New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-03-25
Prince Ludovico PisnatelIi d'Aragona.

! Prince LudoVco PignateIlI oHra9oHd'
To what extent Prince Ludoyico Pigna-
! tell d'Aragona is personally responsible lor
| all the foolish and manifestly mendaclous
stories that have been circulated about nm
over since he came to this country last
summer to seek in marriage an American
beiress il is difficult 10 say. II 1t IS TO ms
friends that he is indebted for the fairy
tales concerning him then 1 can only say
that ne is exceedingly unfortunate IN the
| choice Of his acquaintance.
The last story, published recently, is the
| climax of them all 1t is to the effect that
| If Don I.udovico has sailed for Europe it IS
| in order TO obtain the permission OF hihs
! Alfonso Of Spain to contract a marriage
with Miss Mary Duke. daughter Of MI
and Mrs. BENJAMIN y. Duke. or Fifth ave
nuc. IL being intimated that that monarch j
! taking a very active interest in the anaIr
and does not view what he Is SAID 10 re-
! gard as the impending 'mesalliance WIN
approyaI OF course, this palpaDiy laIse
story has been circulated with the obJ"''
Of confirming the reports diligently 'A'u-
lated nv the friends Of the prince during
tho first few months Of his stay in TINS
| country TO the effect that he is a cousin OF
1-in, Alfonso and a relative Of the royal
| for1Ilv sharing with them the title OF
5,Aragon since Alfonso XIII is not only
! tyi,g of Spain. but also Of CASTLE and OF
| Aragon. and all the members OF his mousse
are infants Of Spain, CASTLE and Aragon'
Now. in my letter in these columns on
March / declared in reply to inquiries
that Prince Iudovico Pignatelli dAragoha
u,ae although of Spanish birth, not Span
isb noble. and that he did not belong TO inc
| Snanish aristocracy moreover that ne hau
r.vor been admitted TO the Spanish
Grandezza, TO which genealogical quallh-
cations Of a rather exacting character ana
much blue blood. undluted by any pleoeian
etrain are indispensable, though not utles'
Co... tbare are a number Of grandees belong
inc, 70 the Oldest Spanish aristocracy who
have no titles Of nobility ana nave never
been willing to accept any
7 also added that in permitting his trlehds
,o et,Ie him prince Pignatelli d'Aragon
and sometimes prince dAragon Doii
T,,doyico was rendering himself party to a
deception, since he had no right Wha'so-
over TO the royal Spanish name OF the
Kingdom OF AragOn, but had merely
| ,ipbt TO the Sicilian name OF dAfagohd'
which is that OF an impoverished townlet
| ~ sicily. with which the Pignateilis were
| ,orr,arIv connected. Finally, / wound up
~, etating that the prince, far from be-
inc, a cousin or relative, NJ matter how re-
note Of King Alfonso, was not even his
| tit,,Iar chamberlain-that is 10 say, an hon
ar which goes to every grandee.
IN reply 10 this statement | received IN
! dionant letters from several OF ms New
yorl, friends calling my attention to the
fact that he is n born Spaniard, instead OF
q, italian. referring me 10 the Almanach de
cotba for 1911. Quite so. But l never
denied his Spanish citizenship. l merely
! doriod that his title is a Spanish one, or
.,ot be belonged in any sense OF the word
40 the Spanish aristocracy. The prince
friends admitted in their letters TO me that
| a.. nrince did not belong TO the Spanish
oo,,rt as a grandee and titular chamber
,at, but ascribed this TO the fact that he
and his family are ardent Carlists and re-
,,,rd Alfonso XIII as a usurper / hold
| I'll. Io,tors asserting this in the most posi-
J tive fashion.
Now. IL the prince is Carlist and re-
cards King Alfonso as a usurper, why
| sbouId nc consider il necessary to obtain
| that mouarch's santtion to his marriage?
THE assertion that the prince aud his fam
nv are leading Carists is something entire
Ia now and slightly amazing. Don Jaime,
,ho nre.cnt head Of the Carlst line, was
born under my unclc's roof ana from 800
] until 1881 1 was in frequent intercourse