The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1911-12-18
GOSSIP OF AUSTRIAN COURT


neys, don't charge him anything for it"
GOSSIP OF AUSTRIAN COURT
Twice during the current year the heir
apparent to the dual throne OF Austria
Hungary, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, has
declined to represent Emperor Franz
Josef on state occasions at friendly
courts. because permission was refused
him to take with him his morganatic
wife-the Duchess of Hohenberg-who, he
insisted, should be by his side. One was
the coronation of King George of Great
Britain and the other a visit of state to
the Belgium King. Both times the heir
presumptive. Archduke Karl Franz Josef,
was ordered. as a consequence, to repre-
sent the aged Emperor Of Austria.
What aggravates the intense feeling
engendered in the hostile heart OF Franz
Ferdinand and his left-hand spouse is the
unpleasant fact that the youthful Arch
duke Karl Franz Josef. who only a few
week ago married Princess Zita of
Parma, has been commanded" by the
aged ruler at the Vienna Hofburg to
take his bride with him when he jour-
neys to Brussels and to present her to
King Albert and Queen Elizabeth.
Every one in Viennese society rs sure"
he knows the true" reason. At any rate.
it is the unceasing intriguing at the court
of the Hapsburgs against the morganatic
wife of the future Emperor. This causes
the same degree OF resentment at Brussels
as IL did two years ago at Potsdam, when
Kaiser Wilhelm openly and at all court
functions and otherwise manifested his
warm regard and respect for the Duchess
of Hohenberg. who is known to be a pat
tern wife and mother.
The duchess is we'll known at Brussels.
for as Countess Sophie Chotek she spent
much of her time before her morganatic
union with the Hapsburg heir. at the
Austrian legation in that city, and was
very popular with the royal family then
Count and Countess of Flanders), King
Albert and his Queen, being very domes-
tic and democratic in their convictions,
have made It plain that they have no
patience with the coterie of Austrian
archduchesses who have harassed the
Duchess of Hohenberg ever since It be-
came publicly known that she had am
billions TO be "legitimized" and for her
sons to be decreed as in line of succession
to the throne OF the dual monarchy.
The Belgian royal pair had decided to
receive the morganatic wife with all
hOnors due to her husbands exalted rank.
OF course such action would have been
a severe blow to the Hofburg intriguers,
who lost no time in persuading old EN-
peror Franz Josef to act quickly. Just
what happened is not known, but Franz
Ferdinand eventually defied the imperial
edIct and did not journey to Brussels
without his wife
Just the same, the world may trust the
scions of the Hapsburg- Lorraine family
to sow their wild oats with a vengeance
and to do as they please in matters Of
love. Salic law, or no Sale law. That
house has furnished more material for
the "chronique scandalense' of the courts
of Europe than any other reigning fam
lily, the English rulers, particularly the
Georges of German descent, not excepted.
We all remem Der the tragic end Of
Crown Prince Rudolf, the only son OF the
present Emperor, unquestionably brought
about by his liaison with a young baron
ess whose honor was avenged, some say
by her brother, others by her sweetheart.
who deliberately shot the heir to the
throne at the hunting lodge of Mayer
lingk.
Then, there was Archduke Johann
CSalvator), who, in 1852 married Milly
Stubel, an actress, in London. He re-
nounced his rank, took the name Of
Johann Orth, and last was heard Of as
serving as a sailor on board the ship
Margerita, which disappeared on a voy-
age between Buenos Ayres and Callao, in
Chile. The death of the archduke never
has been established definitely, and from
time to time rumors have been circulated
that he is still living In fact, II is said
that he is living on one Of the South Sea
Islands with his eccentric brother Louis,
who spends practically his whole life on
a small island in the Ionlan Sea.
This last theory is strongly held by the
Archduke Leopold Ferdinand, another
Austrian prince who married an actress
and renowned his royal rights. The
archduke is a naturalized Swiss citizen,
and lives, or at any rate was living until
short time ago, at Lucerne under the
name of Wolfiing.
The fact that Archduke Ferdinand Karl
of Austria, nephew Of the Emperor Of
Austria, and brother of the Archduke
Franz Ferdinand. heir to the throne, has
renounced his rank In order to marry
Bertha Czuber, beautiful woman whom
he met at q ball In Prague some years
ago, adds another to the long list Of
Austrian princes who have obeyed the
dictates Of Cupid In defiance of the state
rule that royalty shall only mate with
royalty. FIANEUR-
CcOpgrsht, Isli, b. ccun Gossip syrdic4sel
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