New-York tribune., 1907-09-02
UILHEIMSROHF

Wilhelmshohe. the palace at CasseI where ring
Edward recently visited the Kaiser, and where 'he
Empress Is now confined TO her room for sums
weeks to come by the rupture of vein sns'aiIeu
While playing tennis is best known TO peopie oi'
this side of the Atlantic the giided prison "he!e
Napoleon Ill interned from the time Oh ihi'
surrender at Sedan in 1870 until the end OF the wal
But 1t has other associations. 1t was there thdI
Jerome Bonaparte held mis- opera bouffe court aIter
being created by his brother King of Westpnhha
reward for his abandonment of his American
wife. Miss Elizabeth Patterson of Baltimore ana
OF his child the grandfather of the present Attor-
ney General of the United States. So insane were
the extravagances Of Jerome at WilheiisI.- .,:.
which he rechristencd Napoleonshohe so stat ''il
and Oriental his mode of life, that even t''e 81
Napoleon was shocked. and was compelled seFerai
times to threaten his brother with deposltio anu
disgrace unless he mended his ways. IN lllo mp
OF keeping him In order the Emperor sent MS s'e'ii
old mother Madame Mere. to stay at Wiiheinisfiohe
But after weeks there in 1911 she found inhss
too contrary to her sense Of propriety ana 'ooA
flight.
The palace, which occupies the fairest site anu
can boast OF the most lovely and pictareSoue
roundings of any royal or imperial ABODE IN Iiio ~
World, was built in 1906 on the foundatiohS u
then 5OD-year-old monastery of Weissenstein WHICH
had been razed to the ground by LandgraVe @ Mdu-
rice of Hesse in order to make way for ms -,
The latter was, TO a great extent, recoist'"''N
his greats grandson. Charles OF Hesse. the most
Italian architect Francesca Guernieri rms was III
III. II is he who is responsible for those puse
fountains and lakes in which King Jerome useu -
play the role OF Neptune in the midst Oh Il cou''
OF mermeR and mermaids
Another ruler OF Hesse who greatly cohtrlp''eu W
the beauties of the place was Elector William l.
who on the morrow OF the battle OF jena sum
moned his court Jew and steward, meyer AnisCi'e
Rothschf6, and confded to him his great hodru oA
specie chiefly derived from the sale OF Hesslah
I Toff .
ing the Americans here in their War of lndepend-
ence How Rothschid restored this fortune Hl'e'
the war with all the accumuiatons or interest," f'
a high rate, to the Elector, and at the same 'iiAo
was able through its use to lay the toundaichS Vi
the colossal fortune of the great banking house
which he then founded. has been related IN every
history OF the RothschIld family
After tho fall of Napoleon and the expulsion OF
Jerome from Germany the Electors OF ffesse o,I' ,
more held court at Cassel, and their mode or lie
and their domestic arrangements were such as 10
render Wilhe!mshofe virtually closed TO me oIAeI
reignng houses OF Europe Oriental condlIons IN
matters matrimonial continued 10 prevail nhtl leoo
when the last Elecor of Hesse was arrested by the
German plenipotentiary. General Won Roeder' WIN
intimated TO the prince the fact that he had tor-
feitea his throne that his dornnions would from
thenceforth part Of Prussia. and thst ne "ou
be interned in the fortress or Stettn uiiuL Hle e'
OF the war; in consequence of his failure 70
his treaty obligations TO Prussia, and of his having
taken up arms against the latter in oehaIh Oh AUS
tria.
There was certain kind OF piquancy In this
since only short time previously the E!ectoF hd1
very rudely refused to give his consent 10 mar
rfase between one of his morganatic sons. Prince
Philip Hanau. and Jennie Won Roeder. the daush-
ter of the general the ridiculous and insulting
plea that II would constitute Tnesalliance. al
though the general belonged 20 one of the Oldest
houses of the German aristocracy, and had himself
married. as his first wife. footing OF perfect
equality. member OF the sovereign house OF Lippe.
Since 1856 the palace OF wilheln1shohe has been
the property OF the Prusslsn Crown: but save for
the historic sojourn there OF Napoleon III as
prisoner OF war in 1870 Il remained unoccupied
until the advent the throne OF the present Kaiser
who like his consort, is very fond Of the place. ana
makes point spending several weeks there each
summer with his family. lie likes Cassel. for II
was there that he received his education at the pub
lie school of tho place. with his brother. Prince
Henry. MARQU1SE DE fONIf-NOi.