The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-28
Prince George Is Only Living
Up to Traditions OF
His House.
BY la MARoUIsE DE FONTENoY.
NliERE Is no medidtlIeo OF toi II >
reigninR house in Europe that mas

BY la MARQUISE DE FONTENoi.
"HERE is no nediatlzed or ioruetiy
rcigning house in Europe tnat mas
Il so many mesalliances TO its RECORD
as that of Sayn- Wittgenstein; ana
Prince George, of the Hohens'eih
branch OF the family. younger brother
and next heir to the head of that line,
Prince Augustus of the Castle of Witt
gcnstein, in Westphalia. is only living
up 20 the traditions Of his house IN
contracting a marriage with Marie
Ruhm, daughter of one OF the chlef
gamekeepers of the vast Sayn- Wlttgen-
stein estates. She is a very pretty girl
thoroughly respectable, and as Prince
George has been in love with her since
the early part of last year, 10 would
seem as though the union was not the
result of any passing infatuation.
The marriage will entail. according 10
the family statutes of the house OF
Sayn- Wittgenstein, either the ciassi-
fcatiOn OF the alliance as a morganatlc
one. in which event neither the lady nor
the children to whom she may give
birth Will be permitted to share Prince
Georges name, his title and his honors.
and will be preciuded from any right 70
the family estates, or else he VIII be COM
PEELED 10 abandon his status as MEMBER
of mediatized house. and TO descend
TO the rank of lower nobility. In that
case he can marry her on footing OF
equality. and she will share his name.
which the children will likewise ENJOY
There seems to be a considerable likeh-
hood under the circumstances OF the
Castle of Wittgenstein and the en-
tailed Hohenstein estates passing to an
other branch of the family. For has
eldest brother is confirmed bachelor
as is also his younger brother. while his
two uncles, Frederick and Herman. have
each of them been obliged TO sacrince
their position, owing to rnesalliances.
Thus. Frederick four years ago resign
ed his rank in order 20 marry Frank
fort woman of the name of Marie Bert
ling. with whom he makes his home at
Hanover, as Baron and Baroness Won
Alien burg. The other uncle. Herman,
married. in defiance of the laws of his
family. girl of the name of Gertrude
WesteAberger. native of Erbach De-
barred from the use of his name by rea-
son OF her morganatic status. she bore
him two sons, who had to be content with
her patronymic of Westenberger. a
few years ago. when they had already
attained their twentieth year, their faith
err distressed by their awkward position,
agreed 10 renounce mis- mediatiZed
status and prerogatives on the condi-
ton that his marriage was regarded as
an equal match, and then obtained from
the crown of Bavaria the title of prince,
with ordinary nobility. In this way his
wife became princess, and his two sons
princes, though not mediatized ones
One of them. Prince Alexander, is well
known in this country. where he spent
several months last year. Prince Alex
ander has achieved some success in
literature as a novelist, wields clever
pen. and during his visit TO America
claims to have found good deal OF use
full material for new books Like his
parents and his younger brother, he
kos his home Munich
One of the most extraordinary mem
bers of this Sayn-W ittgenstein family
was the late Prince Frederick Sayn-
Wittgenstein-L ud wigsburg. in many
respects its black sheep. He began by
marrying a very pretty girl, daughter
of the Berlin banker Lilienthal. NOR
ganatically. After living with her two
years he discarded her. securing
dissolution of the marriage on the
ground, that being captain of Prussian
cavalry, he had failed to obtain the
consent of the commander of his regi-
ment. which is indispensa bic to the
validity of marriages contracted by
officers and soldiers. His two children
were in consequence thereof rendered
illegitimate Their fate excited so much
sympathy in high quarters that they
were ennobled with the name of Won
Falkenberg, while their father was SEN
fenced TO a term of military lmprison-
ment for having conducted himself
in the matter without regard TO the
laws of honor governing the conduct of
officers of the German army.
The prince then became involved
in a number of financial scrapes, which
led him to travel abroad. He made mis-
wav TO China, where he awaited him
self of the absence of the German en-
voy at Picking to pass himself of there
as scion of the reigning house of Prus-
-. hDTr n
with royal honors by the Chinese gov
eminent, and the German court. The
German envoy, receiving an intimatIon
of what was going on. fastened back
to Picking, and as he arrived, Prince
Frederick completely vanished from
the scene and hastily left China On
his return to Europe he married an
actress of the name of Wihelmine
Hagen. which. in conjunction with
some rather unsavory episodes. finally
drove him out of the German army