Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-02-05
WE'D BELOW STATION
Morganatlo Marriages ON the Increase in
Europe.


Morganatio Marriages ON the Increase in
Europe.
Pearson's Weekly.
IL is a we'll known saying that
Cupid laughs at law" AMI II GER
tainlly appears to be justified in the
case of royalties who marry for love
rather than state reasons. Certain ~
is that morganatic marriages are on
the increase.
Take, for instance, the Grand Duke |
Nicholas Of Russia, who was banished |
by the Gear to Tashkent, because ne |
fell 10 love with and married a daugh-
ter of the chief OF police OF Orenburg'
His sacrifice was a failure as far as
happiness was concerned. for his mar
riage was a disappointment, and the
Prince fretted after the fuller life he
had formery had, and on his recall by
the present Czar his mental health
was found to have suffered severely.
The Grand Duke Paul of Russia,
who held the rank of lieutenant gem
I eIal and adjutant general to the Czar,
was deprived of his offices and banlshed
for 10 yeats on tue occasion Of his mar
riage with the baroness Pistolkoh, the
! beautiful but not altogether excellent
wife of one of the Grand Duke Nladi-
Mrs suite, who divorced her.
The Prince has recently been par
doned and summoned back to report to
the Gar what Europe thinks OF the
/ Russian situation, but his wife was
stopped at the frontier and had to
return.
Perhaps one Of the happiest NOR
ganatic unions is that Of the Grand
| Duke Michael, uncle Of the Czar, who
| followed the dictates CT his heart in
| marrying a daughter Of Prince Mich
olas of Nassau by his morganatlc wife,
the Countess Meremberg whose father
was the great Russian poet, Pushkin.
He is now restored to favor, and mis-
wife has been created Countess Iorby
but the Grand Duke clings to his Eng
lish home at Keele, Hall Staifordshire,
where he lives In perfect harmony with
bis lovely wife and children, and has
been the host of our own King and
Queen, while he is beloved by the
people in whose midst be lives and
moves.
The imperial house OF Austria fur
nishes many examples Of such love
matches.
One of the most picturesque TO-
manoes was that OF the Arohduke
John, who is supposed to have been
shiIwrecked and drowned In 1890, but
of whom report has it that he still
lives.
He was out hunting one day when
be surprised picnic party, Of which
Milly Stubel was one. The girl was
only an opera dancer, but had an un-
blemished reputation, and so deeply
did the acIhduke fall in love at first
sight that he courted her under the
name OF Johann Orth,a Viennese enRi-
neer. All unsuspecting, MillY re-
turned his affection, and only disoov-
cred his rank when she saw him re-
viewing the troops as an imperial field
marshal.
In vain did he imDlore the Emperor
to sanction his marriage with the girl
only a quarrel ensued, and he was dis
missed from the army. After the
death Of his friend, the Crown Prince
Rudolph, a reconciliation took place,
but he asked permission to renounoe
all royal rights and assumed the name
of johann OTth. Then he married his
lady love and sailed away with his
bride, only 20 enounter a storm IN
which, it is believed BY most people,
his wifs and his crew psrished.
Recent, comparatively, is the de-
cision Of the Arohduoness StephRnie
to abandon her royal position IA favor
of her love for Count Lonyay. Her
father in-iaw, the Emperor of Austria,
gave his consent, but her own father,
the King Of the Belgians, has never
forgiven his daughter, and it will be
remembered that at the deathbed of
the late Queen Louise of Belgium the
two passed each other without recog-
milton.
Following the mothers example, the
Arohduchess Elizabeth of Aus, ria fell
in love with a young nobleman of
ancient but not royal lineage. Prince
Windiscbgrazt, and, despite the pro-
tests of her royal grandfather, insisted
on marrying him and renouncing all
claim TO the Austrian empire.
Yet another OF AustIia's imperial
families, in the person OF the Arch
duke Francis Ferdinand, suocumb bed
to Cupid's dart, aud heir presumLtiye
to the crowns OF Austria and Hungary
though ne was, married the Countess
Sophie Chotek, TeDouncing on behalf
OF any children born to them all tight
of succession.
There are three or four more arch
dukes, since dead, who contracted
alliances with commoners.
The Princess Marie of Reuss, a most
ancient house, committed q mssalli-
ance by wedding the Baron GuaRnoni,
while the Princess Elizabeth of Ba-
vaira lost her heaIt and gave her hand
to young lieutenant in the BavaIian
army, Baron Siegfried by name.
The Duke Constantine OF Oldenburg
descended lower in the scale Of society
in search of a wife, since he married
his former cook, now known by the
title Of Countess Zanruckan.