New-York tribune., 1907-09-02
PRINCESS CLARA A NUN.
Romance Which Terminates an a
CIOister.

ed N extoTting from her uncle the venerable Re-
gent. a reluctant consent to her becoming n
Benedictine nun, and she is about 10 take
the veil in the Benedictine convent of Northwood'
on the Isle of Wight. which has for its lany
superior the widow Of the late ex-KIng Miguel or
Portugal mother of Archduchess Maria Theresa
Of Austria, of the Duke of Braganza. Pretender TO
the throne of Portugal: of Duchess Charles Iheo-
dore OF Bavaria, of the Duchess Of Parma and OF
the Grand Duchess Of Luxembourg
Princess Clara is a handsome woman Of thirty
one. and her decision to withdraw from the wortd
is The result Of disappointment in love SIX
years the princess privately plighted her troth
to Baron Cramer- Klett. the principal iro9master
of Bavaria and the richest in the kingdom
His father was self-made man OF the most num-
bic origin. who. beginning life as newspaper re-
porter. had been created baron by the late King
Louis II in recognition of his services to the indus
try and trade of the country.
Princess Claras suitor, like his father before him.
is a Protestant and a Free Mason. In spite OF
this. he. with the object of pleasing the princess
and oS reconciing his suit her parents her rela
tives and. above all, the Regent, devoted immense
sums of money TO the purchase of oldtime abbeys
and monasteres from lay owners. After having
placed them in thorough repair, he then restored
them, free OF cost. to the monastc orders to which
they had originally belonged. One of the most
notable gifts Of this kind was the purchase. restc-
ration and gift OF the famous old abbey of Wesso-
brunn. Wilhelm, TO the Benedictine Order, to
whom II had formerly belonged 1t is the oldest
monastic building in all Southern Germany, GER
tain portions Of it dating back TO the eighth GEN.
tury and it is estimated that this gift alone cost
the baron than n million marks. while he
probably gave as much more the famous Bene
dictine monastery of Ettal. Notwithstanding this
uberaty toward the Catholic Church and toward
its religious orders which naturally assured him
Of their good will in his suit for the hand of the
handsome young princess. the Regent absolutely
declined 10 give his consent, insisting that not
alone did he object 10 any such mesalliance. but
likewise THAI he feared the strain o. insanity in
the blood OF the baron. The latters father died
q lunatic and under restraint, his madness taking
the form Of convctIn that, in spite of his fortune
of $4,000 o00 more, he doomed die OF
starvation. In way this fear realized, since
his death caused by cancer of the throat
hich prevented him from taking any form of
nourishment. Finally the baron consoled himself
thres years ago by wedding young Baroness
WurtZburg. who Is Lutheran like himself. and
consequently all prospects of his becoming
ver- TO the Roman Catholic Church and his
tributions to the latter at end.
Princess Cara, who refused for his sake
slider an offer OF marriage made by Prince Victor
Of ItalT. Count Of Turin. has never got the
disappointment. has withdrawn for the last two
years altogether from court life. and has devoted
all her energies to obtaining leave of her uncle the
Regent. become a nun. This sanction she has
finally obtained. and that Archduchess Maria
Beatrice of Austria. mother of the Spanish Pre-
tender, Don Carlos. is dead she will enjoy the dis
tincton Of being the only princess of of the
regning houses Of Europe who is religeuse. For
the widow OF ex-King Miguel of Portugal only be-
came his wife after he had lost his throne, and
born as a member, not of a sovereign family but
Of one OF the medatzed houses of the nobility.
Among the sisters of Princess Clara OF Bavaria
IS the Duchess Of Genoa, famous for her prOwess
athlete. for her exquisite complexion and for
her wonderful red hair. while her brother. Prince
Louis Ferdinand has achieved the same fame
a gynecologist his cousin Duke Charles Theo-
dore of Bavaria has oculist. Like the
duke, he declines 10 take any payment for his
medical services. and. in the same way that the
duke can boast of having restored the sight to
hosts OF his countrymen by his over five thousand
successful operations for cataract, Prince Louis
can claim to have. surgeon-a ccoucheur. brought
more tiny Bsvarians into the world than any other
member of the Bavarfan medical profession Mar
ried 10 the Infanta Paz OF SPAIN sister OF the IN
fenta Eualie. he Is great favorte at Madrid
h is al Munich and holds the honorary rank of
surgeon general in the Spanish army.
The Regent Of Bavaria has done wisely in allow
ing his niece withdraw a convent in view
OF the danger OF her mind becoming affected by
melancholia. For her mother. the late Princess
Amelia. died two years ago under the restraint 10
which she had been subjected in consequence OF
her extravagances and eccentricites eliminating
in extraordinary scene at the Munich opera
where the old lady insisted sitting on the baus
trade of the royal box, with her feet and skirts
dangling over the heads of the audience below.
Bavaria's Regent is very strict and unyielding on
the subject Of mesalliances. and in spite of all
the pleas Of his close friend Emperor Francis Jo-
seph. and of his and dsughter-n-law, Prince
and Princess Leopold, he has refused to allow their
child his granddaughter. Princess Elizabeth of Ba-
varfa TO return the kingdom. much less 10 ap-
pear az the court Of Munich, since she made her
runaway marriage with penniless infantry officer
of the name of Baron Seefrid. Fortunately for tho
Young princess her other grandfather, Emperor
Francis Joseph. is indulgent for he has ele-
waited the baron the rank of count, has given
him rank in the Austrian army, and has presented
the prin cess with a large estate. besides settling
upon her a very handsome fortune. He is exceed
ingly kind 10 the young couple and has them often
in his encourage