Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-07-26

those who bear the title of queen and
can be counted on the fingers of both
hands, has been increased by the
advent Of the new queen of Spain,
the gracious Princess Ena Her mar
rage TO King Alfonso, moreover, adds
still another to the rare and beauti-
full royal unions which have been
rightly termed love marriages.
Without going back very far into
past history, it is possible to find a
good many royal matches which have
proved exceptions to the general rule.
Alfonso XII, father Of the present
king, was a case in point. His first
marriage with the Princess Mercedes,
the daughter Of the duke of Mont
pensier, was almost the romance of
Romeo and juliet over again.
The queen mother, Isabella, was
violently opposed to the contem-
plated union, and In defiance of all
etiquette, she encouraged the family
hatred which separated The relations
of the two young people in her eff
forts to prevent the marriage.
But the kings love triumphed
over all obstacles, and he married
Mercedes. His JOY was, however,
short lived, for the young queen died
shortly afterward, to the great sor-
row Of the Spanish people, among
whom she was enormously popular.
The love marriage of the late re-
DC 10
story. 1t is we'll known how Prince
Albert impressed Queen Victoria al
most from the first moment she saw
him. Albert" wrote the queen to
her uncle and confidant the then king
of the Belgians, lis so handsome, so
amiable! He has completely won my
heartl" Their married life was, as
everyone knows, one Of the most per
feet happiness.
The Gear Nicholas H. also made a
love-match by marrying Princess
Alix of Hesse, in the face of consid-
erablo opposition directed against the
union for political reasons. No prin-
cess was ever brought up more simply
than the wife of Nicholas II.
She was educated at Darmstadt in
exactly the same way as a middle
class girl, preparing for the ordinary
examinations at school and college
just like her lowly born school fell
lows. At fourteen years of age the
pocket money which she possessed
was of so modest an amount thai her
companions often twitted her about
1t.
No more perfect love marriage was
ever made than that of the Emperor
of Austria, the dean of sovereigns,
who during his long life has expert
erced so much sorrow thai nothing
but the happy companionship and de-
voted love of true wife could have
sustained him so long He met Prin-
cess Elizabeth at ball at lschl, where
he went on a visit during the pres
ence there of the young Bavarian
princess.
Young Francis Joseph, then twenty
three years of age, waltZed with the
charming Princess Elizabeth, who was
but sixteen. He was so smitten with
her that he devoted himself to her
for the rest of the evening.
At midnight, being seated with the
N iucess at a table looking through
books of pictures, he took up one con-
tanning illustrations of the national
costumes of the inhabitants of the
various parts of Austria. Those are
nv subjects" he said "a word from
you. and you may reign over them,
too"
The next morning he sent Elizabeth
an enormous bouquet of Alpine flow
ers, and a few days later, so great
was his impatience, he called upon
Duke Max of Bavaria, without con-
sulting any of his ministers, and de-
manded the princesss hand in mar
riage.
The course of true love ran very
smoothly in this case, and it was not
long before the emperor and his prin-
cess were united. On the day of the
wedding he scorned the etiquette
which babe him await her arrival in
his capital, and sped to the frontier
to be the first to welcome her as she
set foot on Austrian soil.
Another royal marriage in which
the heart WAS the sole guide to the
determination of the contracting par
ties was that of The unfortunate Ger
, man Emperor Frederick. When for
the first time he saw the young En-.
glish princess who was destined to
, ibecome his bride she was only eleven
years Of age, but her pretiness aud
grace made such an impression upon
him that he exclaimed: What a de,
: Inghtful woman that little SRI will be
one day"
t Four years later he came again to
, England. and found his little prin-
cess still more. charming. He paid
her assiduous court, and took her for
frequent walks in the royal gardens