The Washington times., 1904-11-13
Many of Worlds DynaS-
ties Are of Recent
Origin.
EUROPEAN BLUEBLO0D
Few Wear Crowns That
Have Been in the Family
Very Long.
: N spite Of their high political pest

II
ton, the majority OF the crowned
i heads OF Europe take By no means
high rank IA the matter OF lineage.
IN Iact many OF Europe's reig9ing SOW
ereigns owe their lofty position not 10
rights or descent, but 10 good luck and
their own efforts.
The dynastic troubles OF the kingdom
Of seryia, settled for the time being By
the accession OF King Peter. are merely
the continuance Of struggle between
swineherds
Both the founder OF the present dy-
nasty Karageorge. and OF the late dy-
nasty Milosh Obrenovitch, before their
entry into the realm or high politics.
ministered to the needs Of the humble
porker, and that only so recently as the
beginning OF the last century.
Somewhat more distinguished, but By
no means august. IS the lineage OF the
King Of Sweden. Oscar II. HIS line goes
no further back than 1913, 20 Marshal
BernadOtte. one OF NapOleOn's bench
men, who was jumped into the Swedish
throne by his master. on the dethrons-
ment Of Gustavus ".
Aliens on Bulgarian Throne.
The prineely throne CT Bulgaria is, OF
course, OF intensely modern origin. Only
in 1887 did the present prince. Ferdinand
Of Coburg. ascend the throne on the
abdication Of Alexander OF Hesse-both
entire foreigners to Bulgaria.
King Leopold OF Belgium is an admir-
able and popular monarch, but his
royal line only comes down from 1871,
when his father, a prince Of Saxe-Co-
burg. was nominated King Of the newly
formed state OF Belgium.
Newer stiH is the origin OF the royal
family OF Greece, as only in 1853 did tie
present dynasty assume power. without
having ever had the remOtest. political
connection with their subjects The
present King George Of Greece Is the
first King OF his race, and Is the son OF
the King OF Denmark
In 1853 the Greeks were without a
monarch. and almost unanimously elect
ed for the post Prince Alfred OF Great
Britain. the late duke OF Saxe-Coburg.
The position was not, however, selected
for him by his august parents. ard SO
the throne passed over 20 the then
Prince George OF schleswig- Holstsin-
Chinese Rulers Modern Upstarts.s
For an empire that dates back far
before the Christian era, whose civiliza-
ton Is thousands OF years older than
our own, the Chinese dynasty are Httio
more than modern upstairs. For the
Using family, who hold sway al present,
only came into power in 1913, and were
from the Chinese mandarin point Of
view vulgar usurpers OF Tartar origin.
When IL was announced that Queen
- -
Duke Henry OF Mecklenburg-s chwerin.
opinion generally regarded it as an act
OF condescension on the part OF her
majesty
The German prineely family. on their
part. regarded Il as no small condescen-
sion for one OF their stock 70 unite him
self with so comparatively modern 4
royal family as that OF Wilhelmina.
For while the Mecklsnburgs trace
their descent 10 GenserIo the Vandal.
who rnvaged the western empire in the
fifth century, the Dutch royal family OF
Orange only assumed the title OF king
and royal rank in 1915. Before that the
Orange position was that OF stadthold-
er a kind OF presidential ONCE only.
Newly-Made Place Holders.
The royal family OF Italy must also be
included in a list OF newly made place
holders. Their tenure OF the crown OF
united Italy dates from 1861. when Victor
Emmanuel II. king OF Sardinia. assumed
it.
Prior 70 that Victor was the king
only OF small territory. which In turn
his ancestors had secured by exchange
for Sicily. OF which he was previously
king. Before that Victor Amadeus was
merely Duke OF Savoy. The rise OF the
Savoy family from obscure dukedom to
the crown Of one OF the great powers
is one OF the phenomena or history and
appeals greatly 10 the Imagination.
Much is heard OF the glOries OF the
Hohenzollern family, Of which William
II is the prevailing ornament, but only
in 17m did the family attain kingly rank,
having previously held obscure posi-
ton OF Margrelves Of Brandenburg. OBJ
tanned originally by purchase in the
fifteenth century.
As everyone KNOWS. the Hohenzollerns
only rose TO imperial rank az German
emperors. after the war with France
in ISL 1t is, of course. only TO the
credit or the HohenzolIerns that they
have so raised themselves in the world
and are, therefore. self-made monarchs.
but it Is only fair TO say that the ma
iority Of the obscure princes Of Ger
many could give them points In the
matter of lineage