Arizona republican., 1910-11-10
ROMANCE OF OLD PORTUGAL
A Massachusetts Girl Who Was Mar
 ried to King Ferdinand

The recent deposition of King Man
 uel of Portugal and the events in the young kings life that led up to it
 minds of some of the older residents
 of the city the story of Elsie Hensler, the Springfield girl who married a king and became the Countess Elda. The king she married was Don Fer dinand II, of Portugal. great grand
 father of King Manuel. Elsie Hen
 sler lived in this city about sixty
 years ago probably for about four years. Her father, Conrad Hensler
 was a humble tailor, and according to
 the directories of Springfield in 1S4S
 and 1852, first conducted a small shop on Stockbridge stret and later
 was employed as a tailor with G. M
 Law, who conducted a tailoring es-
 tablishment on Market street
 The Henslers were humble people and lived simply. The daughters,
 Elsie and Louise. were well received
 here and were given a good musical education. especially Elsie. who had quite a remarkable voice Signor Guidi, an Italian, at the time a well known teacher of the voice. took an interest in Elsie and it was when Signor Guidi went to Boston that the Henslers went there, largely through his influence. He believed that Elsie had a future as a singer and wished her to be where he could continue teaching her.
 Elsie Hensler after her removal with her family to Boston continued her studies. She was perseverant in her work and progressed so well that she not only appeared in concerts in the large cities of this country, but also in Europe, where she sang before roy alty. It was while singing in Lis bon several years after the death of Queen Maria that King Ferdinand heard her voice and felt the attrac- tion that led him to marry her
 Ferdinand was the titular King of Portugal, having been the second hus- band of Queen Maria II of Portugal. Ferdinand married Maria in 1886. when he was 20. The Queen died in 1853, and he was regent during the minority of his son, Pedro ", who was the father of the assassinated King Carlos, the grand father of the de- posed King Manuel. The regency ended in 1855, and on June 10, 1869. he married Miss Hensler
 When the European Powers decided the time had come to restore Spain to a monarchy. following the overthrow of the short republic, which existed from 1873 to 1875, considerable pres sure was brought to bear upon Fer dinand to induce him to accept the vacant throne. But his wife could never be Queen of Spain, and it is possible that this fact alone induced him to refuse.
 This absolute refusal on his part to accept the throne of Spain. with all the pomp and spIendor of royalty in exchange for the romantic life that he was living with his morgan atic wife, had far reaching conse- quences. The complications and jeaI- ousies resultant on the attempt to find a king acceptable to all the Powers helped to bring on the Franco Prus- sian war and Alsace and Lorraine went back to Germany, whence theyl had been wrested by Napoleon Bona parte. .-',
 In consequence of these peculiar his | torical facts, which geographically ] practically changed all western Flu rope, Elsie Hensler Countess Edla. be- | came famous throughout the world as the woman who changed the map of | Europe" During the life of the | king they lived in the beautiful castle | of Cintra. It is certain that their | life was above reproach. In 1885 the l king died. and after that the countess lived in retirement in a cottage near | the castle.
 Some of her Springfield schoolmates are still living, for she was one of ! the early pupils of Ariel Parrish in | the high school. which stood on the | site of the present police building on | Court street The name appears in a | catalogue of the alumni issued in 1857. | spelled Elsie. though she | was known to her schoolmates as | Eliza. If she is still living she is about "A years old.