The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-28
ARCHDUKE welded.
BENEATH HIS RANK
Wife Of Austrian Hcir-Apparent
Bound Only by Morganatic
Marriage.
NO REGRET FOR THIS STEP
Renounces All Rights OF Success
sion to Throne for His
Children.
by KARL II. Won w1EGANp.

lSDecint SaDle TO The Tim eS-DlSpatch.I
Vienna, January 2T.-Wlth the in
cvitable end to the long reign OF En-
peror Franz Joseph drawing near. no
subject IS discussed mone by Aus
TRANS. particularly the Viennsse, than
the probable status of Duchess Sophie
of Hohenberg. tho morsanetic wife
OF the heir apparent, Archdukc Fer
dinand. Speculation over the char
acte-. traits and probable policy of
Ferdinand. who Is looked upon very
much as a dark horse" and an "un-
known quantity" because of his re-
serve and retired life. Is entirely
subordlnated to vicnnese gossip and
curiosity over tho ultimate fate o.
"pctticoat politics" In the Austrian
court, the most exclusive and ar.sto-
cratic In Europe to-day
Upon the death of aged Franz Jo-
scph. Austria will have an Emperor
in Archdukc Ferdinand. son of Franz
Joseph's younger brother. but she will
have no empress, as the archdukes
wife is bound to him only by a NOR
sanatic marriage.
Archdukc Ferdinand. who became
heir to the throne through the tragic
suicide or murder Of Crown Prince
Rudolf in 1889. married beneath his
rank. Ills wife was Countess Chotels
of Chotkowa and Wognln, lady-in-
waiting to one OF the archduchesses
1t was, in the eyes of the Austrian
court, morsanatic marriage. but no
one has ever limited that Ferdinand
ever has regretted his step. lie has
been supremcly happy, and, In sharp
| contrast to some of the Hapsburgs
has lived an ideal married life His
wife has presented him with three
beautiful, healthy children But he
married beneath him. That la I'M
pardonable in the eyes OF royalty.
y solemn council OF archdukHs and
archduchesses was held in the i'm
perial palace when Ferdinand an
ess Chotek. Just enough of Ferdi-
| nand's quiet determination was known
That II would be useless to oppose
MIN. Neither was 1t policy to badger
the future Emperor too much But
before that council of archdukes and
archduchesscs. he had 10 take an oath
renouncing all rights OF succession
TO the throne for mis- children.
Three years ago the old Emperor.
who had been won by the gracious
ness and tactfulness of Countess Cho-
TEX. made her Duchess OF fIohenberg.
But this Is still long jump from
archduchess, as the princnsses royal
and Imperial arc known in the Aus
TRAN court.
But even as duchess. the position OF
Ferdinand's wife has not been entire
" pleasant one. Some archduchessc IS
mover have forgiven the interioper and
have seen that she is given 10 right
except those accorded her by her
rank Some time ago Ferdinand is
| reported to have approached the En-
pcror with the request that at u com
ing court function, his wife he grant
cd the right in limo directly behind
the married archduchcsses OF the i'm
perlal house, but ahead OF the unnlar-
Rcd ones Franz Joseph, it is sa:d
! granted the favor. II brought Il storm
around his head. AS spokcswoman for
| tho archduchesscs. one of the daugn-
,ers called on him and announced that
Ii Ferdinand's request WAS granted.
NO: one OF the archduchcsses would
, appear ut tho function. The upshut
was that ncithc" Ferdinand nor his
wife appeared. a little over a year ago
at n court bali In honor of the King
OF Belgium, visiting Vienna. there was
Il flutter of excitement and spec,Iln-
ton among the archduchesses and
court circles, when 1t became known
that the Duchess of Hohnnbcr@ would
attend. 1t was known that the En-
ncror would be there. AS Ferdinand s
wife bowed before Franz Joseph she
dropped her fan. rhc gallant old EN-
peror OF four score years. dropped on
his knee on the floor. picked up the
ian and presented It 10 the duchess
with the grace OF n cavalier. It was a
| distinct mark Of favor and created a
! I.
oversha downing the fact that the King
| Of Belgium was the guest of honor.
! lust whether Ferdinand will stand
| for much nonsense from the Jealous
| and chattcrinG tongues OF the feminine
| lIapsburgs and whether archduchcsses
! viii deem it wise to oppose the new
| Emperor, is one of the things that
Nienncsc say will develop soon after
| he mounts the throne.
Ferdinand and his family have lived
! quietly in the beautiful Bclvedere
| Palace. The duchess has endeavored
| to avoid crossing the archduchesscs
and not sought to force herself into
| the imperial circle in which her hus-
band belongs. He, IN The other hand
has been absent from court functions
and certainly from private affairs in
court circles, because he would have
| TO see his wife placed far beneath him
solf and others.
Under the laws Of Hungary, Kins
may marry his waaherwomap and she
would be Queen, Under the Hapsbure
house laws OF Austria, tho Empress is
subjected to the michoscopical scrutiny
Of the archducal circle to sec If per
chance there may be a trace OF rcd
corpuscles IN her blood.
In Hungary, Ferdinand's wife will
be Queen of Hungary: in Austria she
will merely be the wifo OF the En-
peror. unless Ferdinand renounces his
oath and makes his wife Empress
Tho Cotton Movement.
Nav Orleans. La, january aE--rn hts ro-