Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-02-09
RISE OF MONARCHS.

RISE OF MONARCHs.
How some Of Them Gained Their
Lofty Places.
The dynastic troubles of the kingdom
Of Servia, settled for the time being by
the accession of King Peter, are merely
the continuance Of struggle between
swineherls. Both the founder Of the
present dynasty. Karagcorge, and Of
the late dynasty, Hilosh Obrenovitch,
before their entry into the realm Of
high politics ministcrcd 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 1918, to
Marshal Bernadotte. one of Napoleon's
henchmen, who was jumped into the
Swedish throne by his master on the
dethronement of Gustav1is ".
The throne Of Bulgaria is. of course.
Of modern origin. Only in 1887 did
the present prince Ferdinand Of Co
burg, ascend the throne on the abdica-
ton of Alexander Of Hesse, both entire
| foreigners to Bulgaria.
King Leopold Of Belgium is an ad-
mirable and popular monarch. but his
royal line only comes down from 1881,
when his father, prince Of Sake
Coburg. was nominated king Of the
newly formed state Of Belgium.
Newer still Is the origin Of the royal
family OF Greece. as only in 1863 did
the present dynasty assume power,
without having ever had the remotest
political connection with their subjects
The present King George Of Greece II
the first king Of his race and Is the
son of the king Of Denmark. In 1853
the Greeks were without monarch
and almost unanimously elected for the
post Prince Alfred OF Great Britain
the last Duke Of Saxe-Coburg. The
position was not, however, selected fol
him by his august parents, and 80 thu
throne passed over the then Prince
George of Sleswick- Holstein.
For an empire that dates back far be-
fore the Christian era. whose civiliza
ton is thousands Of years older thar
our own. the Chinese dynasty is little
more than a modern upstart, for the
Using family, who hold sway at pres
ent. only came into power in 1913 and
were from the Chinese mandarin point
of view, vulgar usurpers Of Tartar orr
gin.
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 wher
Victor Emmanuel H., king of Sardinia
assumed II. Prior to that Victor was
the king only Of a small territory
which in turn his ancestor had secured
by exchange for Sicily. Of which III
was previously king. Before that Vic
tor Amadeus was merely Duke Of Sa
voy. The rise of the Savoy family
from obscure dukedom to the crown o.
one Of the great powers is one of thu
phenomena of history and appeals
greatly to the imagination.
When it was announced that Queer
Wilhelmina of Holland would marry
Duke Henry Of Mecklenburg- Sch werir
opinion generally regarded it as an &C
Of condescension on the part of her
majesty. The German prlncely family
in their part. regarded 1t as no small
condesccnsion for one Of their stock t
unite himself with 30 comparatively
modern royal family as that Of Hol
land, for. while the Mecklenburg
trace their descent to Genseric the Van
dal, who ravaged the western empire
in the flfth century, the Dutch roya
family Of Orange only assumed the Il
tie Of king and royal rank In 1915. Re
of stadt holder, a kind Of presidential
office only.
Much Is heard Of the glOries Of tn
HohenzOllern family, Of which william
III. is the prevailing ornament, but onl!
In 1901 did the family attain kingl.
rank. having previously held the oh
. scure position Of margraves Of Bran
denburg obtained originally by pur
chase in the fifteenth century. AS every
body knows. the Hohenzollerns onl,
rose to imperial rank as German EN-
perors after the war with France II
1871. 1t IS Of course only to the credi
of the Hohenzolerns that they have a.
raised themselves in the world and are
therefore, self made monarchs, but
, IL only fair to say that the majority o
the obscure princes Of Germany cOul,
, give them points In the matter Of line
= age--Peaisons Weekly.