The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-24
BARES
5 SECRETS OF EUROPE'S ROYAL
Princess R adziwill's
Book Throws Inter.
esting Sidelights on
Domestic Alliances of
Warning Rulers
II, JEANETTE l.. GLIDER,

lbtIf ~ uisiIlNt COItt1STCldl
value in their inside knowledge Of
kings and courts. The time was
when the late Queen Victoria was the
only writing royalty. inc her innocu-
GUS diaries Of quiet days in the High
lands were drawing room table orna-
ments in the best middle class families
Of England. Ireland. Scotland and
Wales. There was nothing startling
in ner diaries. They told no court
secrets. but they showed Ensland's
Queen to he a very human woman
Since victoria's day the royalties o.
tie Continent have told the secrets Of
the prison house to an eager world.
From time to time I have had the
pleasure of reviewing these books for
THE Sun. so that I feel myself on quite
intimate terms with kings. queens
and royal families generally.
The latest contribution to this class
@, literature is THE Royal Marriage
Market Of Europe" by the Princess
Catherine Radzlwill tFunk 4 was-
nallsl. The book will be published
early next week. Some time ago the
Princess published her Memories Of
Forty Years" an entertaining volume.
for she knew many persons more in
teresting than kings.
# grt r,d,,. sha ro,l~~ a. 49, n-i-
cess | may say that she IL thoroughly
Informed upon the subjects Of which
she writes. To go away back, the
niece OF Frederick the Great married
her grandfather. and from that time
until the present her family has been
intimately connected with court life.
The Princess herself enjoyed the close
friendship OF the Emperor William I.
and she has had the entree to every
court in Europe. During her many
visits among crowned heads she took
notes. and these notes are the founda-
ton OF her books.
The present volume deals with a
vital subject, and one upon which the
author is particularly we'll informed.
She is a clever woman and writes not
only with knowledge but with shrewd
Insight into the foibles and follies Of
DISTINGUISHED ~personases. She shows
The historical evolution OF royal mar
rIaSe arrangements from the days
when love was never considered, the
c1.y reason for such alliances being
political eXped!ency. There Is much Of
;fa' consideration to-day. but nothing
compared 10 what It was. The Prin-
cess is not above giving her readers a
BIT Of gossip now and then. and her
book is far from being a dry disserta-
ton on tho subject.
She thinks that after the present
war has come to an end royal all.-
snces win become once more subjects
Of general interest and Of greater i'm
portauce than has been the case dur
ing the last twenty years or so. This
fact has led me 10 include in my book
q review OF personnges eligible to be-
come one day the consorts Of Euro
relatives. in addition to placing before
n" readers a short recital Of the cir
cumstances which have attended the
unions OF the various important royal
rersonages in Europe. I have en-
deavored also in these chapters to
show the part that these unions have
had n relation to the great war which
has made Europe a continent OF
H.dows and weeping mothers"
The subject she finds equally inter-
fe,.us from another point OF view,
because It - tolerably certain that
Aeuteforth few royalties will seek
brides in the German marriage mar
ket, as formerly was customary among
T~etgn'ng houses. Consequently the
ta1se Of choice will find itself limited,
which fact is bound to bring about
With Z drastic changes in regard to
tho leading dynasties OF Europe, and
may even do away with the rule which
requires royalty 10 match only with
is equals. Seen in that aspect, the
question OF royal marriages has ac-
CURED such considerable interest that
= becomes both opportune and in
formative 10 relate some details Of the
"'yal outlook in regard to marriage"
The book starts OF with the ever
interesting Hapsburss. The present
Emperor Francis Joseph was the first
Austrian sovereign 10 take the whip
u his own hands and throw tradition
10 tie winds. A marriage had been
arrarged for him by his mother and
aunt by which he was TO take as his
c'nsort his beautiful cousin the Prin-
cess Helene. He Ia her and his i'm
petuous heart did not respond to the
Call OF her beauty. As a matter OF fact
no fcO IN love at first sight with her
Younger sister. Elisabeth. then but a
Erl IN her teens His mother objected,
nut he laughed her objections down the
wind:
Elisabeth in those early days was