The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1900-09-15

The woman for whose sake the Gear
Of Russia refused to wed the present
queen Of Italy, then Princess Helene Of
Montenegro. is not happy with a Gar
ina's crown upon her head. She would
gladly have given up to her beautiful
rival the glittering diadem and the
pomp and power of the strongest
throne in Europe for the love of a
pr1ncely soldier, who had wooed and
had won her before relentless diplo-
macy forced her into a marriage
against which she protested in vain.
The pathetic romance Of the Prin-
cess Irene, which eliminated in her
sacrifice to Nicholas of Russia, is now
laid bare for the first time by the
Countess Radzcivill, lady Of honor at
the court of Wilhelmina, formerly at
the royal palace Of Berlin, one of the
'OGarina's closest friends during her
.girlhood, and for a time the trusted
So-between for the unhappy lovers.
lrene's meeting with her lover was
quite unconventional. She happened
10 be walking in the gardens at Schloss
Tugenstein, the home of her fathers
sister, the Herzogin Sophie. after a
heavy fall of rain. To the tall, blonde
young officer, who, mud-bespattered
and flushed from fast riding, approach
ed her through the dripping gardens,
she must have appeared lovely Is one
OF the visions that had filled his young
fancy.
What Otto Won Hesse Cassel saw was
q charming young girl with flushed
cheeks, curly dark hair, her white dress
rain-moistened, clinging to the soft
contour of her neck and arms. And
they loved one another naturally and
spontaneously.
And so the blissful dreams were
being realized at last. On a golden day
in late September Otto learned that his
hopes were not 'pregmatic and that
1rene's superior rank was no bar to her
maidenly love for him.
Neither had the vaguest fear Of the
future; they were content to live each
day, to the end drinking divine
draughts Of their love for one another.
Perhaps when the blow fell she
cared little as to how 1t all came
about. She was informed by the Graf
OF a royal message ordering her to
Berlin at once. Some dread forebod-
ing told her that all was not well, and
she slept but little on the night of her
royal arrival in the imperial palace.
The interview was to take place the
following morning and Irene learned
to her gratitude that his majesty
would see her alone. When the morn
ing dawned at last, Irene, white and
nervous, was ushered into the royal
presence. The emperor softened at
once at sight of her, but held to his
purpose, which was to inform her of
the offer which Nicholas II. had made
for her hand. It was because of his
real regard for her. the emperor went
on, that he let her know at nee of
bis pl for her before she should
ne fixed in her affection for one
could never be her husband. It
vas in vain that she pleaded 1t was
forever too late, that her heart was
given. The emperor argued strenu-
ously in favor Of the tremendous dip
lomatic advantages that would result
from this second union between the
royal houses of Germany and Russia;
that she would be an empress; that
noblesse oblige, etc.
Irene pleaded fervently for awhile;
pleaded with all the power Of her love
and fear. The emperor vas obdurate;
the projected Russian alliance was too
distinctly Of diplomatic Importance to
subserve q woman's whims. The
Hesse Darmstadts, ardent and self
willed, had always been troublesome
In the matter Of their marriages and
Irene was simply exemplifying a fam
3ly trait Moreover, he had seen the
Announcement of her fathers morganatic
marriage with the Countess Rabinski,
his subsequent deposition and dis
grace; nothing a gained by that bit
Of self will but the dislike of Wilhelm,
the serious i'll will Of all England,
which resented the slight put upon
this wife, their loved Princess Alice,
and Ludwig's forced final reputation