The Washington herald., 1908-03-29
BY EX-ATTACHE

4 Alnoll entering mo lle Iulcn-QeDdted
question as TO whether there is any actual
foundation for the stories current TO the
effect that Prince Louis OF Italy. Duke OF
/ the Abruzzl. contemplates marriage with
the daughter Of President Harrison's Sec
retary OF War. il may be Of timely in
! terest 10 point out that there are none OF
the great reigning families OF Europe that
have contracted so many matrimonial al
lianees outside OF the royal caste as the
ancient and historic line of Savoy. These
alliances, dictated by the heart rather
than by reason, and based upon affection
rather than political considerations, have
not in any way diminished the I1ster Of
the royal dynasty founded by Humbert
Of the White Hand. nor have they i'm
paired its standing and prestige. either
with other sovereign houses or with the
people, while they have contributed 10
endOw IL with no small measure Of TO
nance.
But wherever the Princes and Prin-
cesses Of Savoy have taken 20 them
selves eonsorts Of nonroyal birth and
origin they have always chosen them
among their own countrymen and coun-
( try women. and were any marriage 10
take place between the Duke Of the
/ Abruzzi and Miss Catherine EIkins the
match would be without precedent in the
annals OF his family.
/ Victor Amadeus, the first Duke Of Sa-
voy 10 enjoy the title Of king as ruler,
/ first Of Sicily and then OF Sardinia. may
be said 10 have led the way. after the
/ death OF his French consort, a Princess of
! Orleans, By wedding the cOmely widow
/ OF the Count Of St Sebastian
| The story OF Victor Amadeus II and OF
/ the Countess Of ST Sebastian has fur
nlshed the theme Of many a novel. and
\ Of numerous dramas. In some OF which he
/ has been portrayed as the italian King
I Lear, while a most witty account OF the
/ lady. written BY the Marquis Costa de
! Beauregard, may be found in one Of the
recent issues OF the Paris Revue des
/ Deux Mondes.
/ Despite the numerous progeny Of the
hunchback King. Charles Emmanuel III.
/ the elder line OF the house OF Savoy be-
/ came extinct with the death without issue
1 Of King Charles Felix In 1891, and the
/ thrones Of Sardinia. OF Piedmont, and Of
savoy thereupon passed 20 his kinsman,
I Charles Albert. OF the junior or Carignan
branch OF the family: that is TO say. 70
the grandson Of Prince Victor Amadeus
OF Savoy-Carignan. This Victor Amadeus
I had some eight brothers and sisters. One
OF the latter. Catherine Of Savoy. mar
ried Don Philip Colonna, grand constable
Of the kingdom OF Naples, and chief Of
the Neapolitan branch Of the patrician
house OF Colonna. which has PLAYED so
/ important a role in the history Of Rome
Another sister. Princess LeOpoldine OF
Savoy. and Of Sardinia. married Don John
Andrew Doria Pamphih who. although
( In no sense Of the word royal person
age was quite as great a noble in his
way as Don Philip COlonna. A third sis
| ter. Princess Gabrielle Of Savoy. became
The eonsort Of Prince Ferdinand Lobko-
witz. whose family then exercised petty
! sovereignty IN Germany, but which has
since the congress OF Vienna. IN the sec
Ond decade OF the last century, formed
part OF the mediatized nobility Of Europe.
/ One Of the most romantic marriages
contracted by the princes and princesses
Of the Carignan branch OF the house OF
Savoy was that OF the widowed Princess
Marie Christine. mother OF King Charles
Albert Of Sardinia. grandmother Of the
I late King Victor Emmanuel. and great
great-grandmother Of the present ruler OF
Italy. After losing her first husband, she
spent much Of her time in Paris, and was
one OF the most brilliant figures at the
court OF the first Napoleon Present at
the great ball given IN $50 by Prince
Schwarzenberg al the Austrian Embassy
II Paris in honor OF the marriage Of Ma
poleon 10 Archduchess Marie Louise. she
almost lost her life in the terrible fire
which brought that entertainment to so
tragic A close. marring the entire wedding
festivities. II may be remembered that
the Austrian Ambassadress. Princess
SChwaTzenberg. and q number Of other
well-knOwn people perished in the flames
Princess Marie Christine Of Savoy
Carignan he'd fallen IN a faint, and been
forgotten, in one Of the rooms Of the up
per floor, when she was rescued by the
then Count NOntleart, a young and hand
some Sandman nobleman. who carried
her out OF the burning building 70 safety
Her gratitude was so great that she mar
ried him, obtaining for him from the
court OF Turin the Sandman title Of
prince. and then. later on. when her
daughter BY her first marriage married
Archduke Rainer, she likewise persuaded
Emperor Ferdinand 10 give him the same
rank in Austria. The prince survived his
royal consort by many years. and toward
the close OF his life contracted another
marriage with a daughter of the French
ducai house Of de Ia Tremoille who. as
his widow. is still living az an advanced
age in Paris. But there were several
girls and a boy born Of the romantic
union between Princess Marie Christine
OF Savoy Carignan and her savior. Prince
Montleart. Most OF the girls died young
The only one who survived. Princess Au-
gusta, was an extraordinary character
Quite as masculine in her appearance and
in her dress as Rosa BOnheur. wearing
top boots. a short black skirt. a mans
cvercoat and hat, smoking cigars, and
riding astride. she was one OF the most
famous breeders Of horses in Austria. and
had celebrated stud farm near Cracow
II was the wealth which she had amassed
IN this manner, and which she insisted in
keeping in her Gallacian chateau instead
OF confiding IL 70 a bank, that undoubt-
edly led 10 her murder by her trainer and
factotum. who made his escape TO this
country. after looting all her money and
jewels. and. lost to sight here. was never
brought 10 justice.
This murdered princess only brother
Prince Maurice Montleart, 4 half-brother,
therefore, OF King Charles Albert Of Sar-
dinia and OF the late Archduchess Rainer
OF Austria, married an Irish girl. whose
father, man OF the name Of Fitzgerald.
had been compromised 10 such an extent
in toe Cato street plot TO murder George
" that he was obliged 10 flee for his life
from Great Britain He gave rendezvous
20 his wife and TO her two children, boy
and a girl, at Vienna. But he failed 70
turn up, having. il is alleged. sought ref
uge in the United States. where all fur
ther trace of him was lost Mrs. Fftzger-
aid and her boy died, literally OF hunger