The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-25

I"fNERY court in Europe Will be
L. placed in mourning by the death
OF the aged Duchess of Genoa.
who. having suffered "A stroke of
npopleXy, may have breathed her last
ere this letter appears in print. II was
BRAT brased '''f her s eightieih birtd ia Sur
rounded not only by her children. but
also by her Sreat-grandchildren among
the latter OF whom are Princess folan-
da. with her brother. the heir apparcnt.
the grandmother OF the present King.
also The inother of Queen Marguerite.
and IS generally understood TO nave
played a very important role during
Humbert. in uniting Italy to the Triple
Alliance. Her interest In cefnentlnS
the bonds of Italy With Germany, and
incidentally with Austria. was due to
| the fact that. although she had become
1 by her marriage a princess of the
/ retgning house OF savoy, size Was by
birth and education German, a sister
of the last two Kings of ssaxonY. She
has been an exceedingly clever and
nasterful woman. possessed OF as
.many accomplishments in tho way OF
music. painting. etc, as he, daughter.
! Queen Marguerite. and has displayed
| Throughout her life II very keen a Upre-
citation and understanding OF interna
ltional politics.
| Her marriage to the late Duke Fer
lsdinand of Genoa. younger brother OF
lHe QOillV,aE Mts e 1lioic u
less of lovelesst union. for the duke
| had been deeply Infatuated with Prin-
cess Louise of Prussia. daughter of old
| Prince Charles of Prussia, and one of
1.-THE most beautiful women OF her time.
| But their engagement had been broken
Loft by her uncle. King Frederick VIII
| liam ~. OF Prussia and by his gov
ernment. not only on account of the
| duke being a Roman Catholic. but also
ibecause at the time the court Of Ber-
/ lin was bent on maintaining the
l.friendliest relations with that of Wen:
ma. which then. as now. was imbued
the rcigning house OF SAVOY Princess
Louise who had ilted her former.
tiancc. Prince afterwards King
Charles OF Sweden, for tho sake OF
quently Induced to give her hand to
Prince Alexis of Hesse. from whom she
obtained divorce some years later.
the Duke of Genoa contracting an
dynastic considerations. with Princess
Elizabeth of Saxony. who has been far
more attractive In her old age. with
jiher beautiful white hair. than in her
Two children, namely. Marguerite. now
the Queen lJowaEer of Italy, and
Thomas. who succeeded his father as
Duke of Genoa, and is now the ranking
band died very suddenly. and before
| her first years of widowhood had
elapsed, she lost her heart to her cham
herlain. the good docking MARQUIS
Married Privately.
! Yielding TO The. pressing recommen.
ldations Of her spiritual adviser Arch
!sbishop Franzoni, Of Turin. the duchess
| allowed herselfsto be privately married
Eby that .prelate 10 the marquis. Her
| brother-in-law. King Victor Emmanuel.
was beside himself with anger When
| he#learned of the mat ter: insisted that
dead brother: that the Archbishop Of
Turin had been led by spite against
him to influence the duchess to con-
tract such a M esall lance. and wound up
| by Diminishing Rapallo# from the army.
deprivinE the duchess of the guardian
ship of her children. and ordering her
| to live abroad. that is to say, In exile.
Some years later, when a severe Illness
flair friend, Rosina Vercellone whom
The created Countess Mirafiori. he re-
Tented towards his sister-in-law. re-
stored her daughterato her; and allow
beautiful lakeside villa at Stresa. on
/ Lake Como, where She from thence
forth made her home. snendtnE the
quite a good deal Of state.
There are different versions as to
whether the second maria re OF the
DUCHESS was as happy !: as 5. she antlei
l upon aEquarter of a. century. and then
the marquis committed suicide in the
grounds Of his wlfe's#villa at Stresa.
AS long as Humbert was on the
throne the duchess was wont to spend
4 the court season at Rome. Whe re slller
presence was dreaded by the varlous
/ diEnitariesBof the Qutrinal; for, wing
been brought up at & Dresden, which8is
/ Europe, she Throughout her i ife resent
i ed breaches OF etiquette almost as
i crimes. She had a profound respect
4 for conventlonalitN; had retained s}all