Los Angeles herald., 1905-02-19
BELGIUM s KING
REJECTS HIS SUIT
DECLINES VICTOR NAPOLEON
FOR S0N.IN.LAW
Princess Defes Her Fathers Ediet
and Aid of Foreign Potentstes
Is Solicited by the
Lover

special Cable TO The Herald
PARIS, Feb. 17.-There is excellent
authority for quoting a letter received
this week by friend from Prince Vic
tor Napoleon. This may not be the
precise phraseology, but the letter is in
substance as follows:
Reports that Princess Clementine
and myself are desirous to marry are
true, but her fathers refusal is fat. l
returned yesterday from Vienna.
whittier I went to beg the Emperor
Francis Joseph to intercede on my be-
half. He readily consented. 1 can
also count on the kindly offices of the
king of Italy in the same regard
Princess Clementines fathers OBJ
lection Is based on the ground that his
friendliness with France makes impos-
sible the alliance of his daughter with
a pretender to the French throne. How
ever, he knows l have no such pre-
tensions, and, If had. such remote
possibility should not be allowed to
interfere with the happiness OF two
persons. If the throne were offered to
me today I would turn it over to my
brother Louis, for | have no desire to
carry on my shoulders the burden in
cumbent to such a task. I have told
the king this, but nothing | can say
will change his fixed idea that my being
a pretender in name makes me ineligi-
BILE to his daughters hand"
The Lady Also Determined
Dispatches from Brussels announce
that Princess Clementine, whose
strength of character Is remarkable.
has determined to marry Prince Victor
with her fathers consent, or if the
prince consents. without it. Clemen-
tine loved her cousin, the late Prince
Baudoin eldest son of the count of
Flanders who was killed in a duel, to
her great grief. The queen tried to
utilize this by sending Princess Glenn
entine to convent, but the girls ener-
getic character rebelled.
She loves France and when she was
her fathers intimate companion he
built her a beautiful mansion at Vile
franche, near Nice. An incident illus
lIdllllS lIlC pa lilSCSo pl ldC looh Pie'SS
once when she was riding with her
mother at Spa and the queen whipped
her horse cruelty. Don't martyrize
the poor animal, mother!" cried Glenn
entine. Wild with anger, the queen
raised the whip and lashed her daugh
ter across the face. Clementine left
Spa the same evening and never saw
a. IoI1 I1o.,
her deathbed.
When Princess Clementine told the
king she wanted to marry Prince Vic
tor, the king was white with anger
and. knowing his daughters character,
made her practically prisoner in the
palace at Laeken. They were still
further estranged soon afterward; the
king was walking in the park with
beautiful woman known in court cir
cles. when Clementine turned her head,
refusing to recognize the woman. The
king demanded an apology and the
princess refused. Retiring to a short
distance, the king and his daughter had
a terrible scene; the king was abusive,
Clementine dignified and unbending
They have not spoken since.
The princess frankly told Prince Vic
tor she was ready to marry without
her fathers consent, but the prince
hestates to affront the king of coun-
try which has afforded him an asylum
for fourteen years. and this is the rea-
son he sought the intervention of the
emperor of Austria and the king of
Italy.