The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-07
COUNTESS CHOTEK
MAY REIGN QUEEN
Emperor Of Austria Showers
Honors' on Morganatic Wife
Of Heir Presulnptive.
HUNGARY DECLARES FOR HER
Archduke, However, Before His
Marriage Subscribed to Solemn
Oath Concerning Succession.
NY IA MAnau1sB DE roNrENoY.

Ivy IA MARaUIsE DE TONTENOY.
z ylENNA'S last court ball remains
NJ memorable, not only on account
or the first appearance Of the
Duchess of Hohenberg, morsa-
natic consort OF the heir prcsumptive
at one of these entertainments, but
also because 1t was the first occasion
on which reversing In Waiting has
ever been permitted Mt an imperial
dance Previously II had been strictly
forbidden and remains prohibited to
this day at the courts of Berlin, ST.
lanes and st. Petersburg. Especially
Is this the case at Berlin. where even
tne three-step waltz Is tabooed, and
any couple. be they German or foreign,
who, perhaps unconsciously, drop from
the two-step into the three-step, or
into that essentially American step
which is known abroad as THE Bos-
ton, are quickly pulled up and called
TO account. either. by the "vortanzer'
gently touch the cavalier with his
wand of Office on the arm. by way Of
emphasizing his remarks.
With regard to the Duchess of Ho
henberg's presence at the last court
ball, everything possible was done by
that she was part and parcel of the
imperial family. Thus. instead of TAX
ing her place with the other great
ladies of princely and ducal rank, to
uWull MS ulIlNdl, Slic CiNSASu WIZ
his party. after all the other guests
had assembled With her exception,
1t consisted exclusively of royal and
Imperial personages, and she walked
last in tho cortege. with young Arch
duchess Isabella, daughter of Arch
duke Frederick, Prince Louis of SAKE
Coburg acting as escort to the two
ladies. How much in love Archduke
Francis Ferdinand is with the Ouch
css. after their ten years of marriage.
Oh, for hut hn
two well-known painters UP in the
gallery, for the purpose of placing on
canvas and on lasting record the spec
tacle of his wife's entry into the ball
room as a member of the imperial
party.
the effect that the duchess was in any
way boycotted or sighted by either
the various archduchessesNo r any one
else at the ball. On the contrary. she
was treated with the utmost distinc
ton and cordially. being naturally the
most observed of all observers. Arch
duchess Valerie, the Emperor's young
er daughter and constant companion
sat next to her dn the bench restricted
to the royal and imperial ladies'. most
of the time engaged in the friendliest
conversation, and the Emperor himself
spent much of his time at tho
regard and affection The duchess
bore herself according to the most
critical accounts extremely well
throughout the somewhat trying or
deal; was perfectly dressed, and was
quite as self-possessed as one would
expect of so clever woman. most
of whose life until her marriage had
been spent either at the court of Wien
ma or at the foreign courts to which
her father. the late Count Chotek, was
accredited as Austrian envoy.
Duchess Very Popular.
The Emperor is very old man. now
in his eightieth year, and his reign
cannot in the ordinary nature of things
be much further prolonged. He is al
ready rellnquishing many of his du-
ties. and even prerogatives. 10 his
nephew and heir, Archduke Francis
Ferdinand. the husband of the Duchess
of Hohenberg. In fact, the archduke
is to-day the most influential not to
say powerful parsonage in the Dual
Empire, since even the aged monarch
SO extensive are the powers and thei
authority exercised by the sovereign
over all the members of the imperial
family In Austria. an authority which
could easily be developed into tyran-
ny. that none of them would care to
invite the hostility of the future EN-
peror by affronting and sighting HIS |
Wife. In the early days of the arch
dukes marriage there was, It is true |
a considerable amount OF unfriendli- |
rick. to whose household tho Duchess
of Hohenberg had previously belonged |
as lady in waiting. and who, 1t is
said. had hoped and confidently ex-
as husband for one of her own nus
!nerous daughters But this anlmosity !
has at length given way to kindlLer /
largely through the eff |
forts OF the Emperor, who has lost |
no opportunity of facilitating and i'm
proving the position of the duchess.
incidentally, 1t may be of interest |
10 give here the exact words OF the |
oath by which tho archduke bound |
himself at the time of his marriage. |
advantage or his succession to the !
throne to raise either his morganatlc |
wife or his children by her to a place |
thereon. So far as l am aware. the
rate in this country and 1t will be
IF interest to keep it in mind. in view
Of the attempts which the Hungarians
nave announced their intention of
queen of Hungary on the death OF
Emperor Francis Joseph The Hunga-
rians take the position that there is
10 provision In Magyar law for NOR
sanatic marriages; that the wife le-
sally married shares her husbands |
status and honors, and that, moreover,
10 man has under Hungarian law n
light to make any remuneration In tho
,ame OF his children yet unborn. Tho
object OF the hungarian Nationalist |
n doing this is not sympathy for
Archduke Francis Ferdinand whom
hey openly dislike, but merely the
dea OF making trouble, and OF still |
urther straining the relations between
hungary and Austria to the breakine
'oint., It does not seem to have oc-
,urred to them, however that with
tut entering into the question as to |
whether Archduke Ferdinand has or
las not a right to assume any engage
nents barring his wife and his chill
lren from participation in his sover-
ign honorS, no one can deny the
light of the duchess to refuse a share
n these honors, and to decline the
anl< which the Hungarians profess a
esire to bestow upon her on the pres
mt Emperor's death.
Archduke Ferilinand's Oath.
The oath was subscribed by the arch
luke three days before his marriage.
lamely, June IS, 1900. In the presence
# the Emperor, OF the princes Of the
mporal family and of the great dig
itaries of the realm, with his hand
n tho Gospels, 1t reads as follows:
we, Archduke Francis Ferdinand
'harles Louis Joseph Maria of Austria 4
Este, etc, declare hereby II to DO our firm Z
nd carefully considered resolve to
mite oursef in marriage with tho
igh-born Countess Sophie Maria Jo-
ephine Albna Chotek Won Chotltowa
nd WoBnin, member of the Star Cross