Daily Kennebec journal., 1913-12-29
FORMER RULERS LIVE IN Pow.
ERTY.
Evil Days Have Fallen Upon the One
Time Royalty of Europe and Asia.

Evil days have fallen upon the one
time royalty of Europe and Asia. Time
was when these ex-kings, Queens and
former Princes and Princesses We're
rolling in wealth. Fates have gone
against them, and, with the loss of
their heritages, many of them are in
absolute poverty. Not so many years
ago those dethroned by conquest were
royalty cared for Today many of them
are in dire straits.
Peter Lobengula was himself the
leader of the Rhodesian rebellion of
1896, and it was he who made terms
with Cecil Rhodes at the famous coun-
Gil in the Matoppo Hills.
He went to England after the Mata-
belle War and toured the country with
Savage South Africa" Eventually he
turned collier, and for two years work.
ed in the Agecroft Pits at Pendleton.
until pneumonia seized him and was
followed by phthisis. And now he drags
out existence on a miserable ten shill-
ings a week allowed him under the in
suranee act.
Other countries are not SO generous.
Take the case of former Queen Rama
valona, of Madagascar. When the
French dethroned her she was given a
small house in Algiers and still
smaller pension Some little time ago
she was permitted to visit Paris. No
carriage or car was placed at her dis
posai; she was left without money
20 sec the sights or go shopping, and
she was not taken to theaters or social
gatherings. Most of her time she pass
ed II her room, looking out through
the window at what was going on
below
At last she was driven to apply to
the authorities for a passage back to
Algiers, and there she has since re-
mained. living in the most humble
fashion imaginable. Yet the island
over which she once ruled is larger
than France itself.
Another former Queen, Liliuokalani.
once monarch of Hawaii, has dropped
into utter obscurity.
About two years ago an Italian of
good appearance was arrested, charged
with pilfering in a Paris shop. Inves-
tigation proved that he was a son of
the late Duke of Aosta, who. as ANA
deo l., was King of Spain for several
years in the early seventies. He had
dissipated his fortune and for many
months had been living hand-to-
mouth existence. He admitted his
guilt, confessing that he was literally
and absolutely penniless.
He was committed to Jail, but
eventually an anonymous person, prob
ably a royal relation, paid his debts
and he was discharged.
Another royalty who has been led
by extravaganza into dire trouble is
Princess Alexandra of Isenburg. Her
debts are said to amount to $4,000, 900.
aad she herself has been left in a pen
niless condition.
Russia is the country where you
may see the extremes of wealth and
poverty. Prince Manuroff, a distant
connection of the royal family, is said
to have literally died of starvation.
Having lost his fortune, he turned
monk, and the story is that having
retired into a cell he was forgotten by
his brc ther monks and was found dead
frcm lack of food
In Odessa another Russian of royal
descent, the Princess Helena Lulu
beidse, works as a bricklayer's assist
ant, while the French wife of a
wealthy Russian noble living in st.
Petersburg has a lady's maid who
owns the title of Princess.-New York
Press.