New-York tribune., 1905-11-18
ROYALT.Y'S NEST0R.
,S.range Career Of Luaembarg's
RaEer, Noe Dead.

il A0s ducbv OF Iuxemburg True it has
'D .o,aIly been selected the scene Of more
60 -. sensational novels Of THE Prisoner of
O. 20 order. and it's court and government
Ne- ,fravise furnished the theme for some pop
o,rnie operas. But it is only at long in
that occasion arises which compels peo-
- take this petty state seriously. In 1868 it
s.ybt Germany and France to the verge OF
.-h,cb was averted largely through the in
...,.rntality OF a Pennsylvania woman who
- - notable, though not altogether rep
-. roIe in the life OF the late King William
uo,and About a year before the latter's
-, tn 1890 a contretemps occurred which was
-,.b an extraordinary and ridiculous char
that it constituted a subject Of laughter
.-.,o,t the length and breadth OF Europe,
49, once more the tiny grand duchy, with
hA -,,iation of 100000 and its area Of Il
Of thousand square kilometres has be-
erbiect Of interest through the demise
.-5ov Of Grand Duke Adolph. Since En-
- William OF Germany was gathered 10
-. .stbers. In 1888, Grand Duke Adolph OF Lux
s--v has been the Nestor of the reignins
,,ssr of Europe, being senior TO the late queen
--,..o-ta. 10 the aged Prince Regent Of Bavaria
"a sren 10 that patriarchal monarch King
1.-,..ian Of Denmark. Moreover, he started
l,-.,,s before any ruler now living, succeeding
e. f.+ber,s crown of Nassau in 1889. Not
/" -, ere-+ the six and sixty years that have
,s.5 since then upon the throne Near d
ser of n century thereof was passed II exile
an ex-sovereign. and il was only in the even
a.. os his extraordinary career that ne oecaIiie
- mare possessed Of sceptre ana OF cIo"H
On Ind duke leaves an only son. fifty-eight
,,.srs old. so enormously fat and OF such oolossa1
- tbst he VIII have no difficulty in securing
aP1O
- es +be concert OF kings" AS ne mas
,..os,- had two strokes Of apoplexy, it is ex-
-, ir7,rrobabe that his tenure Of the throne
,T.~s,nt,,rs will be of a prolonged character
- he in turn is gathered 20 his fathers II
: 80 eldest one of his six daughters, nancy
= ,or- cleyen-vear-old Princess Marie. VINO
-, ta,on7a Grand Duchess of Luxembourg III
-, ozn right and thus constitute an dodl'IolA
- rho Roman Catholic soverelgns OF tne Otu
rid For although the young princess
.+bs- and grandfather have both peeh AU
-berans. her mother. the lnfanta Marie ol
,,.,zs daughter of the late ex-hlns Mlguel
e po-+,pal is a devout adherent Of the Church
:. Rome besides being very beautlful "olii0'i'
c.. obsoIutely declined to give her hand IN mar
~i.ss n the Crown Prince Of Luxempurg unless
a srreed TO permit all the children porh 10 'i'e
,uion 10 be brought up in her falth-
A rood deal of nonsense has been priflleu e'it
rsrninv the succession to the crown OF huAeii'-
burg. much of the misapprehension OF the sOo-
,ec, arising from the fact that on the ueiiiiS OA
tho late King William Of the Netheriaiiu'' "',o
''.r ,',-,-r,so Grand Duke of Luxembourg his
daughter. Queen Wilhelmina, though ouiE qu@il
Ca - follow him on the Dutch throne, was de-
clare5 barred. both by the laws OF LuXer1lnuls
.~d bx the family statutes of the House OF Mas
Of lux
ex-ruke Adolph Of Nassau was proclaimed
,hs s,ccessor. People have naturally imagined
that since Queen Wilhelmina, by reason Oh
h. cor was excluded from the sovereignty
~ 1uxemburg the daughters Of the new
~nIsr NJ Juxenburg Che has no male lssueJ
would be similarly ineligible to succeed lheh
father This is not the case, however foT
about five years ago the Luxembourg government
published in 1.-THE Official Gazette note stat
IN thar I'm accordance with Clause AZ OF the
family statutes Of the sovereign House OF MS
con confirmed by the national laws Of the
Grand Ducay of Luxemburg, in the event OF
The extinction Of the male line, the eldest daugh-
Ger of the lazt male survivor or failing daugh-
rsrs the sister or nearest female blood relation
srau be entitled TO the succession to the throne
The father OF young Princess Marie-that is to
say, the new Grand Duke Of Luxemburg-is the
lasi male survivor of the historic House Of Mas
sau his fathers only brother, Prince Nicholas
OF nassau having died few weeks ago, II is,
therefore. Princess Marie who is clearly en-
titled TO the Crown of Luxemburg, and all the
speeulations which have been indulged in as to
the ultimate fate of the throne of the grand
duchy on the death of the late and the present
grand dukes without male issue. and the asser-
tons which have been made that Luxembourg
ha iya4o
"Reichslsnd" and incorporated In the German
Expire on much the same footing as Alsace and
Lorraine should be dismissed as unworthy OF
sc-a9us consideration
Luxembourg occupie. so strategically important
position on the borders Of France and Ger
many that neither of these two nations can
tolerate it in the possession of the other, and
rather than submit thereto would go to war.
Indeed, the controversy OF 1868, TO which I have
alluded above was caused by the project OF
King William of Holland TO sell the grand duchy
10 Napoleon III. The sale would have been COM
Ieted had it not been for an indiscretion on the
part OF Nine Musard. TO whom the King had
incautiously communicated his plans. There
are all sorts Of stories current 10 the motives
which prompted Elise Musard TO betray the con-
1oence Of the King. But whatever the reason.
whether it was through financial greed or for
me sake Of some feminine spite against the En-
peIoT Napoleon and Empress Eugene. she placed
Prince Bismarck's agents at Paris in possession
o. the secret. and within twenty-four hours a
Notification arrived from Berlin to the effect
mat IL the sale was concluded Prussia would
at once cross the Rhine and invade France
Neither Napoleon nor King William was at
hrst disposed TO yield to this threat But the
ether powers notably England interTened in
'ne interests of peace, and the matter was, re-
ierred TO International congress which took
Place shortly afterward in London. It decided
against the sale and at the same time secured