Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-03-29
CUPID VERSUS CROWNS
LOVE LAUGHS AT IMPERIAL
LoCKsMITHs, TOO.
Two Princesses Who Gave Up Court
and Honors to Wed Men
They Loved.
Written for Tie Evening Star.

Written for Tie Evening Star.
Love laughs as successfully at crowns
and courts as at locksmiths. for twice of
late have women laid aside the imperial
purple in order to wed for the good of their
hearts instead of the selfish state. When
the Dowager Crown Princess of Austria an
nounced her intention of remarriage. and
this time to a mere count, there was a
pretty wagging of tongues all over Europe.
The widowed crown princess had been born
Princess Stephanie OF Belgium. Her father,
King of the Belgians, is cousin to King Ed
ward of England, her mother is of the
French house of Orleans and her first hus-
band had been son and heir to the Austrian
kaiser. The kindest criticism of poor Ste
phanie was that she was crazy, and to royal
folk that was the only possible eNplana-
ton of her desire to marry the youthful
but comparatively impecunious Count Won
Lonyay, a nobody. His Austrian majesty
tried to reason gently with the pretty
widow, but his arguments could hardly
have much weight with the woman who
had for reasons of state married mis- son,
who led her wretched life until his tragic
and dishonorable death set her free.
Evidently the old Emperor of Austria is
a kind-hearted and clear-Sighted old gen.
tleman, for his daughter-in-law married
the Young count and her father-in-law
gave her his blessing and many fine gifts
and since then the Countess Won Lonyay
has been wonderfully happy woman. She
goes junketing about Europe. shopping
visiting, sightseeing and photographing just
as if she We're plain American Mrs. Jones
or Brown. She and the count are a fond
couple and her only grief was that her
otherwise kind father-in-law forbade her to
live with or see very much of her only
child, the Archduchess Elizabeth.
The emperor, 1t appears, was Obliged
few years ago to let royal Austrian arch
duke marry mere countess, and he did
not propose to let a third accident of the
sort happen in his family. He kept the
Princess Elizabeth pretty close discussed
matrimonial projects for her with his
majesty of Saxony, the Bavarian regent
and others. In spite of imperial precau
lions, however, the princess fell in love- and
as love of the good, old-fashioned sort
seems epidemic at courts she gave her heart
to Prince Otto zu Windisch- Graetz. This
princes blood is a drop or two bluer than
that of Stepfather Lonyay. but it isn't by
any means royal blood. and his pocket is
only just decently lined. 1t was a long
step down in the social scale for an arch
duchess to wed him, and yet the emperor
had to yield. The archduchess' heart was
very seriously involved. Her grandfather
has felt and never resisted the pressure of
her little thumb, SO in January this tall,
slender, bue-eyed girl of seventeen was led
to the altar by her mother, the Countess
Lonyay, and there given to Prince Otto.
The countess, next after the bride and
groom, was the happiest person at the we'd
ding, for this means the resumption of
close and affectionate intercourse with her
daughter, and If continued devotion and the
most gorgeous wedding gifts prove any
thing the emperor is still the girls fond
grandfather. Among her most notable gifts
was from her mother, the superb lace we'd
ding gown and veil given her by the city
of Brussels on the occasion of her first mar
riage. Besides a crown of diamonds, five
jeweled collars, a set of pink pearls and
remarkable diamond decoration, the en-
peror gave the girl a parure of twenty
seven diamonds that had been the late EN-
press EliZabeth's favorite ornament, and
an income sufficient to keep up her state.
Altogether Cupid has hit the court of Aus
tria hard, but nowhere else in the world
does the course of genuine true love seem
to run more smoothly,