The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-08

itary in 1747. in wlilem w: but his suc-
cessor. Wiliem v had to escape to Eng.
land, in 1895. when the French republican
army invaded the Netherlands. The fam
lily did not return till November 1918,
when the fate of the Republic, released
from French supremacy, was I'M
der discussion at the Congress of Vienna.
After various diplomatic negotiations, the
Belgian provinces, subject before the
French revolution to the House OF Aus
tria, were ordered by the congress to be
annexed to the territory OF the Republic.
and the whole TO be erected into King
dom, with the son of the last stakeholder.
Wtllem V, as hereditary sovereign In
consequence, the latter was proclaimed
King of the Netherlands at The Hague on
the 18th of March. 1916. and recognized as
sovereign by all the Powers OF Europe.
The established union between the north
ern and southern provinces of the Meth
erlands was dissolved by the Belgian rev.
, olution OF 1880, and their political rela-
tons were not readjusted until the sign
ing of the Treaty OF London, April 10. 1889,
which constituted Belgium as an independ-
ent Kingdom. King Wiilem / abdioated
in 1910. and bequeathed the crown to his
son, Willem ii. who. after reign of nine
years, left 1t to his heir, Willem III.
This monarch reigned forty-one years.
heirs, he was succeeded by his only daugh-
ter. Wilhelmina, whose marriage to Duke
Heinrich of Mecklenburg- Schwerin took
place yesterday. The House of Orange
has given the following sovereigns to the
Netherlands since its reconstruction as
kingdom by the Congress Of Vienna: VIII
lem I. 1915; Willem II. 1910; Willem III.
1S4s; Wilhelmina. 1890.
Wilhelmina has been carefully trained
nd ed Tor hsar fert off nv n ar
seeing and loving mother. She Is an only
child. and was left fatherless when she
was a mere babe. so that her childhood's
years were wholly under the care of her
mother. The little future Queen was
brought up in an atmosphere Of devotion
to her native land and people. She knows
| the history of the country of her birth,
| she has Dutch ideas and convictions and
| is the idol of the Dutch people, no mat
| ter in what part of the globe they may
| reside. She has received a thorough
| training in the duties of a Dutch house
| Wife. which means that she should be
practical, thrifty, and efficient. Whether
| skating, witnessing the maneuvres of her
| troops, leading her staff on horseback,
| presiding at councils of state, or OPEN
| ing agricultural fairs. Wilhelmina is the
idol Of her faithful people. She is one
of the wealthiest sovereigns of Europe
1t was at one time taken as a settled
fact that Wilhelmina had chosen for
husband Prince William of WED. The
news was published everywhere that the
match was definitely settled. when she
made the acquaintance of Duke Henry,
which finally led to the contamination
OF the royal wedding
The world has always subscribed to the
idea and it has been generally accepted
fact, that marriages between persons Of
royalty did not find their origin in heaven.
but in the cabinets of the royal counselors.
But times change, and people change with
them. The women of today, even though
they be queens and princesses will not
bow to this time honored and altogether
unidealistic custom. And so little" and
''willfur' Wilhelmina, the young girl
Queen of Holland, has thrown tradition to
the winds and chosen husband after her
own heart. Duke Henry, upon whom her
final choice fell, will be known-as the
Prince Consort," and is a credit to the
ducal house of Mecklenburg-Schwer the
little grand ducby on the northeast coast
OF the German Empire. He is reported to
be good-looking young fellow. four years
older than his royal spouse, and is said to
possess a vast amount Of good common
sense. He was born April 10 1876 as the
youngest child by his fathers third mar
rage. and he is an uncle Of the reigning
| Grand Duke of Mecklenburg- Schwerin,
Friedrich Franz ". The Prince Consort
| is closely attached to the German court,
holding the commission Of lieutenant in
| the chasseur battalion OF the Prussian
/ Guard, stationed at Potsdarn.
! The grand ducaI house of Meeklenburg
| is the only reigning family in Western
| Europe of Slavonic origin, and claims to
be the Oldest sovereign house in the West
ern world. In their full title the grand
dukes style themselves Princes OF the
Wends. The genealogical table of the
reigning grand dukes begins with Niklot,
who died in 1850. and comprises twenty
five generations.
Queen Wilhelmina's next heir to the
throne of Holland at the present moment
is the young Grand Duke of Sake Weimar,
who besides being her cousin, is reported
to be one of her rejected suitors. He is
unmarried and said to be in delicate
health. Next TO him in the line Of sue
sion come mis- aunt. Princess Marie Of
Saxe-Weimar, who is marrie6i-to Prince
Henry of Reuss. formerly German AhaannsSsss-T-
sador at Vienna, and her three children.
After them comes her childless sister, wife
of the Duke OF Mecklenburg-Sch
rim, a half-brother of Queen Wilhelmina's
husband, the Prince-Consort. Then comes
the Princess of Wied. who prior to Ter
marriage was Princess Marie of the Meth
erlands. Finally come her two sons,
Prince Frederick of Wied, married to
Pauline of WuerttembeFs, anu the rejected
Prince William of Wied.