Los Angeles herald., 1910-06-13
SUPERST|T|ONS IN
THE ROYAL HOUSES
Ring Studded with Diamonds Is
Supposed to Carry Death
to Sprin's Ruler
EMPEROR DlSLIKES ALL CATS
William Has Two Rings That Are
Supposed to Bring Him
Luck
EMPEROR DISLIKES ALL CATS

The royal houses of Europe have
their own peculiar superstitions. 1t
is surprising to educated people to
know that dependence exalted per-
sonages of the Old World place in
signs, omens and other witchery
Italy offers vtTy striking example.
1t is believed that dire misfortune Will
befall the reigning monarch If the
chamber of his predecessor monarch be
interfered with till at least two gem
erattons have passed. Therefore the
room of the late King Humbert at the
QuirInal is closed, no one except mem
bers of the royal family being permit
ted to enter 1t. Thus 1t viii remain
silent and unused, like the apartment
of King Victor Emmanuel King Hum
bert's father, which is just as 1t was
at the eime of his death some thirty
years ago.
A ring studded with diamonds and
pearls hangs suspended by a golden
chain around the neck of the statue
of the Virgin of Almudena of Ma
drid, which is located in one of the
most frequented parks of that city 1t
Is safer there than in the strong room
of the Bank of Spain. Thousands of
people pass it every day and admire
its beauty; but the greatest thief in
Spain would rather die than touch 1t,
as 1t is believed to deal out death to
whom 1t belongs This ring was pre-
sented by Alfonso XII. to his consort,
Queen Mercedes, who died within a
month afterward. Ere the funeral had
taken place the king bestowed the ring
on his sister, Maria, and she was dead
in few days
The fatal circlet then coming again
into his possession, he presented 1t to
his late queens grandmother, Queen
he. 1f
terWard. The king then placed 1t in
his own casket of precious relics, and
he lived less than a year. The queen
regent was not disposed to run any
risk, and refused to accept such
deadly possession, and had IT hung
on the statue as stated.
Many Spaniards believe this ring TO
be possessed or mystic powers by which
unworthy wearers of 1t are slain. To a
worthy sovereign they claim 1t Will as
sure prosperity and a long life, and to
it's magic influence attribute the young
kings escape from injury in the bomb
explosion on his wedding day.
The emperor of Germany has ring
he wears at all times and regards as his
own peculiar talisman, though few are
aware of this fact A curious history
is related of 1t. 1t is to the effect that
in the days of Elector John of Bran
x,
lerns, a toad entered that worthys
room one night and placed small
stone on the bed. The toad then dis
appeared, and ever since the stone,
which has no real value, has been
treasured as one of the most precious
of the house of HohenZollern. BY the
father of Frederick the Great it was set
in a ring, which since that time has al
ways adorned the finger of the head of
the house
The emperor has also another ring
he highly prizes, which for centuries
has been credited with supernatural
power to protect it's wearer from harm
of any kind.
This ring has a very romantic his
tory. dating from far-off days when his
ancestors. the Margraves of Nurem
berg, followed their leaders to the cap
ture of the holy sepulcher from the
Moslems. The ring, which was cap
tured in a hard-fought battle under the
walls of Jerusalem, came into possess
sion of the Margrave Ulrich, from
whom il has descended as a highly
priced heirloom.
The ring is of massive gold, with
square, dark -colored stone, and is worn
by the emperor on the middle finger of
his left hand. The sentence from the
Koran that adorned the ring when
worn by Saladin and his successors has
been removed and a Latin cross en-
graved in it's place.
The emperor has many pet supersti-
tions. He has a horror of cats, and
none is ever permitted to appear in his
presence. At the time of his last visit
to England all the cats at the castles
he was to visit were rounded up and
sent into exile until he had departed
The emperor affects the agate, as
this stone is said to have the property
of assuring its possessor long life,
health and prosperity.
There exists in Germany a supersti-
ton that the empire will be overthrown
when the emperor has seven sons. Will
liam III has six. The emperor is al
ways careful that the ancestral cradle
of the Hohenzolerns should be used
for each infant member of his family
in succession. This cradle is over two
centuries old and is of curiously carved
black oak 1t is supposed to protect
the baby who sleeps in it from convul-
sions and other childish ailments.