The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-01-13
SHORTAGE OF COIN
MAKES ROYAL ROW
Count and Countess de LonyaS
Are at Loggerheads
NEEDED 100000 A YEAR
Expected Emperor Francis Joseph and
King Leopold to Contribute Hand
someIy, But the Crowned Heads
Failed to Produce the Coin.

Vienna, January 12.-Serious differences,
according to the Die zeit have arisen
between the Count and Countess DeLon-
vas, formerly the Crown Princess Ste
phanie, during their stay in the south of
France The count is reported to have
suddenly left his wife and to have since
given no intimation of his whereabouts.
The nature of the alleged differences has
not developed
The Crown Princess Stephanie of Aus
tro-Hungary, widow of Archduke Rudolph
and a daughter of King Leopold of Bel
GUM, was married March %, 1900, to
Count DeLonyas, a diplomat of high
standing in court circles. The marriage
of the princess to Count DeLonyas was
bitterly opposed by King Leopold.
The Associated Press has ascertalned
that the story published in Die zeit Is
true. The story printed in Die zeit Is
repeated in other Vienna papers. They
report that the count left his wife at
Mentone on January 1, and his present
whereabouts is not known.
His Position Unpleasant.
Friends of the count assert that in ad-
ull1On TO QllIlCuiiltS Ill liidilCldl .
the count has found his position in So
ciety as the husband of the former crown
princess of Austria Hungary to be ex-
ceedngly uncomfortable and unpleasant
That the count will seek to obtain d.
vorce is regarded as by no means i'm
probable. The disagreement between the
couple has been long evident, and 1t is
believed that pecuniary troubles underlie
tho affair.
As a widow of the former crown prin-
cess she enjoyed an income of SIPS, 000 and
had free residence at the imperial palace
and the use of carriages and servants.
1t is reported that the couple married
under the belief that Emperor Francis
Joseph and King Leopold together would
contribute handsomely to their matnten-
ance: in this, however, they were disap-
pointed. The emperor gave the Counties
DeLonyas $25,0O0 a year only, while King
Leopold has stopped her former allow
ance of $4,000 a year. The countess sub
sequently tried to get all the expenses
of maintaining her household with one
fifth of her former income and found the
task impossible.
Used Influence of Daughter.
She used the influence of her daughter,
Arch Duchess Elizabeth Marie, who is a
favorite with the Austrian en- peror to Sc
cure additional money and to obtain per-
mission to reside in one of the imperial
palaces where she was out of reach of
her creditors. She was granted the use
of the place at Hetezendorff, near Wen
ma, but this privilege expired upon the
marriage of her daughter to the Prince
Won Windischgraetz, January 8, 1902 The
Countess DeLonyas Is supposed recently
to have borrowed money from the Prin-
cess Won Windischgl aetz, but the visit of
the countess to her daughter at Prague,
December 6, which lasted only one hour,
has led, to the belief that the princess
refused her mother further supplies. 1t
is thought that since the marriage Of
Arch Duchess Elizabeth Marie, Prince
Won Windlschgraetz has interfered to
prevent his wife from continuing to act
as intermediary between her mother and
her grandfather, the emperor, who had
been remarkably generous to the
countess.
The present situation is believed to have
resulted from the interference of Prince
Won Windlschgraetz.
Hard to Get Facts.
1t is difficult to ascertain the exact
truth of the statement that the Count de
Lonyay has actually left the countess.
One report received late tonight, alleged
to emanate from a hotel-keeper at Cape
st. Martin, near Mentone, declares that
the couple were still staying there at the
Villa Kahn. There appears to be no doubt,
however, that the count is seeking either
"A separation or a divorce. The latter
would be difficult to obtain owing to the
fact that both the count and countess
are Catholics
Frequent and serious disputes broke out
between the couple as early as the first
year of their marriage.
The countess seemed unable to con-
form herself to the life of a simple
countess after years she had spent IN
travelling. The count wanted to settle
down quietly at Buda Pest, but his wife
insisted upon residing In London and liv-
Ing in expensive style. In addition to this
the social distance separating the couple
caused annoyance and humiliation to the
count who, upon several occasions when
his wife was paying imperial visits, was
obliged to await her outside in the car
rage. Further trouble arose when the
count refused to sell his Hungarian es-
tates to satisfy his wife's wants.