Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-09

Prince Eugene of Leucthenberg, anu
grandson of Marshal Bernadotte. oscar
II succeeded to the throne at the death
of his brother, King Carl XIV, Septem-
ber IS, 1872. He was married June 8,
1857, to Queen Sophia, born July .,
1886, daughter of the late Duke Will
liam of Nassau. -Four children survive
King Oscar-Crown Prince Gustave,
born June 16, 1858; Prince oscar Ber-
nadotte, born November is, 1859; Prince
Carl, born February 81, 1861, and Prince
Eugene, born August IA, 1866. Prince
Gustave was married September 20,
1881, to Princess Victoria of Baden
Baden. Their eldest son, Prince Gus
tave, was married June Is, 1905, to
Princess Margaret. Victoria of Con
nausihitt Prince Oscar renonnced his
succession to the throne and married,
March Is, 1888, Ebba Munck of Fulkila.
In the years 1892 and 1898 the late
King Oscar steadfastly opposed the
proposition of the Norwegian parlia-
ment for a separate consular service,
which led to Norway, on October 26,
1906, declaring the union of Sweden and
Norway dissolved. The throne of Nor
way was offered to a prince of the
reigning house of Sweden, but was de-
clined by King Oscar, and after an ap-
peal to the Norwegian people, Prince
Charles of Denmark was elected king
of Norway by the Norwegian parlia-
fnent, November is, 1905. W.
Was Arbiter
An event of international Importance
in the life of King oscar was his arbi-
tration of the Samoan claims in 1902.
when he adjudged the American and
British government to be responsible
for the fighting in the Samoan islands
in 1S99 He also attained prominence
H. @1.x, Il 90
which caused friction between the
United States and Great Britain in 1896.
1t was then proposed in case the Cleve-
land arbitration commission, consisting
of four members, failed to agree that
the matter be referred to King Oscar.
But an agreement was reached at Paris,
where the arbitration tribunal met in
the spring of 1899 and King Oscars in
tervention was not necessary
King Oscar was called the ablest
euler of the nineteenth century and the
most democratic king that ever lived.
He never made any attempt to conceal
the humble origin of his family and
whenever he travelled in the south of
France he made 1T a point to visit the
little house at Pau, where his grand
father was born. A tablet over the
door of the little one-story house bears
this inscription:
1.-THE peasant Charles Bernadotte, who
subsequently rose to be field marshal of
France and ultimately King Charles XIV
of Sweden and Norway, was born in this
cottage in 1763."
Every Inch King
In appearance, however, King Oscar
was every inch king, and there was no
monarch in Europe who was more stately
and more regal in bearing than was he.
In height King Oscar stood 6 feet 2
inches. taller than most of his subjects
who as rule are tall men. His ~eyes
were blue in color distinctive of his
race, and commanding but kindly
The late king was distinguished in
philosophy, having received degrees from
so many universities of Europe that he
might fairly be called, so far as degrees
are indicated, the most learned man in
Europe. He was an author, translator,
a learned man in political economy and
science of government, a musician and a
playwright. All the great masterpieces of
literature. historical, philosophical and
religious, he translated into Swedish.
One of his novels the one which has
become the most widely known of his
works of fiction, deals with the rise of
his own family of Bernadotte and the ac-
cession to the throne of Sweden of his
grandfather, Marshal Bernadotte.
With all his accomplishments as a
scholar King Oscar was a brave man,
and wore upon his breast on state occa-
sions a medal bestowed on him by the
French government as a reward for two
heroic deeds performed when he was a
young man.
New Ruler Once Vice King
Gustave, the new king of Sweden, was
born in the castle of Drottingholm. I'M
mediately after his birth he was made
duke of Verland. He pursued his studies
from 1877 to 1878 at Upsala. In 1879 he
travelled abroad. visiting almost all the
countries of Europe. In 1889 he returned
a second time to the university at Up
sala. He entered the army in 1875 and
in 1892 he was given the rank of general
lieutenant In 1896 he served as inspector
of the military schools and in 1898 he
was made a full general. Between the
years 1884 and 1891 Gustave filled the Of
flee of vice king of Norway. AS a result
Of Gustaves persistent and strenuous
efforts to hold the Swedish Norwegian
union together he earned the enmity of
the radical majority in the Norwegian
storthing, and in retaliation the storth-
ing took away from his yearly ap-
panage amounting to $125O0.
Gustave's other two children are Will
helm. duke of Soesermanland born June
II, 1884, who visited the United States
last summer, and Erich, duke of West
mainland, born April 20, 1882