New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-24

Countess Marie de Me-ode who has Just made
her debut at Brussels At bail which nearly
al the members OF the reiguing family o; Belgium
present. IS relative OF the Duke OF Aosta,
heir apparent 10 The throne OF italy, and eldest
daughter OF the President of the Belgian Senate
who although he possesses q marqulsate dating
from the fifteenth century and two priucely titles
O: the eighteenth century. prefers to be known By
the oldest title which he owns. namely. that OF
Count dc -Ierode- lie IS the chief OF this ancient
house and It Is his eldest son. Charles a Lad OF
about seventeen. who bears one % his fathers
princeIy titles namely, that Of Prince de Grim
berkho. The other dignities OF the Count Dc
MerOde are that OF Prince de Rubempre and OF
Marquis Do Westerloo.
The family was founded IN the twelfth century
by Werner I de Rode one OF the Datricans Of tho
city o. Cologne. and - f. his great-grnndson.
Werner -. who transformed the family name into
Merode q township near AiX-la-Chapelle, % which
he EeiGncur and baron
II 20 20 such pains IN explaining tho status and
origin OF the MerOde family IL is because the mat
ter IS likely 20 prove a topic Of considerable dis
cusslon. possibly even OF dynHsuo conflict. in the
event Of King Victor Emmanuel o: Italy dying
without male issue In the Kingdom Of Wurtcmoerg
find that. contrary 20 the wishes OF the populh-
ton which is Lutheran almost TO d man. the
throne VIII pass at the death OF the present mon
arch 10 his cousin. Duke Albert OF WurtemberE.
who Is a devout and feryent Roman Catholic, and
whose sons arc being brought Up IN that Church.
This f. because the King has no son. but only
daughter. married 10 one OF the Princes OF Wied'
and tho present Duke OF Teck brother OF the Prin-
cess % Wales is barred from the succession 20
the Wurternberg throne by reason OF the fact that
his Erandinother. consort OF Prince Alexander OF
vurtemberg was mere uoblewoman, a Countess
Dc Rhedey by birth. and a. such regarded as the
rorraustic wife o. her husband
Now the Duke Of Aosta's grandmother was ike
wise q mere roblcw0uan. namely. the Countess
Louise Caroline de Nerode. occupying precisely the
same status and rank as the Countess de Rhedey
This Countess de Merode married tho Italian Prince
pozzo Della ~isterua, and q was her daughter and
teiresq who married King Humbert's brother, the
late Duke OF Aosta who reigned fnr 8 few years
over Spain as King Amadeus ]. Indeed while al
Madrid King Amadeus experienced the utmost az
ac-,ltv In obtaining women Of the Spanish Gran
dezza 10 act 90 ladies-in.waiting 70 Queen Maria
,,4sr because the latters mother had been mere
Corntesse de Nicrode. noblewonan Ike theIh-
selves. and consequently not OF royal birth
Although the House Of Savoy IS one OF the most
ancient and illustrious IN Europe, yet there has
ra,.e been a disposition at the various courts Of
y-,,rope and among the Old World aristocracy-a
disposition fostered equally by the Roman CathoAc
y-,-I,-cb nv the BourboHs and by the italian ele-
r7e1t Of the Hapsburgs-to regard the King OF 4tay
srs his dynasty as indebted for its throne TO reyo-
I--+fo, and as consequently more OF less parvenu,
There IS 10 doubt that this impression would Dc
s+ranrthered and tho prestige OF the Italian court
irapafred at any rate among many OF the othsr
sovereign houses and old aristocracy, were king
20 succeed TO the throne whose grandmother and
mother had not been OF royal oirth. The ltalahS
.er,sel,cs realize this and It is by means I'm
Y,ossil,le that should the present King die without
r,.lc issue they might insist on elevatns 70 the
,tr,,,e -oung Princess Yolande who at the present
r,or,art &c in high favor with the people, and &C
,,,,-,e 70 a greater extent the public eye and at
.-,f,, than any other member OF the royal fam
lily.
Tn. rrincesses Of the House OF Savoy have al
v,,-s been women Of great strength Of character.
,rbo have PLAYED an important role In history,
o5dinq TO the lustre Of their dynasty Little PIN
cess Yola7de may grow up TO emulate her name
sske Of the Middle Ages. and there is no DOUBT
that her countrymen would Infinitely prefer
,l,a+ tba sceptre should be welded BY her than by
the Duke OF Aosta, who IS. in spite Of his good
looks and gallant bearing the reverse OF popular
ana enjoys little OF the good VIII that Is accorded
to his younger brothers
VIII them. namely the Count Of Turin and the
r),le OF the Abruzzi. ne has shared the immense
fortune Of his grandmother. the Countess de Me-
80 and retains possession OF many OF the lat
+e-,s estates including valuable mines in Belgium
whenever he goes TO the latter country 10 look
ar-ar his property there. which happens about
vrice a wear he invariably stays at Brussels with
"a. FIRST cousin Prince Victor Napoleon. the Bona
-s, ->-eterder TO the French throne, and as such
,ba rival OF the royalist pretender' the Duke OF
,,.,-- whose sister Is the Duchess OF Aosta- In
80 tbere Is little intimacy good feeling be- /
- the Duke OF Aosta and his brother-in-law. /
+be mike Of orleans. and there is no doubt that
49, T,,lye Of Aosta would infinitely sooner see his
,sir victor Emperor OF France. as Napoleon VI 7
~ his brother-n-law King OF France. as Louis I
Fhi1pp' L. NAROCIsE DE FOSTESOT.