The Washington herald., 1911-07-16


his great age, he is still IN fun
possession OF all his faculties. physical
ly as wen as Intellectually.
His "reminiscences Of the occurrences
during those momentous years under
the third Napoleon until the day he,
Theirs, and Jules Ferry met in the peas
ants cottage after the defeat at Sc
dan, and the Emperor, crushed in mind
as well as body, was sent q prisoner to
the Hessian Castle of Wilhelmshohe,
will cause no little stir IN Europe, espe-
cially in Germany, where speculation Is
rife as to what olivier will have to say
about Bismarck. Time heals all wounds,
those of crushed ambition included, and
Emile Olivier is not the man to place
racial hatred or prejudice above his
torical facts. His book will be interest
ing reading.
The Kaiser's consent having been OBJ
tained, 1t is absolutely settled now that
upon the death OF her father, the reign
ing grand duke, who is a hopeless in
valid, the hereditary Grand Duchess
Marie Adelaide will succeed to the
throne of Luxemburg.
youthful future ruler-she Is barely
seventeen-beoause through her mother,
who was an infanta Of Portugal, she is,
by marriage, related to the former Anita
Stewart of New York, wife Of the Duke
of Wien. Dom Miguel Of Braganza'
pretender to the throne Of Portugal, Is
her mothers brother. while Queen Will
helmina of Holland belongs to branch
of her fathers family. Some Of her an
cestors Of the old House OF Nassau sat
on the throne of the old German EN-
pire six centuries ago.
Maria's father. the head Of the house
of Nassau, is a hopeless invalid. Before
he succeeded to the throne, less than six
years ago, he was subject to fits and
paralytic strokes, which gradually re-
duced him to such a condition that three
years after he took the reins of govern
ment he was unable to sign public docu-
ments. Then his wife, Grand Duchess
Maria Anna, was appointed regent. He
now is blind, deaf, almost dumb, and has
little use Of Orms or legs. Yet, insensiblc
to external feeling as he is, his brain is
active. His doctors say he will never be
any better, but may live many years.
The latest stroke came upon the grand
duke when he was staying at the castle
at Hohenberg. He has never been. able
to return to Luxembourg, and since his
wife refuses to leave him and will not
allow any one else TO nurse him, all state
documents have to be carried back and
forth by relays Of special messengers
between Luxembourg and Bavaria. Grand
Duke William is fairly we'll to do, so
poverty is not one OF the family trials.
But for some years Grand Duchess Maria
Anna, besides nursing her paralyzed hus-
band and trying TO look after her six
daughters, has had to fight for the duchy,
or rather the possessions which 60 with
It, against the Count OF Nuremberg, the
only remaining male Of the direct Nassau
line OF Luxembourg.
| Count Nuremberg is the son Of a prince
OF Nassau who married beneath his rank,
taking for his wife a daughter Of the
Russian poet Puschkin. who had been
divorced from her first husband, whose
name was Doubelt. Her birth makes It
impossible for the count to inherit the
throne Of Luxembourg, as he would other
wise do under the SalIc law. which pre-
cludes female inheritance. Nevertheless,
he thought himself entitled TO the pos
sessions of the house Of Nassau, especial
| ly some castles, parks. territories, and in
vested capital worth altogether a mil
lion dollars.
/ Grand Duchess Maria Anna fought hard
to retain the possessions for her daugh-
ters and recently won her case. At the
same time the house Of Nassau persuad-
ed the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies
tc alter the succession so that Grand
Duchess Maria Adelaide may succeed tc
the throne. FLANEUR.
] Copyrighted. 1911, by court Gossip syndicate.)