throne. at Kingston on Thames.
England, June %. 1895. They have one son.
Amcdee Humbert Isabelle Louis Philippe
Marie Joseph Jean, of Savoy-Aosta, who
was born at Turin. October p. 1888.
The Duchess of Aosta is one Of the most
fascinating princesses in Europe. 1t is
said that at one time she was in love with
the heir to the English throne-the Duke
Of Clarence. Their religious creeds separ-
ated them and it is said that the Princess
went on her knees before the Pope to ask
him for O dispensation. This was refused
her. She then married the Duke OF
Aosta.
In marrying the Duke the Princess knew
she was Doing something unfriendly to the
Pnne because she became member OF the
family which keeps the Holy Father
prisoner in the Vatican. but in this case
there could be no prohibition because the
bridegroom was a protesting Catholic.
Nevertheless. the Princess defied the Pope
in intention.
The Duchess Of Aosta was at one time
separated from her husband, but later be-
came reconeiled.