The Washington herald., 1907-01-13
THE NEW GOTTA"
Cemetery Of Dethroned Monarchs-Its Many Features,
Anomalies and Remarkable Changes

Russian Empire in the 1901 Issue OF the
Almanach de Gotha, when has just made
It's appearance. It Is described as Con
stItutioual monarchy under an autocratic
car" This designation sounds paradox
cal and contradictory. Yet. ali things
considered. Il expresses pretty correctly
the present condition Of affairs in the do
miners Ct Nicholas Il
The Almanach de Gstha NOW enters
upon the Hath year q It's existence
While thoroughly up 70 date Il Is never
theless sometimes described as a GENE
terry of dethroned monarchs." the reason
for this name being that it is the only
place where crownless kings and queens
continue to figure after having been de-
pIlved OF their sovereignty. 1t is neces-
sary to refer 70 its pages in order to find
out that there are stu in existence
O. II Naples Grand Duke Of Tus-
eany. q Duke Of Parma. and a Duchess Of
MJdena, four states that have been alb
sorbed by the kingdom OF Italy, and that
disappeared from the map of Europe
nearly half q century ago. II is also in
perusing the volume that ones attention
is called 20 the fact that there Is Queen
Of Servia who Is no longer recognized as
such in her former dominions, namely
the now phenomenaiiy stout Natalie, ana
that there is a sovereign Duke Of Bruins
wick, who has never been permitted To
set foot In his dominions, much less to
occupy his throne. Moreover, the Al
manach de Gotha places on record the
deaths which have taken place among the
reigning houses during the preceding
twelve months and the list for the last
year is long enough to impart an addi-
tional element Of the cemetery to the
volume.
Briefly speaking, the Almanach de
Der Of the Old World royal aristOcracy
and officiald pm, and is a sort Of Peer
age" or Golden Book" with this differ
ence. that instead of being restricted 10
the families OF the nobility OF any one
particular country, 1t enumerates the
living members Of the principal houses
OF the great nobility Of Germany, France,
England. Belgium. Austria. and Italy, the
scions OF the new reigning dynesties OF
Germany. Austria. and England, as well
as some Of Italy. France, and Spain, and
also the so-calied mediatiEed or formerly
sovereign families. While Il cannot boast
OF being either perfectly correct or abso-
lutely complete. since many iIiustrious
names OF Spain and Russia, OF Portugal
and Of Italy, Of Scandinavia and Of the
Netherlands. are missing from its pages,
Ff.t- lss
work Of the kind IN existence, and its
editors have at all times displayed a re-
markable degree Of independence In re-
sisting the pressure not only Of those
whose claims TO figure therein are IN
founded. but even from powerful rulers
DESTROYS OF notifications and changes
which have not commended themselves 10
the publishers. The ruler who most dis
tinguished himself in this respect was the
first Napoleon. When at the beginning OF
tie last century he wiped out OF exist
ence scores OF pretty sovereignties, the
editors Of the Almanach de Gotha de-
clined 10 take into account these hiSn-
handed proceedings. and continued 70
publish the names OF the depOsed rulers
as IL they were stiIl IN possession Of
their thrones. Napoleon regarded this as
a gross insult to himself, but was Obliged
10 imprison some of the publishers Of the
Alnanach. and 10 have almost the entire
issue seized by MS police. before ne could
bring about the printing OF new edition
In conformity with his views and with
his Encouragement Of the frontier OF
Europe. This is the only case on record
when the publishers have been obliged by
superior force TO issue a second edition,
altered in conformity with the wishes Of
an Old World sovereign
There are quite large number OF
American names that fgure In the
Almanacn de Gotha. nearly all, Of course,
in Part III. which is devoted TO what is
known as the "higB nobility, There is
but one transatlantic name that IS 20 be
found in Part /, restricted 70 the emu
merauon Of the reigning and recently
dctn~oned sovereign houses Of Europe.
namely. that OF the now judicially sepa-
rated consort Of the present Prince Of
Monaco. Sac Is a native of New Orleans
a daughter OF the late Michael Heine, a
banker. formerly established there, and
she enjoys the distinction Of being the
only girl Of American origin TO have won
for herself a seat on one OF the ancient
thrones Of Europe.
There are but few Americans TO be
found In Part II Of the Almanach. which
is devoted 10 the mediatized or formerly
reigning houses Of Germany, whose petty
sovcreignties were swept out Of existence
by the first Napoleon. but TO which the
Congress of Vienna conceded the social
ai.5 honorary rank and privileges Of
royal dynasties by way Of compensation.
They are, Of course. extremely jealous
OF their rights, and IN the rare cases
where scions thereof have married
daughters Of Uncle Sam. as. for instance,
Prince Francis Auersperg. whose wife
was a Miss Hazard. of New York, and
Prince Charles Isemburg- Birstein, whose
consort was Miss Bertha Lewis. Of New
Orleans, they have been obliged by their
families TO resign all their preTogauYes
as members of mediatiZed families. and
20 descend to the rank OF the ordinary
nO5ilit, before they could wed In Iact,
strictly speaking. they do not belong TO
Part I. but to Part III Of the Alnlanach.
A perusaI of the pages Of the new Alma
mach invites attention to tie requirements
established by the late Car, and con-
flrmed by Nicholas II, to prevent the too
large Increase Of those having rights %
the status of full-hedged princes and
Processes of the blood in Russia Thus.
although the children Of the Grand Duke
Vladimir. brother Of the late Car. are
all grand dukes and grand duchesses, with
the predicate Of imperial highnesses, the
children of Grand Duke Constantine Con-
stantinovitch, of Grand Duke Peter Mich
olaioviteh, and Of Grand Duke Alexander
Nieholaiovitch. who is married 70 The
eldest sister Of Emperor Nicholas, do not
bear the title of grand duke or grand
duchess. nor are they accorded the pre-
ax Of imperial highness. but merely that