The Southern herald., 1912-12-06
Honor Denied Wife Of a Cars
Brother Sought by Daughter.
Would Be Grand Duehess-Romanee
In the Career Of Grand Duke
Michael, Long a Resident
Of England.

London.-One Of the most beautiful
eifls now In England is the young
Countess NADIA Torby, who is with her
+ her and mother, the Grand Duke
Michael and Countess Torby, who are
paying a round Of visits In the north.
The mother never received her title
Hf grand duchess because of the stern
point Of view Of the Romanoffs, but
now that the beautiful NADIA has
grown up-and she is one of the most
beautiful girls imaginable-it is gen
orally supposed that she will demand
for herself the rank that her mother
has never attained
When the late King Edward was
still the prince Of Wales he made
move to obtain for the mother the
rights that the Russian government
had denied her. But he became king
and died without gaining this delight
ful end. What the attitude Of the
present English sovereigns is In the
matter Is not known. But the story
OF the Torbys remains an interesting
episode.
1t all took place when the Grand
Duke Michael was the gayest of
princes and was living in reckless ex-
travagance at Monte Carlo. He was
riding one day in Nice when his horse
plunged Just as he was approaching
q young woman who was also seated
on spirited animal.
The horse Of the prince frightened
the horse of the lady, which promptly
Dolted with her The grand duke rode
In pursuit, caught the flying animal
BY the bride and rescued the maiden,
who Immediately tainted In the arms
OF his imperial highness The prince
then fell desperately in love with the
girl and pursued her for months, beg
ging her to marry him. But the gay
life Of her suitor, together with her
knowlege of what morganatic mar
Fiages always lead to, gave the young
woman pause, and she refused to smile
upon her royal lover.
1t was then, however, that the
grand duke made the most solemn
vows, declaring that he would aban-
don his fast life forever and take up
an existence that would be a model
of domesticity--vows, by the way, that
he has kept with the utmost rigidity
ever since.
He was so sincere that the lovely
Countess Torby consented to wed the
duke. The ceremony was performed
n the Greek church, and the once
dashing prince settled down to q quiet
life in the utmost seclusion in out Of
The way places In England. Two
daughters were the fruit Of this union
and the devotion of the royal father
10 his family became proverbial in
Europe. For many years he was never
separated from his wife for day.
Now, the late car was brother Of
The grand duke, and he always re
fused to receive or even meet the
Countess Torby, and the present czar
holds firmly to the same rule
II the marriage Of the Grand Duke
Michael and the Countess Torby had
been merely an ordinary morganatiC
marriage there would probably moi
have been so much fuss made about
e. But there is something under
lying all this attitude Of the Russian
court.
The mother Of the countess wal
Countess Natalie Nuremberg, NOR
Ehnatio widow Of Prince Nicholas o.
NassaA and Luxemburg. The lady
moreover. was the youngest daughter
Z 6f Russia's famous poet, Pushkn
Now, the latter was greatgrandson
Ii some strange way, Of Peter the
Greats coal black negro, Hannibal
The Countess Torby, therefore, has {
strain of negro blood in her veins
5and this seems to initiate against hel
ifecognition. At a very recent datt
ne mother Of Countess Torby wal
atili living and the romantic reminis
,censes connected with the Pushkil
epigode are too near to endear eithei
her daughter or her granddaughter
20 ne Russian court.