Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-06-23
THRONES GO A-BEGGING.
Princes Prefer Life Without Care to the Worries and
Trials of Rulership-Plight of Norway.

thereupon married. Nor was 1t until
considerably afterward that Austria.
Prussia and Russia consented to
recognize a kingdom that owed its exis-
tcnce to nationalist revolution against
the monarch whom they insisted was
the lawful ruler not only Of Holland but
also OF the latter's rebellious Belgian
provinces.
King Leopold had already previously de-
clined the throne of Greece. to which he
had been elected by the people at Athens
shortly after the termination Of their war
of independence. which resulted in their
liberation from Turkish thraldom. And
after being offered without success to a
number Of other Princes in turn it was
finally accepted, not without considera-
BILE hesitation. by Otto Of Bavaria. who
reigned for a number of years at Athens
before finally being deposed and exiled by
his turbulent subjects. The Hellenic
throne thereupon remained vacant for
some time. and SO chaotic were the con-
ditions which ensued at Athens that the
great Powers finally decided to cooperate
in helping the Greek nation to secure a
King who would restore order and bring
to an end all the turmoil and confusion.
Not even the pledges given by the great
Powers Of their support nor their guaran-
tee of a civil list could render the Hell
lenic crown sufficiently attractive to the
majority of those to whom it was Of
fered and who included King Edwards
sailor brother. Prince Alfred. afterward
Duke of Edinburgh and Coburg and even
the Earl of Derby, the latter declaring
| l.. m Ig IN
nobleman to continental throne.
Finally it was rendered to Prince Will
lam of Denmark. who was serving at the
time as midshipman in the English
navy. He happened to be mastheaded for
some breach of discipline. when. without
any previous warning. the delegates OF
the Greek nation and the representatives
of the great Powers came on board his
ship to ask him whether he was willing
to become King of Greece. and as he real
lied that it would put an immediate end
to the punishment which he was then
undergoing and would furnish him with
pocket money, of which he was in sore
need. he accepted. and not long afterward
found himself duly enthroned at Athens
under the name of George I.
Without going so far back as to the
difficulties experienced by the SwedeS a
century ago in finding Prince willing
to rule over them-they ended by asking
the First Napoleon to select for their
future ruler one of his Generals. who
founded the now reigning dynasty Of Ber-
nadotte-J need only refer to the many
vicissitudes experienced by the Roumani-
ans and the Bulgarians in connection with
the filling of their respective thrones.
If today Prince Leopold of England is
sovereign Duke of Saxe-Coburg and
Gotha-he will complete his minority and
assume the reigns of government next
month-it is because his uncle. the Duke
of Connaught. and the latters only son.
Arthur, waived their rights to the crown
of Saxe-Coburg Gotha in his favor. de-
claring that they preferred the existence
Of non-regnant Princes of the Blood in
England to the possession of q continent
al throne The fact of the matter is that
the lot of monarchs is by no means so
enviable as in days gone by when the
phrase "as happy as king" was used to
express the highest form of contentment.
In olden times the occupants of thrones
were free to govern as despotically as
they might choose and to live only for
pleasure, gratifying every within and ca
price, no matter at what cost. But in
these modern ages the ruler of a nation is
subjected to so many restraints and limi-
tations Of every conceivable character
and is controlled to such a degree by the
will of the PEOPLE, by considerations of
policy and the obligations inherent to his
lofty position that his palace has become
lila ,,,1 hic
throne chair of torture.