Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-08-24
DYNASTY OF
bERNADOTTE|
Centennial Celebration of
the Founding of the
Royal Family of
Sweden.

S'ocknoiih, Aug. 2f--Throughout
Sweden today celebrations were held
to commemorate the centennial ~ Tho
Bernadotte dynasty. now occupying
the throne of this country. II is n DIV.
nasty Inferior I'm antiquity to any 9th.
er In Europe-even to that OF Peter
or Servia, the descendant of n swine.
herd.
II was just a century ago. In 1910.
that' the death OF Prince Augusten-
burg having left the throne of Sweden
without an heir, the Swedish states
In council nominated Bernadot;e as
successor ID Charles XIII. Owing IN
the informiries OF the latter. Berna.
dotte at once became tho actual ruler
or the country. becoming king I'm name
as well as In fact on the death of
:" 1910 N,N
Bernadotte was the son OF n LAWYER.
or peasant stock, and was born I'm n
humble cottage near Pau. He was I'm.
tensely democratic, az a boy. and
stood as private I'm the French army
at the foot OF the guillotine when
Louis XVI. was executed AS minis.
Ter OF war, and. on the establishment
or the empire. marshal of France. :
he displayed great military genius.
when he died, was as Charles
XVI, King OF Sweden--but on the
right forearm OF the dead monarch.
long concealed by the royal robes, was
round tatooed a picture OF guilotine.
with the motto, I'm French. "Deatb In
all Kings and Tyrants." Then his
physicians understood why he had
been so persistently opposed to bleed.
ing, then favorite remedy of the
surgeons.
That Bernadotte. after becoming
heir to the Swedish crown, should
have turned against Napoleon and
joined the coalition formed to ruin his
benefactor, IL one of the stains upon
the escutcheon of the first king of the
Bernadotte dynasty. Another Is the
fact that he, forgetting his own hum.
bic origin, constantly and publicly be-
quailed the "inTeriority" of his wife.
the first Queen, the daughter of q
Marseiles stock broRer. Queen Desi.
rec had been, as girl. the sweetheart
or the great Napoleon Bonaparte.
and when he went away to the wars.
their engagement was announced
Then Napoleon met Josephine. and
the little Marsellles girl was forgot
ten. He attempted to make amends.
however, by offering her the choice
OF al his unmarried generals. She
hnr"" chose Ternadottc, ald became
"uc"n ~ "neten. IL was not bed
~ f"s"s G,wevor, as she was con.
stantly being told by the King that.
but for her, no might have his choice
Of the royal princesscs OF Europe.
The one son Of Bernadotte and
Queen Desiree became King Oscar I.
upon the death OF the founder of tho
dynasty in 1874. The first Oscar mar.
ried Josephine dc Beauharnais. n des.
ccndant Of the Empress Josephine by
hor first marriage Then came
Charles XIV. who was succeeded by
his younger brother, the late Oscar
XI, brilliant and gifted man. The
present king. Gustav, is married to
the only sister Of the reigning Grand
Duke Of Baden. The Queens mother
is Princess Louise Of Prussia, tn @ on.
ly daughter of old Emperor William
an da sister Of Emperor Frederick.
! Queen Victoria Of Sweden is therefore
a first cousin Of NE Kaiser, and she
! f. also a descendant OF Gustav w.,
the last Kiog OF Sweden Of the Vasa
line, who was dethroned in favor of
his uncle Charles XIII, in 1900. and
fed as an exi1c 10 Germany. where he
lived and died under the name of
Col. Gustafson.