Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-19
Especial correspondcncel

tine OF Belgium to Victor Ma
poleon. the Fronch pretender. and then
denying the story afterward. Sc
whom the rumors began to revive inn
mediately after King Leopold's death
they were not taken very seriously. es-
peci1ly as Victor Napoleon has n
morganatic wife and three children al
ready. But I am in a position 10 say
positively that now for the first timo
the reports have a foundation and am
!, able to give some inside facts about
this pair who are to be married next
October-thc first moment possible ty
the uttermost stretch of court etl-
.quette
six years ago. the BelEians learned
with pleased surprise that Joy had
come into the life OF Princess Clemen-
4tine the youngest daughter OF the late
King Leopold II, for they had learned
Ito look on the gracious and sad prln-
cess as a martyr TO flial duty. Tic
:. announcement OF her engagement to
4 Prince Victor Napoleon made many
Z happy who pitled the princcss's weary
zllfe The announcement was not pre-
= mature, but the rejoicinSs at IL were.
= for King Leopold, refusing his con-
sent to the proposed marriage. put ali
end to all thought of it during his life
( time. King Leopold thought himself
just: he was a hard man to all and
hardest to his own family; and he
never changed his mind.
ROMANTIC AFFAIR
The engagement between the Bel
gian princess and the pretendcr to -he
. French throne was n romantic one For
"a years since he was eXled from
& France. the chief OF the Bonapartists
1has lived in Brussels. His life, to out
ward appearance was one of some
3 what morose resignation. He did net
: plot in his great house on the Avenue
yLouise, but neither did he show con-
,1tentmcnt with his lot He seemed 10
Ahave little interest In life. The mani
1festoes he issued from time TO time
-seemed to be devised for nothing moro
than to satisfy followers more hopefu'
= and enthusiastic than himself. People
are now learning that what seemed
: stagnation was in truth still water run
ming deep.
Brussels is a small city, yet Pr'n-
cess Clementine seldom met Prince
.eVictor In any public place, The urst
5inkling OF the fact that the two we're
flovers was given at one Of the horse
@back paper chascs which are among
q the favorite recreatlons OF Brussels So
Sclety. At this paper chase. Prince VIC
iltor was the winner, and Princess Glenn
ttentlne attached the trophy, a bunch OF
$ribbons to his coat Her act seemed
x &signlicant: at once the engagement
Hwas declared TO be certain. Prince
EVictors formal demand for the kings
n consent to 1t followed quickly King
%I.eopold's refusal was flashed out at
= him like lightning. l happened TO he
8 at the palace when Prince Victor ar-
y rived to make his demand. The State
@lIverIes of his servants the traditional
green of Napoleon and the gorgeous
Strappings of his chasseaur attracted
my attention as the princes carriage
drove up to the palace. Before l had
time to ask what such great state
meant | saw, from the window whers
j stood, the prince hurry out, enter bis
carriage, and drive away. His and
Princess Clementine's disappointment
was bitter and unexpected Hopeless as
their outlook Vas when King Leopold
refused them his consent. they resolved
= to wait for each other. Now that the
= princess Is at last, ftcc, the marriage, Is
z definitely arranged October next mas
been fixed for 1t. and il is decided that
Z the royal pair %ill, live In the prince 8,
house on thd Avenue Louise. not In the
. hotel standing next the royal palace
Z OF Brussels, WHICH King Leopold bought
some years ago and converted into O
palace for the princess.
MATTER OF STATE.
King Leopold based his refusal to
allow his daughter 10 marry the Bona
partst pretender on reasons OF state,
His country was on friendly terms
2 with the French republic. he said. so
= he could not consent to an alliance
!, with one WHO sought to destroy the re-
public. Quite as strong as reasons OF
q state was tho kings hatred of the
q Bonapartes: he was grandson OF
Louis Philippe, The strongest of all
d his reasons WAS his determination to
Z keep Princess ClementiDe by him to
appear by his side at public ccre-
~ monies. and disprove. by such appear
= ance. the stories told of disunion In
Z, the royal household.
=. Unfortunately for the happiness of
= Princess Clementine these stories were
= true. In the royal household there
= was little union except on the surface.
2 When the princess was born In 1879
= that household was already split into
hostile camps. Tho death of King
Leopolds only son, the Count do
Hainault. in 1859. embIttered the lives
OF both the king and queen. and little
love was bestowed on the three daugh-
ters OF these Sovcrcigns
Pride is the characteristic of
the Coburg race. 1t led King
Leopold to found an empire In. Africa,
strlding ovor} men and laws. 1t led
= his eldest daughter. the Princess
SIouisc, into all her troubles. for moth
: ing can convince her that rules made
for ordinary mortals apply to ono of
3 her birth and race. II led King Leo
pold's second daughter. Princess
4 Stephanic. TO happiness. for II enabled
S her to put aside with little thought.
4 the empty state OF an archdukes
81 widow TO marry for love one of rank
s below royalty. The pride Of the Co
a burgs Is greatest and noblest In Prin-
cess Clementine. Because OF II sho
g Sdischarged what she truly believed to
!, be her duty to her father and her
{country during s3S sud years From
the moment she came to womanhood
6 she was made the buffer OF her fam
cily. She suffered tortures. Again and
again she was made TO bear the most
bitter humilintions. She bore them in
5 silence. never undiGnifled. but never
.bendlng her proud neck.
TRUE TO HER FAMILY.
To all her family. the princess
= proved equally true. The only one she
could lean on was her aunt the Coun-
tess Of Flanders. King Albcrt's mother.
the good angel of the Belgian royal
family 1t was to the Countess of
.i Flanders she turned when Prince VIC
tor pressed his suit and the countess