The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-09-07
DUKE WHO
is HALF AMERICAN



curious error mas crept into all
the obituaries OF the late duke. who
was one of the leading French yachts
men. and a member OF the household OK
the Duke OF Orleans. Every one OF
these accounts describes the first duke
OF that house as having been a valet
or attendant in some mental capacity
OF the Comte dc Provence who he
came King Of France in 1914, as Louis
-NNlll. Now the King Louis to whose
household Ellie Decazcs BELONGED was
not the eighteenth Of that name in
France but King Louis Buonapart. OF
Holland. and the position which ne oc-
cupled was not that OF domestic. but
mat OF principal secretary and trca-
surer TO that monarch. Nor was the
dnNe OF humble origin, but the son OF
one OF the leading magistrates Of Leg
norm and was brought up almost en-
tiro!y by his godfather the Chevalier
de carries. whose property he eventu-
ally inherited. He graduated from IN.
well known College de Vendome, and
having taken degree In law, obtained
admission to the bar Tin Paris Well
recommended by his godfather to a
number OF influential Parisians. SIX
larry 10 Madame Aiere." the sArewl
and able mothar g ~ rolaon ana won
the hand of Mile de Niuraire. daughter
OF the Comte de Murairc. president of
the supreme Court OF the Empire In
1905 his wife died. and desiring n
change OF scene. Ire resigned mis- posi-
tion with Madame Mere rid travelled
in Germany and III. Netherlands Al
the Hague he was Hospitality received
BY King Louis and Queen Hortense. and
at their pressing reques: ioined their
household, as secretary. comptroiler
and treasured In 1873 we nnd him
transact;ng ali sorts of confidential
business for Princess Pauline Borg
hese. the loveuost OF Napoleon's sisters
and At the downfall OF the Empire Ia
1911 he was one of the leading Mag
istrates Of Paris.
1t was his prominence as such. as
well as his readiness to give allegiance
To the Bouroons at the Restoration.
that led to mis- appointment by Louis
ANllI. as Frefect of iPolice. and both
In this capacity. and afterwards as
Minister of Police. he was
brought into daily contact ~.th that
shrewd old monarch. with whom he
became great favorite Because OF
his severity in dealing with the vari-
Gus Bonapartist conspiracics which
followed Waterloo. he earned much
hatred for himself, while the alto
sether extraordinary liking which
Louis NNIIl. developed for him. aroused
me most Intense jealousy. SO great
indeed was the power which he ac-
CURED with the King. who was wont
TO address him as Mon cher enfant"
Ony dear child). and Ia treat him much
like son. that the members OF the
royal family became greatly annoyed
and the leading statesmen OF the King
dom declined to accept cabinet office
as long as Decazcs had the sovcreign's
ear. ana was able to pit his influence
against theirs.
one OF the Royal princes who was
most bitter against him was the Due
de herri, nephew OF Louis XVIII. and
son OF that Comtc d'Artois who sue
ceedcd TO his throne as Charles Y The
duke was never tired OF inveighing
against Decazes and when he was as
sassinated, 1t was quite natural that
common report made Dccazcs the in
stiSator of tho crime The foreign en-
voys In Parts did not hesitate to give
strong expression to this story in dis
patches to their Governments. which
have since been published. and il was
owing TO this. and tho popular odium
when he gained as the most powerful
of the court favoritcs that George ~.
OF England. the Emperors OF Austria
and Russia, and the Prussiau King
declined 10 receive him as ambassador
when his continuance in office in France
had become impossible.
Louis XVIII. had already made him
count before tho cattle OF Waterloo
for his services as Project OF Police
second marriage, Louis not venturlng
10 distinguish him further at home
on account OF popular feeling. obtained
from the King of Denmark the title
of Duke OF Glucksberg for him-the
only Danish dukedom in existence
and II was only when finally compelled
70 hanlsh him from court, and TO sever
their daily Intercourse that ne made
him duke ana peer OF Franco by way
of consolation. Decazos married IN
1918. en- secondes ncces the daughter
of the Marquis de st Aulaire. chief OF
one OF the oldest houses OF the French
nobility. and 1t was The son OF this
marriage tho second Duke Decazes, who
was Minister of Foreign Affairs during
the greater part OF the nrst decade Of
the present republic He married one
of the daughters OF General BARON Won
Locwenthal. a swedish officer in the
Austrian service. and the late and third
duke was their only son
Royal personages arc so well guarded
in every way that such robberies as
that to which the Kalsor's richest sis
ter, Princess Frederick Charles Of
Hesse was subjected the other day In
London. when her Jewel case was stol-