New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-02

KING LEoPOLDS ALLEGED MARRIAGE.
king Ieopoids marriage n the woman whom ne
has created Baroness Vaughan. ana with whom he
hss been spending several weeks ct his villa on
Cape Terst near Nice, is now an established fact.
snd giving no end Of concern to his subjects for
ne reason that there is no such thing as nor
Fsnsfic marriage IN Belgian law. According 70
ne Belgian code and constitution, members Of the
reigning house a Belgium require the consent Of
The sovereign 70 wed. Without his sanction the
union Is noJ legal But the monarch himself is
free u wed vhomsoever he wishes. II IS unneces-
SAY for him 10 obtain any ones consent hut his
own TIE Law, however. requires that his mar
rass' Ike that Of every other Belgian citizen,
should take the form OF civil contract 70 render
Z legal An ecclesiastical wedding IS not sufti-
Gent To render the union valid, q civil marriage
performed By the Mayer or by his deputy is neces-
say 70 make the wedding a legitimate one.
VOW. the religious marriage between the
ssptlsgsnsrlan King and the Baroness Vaughan,
'ach took pacs about z year ago in the private
cslel O. The psiace n Laeken, in the presence Of
'V0 siaes-de-camp as witnesses. and with Mon
sFnor Proost tie CHEZ court chaplain as oficiat-
y priest vas supplemented by any civil cere-
A-l'' men the baroness IS to-day the lawful wife
v as hing. and entitled rs such 10 the status OF
Sssa q Belgium, while the fine boy 10 whom she
90 'rth on November = last (on the very day
2 ne death Of Leopold's brother, the Count Of
--'sfs-a oov ~ whom the king is the father
> ~ next heir 70 tie throne o. Belgium instead
q Prince Albert
Il On the other hand. TIE religious ceremony IN
~ private chapel A. Lsekeu was neither followed
- p.soeoeo ny rle requisite civic forInaliues.
us on'io Is iegitinaate. and his mother can
lsin 10 be the lawful wife Of the King.
e. peglaa people and tbs foreign courts thus
- remain IN complete ignorance as 70 whether or
.454.rT
1-e monarch has not coudescended 70 inform
=al'es or his subjects as 10 whether his boy
s'1-s|e- ~ course. tie presumption is that
4as oeen no civil ceremony. and that the
- ln'an' son has no claim 10 the throne But
s oehni'e IS known about the matter. and
- -S relatives make any trouble for him In
r-tIu'n with the missing viii of the Count OF
$50 and tho disposal Of the latter's enor-
I-'lhe, n 10 r- no means Impossible that
P'a might fard.ly supplement the lacking civic
r,,.- ana hr "a oitil marriage validate HIS re
- "N1olHg - year ago - the Baroness
A. While that would not legitimatize his
ts asl November 81 would certainly have
60 - o. lest.matizng any son which the
might subsequently, hear 70 him
L.. on@ss is the daughter o. a janitor at
-. q lie name Of LacroIz. and her mothers
g.5a-, '-ai is 10 say. her uncle is NJ Van Lam
q. D.. one of tie leading Socialist members Of
s~h Chamber OF Deputies. She is the
,-., = sh Lng!lshman Of the name OF vaughan
"a as gardener IN the Palace OF Laeken
80. wan n q better name the King caused
- tne name % her first husband. merely
49, " WIN the title % baroness, which he
al Fiea upon ler. While he does not vouch-
Ks,1 explanation about his domestic affairs.
t,-. poio does not make any secret about the
sno ~ Nice has been driving about every
c,-r. her. The matter is a topic OF public
g. u most ~ Tire leading Belgian papers
ar - N those NIennese and Berlin dailies that
r.,r- snzed as government organs. so there IS
h ~ reason wA- any further mystery should
to.. ABOUT the matter. Il cannot be denied,
Eras. 'aat tie affair bids fair TO constitute a
saf s1o'uon 10 the many domestic dissensionS
b. ,osAos which have Won such an unenvia-
s% Tor TIE reignirg house q Belgium.