The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-25
ROMANCE OF ROYALTY
RECALLED BY DEATH

{, younger brother of Constantine yr1r
the last Greek Emperor of Constants
| nople Concerning Thomass existence.
however, historians are silent
| For long time Mrs. wickhan,.s
pretensions were dcrided. bur sud
denly at u moment when the relation.
between ST Petersburg and Athens
were exceedingly strained, she was in
Fited TO submit the documentary evi-
dence which she had gathered together
concerning her lineage to the Holy
synod at ST. Petersburg One OF its
members. the Metropolitan of Moscow.
/ eventually wrote her n letter T.,
which he recognized her nretens,or.
to be a descendant in the female linz
OF The last. but one OF the byzantine
Emperors OF Constantinoplc. and stvl-
ed her Imperial Highness, the prin.
cess OF Eugene Paleologo," while her
eldest son was described in the same
missive as the future protector OF
the glorious traditions of the ortho-
dox Byzantine Empire"
The Russian government. howcvcr
had nothing TO do with this extraor-
binary document. and neither Mrs
| Wickham nor her sons are on the visit
Ing list of the Russian embassy In
London; while It is needless to add
mat neither their pr!ncely title nor
their byzantine name are recognized
or by any OF the European courts
In fact. 1t IS difficult to describe tha
extraordinary action on the pa-, of
the late Metropolitan at Moscow in
the matter OF addressing the letter
which he did to Mrs, wickham, to any
thing else than n wish to make tho
reigning house of Greece feel uncom-
Portable by showing to King George
and TO his son, the Crownprince that
the Pan Slav Society had a candidate.
not only for the throne OF Greece.
but also for that of the Sultan, in tho
event OF the Turks being driven out of
Europe. Everybody in Russia Is
aware OF the hope entertained at
Athens that Greece IS destined to in
herit constentinopie, and that the
reigning house OF Greece should rule
on the shores OF the Bosphorus This
would no, suit Russla's plans or pro-
jects. In one word the late Metrorol.
tan OF Moscow who was imbued with
Pan Slav ideas OF the most pronounced
type. wished in recognizing Mrs.
Wickham as descendant OF the By
zantine imperial house of Paleologo, to
hold her in reserve as card to play
against the Hellenic Crownprince
Constant!nc's pretensions to the Creek
throne of Constantinople.
1t is hardly necessary TO point out
that even If Mrs Wickham was ever
so much an authentic descendant from
the mythical younger brother of the
last Emperor OF Constantinople the
very fact that her descent Is through
the female line. robs 1t of any dynas-
tic value For otherwise there are,
as ] have shown in these letters, pro-
v!ncial butchers and grocers, who
able to trace their descent through the
female line TO former Kings OF Eng
land, such as Henry VII. and Edward
", would be entitled to style them
selves Princes of Great Britain and
Ireland
The name OF Paleologo, by the by,
is by no means uncommon in Greece
and among the Levantine families OF
Greek origin at Constantinople and
Alexandria. There was few years
ago an Alexander Paleologo in the SER
vice Of the Egyptian government, who
owed his note TO the beauty of his
wife, while another Maurice Palcologo
is minister plenipotentiary in tho
diplomatic service of France, after
having acted as one of the delegates of
the Department. of Foreign Affairs, at
the Dreyfus court martial at Rennes
There Is also Jean Paleologo, an
artist formerly of Paris. but now of
New York, who for number of years
past has been earning his living in an
honest fashion as portrait painter
and Illustrator, content to be known
merely as an artist He has never to
my knowledge styled himself prince,
or made use of any such title, al
though endowed herewith by some
foolish friends. against his wishes.
l am glad to have had an opportun-
ity of writing this, as / have lately
been in receipt of Il number of let
tiers from readers, particularly in New
Jersey and Illinois, asking me for in
formation about the Paleologos
Copyright. 1911, by the Brentwood
Company