The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1903-10-31


hae 81
q some ways the present ruler og
Bulgaria IS the most Interesting " the
royal peraunagss engaged ID playing
role inthe near east lie has to ba raebv
oned with, not only because he is an as
tute and interruptions man. but also ba-
cause be q imbued BY ties 81 blood to
the whole saxs-C Coburg clan; that IS to
the royal families of Great britain, ger-
many, Portugal, Belgium. and last. not
least, Austria, his sister being AFahe
duchess Clotilde. wife Of the palatine oe
Hungary. and his niece, the duchess of
Orleans.
Prince Ferdinand Is the youngest q
ave children who were born to the lats
Prince Augustus of Saxe-C -Coburg, Of the
Austrian or Kohary branch, and
Princess Clementine of orleans, the de-
termineds brilliant daughter Of Louis
Philippe, whose hers nicknamed her.
even as girl Clementine de Medicis.
TO this remarkable old French princess,
now s5 years Of age and the last SUR
vivor among the group Of princes and
princesses who called Queen Victoria
by her Christian name, Prince Ferdi-
nand owes his unstable throne. He Is
her Benjamin, born seven years after
her eldest child. her favorite, and, Ia
a diplomatic sense, her own creation.
Curiously enough, Prince Ferdinand
was the only one Of Princess Clemen-
ffmate rhfF1vavt V-vI,e 1-7,, .R4~. a. Era
emma, French Influences were lacking Ia
his education and Upbringing. His god
parents were the tragic couple on whom
IN 1861 all seemed to smile, Maximiiian
and Charlotte; and he was just seven
years old when his imperial godfather
was assassinated Ia Mexico. During the
years which followed, Princess Glenn
entine consolidated her elder children'a
positions BY a series Of brilliant mar
riages. Her only daughter. as We have
said, married Archduke Joseph, pa1atine
Of Hungary; Prince Philip married his
second cousin, the pretty, Wilfui
Princess Louise of Belgium, who later
provided Europe with a terrible and
sordid royal scandal; yet another og
Prince Ferdinand's brothers married 8
4 daughter Of the emperor Of Brazil
In 1881, Prince Augustus, faVorita
eouTin hw fhe wav b both Queen Ylo-
1 tureiy, and Herdinand pasted antifsiH
under his mothers influence AS q
/ young man, he bore, it must be admit
ted, the worst Of regulations, He was
said to be idle, vicious, and what the
French sloquently style un fruit sec. ''a
withered fruit Princess Clementlna's
pride in her youngest born was thought.
even by her nearest relatives, to be q
sign of maternal infatuation, and the
| late Comte de Paris refused with indig-
nation the idea of marriage between
one Of his daughters and their cousin
Ferdinand, Great. therefore. was the
general ama4ement when the Bulgarian
national assembly elected this little
known and even less respected prince as
ruler Of Bulgaria; but only the princess
mother knew what the cost IN brains.
and what was more important to an Or
leans, in hard cash, came to before the
triumphant election was secured.
During the six years that followed
Princess Clementine reigned IN Sofia,
adapting herself with Astonishing ease
to the strange, hslf-barb8roug way 81
life which obtained 81 the Bulgarian
capital. Her constant preoecupatfo IN
thosa days-as indeed It has again been
recently-Was to fnd q suitable bride
for her son. At last repulsed on every
hand, for neither the man nor hiss po-
Eition inspired confidence, she secured
him q consort ia the eldest child og that
duke Of Parma whose family of Is chill
dren are the wonder Of continental roY-
al circles.
The gentle, pious Marie-Loulse, oe
dwarash stature, shrinking modssty.
and ardent piety. soon found herself
crushed between the upper and neither
millstOnes. The birth of Prince Rori-
was followed IN two short years bv tha
/ disgraceful quarrel concarnine The
ohild's religious faith, and to sta
mothers horror he was Golemuly ~ebar-
/ tised according 20 the Greek rite. ln or.
der to secure hia father the friand5hin
i oe Russia. Princess Ferdinand. 81 rrt
Of protest. left Sofia for awhile. but he,
love for her two little sons br0urht lei
back Her death. "a childbirth oecnrr
j four years ago lest 5enurrg. ana 'ne.
then her four children. two bove
I two girls, have been under the esr =
their redoubtabla srnsnother IA
I di@cult 60 aaF how Prince
/ nand ia regarded in
The astute. noiaele Err
which he contrived % rid h
Il