The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-10-03
SOCIAL GOSSIP OF
FOREIGN CAPITALS

riage Of baroness Won Eckhartsteln, only
child of the late Sir BlundelI Maple. 70
Capt Archibald Weigall, recalls the
| story OF her matrimonial troubles, which
attracted much attention at the time.
Miss Maple. as she then was. in 1896
married the Baron Won Eckhartstein. AT
that time the first secretary Of the Ger
man Embassy ar London and remark
ably handsome man. The marriage was
one OF the chief events OF the. society
year, and King Edward, who attended it
presented the bride with jeweled watch.
Unfortunately. the match never was
7 happy The sequel was a protracted ae-
tiOn for divorce, fought out In English
, and afterward in German law courts.
Sir Maple. it is believed. had been much
opposed TO the match. At any rate.
however this may have been, he took
stringent precautions 10 protect his
daughters fortune. This was resented
bitterly by the baron. who sneered con-
stantly AT his father-in-law as a "b0ur-
gols." II is said. however, that Sir
Maple paid debts for his son-in-law 10
the amount OF $4,000. in addition to
allowing him first e1,00O annually. which
he later increased TO e4000
There Is no doubt that the baroness
life was a unhappy one and this fact
must have Influenced her father when
he drew up his viii The conditions he
imposed truly were onerous. One OF
them was that his daughter must live at
least two-thirds Of each year on her
English estates The baron was left only
81 .o00 a year. but the baroness got e36.-
900 annually for five years until 1908.
when the amount was 10 be increased
to eco 0C0
IN 1907 the baroness was granted a
separation with the custody Of her child.
The case then came before the German
courts on the barons petition for d.
vorce, but this was dismissed. and in
1863 the baroness obtained a German di-
yorce decree that set her free finally.
There is nothing new in the imperial
title which II IS suggested should be as
sumed by King George The words "em-
pire" and Imperial crown" frequently
are used IN documents issued as far back
as the reign OF Henry VIII Elizabeth
at her coronation was styled Empress
of the Orcade Isles 10 the mountains
Pyrene." And Spenser dedicated his
"Fairie Queene" 10 the Most high,
mightie. and magnificent empress, re-
nowned for pietie. verne, and ali gra-
cious government. Elizabeth. by the
grace Of God, Queene of England. France,
and Ireland. and Of Virginia. defender Of
the faith"
The title OF emperor was regarded with
suspicion in earlier DAYS Under Henry
VI formal renunciation OF imperial su-
premacy was required OF a Holy Roman
emperor before he was allowed 10 set
foot on English soil
The title OF emperor has not always
been assumed without protest When
in 1851 Peter the Great first STYLED him
self imrerator az the head OF a Latin
document addressed TO Leopold !. en-
perez OF Germany. the latter replied. de-
claring that any letter containing a rep
etition of this audacioUs assumption
would be sent back Peter. however, per-
sisted and gradually most OF the other
countries recognized his new title
Queen Anne called him emperor in a
letter in 170S. Prussia and Sweden fol-
lowed suit later. and in 1874. even the
Emperor OF Germany addressed Eliza
beth OF Russia as empress. France and
Spain alone held out. sovereigns can
not attribute 10 themselves titles by their
own choice" wrote the French foreign
minister IN 1852 In answer 10 a protest
from 81. Petersburg. THE consent OF
their subjects does not sufice-that Of
other powers IS necessary Every crown
being free to recognize or reject a new
title may also admit IL with the modi-
hcations and conditions which may sat
isfy IT,"
The best-dressed monarch OF the day.
is what London and Paris say Of King
Alfonso. This is not only because his
physical conformation lends itself more
readily 10 the art OF the cutter and the
tailor than Is the case with some OF his