New-York tribune., 1906-12-30

usually bor.e by the eldest son and heir OF the
sovereign that ~ win doubtless surprise many
Of The readers OF The Tribune to know that
there other princes OF Orange who do not
accord any allegiance 30 the young queen OF the
Netherlands. glance through the long list OF
dign.t,ss OF the Kaiser enumerated IN the AL
manach de Gofha Will show that they include
that OF Prince Of Orange. But there is no rec
ord in that RED and gold wade mecum OF the
titled and Official classes OF French Prince Of
Oranka Yet the latter claims 10 exist in the
hnesh. For he is the head of the historic house
OF de Mailly Nesle. and his marquisate is Of
such antiquity as 20 invest him with the rank
OF premier marquis OF France. That he values
.- above all his other honors IS shown by the
fact that he IS content TO the style of Prince
OF Orange as his second and minor title. That
he should employ IL at all seems strange when
the fact is taken into consideration that whereas
his marquisste de Mailly Nesle is altogether
above reproach. there is considerable question
10 his claims 90 the title OF Prince Of Orange
If his pretensions have not attracted public at
tention ere this ft is because he is a French
noblenlan Of the old school, who abhors notoriety
OF every kind and who. while a familiar figure
IN the EaubourS St Germain Paris. at the Jockey
and Union clubs and IN the country districts
where his ancestral estates are situated. has
hitherto been successful IN keeping his name out
OF the newspapers.
80 much misconception prevails about the
house OF Orange and regarding the princedom
connected herewith that a few notes on the
subject may be of interest. particularly In view
OF the fact that in Holland the family usually
identified with the name VIII become extinct
the death Of Queen Wilhelmina. Orange is
city in the south OF France, about halfway be-
tween Lyons and AIarseilles. and would be more
familiar to Americans were 1t for the fact
that I'm travelling between Paris and the Riviera
Founded by the Romans. and named by them
Arsusio. 81 became shortly after the reign of
Charlemasne the capital Of an independent
countship, vested in the family of Giraud d Ad-
henlsr the name OF the city in the mean time
having been modified into Orange. On the fam
fly Of Grand d 'Adhemar becoming extinct in the
male line. Orange passed, through the marriage
OF the ultimate heiress. into the noble house of
de Baux, which claimed lineal descent from
King Gaspard. one of the three wise men Of the
East Count Bertrand de BauK in 1l15
created by Emperor Frederick the first Prince of
Orange. and this title borne by his descend
ants until his house became extinct in the male
line. the principslity passing through the mar
riage OF the daughter OF the last de Baux
Prince Of Orange, TO the Count de Chalons
and into the latter's family. The last of the de
Chalons princes Of Orange Philibert de
Chnions who after quarrelling with King Francis
OF France withdrew 10 the court of Emperor
Charles V. and was invested by the latter with
the supreme command Of the imperial army. at
the head of which he captured Rome. drove the
French out OF the kingdom Of Naples. of which
he became viceroy, and eventually was killed
while besieging Florence. His honors and estates
then passed 10 his nephew. Rene OF Nassau, son
Of his sister Claudia, who had married Henry III
of Nassau.
Rene (or Renatus) therefore the first of
the Nassau princes Of Orange. He was Stadt-
holder OF the Netherlands, and died without
issue. The principality OF Orange. well his
estates and honors passed 10 his nephew, Will
lam ]. Prince OF Orange. OF his younger
brother William. Though the kings OF France
had always claimed 20 be suzerains Of the prin-
cipality, King Henry III recognized the rights TO
Orange OF this William surnaned the Silent. the
founder OF the republic Of the Netherlands, and
the champion Of the Reformation. Both the title
and the princpality of Orange remained in the
possession OF the Stockholders Of the Neither
lands. confirmed by successive treaties with
France until the death without issue Of that
William III who reigned not only over Holland,
but likewise as King OF Great Britain and
Ireland. King William designated by his will
his remote kinsman John William Friso of
Nassau as heir to the Stadtholdership of the
Netherlands and to the principaiity OF Orange.
well rs TO all the extensive estates OF the
family IN Germany. These testamentary dispo-
stiors were contested by King Frederick OF
Prussia whose mother consort OF the first King
OF Prussia. Princess OF Nassau-Orange.
A bitter contest ensued King Louis XIV of
France taking advantage thereof TO seize the
1rincipality OF Orange and TO declare it for
feited 10 the French Crown. Eventually a COM
promise was effected between the reigning
house OF Prussia and the Stakeholder of the
Netherlands. according to the terms OF which
the King OF Prussia obtained most Of the estates
of the house OF orange-Nassau IN Germany, in
return for which were abandoned the preten-
sfons TO those in Holland and to the dignity of
hereditary Stakeholder OF the Netherlands.
subsequently. by the Treaty Of Utrecht, It was
agreed that the King OF France should retain
possession OF the principality OF Orange but
that SITS nobiliary attributes and its armorial
bearings were 70 go exclusively to the reigning
house OF Prussia In spits of these provisions
OF the Treaty OF Utrecht. according to which
Emperor William is to-day the only lawful
Prince Of Orange, and the only person entitled
10 use the armorial bearings Of the houses Of
Baux OF Chalons. and OF Orange-Nassau. they
were adopted by John William Friso OF Nassau,
the Stakeholder OF the Netherlands on the
strength OF his being the heir and successor of
his kinsman, King William III. and from that
time forth were used by all his ineal descend
ants the last male representative Of his line
having been the late King OF Holland. father Of
Queen wilhelmina. who styles herself Princess
or Orange.
The MARQUIS de Nailly Nese has OF course
stin less right 10 the title and ermorial bear
ings OF the Princes Of Orange than the reigning
House OF Holland. For the treaty Of Utrecht. TO
which the King OF France was party, comedies
the title and the srrnor1ai bearings Of Prince Of