New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-31
PRINCE TO WE'D
MRS. F. THOMPSON
De Bearn'S First Wife Was
Beatrice Winans, of
Baltimore.
[By Cable TO The Tribune.

Paris, May 30.-All Paris was interested
in the announcement that a marriage had
been arranged between the Prince Henri
de BGarn ct de Chalais. Of Paris. member
of the royal Bourbon family and an &C.
complished and experienced diplomat, and
the beautiful and vivacious widow Of
Ferris S. Thompson.
For weeks past Paris society has gos-
siped over the ardent attentions paid to
Mrs. Thompson by the prince. His in
fatuation for her was well known, but tie
formal announcement Of their engagement
came as a surprise despite this, for it was
recalled that the millionaire husband OF
Mrs. Thompson had died only a little
more than a year ago.
The princess-to-be inherited from her
husband a residuary estate which, &C
cording to the appraisal recently filed in
New York. amounts to S3,4446i6. Mrs.
Thompson was Mile. Louise Grasset, the
daughter of colonel in the French army,
when she met Ferris Thompson, athlete
and phianthropist, who was then living
in Paris. The millionaire American fell
violently in love with her at first sight,
and after a brief courtship their marriage
took place lie lived barely year and
on February IS, 1913.
Though the couple had no children,
Parisians regarded the marriage as an
IDEAL love marriage. Both seemed devoted
TO each other. and the grief OF Mrs.
Thompson over her husbands death was
violent. She accompanied his body TO
America, where IL was inferred In the
Woodlawn Cemetery. New York.
The Prince de Bearn had known Mrs.
Thompson when she was the charming
Mile. Grasset. They had been friends be-
fore her marriage. and some months ago
gossip had it that the old friendship had
been renewed and had grown in warmth.
The prince is widower. While in
Washington attached to the French En-
bassy he met Miss Beatrice Winans. then
rot seventeen years old and still wearing
ker hair down. He fell in love with the
pretty schoolgirl. and in June. 1906, after
overcoming the objections of her father
Ross r. Winans, Of Baltimore, married
her.
Their married life. too. was brief; it. too.
was considered approaching the ideally
happy. The princess died in 81. Peters
burg less than two years after her we'd
ding, after bearing two children.
Since her death the prince has had
much publicity over lawsuits connected
with his wife's property. There was
marriage settlement by which Mr.. Win
ans, who is now dead gave his daughter
outright $4,000 She made the prince her
sole beneficiary. Later he agreed TO share
her estate equally with each of his two
children. But, finding that while this
was in accord with the French law. the
American law permitted him to hold the
entire estate himself, he sought TO with
draw from his original agreement.
In course OF time the American Supreme
Court decided the case. which was begun
in a Maryland court, in his favor. Then
the prince was sued by lawyers and sew
eral OF his brothers. who sought 10 re-
cover moneys they claimed they had adj
vanced 10 him before his marriage. This
litigation has been going on for the last
six years.
After Mr. Winans's death the bene-
dciaries of bis estate voluntarily agreed
to make up a fund OF $4,000 for the
prince's two children.