The Washington herald., 1912-08-12

many on visit to Prince and Princess
Frederick Karl Of Hesse-the latter her
sister-at Friedrichshof And thereby
hangs tale of royal infelicity. 1t is pub
licly alleged that the Duke Of Sparta
(the crown prince OF the Hettenes), had
to remain at Athens where he is to act
as regent during the absence of his
father, King Georgeos, from Greece,
which will extend between three and
four months. But in reality the princely
couple, so 1t is reported, have decided
to live apart. Well-informed personages
declare that the announcement of the
separation has been delayed for reasons
Of state.
One should think that 1t is not an
easy matter to object to powerful
emperor's sister as a wife and to send
her home after twenty-five years OF
welded life, mother OF five children.
Yet there has been no scandal In this ex-
ceptional case. The pair led happy lie
at Athens in the winter. at Corfu In the
spring. a nd at their castle of Taboi In
the summer. They often Joined the
Dani, royal circle at Copenhagen.
King George Is a brother of the late
ruler OF Denmark. and the duchess
paid numerous visits to her German
home and family.
The latter, who was Princess Sophie
of Prussia, when at the age OF nineteen
welded Crown Prince Constantine, the
Duke Of Sparta, and during all these
years she has proved the stronger will
and individuality OF the two.
She had her ideals and her aims and
they were not of the Greek kind. Close
-. 90 tp
noticed that the young wife was gain
ing a great ascendancy over her husband
and even over the King. II was noticed
that she wore the distinctions of her
Prussian regiment. the Third Prussian
Grenadier Guards. II was one OF the
conditions OF the marriage that Princess
Sophie should become a convert to the
orthodox faith, but she refused TO do
So Emperor William and Empress
Friedrich cher mother), no doubt under
took a kind of guarantee that once mar
ried the princess would allow herself 10
be converted However. II took them Two
whole Years to convince her that she
could not belong 10 a different religion
from that of her husband and her chill
dren. On May 2 1891. she WAS received
she was rechristened Sophia.
The marriage was almost a love match.
Queen Victoria, the Princess OF Wales.
and Empress Friedrich had been busy
about ii for some time. Match making
was their chief delight, and II Princess
Clementine OF Coburg be added to their
number. these ladies may well be sup
posed to have had some say in all the
nf n. last quarter of
century. The Duke of Sparta seemed
very we'll pleased with the bride selected
for him. although he could not long re-
main blind TO the fact that she was very
much CIeverer than himself. He was,
only twenty-one years old at he time
and had devoted the greater p. RI of his
life 10 military exercises and 5. brts. with
very little time to spare for learning.
The wedding Of the Duke Of Sparta
and Princess Sophie Of Prussia October
I5. 1883. was grand affair. \ German
squadron anchored in the Piraeus and
Athens had never held so numerous
party OF royalties. Emperor William
and the German Empress arrived from
Consta ntinople and were received with
enthusiasm by the Greeks, who consid
cred the alliance with the Hohenzollerns
Strengthening OF their prestige and
political situation generally. The King
Wales (afterward King Edward. with
Princess Alexandra and two sons were
there, Empress Friedrich. with the bride
elect and two other daughters. Prince
Henry Of Prussia. Prince Waldemar OF
Denmark. and the Russian heir TO the
throne. Grand Duke Nicholas. the pres
ent Gar.
On the eve OF the nuptials. 5.Ono Greek
he r-ha II y AaI
Royal Palace at Athens with lighted
torches, cheering the bridal pair and the
Kaiser. in whose honor the classic city
had undergone vast improvements. The
Acropolis got a thorough cleansing. and
the mounds that surrounded the exquisite
Temple of Theseus were removed and
fine garden laid out there instead. Flow
ers. flags, but especially garlands - of
which the ancient Hellenes had been so
very fond-were placed in profusion ev-
erywhere. Incidentally. electric light was
seen for the first time at Athens on this
occasion.
The young couple were first betrothed.
according TO the Greek rite in the cathe-
dral. then the marriage was performed by
the Metropolitan. the newly married pair
walking tnTee tl1ileS around ttle altdr. on
their return to the palace they were mar
ried in the Protestant chapel by the court
chaplain. Princess Sophia had declared
that without this last ceremony she
would not have considered herself the
legal wife Of the Duke of Sparta. She
did not then think of becoming an ortho-
dox convert.
At the wedding breakfast Emperor Will
liam proposed a toast to the welfare of
Greece, which did honor to his ella ssic
studies. and which was received with en-
thusiasm all over Greece. He said Prin
cess Sophie must be happy all her life to
be allowed to live under the glorious sun
of Greece. and he hoped the Greeks would
learn to love her.
Yet this was by no means the case. She |
did not get on too well with her new |
family at first. She resisted conversion |
to the orthodox faith as long as she |
could. but at last she had to give way. |
She was not clever at Disgusting her poor |
appreciation of many things in Greece, |
above everything else of the army. which !
she judged very severely by the standard |
OF her brothers army.
Things came to a focus. however, in |
1897, when Turkey and Greece We're at
war, and the Duchess Of Sparta publicly |