New-York tribune., 1908-08-16
THAT BOGUS PRINCE" OF BOURBON.
Information Sought and Furnished Concern
ing Him.
Editor OF The Tribune.


Sir: Several letters have reached me recently
from Marnaroneck and from other places in the
neighborhood the Sound asking for inforna ton
concerning man who styles himself Prince
Charles de Bourbon" am informed that he claims
that he VIII shortly succeed supplant his cousin
Prince Ferdinand, the Bulgarian throne; that
according to his statement, he belongs to the
Parma Bourbons, is admiral in the Spanish navy
honorary colonel Of Austrian regiment and a
granddaughter of Emperor Francis Joseph that he
married some years ago niece of the wife of the
late Mr.. Conger. the American Minister to China
and has child by her some ten years old; that
she was divorced from an unbaptized when the
prince married her. and that he has applied TO the
Pope TO have the previous marriage annued so
that the latter marriage may be made reIigously
valid the Catholic Church not recognizing mar
rtages Of divorced parties this being according TO
him. essential 10 the recognition by the monarchs
Of Europe Of his American wife and child on his
accession TO the Bulgarian throne. I hear that he
invited to the last Assembly ball Philadel-
phia but refrained from going on account of his
mourning for his relative, the murdered King OF
Portugal.
find that in December. 1904, I received num-
Der of letters about individual who must be
the twin brother Of this so-disant Prince Charles
of Bourbon" The letters OF four years ago were
full Of inquiries concerning Prince Charles Of
Bourbon" who was then floating around the vari-
boarding houses IN Madison avenue, here in
New York, who declared himself 10 be married
Miss Conger, daughter of American admiral.
TO be the of Archduke Albert OF Austria and
a grandson of Princess of Bourbon. He also
claimed to possess rights the throne OF Bulgaria
and have been driven from Austria on account
Of his wife being Protestant.
Now, in the first place let say that there
only two authentic Princes Charles of Bour
bOn. namely, Don Carlos the Legitinist pretender
to the throne of Spain. who lives in the Palace of
Loredan. at Venice with his second wife, Princess
Bertha-Rohan, and who is Of the best known
figures in Europe; while the other, Prince Charles
Of Bourbon, is the prince whose wedding
sister OF the Duke of Orleans last November
tracted so much attention and led a gathering
Of royal personages from all parts of the world
10 Wood Norton, the Duke Of Orleans's English
country seat, where the ceremony took place. That
Prince Charles Of Bourbon makes his home
Madrid where he has been the mentor and the
principal chum and adviser of his brother in law
King Alfonso. He is now with his wife San
Sebastian, spending the summer with his mother
in-law, the Queen Dowager Christina He is
son Of the claimant the throne Of Naples, who
goes by the name OF the Count Of CaseEta and is
the only one of the latter's eleven children who
bears the name Of Charles.
The late Duke of Parma who died last winter
and who was chief orA the Parma branch of the
House of Bourbon, had no less than twenty-one
children by his two marriages. but not one of them
bears the name Of Charles
have before me- moreover a list OF those vari-
GUS princes Of the House of Bourbon who. having
contracted non-royaI, that is to say, morganatic
marriages, have not transmitted TO their the
right TO style themselves Princes Of Bourbon
But among all their children, some twenty or
in number, who may have right TO the Of
Bourbon but not 10 the title of prince, I cannot
find ore that bears the Christian OF Charles
or who in any way answers the description of the
individual VINO is posturing at Mamaroneck as
Prince Charles of Bourbon" Mrs. Conger, the
widow Of the former American Minister TO China
who now makes her home at Pasadena, CAL
probably would be the first TO disavow the indi-
vidual in question. Certain is that he holds no
| colonelcy in the Austrian army, commission Of
admiral in the Spanish navy; that he is not even
related a morganatic sense TO the House Of
Bourbon. or in Hlegitimate way to the i'm
perial family OF Hapsburg; and that he has never
been banished from the court Of Austria for mar
rvng a Protestant. for the very simple reason that
he has never formed part thereof. In word. II
he STYLES himself Prince Charles of Bourbon he is
sailing under false pretences. and should certainly
| be required TO give satisfactory account of
! the glaring Inconsistencies of his story
| MARQUISE DE FONTENOY