The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-01-25
4-YEAR-OLD Duke
THR0NEPRETENDER
Elder Son Of Late King Leopold Too
Young To Realize What Future
Holds for Him.

BRUSSELS. Belgium, Jan. 25,-l
Baroness Vaughan dominated the life
OF Leopold H.. king of the Belgians.
during his last eight years. II is not
impossible that one or both OF her
two sons. who called him father, may
yet play an important part In the his
tory Of Belgium. for II seems now
that their legitimacy has been estab-
lished. The pope has recognized that
legitimacy in sending a message OF
coincidence.
The king and the baroness were
married by a religious ceremony.
which is said TO have been conducted
In 1904 IN the private chapel OF the
royal chateau at Laeken. q suburb OF
Brussels. In Belgium the law does
not know any morganatic union. A
wife is a wife. Though no other mem.
Der OF tho royal family may wed with.
out the sanction OF parliament. the
monarch may marry whom he will. So
Baroness Vaughan's children are d.
rect descendants OF King Leopold ii.
Already the Socialist members OF the
Belgian parliament have started an
agitation in favor OF declaring her
elder son the rightful successor TO the
throne. A leader among those Social
lists Is Deputy Lamgendolck. who Is
Baroness Vaughans uncle. They urge
that Prince Albert. who has been
sworn in as king. Is not entitled 10
the throne because he married for
leigner, q Bavarian princess. without
the consent OF parliament.
N 49, al ~
whom the Socialists would give the
crown, Is a little more than four years
old. He was born near Nice, Nov. II.
1907, In a sumptuous villa which Leo
pold bought for the baroness. The
babe was named Lucien Philippe
Marie Anton and his proud royal
father-not as king OF the Belgians
but as sovereign of the Congo Free
State-conferred on him the title OF
duke Of Tervueren. This boy looks
more like his mother than his father.
But his young brother, Count de Rev
enstein, who now is little more than
two years old, is said to bear a strlk-
ing resemblance to King Leopold's
only son by Queen Henrietta. the
Count de Hainaut, who lived to be ten
years old.
Baroness Vaughan's maiden name
was Blanche Lacroix. She was born
March 16. 1863. in Bucharest, Rou-
mania. OF French parents. who tfter-
ward moved TO I4ouvain, Belgium,
where the father was a caretaker. She
married first an Englishman named
Vaughan, who was employed as gard
ener at the royal palace in Laeken.
When King Leopold ennobled her to
become his bride. he did not think It
worth while TO change her name, so he
made her Baroness Vaughan.
The king provided magnificent
villa for her on the Riviera sAfteFward
he purchased for her the residence
she now occupies, Il miles from Paris,
the Chateau de Lormoy, which he
obtained from the American widow of
Henry Say, a great French sugar
refineT.
A great share OF his enormous
profits from the Congo Leopold Law
ished upon the baroness. When her
elder. son was born the king settled
Sc O00. 900 on her In lump. He was
a shrewd finaneier and although his
will Is said to contain liberal provis-I
ions for her, evidently he made over
To her directly during his life the
bulk OF the huge fortune he meant
she lshouldF enjoy. ..........