The Washington herald., 1912-12-28
FOREIGN GOSSIP

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The sudden demise Of the youthful
Princess Ruprecht OF Bavaria has caused
a shock. at all European capitals. II
always Is a matter Of profound sorrow
when a handsome. young, and charming
woman Is torn from her loving family
and circle OF. friends by the relentless
reaper; so much more 30. II. the victim
was fated to wear a royal crown, as
this princess had been had she been
spared, as she was the granddaughter
(by marriage) OF the venerable mono-
genarian Prince Luitpold. Regent OF Ba-
yaria In place Of his nephew, the insane
King Otto.
The House OF wittelsbach, especially
its royal branch, boasts OF number Of
princesses. but the majority Of them are
characterized far more by their house
wifely virtues, plain features and COM
mon sense than by gracefulness or
charms. The dead princess was born q
Duchess Marie Gabrielle In Bayern. She
was descended from a cadet branch of
the Wittlesbach dynasty. whose founder
was the Palatin Johann Karl gu Geln-
hansen, a brother OF the Palatin (Pfalz-
graf Christian II zu Bischweiler. the
ancestor Of the royal branch of the
Wittelsbach family. who lived In the
middle OF the seventeenth century
Although the royal and the ducal lines
later on intermarried and entered into
closer relationship. Duke Macmillan In
Bayern became the husband OF the
daughter Of King Macmillan Josef in
1893, which gave both branches COM
mon ancestor In the person Of that mon
arch-a King by the grace OF Napoleon
T-their human type and physiognomy
differ greatly.
The royal wittelsbachers are broad
shouldered. bony. and thickset; In short.
OF the "Batuvaric'' type. while the ducal
males are tall and wlllowy, and the
women of exceptional beauty. One OF
the handsomest among them was the
late Empress Elizabeth Of Austria, the
murdered spouse Of the venerable Franz
Josef -D
Princess Ruprecht was a niece OF that
Inflated lady. the daughter OF her
brother, Duke Karl Theodor In Bavaria,
who came into possession Of the vast
family possessions when his oldest
brother. Duke Ludwig. was obliged to
renounce his right of primogeniture upon
entering into a morganaic marriage.
Duke Kari Theodor was one OF those
rare scions OF royalty who preferred the
exercise OF a noble profession to the
gilded leisure. the meaningless life of a
grand seigneur. 1t Is he who has gained
international fame as an ophthalmist
and patalogist and who never accepted
pay for his many successful operations.
He died in. 1900. since when three of his
children followed him to the grave. his
eldest daughter. the Duchess Sophie Won
Urach: his youngest son. Duke Franz
Josef in Bayern. and now. his youngest
daughter, Princess Ruprecht. the
wife OF one OF the heir presumptives to
the throne The indirect cause of her
Of haF infant
last summer while on a tour OF the
world with her husband.
The head of the house OF the Counts OF
EuIenburE. Count Botho, the eldest OF
three brothers, all OF whom reached the
highest honors in Prussia-the title OF
'Excellenz"-is dead at the ancestral
seat Of the family, the wicken estate.
His brother, Count August. Is the En-
peror's chief court marshal, and he
might have been chancellor OF the en-
any ambitions in that direction, for no
is a brilliant diplomatist
Count Botho had the misfortune to
engender the III favor Of the ali-power-
full Bismarck, and suffered to his dying
day from the disagreeable fact that
whenever his name was mentioned In
public It was coupled with that of Privy
Councillor Rommell, who had been or
dered by Bismarck to read, In open
Parliament. an announcement wherein
the chancellor peremptorily disavowed
cabinet, because the latter had dared"
TO act independently. From that day on
popular wit dubbed Count Botho as hav-
ing been "gerommelt."
withal. the disciplined minister made
Roadway in his carer. He was APP
pointed president Of the Cannexe0
Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau, and
later had the great satisfaction Of be-
ing called by his sovereign TO form a
new cabinet. with himself as premier.
Count Botho zu Eulenburg died child
less. In 1879 he married the widow of
Count Keyserlingk. royal chamberlain
and castelar, of Koeingsberg Ia daugh-
ter Of the famous late cavalry chieftain,
Count Alvenleben). Her sister-in-law.
the widow Of another noted cavalry
general, Gustav Won Alvensleben. and
descendant Of the ancient house Of the
Berlichingen. is the present chief mis-
tress of ceremonies to the German
Crown Princess Cecelie.
Countess Botho zu Eulenburg, by her
first husband. had two sons. The young
est, Count Heinrich Keyserlingk, inherit
ed the entailed family estate OF Neus-
tadt Gin West Prussia, which made him
an hereditary member OF the Prussian
House of lords. The eldest son, Count
Alfred, served in the Prussian army,
quitting the service as brevet-major. He
resides at Berlin and is the husband Of
Countess Helene Won Bentinck, d.
vorcee and a daughter OF the mediatiZed
House OF waldeck-Pyrmont. Older resi-
dents Of the German capital may recol-
lect the extraordinary circumstances
which preceded and resulted in this
marriage.
Baron AIphonse de Rothschild, OF Paris. |