Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-02-02

Nevertheless Mrs. Fitzherbert. reco1.
nized by the nobility as a wife in ac-
cordance with any law except that Of
En2land's- royalty, lived happy life
! Her husband was very attentive In
! her and showed himself appreciativs
of all attentions shown her. Their
winters were spent in London. their
summers in handsome residence the
| prince built for his wife on the sen.
coast.
| But there was a skeleton between
! them of more importance than the
| laws of England. The prince was
spendthrift and hopeiessIy in debt.
| Parliament would not help him with.
ont the kings consent. and he and the
| king had long waged bitter warfare.
Finally the princes financial condition
became intolerable. Application was
made to his father. The king consent.
ed to help him provided he would give
up Mrs Fitzherbert. Forced by his
necessities. the prince yielded.
Mrs. Fitzherbert, who was not with
her husband when this decision was
made. would not believe the report
concerning it till the evidence was
off all communication with him. IL
was arranged that he should marry a
Hanoverian princess. Though at this
second crisis it was in the power OF bis
wife to establish her position. she re-
Trained. For a time she Withdrew
from the world and lived in seclusion.
but no word of censure of her husband
escaped her.
The marriage between Prince George
and the Princess Charlotte of Hanover
was a very unhappy one. He excused
himself for it on the ground that it
was his duty to beget an heir TO the
throne, and hating the princess, as
soon as a daughter was born to them
he refused to live with her any longer
He now begged Mrs. Fitzherbert TO
live with him again. She referred the
matter to Rome. and it was held that
she, being the real wife. was privileg-
ed to live with him, any other mar
riage he might have made not being
recognized by the church. This de-
cided the lady, and she returned TO
her husband.
1t does not appear that this last term
which husband and wife spent to-
gether was fraught with the same hap
piness as before. George had become
hard drinker and was under the in
fiuence of prohigate men. His wife
was obliged to divide her husbands
love with other women. At different
times he had different favorites. each
one of whom Influenced him against
his wife. Mrs. Fitzherbert-she has
oil INV hnr mid
name-bore il all with her accustomed
equanimity. 1t seems remarkable that
she could have continued TO love so
contemplate character and more
especially. should have consented to
suffer the Sights she received on ac-
count of her false position when she
might have at any time righted her
self before the world.
Then came the insanity OF King
George Ill and the regency of the
prince. The authority now vested In
him puffed him with pride, and he de-
sired to be treated with the reverence
due a sovereign. Mrs. FitZherbert.
having grown older and in a way less
attractive. was put aside. and the king
gave her to understand the great gulf
there was between A sovereign and a
commoner and especially a sovereign
and cOmmoner who had lived with
him without being his wife according
to the law of the realm.
Finally King George III. died and
was succeeded by his son. who now
became George ". He was old and /,
vain and corpulent He had no direct y
heir TO whom to leave his scepter at
his death. He was really attached to
but one person. Mrs. Fitzherbert, but
he was SO proud of his position as
king Of England that he would have
nothing TO do with her.
Meanwhile the castoff wife lived a
more retired life than formerly. She
was universally respected both for her
virtues and attractions. but especially
for having silently borne the injustice
that had been imposed upon her.
reverence for royalty has been handed
down among the English people for
many generations. and Mrs. FitzheF
bert for protecting her royal husband
in his guilt stood high among English
men and especially EnglishwOmen. by
the church of Rome which boasts thar
no sovereign has been sufficiently pow
erful TO obtain from it divorce 10
marry again: by the universal law OF
mankind. she was Il wife. But she con-
scented for the good of the king. con
sidered in England the good OF tie
nation. TO be regarded by the masses
rs mistress.
During the young lover days OF TINS
couple the prince and Mrs. Fiuheroert
had exchanged miniatures. and SO long
rs they lived together the prince wore
bis wife,S miniature about his necA'
When he died as king she was ANXIOUS
10 know If he still wore II. One OF niS j
attendants. who examined the hou'' !,
found II in its accustomed place
This was great satisfaction to tns
discarded wife. After all the king hHu
Owed her ard her alone till death.
Feb. = in American