Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-09-17

Especial Correspondence
y ONDON, sept. 7.--Worldwide in
terest in the subject Of morgan
attic marriage has been revived
by tho approaching wedding of
Prince Victor Napoleon, the Bonapart-
ist pretender to the throne Of France,
and Princess Clementine Of Belgium,
and By the recrudescence of the ru-
mors OF an approaching marriage be-
tween the duke OF the Abruzsi, who
might some day become heir TO the
throne Of Italy. and Miss Elklns. Vic
tor Napoleon already has nlorganatic
wife The duke of the Abruzzi cannot
make Miss Elkins his wife in any other
way without the consent Of his cousin.
the king Of Italy. AS matter of fact,
this IS what has stood in the way Of
the marriage for so long. II Miss FL
kins's parents would have consented 70
a morganatic marriage the ceremony
would have been performed long ago.
Morganatlc marriage has been defined
by Sir Edward Clarke, one of the great
est OF living English lawyers, as ''priv-
legged bigamy," and like n good many
other privileges It Is confined to royal
ty II had it's origin In Germany but Il
soon became popular in other countries
and there IL hardly a royal family In
Europe that has not experienced II in
the person of one at least OF its mem
bers The Institution is based on the
theory held by the lawyers OF most
European countries that royalty can
only mate with royalty" An alliance,
therefore. contra cited between a royal
person and one of lower birth would not
have the binding force of an alliance
H. 10 ana
the scruples OF royal lovers who wished
to make the objects Of their alteration
their wives the morRanatic marriage
was invented This is a marriage which
is perfectly regular as far as the re-
ligious side Is concerned. and for that
matter as far as the legal side Is con-
cerned too. but its offspring cannot in
herit the fathers royal honors, and In
the event or its becoming necessary for
the royal husband at some future time
to contract for dynastic reasons mar
riage with n regular royal bride the
morganatic marriage must not be al
lowed to stand In the way. This is the
case in the Victor Napoleon AFFAIR. A
royalty who Is already married To a
royalty. however. cannot contract a
morganatic marriage while his royal
wife is alive.
SOME FAMOUS CASES.
AS a matter Of fact morGanatic mar
riages usually turn out uncommony
well. A royal lover who Is Wiling 70 80
10 all the trouble and put up with all
M, gossip and scandal that usually ac-
company such marriage Is usually
willing to stick To the woman OF his
choice Indeed he often relinquishes all
claim to his royal inheritance before
contracting the marriage. Snch was
the case OF the Grand Duke Michael OF
Russia and Countess Tor'by. who are
. he.
couples In English society. There Is no
danger that the grand duke Will ever
desert his morganatic wife 10 male
with his equal in rank. Such was also
the case OF Prince Oscar OF sweden
who renowned his rank to marry miss
Ebba Monck. one of his mother
Iadies-in- waiting. He. took the title OF
count OF Wisborg and the pair are
working as Salvation Army officers IN
Lapland Another famous case OF thls
kind was that of the grand duke OF
Austria who took the name Of Johann
Orth and disappeared after marrying
Mile Strubel, an actress
Apothcr famous case OF hdelttN De
,yoon a couple mOrganatically married
,s that OF the Archduke Franz Ferdi-
rana hoir 10 the dual throne Of Aus
tyia and Hungary and the Countess So
mic Chotek He has been urged by
his relatives time and again TO contract
dec,ares that his wife shall reign with
him as empress OF Austria, She VIII
reign In any case as queen OF Hungary,
for Hungary knows only one klnd o.
,,,,,-,taee and IL Is a safe bet that the
A,,strtan law on the subject viii be
chans,ed before the old emperor Franz
Joseph 10 cold IN his grave.
KING GEORGES CASE.
English royalties have had their
share 81 rnorganatic marriage, but II