The Washington herald., 1910-12-19
MARITAL WOES OF
SAXONY'S RULER


Repeatedly in these columns 4 have
spoken of the unfortunate marital rela-
tons of King Friedrich August OF Sax
ony AS man, he is in a funny di-
lemma, while even as king he is un-
able to help himself His wife. as is
well known, eloped with the court music
teacher. She has since married another
man, and yet the Pope declines to grant
the King divorce. The highest tribunal
OF Saxony has dissolved the marriage,
and the ex-Queen has been stripped OF
all her titles by legal proceedings But
the Vatican remains inexorable, and in
the eyes OF the Roman Catholic Church.
OF which the King Is a member, he is a
married man. Hence. although every
court of Europe has recognized the d.
vorce. Friedrich August will have diff
Guilty in arranging another marriage.
All this has led to the rumor that the
King OF Saxony is about TO renounce his
religion and accept the Protestant faith,
which. by the way, is the faith OF n
majority Of his subjects Recently such
reports have been more persistent than
ever, but IL Is declared that the King is
simply tired of reiterating bis denials.
The royal family Of Saxony Ghe Wettins)
perhaps is the oldest in Europe Il was
founded by Count Heinrich Won Ellen
burg, who in 1889 was made Margrave Of
Nielsen. the town where the famous
porcelain known as Dresden china is
manufactured. The capital OF Saxony
then was a little village on the Elbe River.
bat one of Won Eilenburg's successors liked
the location so well that he built a
castle there in 1216, and since then each
generation of rulers has made Dresden
their home and residence.
Another Friedrich August, the first OF
the name, who reigned at the end Of the
seventeenth century. is known 10 history
as August the Strong. This man could
break a horseshoe with his hand. and
Saxon military legends have it that once
he held a trumpeter by the belt with one
hand out Of his palace window while the
man shouted an alarm To the soldiers
below. But this same August was
strong man in other respects also. He
was gifted by nature with remarkable
taste and talent and by education with
unusual culture even for princes Of that
period. He il was who founded nearly
all the great things for which the capital
Of Saxony Is famous. He was most am
bilious and liberal as a patron Of art
music. and education IL is no wonder
that Saxony called the thirty-nine years
Of his reign the golden age OF Dresden. -
When the Hungarians. in 1885. appealed
FOR help 10 the European kings against
the invading Turks. August the Strong
led the army personally against the Otto
mans. as commanding chief OF the allied
forces. The war over. he was offered
the crown of Poland. which he accepted.
and IN June. 1897, he was crowned at
Krakow. Then it was that under the
constitution OF Poland he was o. Iiged 20
enter the Catholic Church.
His Saxon subjects We're loud in their
fsnonstrances. but he Gained them by
declaring that he would strongly main
tain the Protestant faith and the entire
freedom Of conscience and belief for his
people. His Queen. Christina, daughter
Of the Eiector OF Brandenburg. remained
true 10 Professionalism, but their children
We're brought up in the Catholic faith
and from that time on the kings Of
Saxony have been Catholics.
The present King, as crown prince. was
married 10 Marie Louisa AntOinette,
Princess of Tuscany. an archduchess Of
the famous house OF Hapsburg. and sis
ter OF Archduke Leopold Ferdinand, the
Austrian heir-apparent. The couple we're
married in November, 1891, and the mar
riage was dissolved by the Saxon Supreme
Court IN February. 1895. The crown
prince assembled the throne IN 1901 He Is
about forty-five years old, and his di-
vorced wife about forty They have had
six children: George, Friedrich Christian,
Ernest. Heinrich, Margaret. Maria Alix
and Anna Monica. seventh was born
four months after divorce had been
granted The last-named princess has
been recognized as legitimate, and, with
her brothers and sisters, is in the care OF
her father
The former Queen also was a Catholic
Both were born and baptized in that
faith and the marriage was performed
by a Catholic priest Hence the church
has refused TO recognize any divorce. not
withstanding the powerful influences
which the King of Saxony has been able
TO bring 10 bear upon the Vatican
The reason for the divorce was the
elopement OF the then crown princess
with Prof Andre Girom, the tutor of her
| sons. Girom was a Belgian OF much per
sonal charm, several years younger than
the ex-Queen. He lived in the palace,
was a familiar member OF the family.
and took advantage Of this intimacy TO
make love TO the mother OF his pupils.
She became so infatuated that she con-
scented 10 an elopement. and in Christ
mas week 1902. the couple fed and lived
under fictitious names in a villa on the
banks of the Lake Of Constance, in
| Switzerland. where a daughter was born
to her in May 1906.
! The most systematic efforts werernade
| to persuade her to leave her love- but
she seems 10 have been hypnOtized by
| him, and as a result, a divorce was asked
! for and granted, with the consent and
/ approval of Emperor Franz Josef Of
/ Austria, the head of her family. He de-
| prived her of all her titles, privileges. and
prerogatives as a princess of the Austrian
| empire two weeks before the decree Of
divorce was granted and. in spite OF the
| fact that Franz Josef is a pillar OF the
| Roman Catholic Church, he has recog-
nized the divorce formally.
! The fugitive princess has many loyal
friends. who at the time beloved, and still
| are convinced. that she was mentally ir-
responsible when she eloped with Girom,
and hence not to be blamed for her con-
duct Her dementia was ascribed TO her
| delicate condition at the time, and num-
Der of leading Austrian. Saxon, and Swiss
alienists were willing to certify that such
::
| THE Fol