The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-03-21
RUMOR NOT DENIED
KING VICTOR EMANUEL CONFENs
 ABOUT THE WEDDING.
Miss Katherfne Elkin's Fianeee, the Duke of AbfuxxI, is . Very Wealthy Man and Fav0rite of
 the Kimg.

Rome. March 20.--King Victor Elm manuel was in conversation this morn ing with a member of his encourage regarding the reported engagement of inc Duke of Abruzzi, his cousin. to Miss Katherine Elkins, daughter ol Senator stephen B. Elkins of West Virginia.
 He neither confirmed nor denied the rumor, The Duke of the Abruzzi IS at the present time exchanging ciphe' cablegrams with the King.
 siRnificant fact has just come tc light here through some personal cor respondence. The Italian AmbassadoI at Washington, Baron Mayer des PlanSfes. writing from F1orida in the beR;nhing of March to friends m Italy, said: ,,
 Shortly after this the Baroness wrote to a friend here and made use of this
 willy Nilly; I have had to come to Florida"
 As there is no political reason why the Italian Ambassador and his wife should go to Florida, 1t is argued that they were there in the matter or the Dukes engagement.
 The assertion that royal marriages must take place in Italy before the President of the Senate, Is not exactly correct. This applies to such mar ridges as occur in Italy, but royal marriage can be celebrated abroad For instance, the Duke of Aosta was married at Kingston, Jamaica. and in such A case any Italian consul can perform the ceremony. The DuKe ol Aosta, speaking at Naples today to one of his gentlemen-in-w waiting saio he did not yet believe that the Duke
 .L- Akr,,-zt xuas to r14rrv MissS FL kins.
 Tn view of the fact that the King has no brothers, the position of the Abruzzi at the Italian court can pc compared with that of the Duke oi Connaught in England. with the addi' ton that the Italian Duke. altnougn he is the youngest cousin of the King of Italy, Is a favorite with his majesty who is proud of the laurels reapeo Dy his cousin in the scientific world and by daring expeditions by land and oS sea.
 It is the custom for the royal princes of Italy each to live in different city and each maintains a kind oi court. The Duke of Aosta lives at thS royal palace of Capo at Naples; Prln' cess Letitia, the Dowager. Ouch ess oi Aosta, has her court at Turin. and tht Count of Turin lives in the Pitti Pal ace at Florence. The Duke of the Abruzzi will follow the same course taking up his residence and establish ing his court at either Palermo. Ven ice or Genoa.
 Being a naval officer, the Duke ii destined eventually to become supreme commander of the Italian fleet. The fortune of the Duke of the Abruzzi i' estimated at $2.0oO.ooO. He has less than his brothers. owing to the fact That he has met personally the ex' penses of his various expeditions. but the property is yet to be divided be- tween the brothers. The Duke inner tied most of his fortune from hi' mother, Princess Mare Dela Cisterna was was very wealthy. but she expend' ed a considerable sum fin founding hos pitfalls and other benevolent instttu' tions in Spain when her husband Prince Amedoe. was King or tnal country. The ducal palace at Turir was the property of the mother or th' Duke of the Abruzzi.