The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-19


the Crown Prince had been confronted with
the choice of fighting a duel or dying by his
own hand and that. he had chosen the latter
alternative. f>st
Stephanie bore the disgrace with such dig
nifty that she gained the lasting affection OF
the aged and solitary Francis Joseph l.,
whose devotion to the Crown Prince Ru-
dolph had been the passion of his life.
In the early part Of 1900 the widow Of
Crown Prince Rudolph had a remarkable
interview with the Emperor. She Informed
him that her heart had gone to Count Elemer
Lonyay, young Hungarian nobleman who
had served with distinction in the Austro-
Hungarian diplomatic service. The avowal
astounded the most self-suficient of Euro
pean monarchs. He could not conceive how
Princess who had been the wife Of Rudolph
of Hapsburg could think of stopping to an
alliance with simple count, whose grand
father, moreover, had been President OF the
Hungarian Diet of 1s4S the Diet that just
failed in its efforts TO disrupt the empire.
In that moment of bitterness the Emperor
recalled all that the house of Lonyay had
done to blast the fortunes of the house OF
Hapsburg, and now the widow of the heir to
the throne of Hapsburg wished to marry
this Count Lonyay. 1t could never be!
The pleadings of the Princess availed how
ever Such was the affection that the EN-
peror bore her that Francis Joseph finally
consented to the proposed matrimonial ALI
ance. 1t was the first time since 1913 that the
Emperor of Austria and the King of Hun
gary had allowed his will to be crossed. The
wedding Of the Crown Princess Stephanie
and Count Lonyay took place in the chapel
of Miramar Castle on March %, 1900. By
becoming the wife of mere count Stephanie
relinquished her Austrian titles in behalf OF
her daughter, the Princess Elizabeth, who
had been born in 1883. In Belgium, where
the Princess was popular among her coun-
trymen, the marriage was applauded as one
of the rare 1ove7 affairs Of royalty. King
Leopold, however, never reconciled himself
to his daughters choice. He declined te
sanction the alliance in spite Of the bitter
experience which he had just had with an
other Of his daughters the Princess Louise,
who had been forced into marriage with
Prince Philip of Saxe-Coburg- Gotha.
AS Stephanie had done when she was
Crown Princess of Austria, the Princess
Louise abandoned her husband home and
fed to her father2for protection against the
cruelties with which she charged Prince
Philip. King Leopold, however, did not even
permit his daughter to spend night in the
palace in Brussels, but turned her back to
her home. Princess Louise went back in
desperation. Then she plunged into SEN
sational career, which eliminated in
her elopement with a young lieutenant
Charges of forgery were brought against
the clippers. They were captured, and the
young lieutenant was thrown into Jail,
while the Princess was spirited off to an in
sane asylum. But the bitterness and suf-
fering which his younger daughter had
caused him had not taught the King how
to forgive He never forgave the Princess
Stephanie, in spite Of the fact that Francis
Joseph had consented to the marriage He
refused to forgive the Princess even when
she kneIt at the bier of her mother at Spa.