The Washington herald., 1910-11-12
AGED EX-EMPRESS
AND HER WEALTH

Ex-Empress Eugene. OF France. is an
immensely wealthy woman. Her riches
are estimated at no less than $4,000. 900
in American money. She is now In her
eighty-ffth year, and has decided to
make Prince Victor Napoleon her sole
heir. He is to wed Princess Clementine
OF Belgium. daughter of the late King
Leopold, after a long courtship full of
vicissitudes, as detailed in this column
some time ago.
The prince has but a small income OF
his own. and has lived rather retired at
the capital OF Belgium. to be near his
lady love during the dark days when
the King, her father. so strenuously OPP
posed her union with the French claim
ant to the imperial crown. The ex-
Empress has not forgotten the long
drawn legal night she had forty years
ago, after the downfall OF the second
empire. when the newly formed republic
was determined to confiseate all of her
| landed estates In France as rightfully
/ belonging TO the people. and not to an
1 empress whose husband had showered
upon her titles and the estates that went
with them while he had the power TO do
so. and 10 enrich her and his possible
progeny.
| Eugene has placed orders with A big
| London real estate firm 10 dispose of
every inch OF land she is possessed OF in
/ France while she is still alive. all OF the
properties being booked and recorded in
her personal name after the legal victory
over the republic She wants the cash.
and will leave It TO Prince Victor and
| his future wife, Of whom she is inordl-
nately fond.
! Among the estates owned by the ex-
Empress Is that OF the famous Softer
mo palace. in the south Of France This
large property was to have been sold
under the hammer in London last month,
but the sale had 10 be postponed owing
TO difference of opinion over the min
imum sum 10 be accepted. The EN-
press asks 10000 francs for the palace.
but this Is taken 10 be excessive even
by her own attorneys, in view OF the
dilapidated condition OF the chateau it.
| self.
And yet. this magnificent structure
was erected by Napoleon III only forty
| seven years ago to commemorate one of
the most celebrated victories OF the
French trops over the Austrians at the
village Of solferino. in upper Italy. in
1856.
The Florence Nightingale OF Germany,
Countess Marie Won Mirbaeh. has been
decorated by Emperor William with the
order. pour lie merite." a high distinc-
ton indeed, especially for a woman. He
calls her the most restless lady in the
empire.
Countess Marie was one OF the frs.
70 join the troops in the campaign OF
1870, against the French, when she was
/ a young bride. and her well-known fig
ure In nursing costume still Is one OF the
most cherished pictures in her home
! country of Pommerania. where it is to
be seen in the seaside village cottages
/ OF the fishermen. who returned to their
trade in the Baltic after the war was
over.
Countess Marie as she is universally
| and affectionately called everywhere
after that war found the easy life of q
/ "grande dame" tiresOme. though there
| always was an open door for her al the
imperial palace in Potsdam or the castle
in Berlin. So she established near her
husbands mansion a small home indus.
try just basket-weaving, and as a re-
suit now there Is q big village. inhabited
by prosperous persons, once i'll and des-
titute.
The work practically pays expenses and
is regarded as one OF the most successful
industries In all Germany The countess
is one OF the Emperor's most honored
friends.
An atmosphere OF royalty envelops the
sumptuous new house Of Mrs. George KEEP
pei In GrOsyenor street. London. about
which there was so much gossip JUS
before King Edwards reign ended. a
least in the popular Imagination. tt
be a hostess installed I'm that mansion
would lend great prestige to any Amer
lean woman possessed with a desire t.
shine during the coronation season mex
year. provided she has the wealth
Although the house is new. and Iuxu
riously furnished. Mrs Keppel has oc
cupied IL only few weeks, and even hac
said that she paid for il out of hel
profits on Steel stock. in which she had
Speeulated under the guidance OF Sit
Ernest Cassel, King Edwards friend
and financial counselor. Others declared
plainly that she had come into posses
sion OF the magnificent structure through
the munificence of the then sovereign
and that II had been designed to be &
favorite place OF entertainment for th'
monarch.
All Mrs. Keppel asked as rent for the
coronation season was SO coo, but II (:
said that since there has been spirited
competition among American women ii
their effort 10 secure the house, the prizes
has been advanced. Mrs Miller Graham
of California, had her eye on il. but Ia:
decided 10 take Lord Nonburnholme' res
idence in GTosvenor square, near by. Some
say that she still wants the Keppel house
Mrs. William B. Leeds. the noted New
York lti-millionairess. who since hei
return from the Continent has placed her.
self under the social guidance or Lady
Arthur Paget-Mary Stevens, of New
! York. that was-also is after the Keppe
mansion.
The Duchess OF Manchester, the former
Miss Helen Zimmerman. OF Cincinnati
will pay her intended visit to her native
land this winter. She is very busy estab'
fishing work homes for Irish girls on her
Kyiemore estate. in Ireland. in which
cooking and sewing are taught. Like
her friend, Lady Strathmore, the Ameri-
can duchess is an excellent needlewoman
She has gone so far even that she has
learned the art OF Irish lace-making, and
is determined 10 bring up her daughter
on practical Ideas. BY this foresight
she shows that she Is the true daughter
OF her practical and long-headed American
father. and is bound 10 avoid the kint
of lifs which almost ruined the Manches
ter titles and name through indiscretion!
OF the "noblesse oblige" kind. The daugh
ter. Lady Mary now nine years old. Il
an apt scholar and a perfect little house