The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1915-01-10

WYE nave ne" American
w princessl
Just think of It'll Isn't
that news to thrill the many Amer
ican women who are fascinated by
the glamour Of titles and ancestral
halls?
She Is the Princess Victor Theo-
dore Macmillan Egon Lamoral of
Thurn and Taxis formerly Mrs.
Fitzgerald, of Uniontown, Pal. Her
husband belongs to one OF the old
est families in Germany and his cou-
sin, the head Of the family. married
an imperial princess of Austria.
That sounds like a genuine social
triumph, doesn't It?
The Princess was really married In
1911, but the English courts have
only just decided that she Is the
genuine Princess Victor, and that an
American chorus girl, who has been
running around for seven years
calling herself the Princess, must
not do so any longer; at least, she
must not do so in England.
All that is doubtless what the
former Mrs. Fitzgerald regards as a
social triumph. However, when We
investigate the Princes variegated
career and the remarkable circum-
stances connected with the mar
rage, sensible persons will regard
1t in a very different light.
To begin with, let us take the
"Almanach de Gotha," publication
that contains a list Of the highest
nobility Of Europe, corrected by the
families themselves. In connection
with Prince victor's name we read
this entry:
Married (by marriage of unequal
birth and not conformable to the
laws of the princely house, to Ida
Eleanor Fitzgerald (widow? d.
vorcee?), born Nicolls, born at Pitts
burgh> CD IL
J."
This means that the new Princess
will obtain no recognition either at
court or in high society in Germany
and Austria. Her husband belongs
to one of those German noble fam
lilies known as "mediatized,' who
enjoy rights of equality of birth"
with reigning houses, upon the the
DRY that their ancestors held some
kind Of sovereignty in the ancient
Holy Roman Empire. which ruled In
Germany before the Napoleonic era.
Members of these families can
only marry with the consent of the
head of the house. AS rule, they
are expected to marry members Of
their own class or of reigning houses.
The head of Prince Victors family,
the Prince Albert Of Thurn and Taxis
married the Archduchess Margaret
of Austria, cousin of the Emperor
Francis Joseph.
This Prince Albert has long been
known as the most magnificently
dressed man in Germany. It was
presumably he who edited the entry
concerning Prince Victor's name in
the Almanach. The remarkable
series OF queries inserted after Mrs.
Fitzgerald's name seems to indicate
quite clearly what the princely fam
lily thinks of her. There Is no rea-
son to believe that she would re-
ceive the least encouragement II she
went to Germany.
1t may be interesting to have some
historical information about the Pc
culiarly named family of Thurn and
Taxis. The head of the family was
Hereditary Postmaster General of
the Holy Roman Empire. Down to
1870 all stamps used in Germany
bore the arms Of this family. The
Princes derived an immense for
tune from monopoly of the sale Of
all stamps within the Empire.
Toward the end of the eighteenth
century the chief OF the family, find
ing that his wife had been faithless,
caused her to be executed in his
palace OF Ludwigslust by the public
executioner of Strasburg. The
Princess, dressed in mourning, was
led into the great hall Of the palace,
which was hung with black. She
was seated in a chair and bound.
The executioner then entered and
struck off her head with a sword.
Prince Victor, whose affairs are
now exciting interest, began his
career as an officer in the Austrian
army. He left the Austrian army
under extremely discreditable CIR
cumstances, entailing his retirement,
not to say worse, from all the clubs
to which he belonged at Vienna and
at Budapest.
He was not even allowed to re-
main on the army list as an officer
of reserves. Such was his reputation
that a prominent Austrian who met
him over here refused to recognize
him.
This promising young Prince wan