The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-14
Former Military Attache
British Embassy Is Sig
nally Honored.
ny La MAR0UIsE DE FoNTENOY.

III LA hhhft1St LIE fONIENOf.
W/ERE General Count Gieichen.
w formerly military attache OF
the British embassy at Wash
ington. not so personally popular, there
would be q storm OF protest in Eng
land caused by the warrant tust issued
by King George, granting to the count
place. pre-eminence and precedence"
Immediately next TO the dukes OF Eng
land and before the marquesses OF the
Gleichen, formerly Miss Sylvia Ed
wardes. maid OF honor OF Queen Alex
7ndra. and n granddaughter OF the
third Lord kensington, precedence i'm
mediately after the duchesses, and be-
fore the marchionesses of England.
The warrant likewise provides that the
counts sisters, namely, the Countesses
Fedora and Helena Gleichen. and
Countess Victoria, wife OF Percy Ma
cheN, should rank Immediately before
the daughters OF dukes OF England.
In order 10 appreciate what this
means. 1t is necessary to recall the fact
that General Count Gleichen and his
sisters are the Issue OF n morganatic
marriage between Queen Victoria's
nephew, the late Admiral Prince Victor
Hohenlohe -Langenburg, and Lady Laura
Seymour. sister OF the NTH Marquis OF
HEREFORD. The union of Prince Victor
Hohenlohe and Lady Laura Seymour
was not recognized as full-nedged
marriage. that is, marriage egal de-
Nuisance" at any OF the Continental
courts of Europe, and II was because
Victor's wife as Il princess OF Hohen-
lohe. or TO permit her 10 use that title,
that her husband made his home alto
gether In England. dropped his title of
Prince of Hohenlohe, and styled him
self Count Glelchen, by virtue OF a
patent Of that dignity granted 10 him
by Queen Victoria's German brother-in-
law, Duke Ernest of Saxe-Coburg-
Gotha.
When Prince Victor Hohcnlohe died.
in 1891. neither his widow nor his chill
dren were allowed any provision from
the immense entailed family estates OF
the German mediatlzed house of Ho-
henlohe- Langenburg. to which all the
regular members of the family are en-
titled. Indeed. II was Queen Victoria
who accorded to them annuities out of
her privy purse; annuities which were
continued by King Edward. and which
are still enjoyed TO this day by Count
Gleichen and his sisters. Nor are they
permitted to use the princely titles. the
name or arms of Hohenlohe
1t is a pity that King George, If he
wished to establish tho precedence of
General Count Gleichen above the mar
quesses OF England. did not bestow an
English dukedom upon his relative. II
that had been done, the counts sisters
would have quite naturally. and in ac-
cordance with the usual practice. re-
ceived the precedence OF dukes daugh-
ters. IT would have been far better TO
do this than to Issue n royal warrant
according the precedence OF an English
duke to Il Sake -COburg dignity of count
held by one who is the issue OF NOR
ganatfc or left-handed marriage OF a
German prince.
1t may be argued that all marriages
contracted in England. according to
English law, are complete and binding
In every respect, and that morganatic
disqualifications are not recognized by
English law. That Is perfectly true
But the fact remains that Ii was only
very shortly before Prince Victor Ho-
henlohes death that his aunt, Queen
Victoria, authorized his English wife
to style herself Princess Hohenlohe at
the court OF St James: an authorization
which caused great Indignation In Con-
tinental courts. and especially among
the members of the Hohcnlohe family
Up to that time Prince Victor's wife
had never been allowed by Queen Vic
toria to call herself anything but Coun-
tess Glcichcn.
1t is claimed In London that this
grant OF precedence to Count Gleichen
is preparatory to the Issue OF a similar
warrant according precedence before
the dukes of England to Queen Marys
brothers. the Duke OF Teck, and Prince
Alexander Of Tcck. Their mother was
an English royal princess, namely,
Princess Mary, sister OF the late Duke
of Cambridge. and In her day the most
popular member Of the reigning family
But Princess Mary's husband was the
issue of morganatic marriage be-
tween Prince Alexander or Wurtemberg
and the Hungarian Countess Rhedey;
and In his younger days, when serving
in the Austrian cavalry. he had to BIO
content with the rank and title Of
Count Francis Hohenstein He was
only created a Wurtemberg Duke OF