The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-12
By La MAnau1sE DE FoNrESoy.

~ RI n c = LUDONICO PIGNATELLl
D'ARAGON. who arrived in thia
country by the French liner
Provence the other day. TO stay with
Robert Goelet at Newport. before un
dertaking a prolonged shooting trip In
the far West. and in Canada. and who
himself in a newspaper interview given
at the French Line pier. described how
his engagement with Miss Helen Hill
ton, of New York. had recently been
broken off. on account OF religious
differences, Is a member of the Span
ish branch OF an ancient Italian house.
which may be said TO have been found
ed by Lucio Pignatelli. who was high
constable OF the Kingdom OF Naples
in ll02, and which furnished pontift
to the Papacy, in the person OF Pope
Innocent who reigned from 1851 to
100. The additional name of Aragon
comes through the marriage in the sew
enteenth of Prince Hector Pignatelli.
TO Dona Giovanni. daughter and heir
ess of Prince Diego dAraEona. last of
his line: the Aragona in question be-
Ing. not the Spanish province of that
name, but the ancient town OF Aragona.
in Sicily, some eight miles to the north
of Girgenti.
Another member of the Pignstell,
family. was that Prince Francis who
was Prime Minister of King Ferdi-
nand w of Naples. Left in charge or
Naples when King Ferdinand and
Queen Caroline retired TO Sicily. owing
to the advance OF the French. Prince
Pignatelll FASTENED to negotiate n
capitulation with the French General
Championnet. at a moment when the
latter was in a most precarious POSI-
ton and could easily have been routed.
Then the prince, in defiance of the
terms OF the capitulation. burned the
entire Neapolitan fleet assembled at
Naples. and fed to Sicily. leaving the
city of Naples at the mercy of the
populace. who wrought far moro havoc
among the palaces and public institu-
lions than did the enemy.
The Prince Ludovico Pignatelli. now
in this country. has an English mother
and grandmother. For his mother was
Miss Emily Frances Cavendish, who
married Prince Luis Pignatelli in 1877,
she being daughter of Captain
George Henry Cavendish. OF the First
Life Guards, and of Emily, only sister
OF Sir Horace Rumboid. Captain
Cavendish was a grandson of the head
of the Cavendish family. the fourth
Duke of Devonshire. Mrs George
Cavendish divorced her first husband
anu bhGU iIldEIicu Count IdSlOn dc LII
Rochefoucauld. from whose villa at
Biarritz. familiar to many Americans
who have visited that popular French
seaside resort. her daughter married
Prince Louis Pisnat elli.
Prince LudoV.co's aunt. that Is to
say. his fathers sister, is the widowed
Duchess OF Frias. and one of the
principal ladies in waiting to Queen
Christina of Spain. The duchess was
her husbands second wife. his first
consort having been Victoria Bale, the
opera singer. daughter of Michael
Balfe. composer Of THE Bohemian
Victoria Balfe was op the operate
stage at st. Petersburg when she won
the love >of Sir John Champion. Brit
ish ambassador at the Court Of Russia,
to such an extent that he made her his
wife. Finding that his situation had
thereby become rather difficult at St
Petersburg. Sir John (who it may be
remembered had previously been with
drawn from the post of English envoy
at Washington, on the demand of
President Buchanan) was transferred
as ambassador to Madrid, where Lady
Champion was at first received in the
most gracious fashion. In the winter
of 1863 to 1864. she fell in love with
scendant of the Grand Constable of
CASTLE. under King John H.
Sir John Champion. with the same
chivalry which characterized John
Ruskin in his domestic relations, rea-
lizing that his wife could only be
happy with the man to whom she had
given her heart. notified her that he
desired above everything else her well
fare. and would offer no defense II she
brought a suit in London. not for di-
vorce. but for. the annulment of the
marriage under circumstances which
would permit her to resume her maiden
name. Like John Rrskin, Sir John
Champion offered no defense and al
lowed Judgment to be pronounced
against him. On the annulment of her
marriage. the ex-Lady Champion lost
no time in marrying the Duke de Frias,
and with n singular lack of delicacy
the newly welded couple proceeded
direct from Paris to Madrid. where
naturally they found every door closed
against them. Even easy-goIng Queen
Isabella refused to receive them, and,
enraged. the duke sent back to tho
Queen his Grand Cross OF thu Order