Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-06
ROYAL RING RoMANcEs.
Monarchs Who Own Lucky and Un-
lucky Rings.
From London Tit-Bits.

AS~Ny &sAA6os
From London Tit-Bits.
King Alfonso of Spain is the possessor Of
a ring of strange and awesome history. 1t
was presented by his predecessor and name
sake. Alfonso XII, to his consort Queen
Mercedes, who died within a month after
ward. Ere the funeral had taken place the
king bestowed the ring on his sister Maria,
and she was dead In a few days.
The fatal circlet then coming again into
hts possession. he presented It to his sister,
in-law. Princess Christina, who only sur
vived for three months. Thereupon the king
resolved to wear the ring himself, and in a
short time he, too. had passed away. The
queen regent was not disposed to run any
ly possession. Instead she had 1t attached
to a golden chain, which she hung around
the neck of the statue of the Virgin of AL
mudena Of Madrid.
Spaniards believe this ring to be possess
ed of mystic powers by which unworthy
wearers of 1t are siafn. To worthy SOW
ereign they claim 1t will assure prosperity
and long life: and to its magic influence
they attribute the young kings escape from
injury In the bomb explosion on his we'd
ding day.
He was said to have been seen praying to
the Virgin On the eve of his marriage, and
further that before leaving the cathedral
he reverently pressed the ring to his lips
There is another and more pleasing ring
romance associated with the royal family of
Spain. One of the proudest possessions Of
the present kings nurse is a gold ring in
which Is set the first tooth lost by his maj
esty when boy. The ring bears the in
scriptlon, MY tooth. To my nurse. Alfonso
Kill"
The Car of All the Russias has ring
which be believes it Is necessary he should
always have about him. In its absence he
will not move a step from the palace. The
ring contains what Is supposed to be a
vnIAo 90 .yhto oh 40
Savior was crucifed. The, fact that when
he was assassinated Car Nicholas grand
father had not the precious ring with him
enormously strengthened the belief in Its
protective virtues. .a....- ---1--
The German emperor h-s a ring which he
wears at all times and regards as his own
peculiar talisman. though few are aware OF
the fact. .ie7.7 iazt 80 a71.ss.. =
An absurd. though curious, history is told
of this ring. 1t is to the effect that In the
days of Elector John of Brandenburg toad
entered that worthy's room one night and
placed small stone on the bed! 1t then
disappeared and ever since the stone, which
has no real value. has been treasured as one
Of the most precious possessions of the
house of HohenZollern. By the father of
Frederick the Great 1t was set in ring.
which since that time has always adorned
the finger of the head of the family.
The late Ameer of Afghanistan was an
other potentate who put faith in ring
He Invariably wore this potent charm
although he was more often reported dead
than any other monarch of his day, this
ring, according to his own belief, enabled
him to live a great deal longer than he
would have done without 1t.
Napoleon 1 was, If possible. more OF
fataist than even the impreSSionable Turk,
yet strange to say, he wore a couple of
rings to which he ascribed mysterious pow
ers. In course of time both these rings
came into the possession of Napoleon III,
who wore them constantly down to the time
of his death. 1t was then proposed that
they should be removed from his finger,
but for some reason or other, his son, the
late prince imperial, refused to accept them
The rings were therefore inferred with the
remains at Chislehurst, though the princes
decision o. not commend Itself to the re-
taners Of the deceased emperor. On the
contrary they strongly dissented from it,
and expressed the belief that for hi, dis
carding of the rings he would come to an
untimeiy end
1t is about twenty-seven years since the
prince imperial was killed by the Zulus,
soon after his arrival at the seat Of war to
fight for the country that had befriended
his parents and provided them with home.
What could be more romantic than the
history of the famous coronation ring! Ac-
cording to the story 1t was originally an
ordinary royal ring which was bestowed by
cant in the street, who begged aims to
help him on his journey to Jerusalem.
On the beggar's arrival in the Holy City
the story of the ring somehow came to
blessed the circiet and babe the wanderer
return 1t to his sovereign. This he accord
ingly did through two English pilgrims who
were returning from visit to the Holy
preserved at the Confessor's shrine at
Westminster, and the story was painted
on glass. which was fixed in a window Of
the south aisle of the venerable abbey.