The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-28
CAR WITHDRAWS HIS
OPPOSITIONTOMAT

princess Of the reigning house of Rus.
s!a marrying n nonroyal parsonage.
mat ts TO say, q mere noble, otherwise
than morganatically. The princess how
ever though granddaughter of Car
Alexander Ill, through her mother
tho Grand Duchess Xenia, and in the
limo Of succession to the Russian crown
does rot bear the title OF grand ducheas,
nor yet tho style OF imperial highness
This liz because her father. Grand Duke
Alexander, is the grandson Of Emperor
Nicholas l., and that she therefore
represents through him the fourth gen
Grafton OF descent from the throne. the
grand ducal title, and the style and
prerogatives OF an imperial highness
becoming extinguished In the fourth
generation, by virtue OF Russian law.
With regard TO Princess Irenc's
flance, he has strain of American
blood In his veins. being descended
from an American, believe n Phila-
delphian, OF the name OF Elston, who
took up his abode in Russia In the
days of Peter the Great, and became a
Muscovite citizen. The father of the
present Prince YoussoupofT that Is to
say, the grandfather OF Princess Irene's
fiance, was plain Felix Nicholaiovitch
Elston, when. on his marriage with the
only child and hciress OF the last OF
the male survivors of tho ancient noble
house of Soumarokoff, he was author
lied by Nicholas I. to assume the name
and the armorlal bearings OF his wife.
as well as tho title OF count, borne by
her father.
1t was the son born OF this union,
Count Felix SoumarokoT-who was Sc
lected by the late Emperor Alexander
III. as a. suitable husband for Princess
Ieneije Youssoupoff. only child and
solo heiress of old Prince Nicholas
foussoupof, and on tho death
or the latter, he was authorized By
Alexander III. to assume his father
in-laws name, arms and princely title,
becoming in this way Prince Felix
foussoupoff.
The Prince and Princess Felix Yous-
soupon had two sons, namely, Felix,
the younger one, now betrothed to
Princess Irene. OF Russia, and an elder
one who bore the name OF Nicholas.
He was killed six years ago In very
sensational duel by Count Manteuffel
1t seems that the latter, an officer OF
the Chevaliors Gardes, married a Mile.
Won Heyden. daughter of Admiral Count
Heyden, naval a. y. c. to the Gar
Later Count Manteuffel discovered that
his bride had been forced into the
marriage, that she and Count Nicholas
Soumarokoff- Elston had been infatu-
ated with one another, but that they
had been parted through the ma
noeuvres of an elderly great person-
age. who was herself in love with
Soumarokoff- Elston, and who had
brought about the marriage during his
absence abroad. with the object of
parting him from Mile. Won Heyden
Manteuffel. on discovering this, and
assuring himself that he had no sub
5cct for reproach. either against his
bride or against young Nicholas Sou
rnarokon- Elston, attempted to commit
suicide in Paris.
The fellow officers Of his regiment,
declining to believe that the love of
his bride for Count Nicholas Soumaro-
koff- Elston had been blameless, insist
ed that he should challenge the latter
TO a duel falling which. they would
boycott him and bring about his ex-
puision from the regiment, on the
ground that he had condoned his brides
dishonor II was then that he fought
Count Nicholas Soumarokoff- Elston,
and had the misfortune to kill him.
Count Manteuffel Immediately after
wards left his regiment, the army. ard
Russia. while the young Countess Man
teuffel also disappeared. While his
whereabouts are known, the Heydens
have failed TO discover any trace as to
what has become OF the countess. Ac-
cordinS TO some, she Is hidden away
In convent According TO others, she
has sought refuge on this side OF the
Atlantic At any rate. an unsuccessful
search has been made for her. both In
the United States and In Canada
AS for Princess Irenes nancc. he is
from financial point OF view the
greatest matrimonial "partie" in Eu-
rope. For, as the only surviving child
or his parents. he Is sole heir to the
Yousseupon wealth. which Is account
ed far superior to that of the Demi-
DOTS. their possessions including yir-
tually ineXhaustibe mines of tur-
quoiscs. The Youssoupoffs trace their
origin to lsmail Tartar sovereign OF
the sixteenth century; the first to figure
In the Russian aristocrucy as u Prince
foussoupoff. being Demeti ius. who
flourished in the reign and at the court
or Peter the Great ut the beginning of
tho eighteenth century
The most important OF them, however.
was Prince Nicholas, who, marrying IL
daughter Of Potcmkine. tho favorite
or Catherine the Great, played so great
role during her reign, and during
the first three decades OF tho nine
teenth century. as grand marshal of the
empire at the coronations OF Paul l.,
OF Alexander /. and OF Nicholas L., as
minister Of the imperial household and
as grand master of the Kremlin
His son. Prince Boris Youssoupoff,
who died In 1S49. was also grand mas
ter of the court OF st. Petersburg, and
was tho grandfather of the present
Princess Youssoupoff. Prince Boris
married twice. His second wife was
Zencldo Narshkine. who welded him
In 1896. The Almanach do Gotha,
which is ordinarily so correct, makes
tho extraordinary mistake OF record
ing her. I'm its new issue FOR the year
1914. as being still alivo and living
In Paris: that is To say, wore she still
alivo sho would be considcra bly, over
100 years OF ago. My impression Is
thot