The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-26
THE KAISER'S
 "LINEN WEDDING"

This Sunday commemorat the 35th anniversary of the marriage of Prince William, son of Crown Prince Freder- ick and grandson of Emperor William of Germany. to Princess Augusta Victoria of schleswig-Holstein- rg-Augustenburg. A little more than seven years later the young cou- pie ascended the imperial throne, where they now rule as Emperor and Empress of Germany.
 The s1inen wedding of the Kaiser and Kaiserin comes at a time when both are too much engrossed with other affairs to indulge in romantic musing over the past. It is doubtful If the Emperor would do so, in any event, for his temperament is far re- moved from the romantic
 There is mo reason to doubt how ever. that the marriage of the future Kaiser and Kaiserin 35 years ago was the result of a, sincere affection which had grown up between them. There was no particular reason of state why the heir to a throne should wed princess of petty German state. On the other hand, there was no particu- lar reason why he should not Bis, narck, the real ruler of Germany at that period, was indifferent when the alliance was proposed. An alliance with a foreign house was not neces- sary, nor even desirable, in his scheme of 'fwe1tpo1itik," and young William was left free to follow his own de- vices, although, of course, strictly lirnl tied in his choice to women of royal blood.
 The war lord of the bloody years to come was a student at Bonn when he first met the girl destined to be his spouse.Duke Frederick of Sc1lles- wig-Holstein -9onderburg -Asustenburg m fad J,ie for the grouse shooting. Arriving late in the evening ,he saI1ied forth with his gun early the following morning. without having been introduced to the Dukes family. While passing through the castle gardens few hours later he came upon a girl lying in ham mock, fast asleep. He stopped and gazed upon her admiringly for a few minutes Later in 1iie day he was in troduced to her. and discovered that she was the Dukes daughter
 The young people spent much time together before the Prince returned to Bonn, and carried on daily corre- spondence during the months of their separation. The following year, the Prince having obtained the consent of his father, grandfather and Bismarck, the betrothaI was announced. The wedding was celebrated with great pomp and ceremony in Berlin on Feb. 27, 1884,.
 Prince William had just passed his 22nd birthday when he led his bride to the altar, and she was about three months his senior. Their first child, the present Crown Prince, was born about IA months after their marriage When the Kaiser and Kaiserin ascended the throne on June IS, 1888, they were the parents of four boys, and a fifth was born a few weeks later. Their young est son was born in 1890 and their only daughter in 1892.
 It has often been alleged that the Kaiserins is not the legal wife of the Emperor, but his morgannatic spouse only, and that therefore their children are ineligible to inherit the imperial or kingly1 crowns. The laws of the Hoh enzolIerns forbid any member of that house on penalty of forfeiture of succession, to marry woman whose blood for five generations has not been listed as s'royal.' According to the testimony of many genealogists who have investigated the subject there is a, flaw in the descent of the Empress, which technically makes her the nor ganatic wife of the Emperor. These allegations have never been given ser ious consideration by the Enperior, although they seem to have some basis of fact.
 The Emperor and Empress have been grand parents for nearly ten years, their first grandchild. William Fred erick, the eldest of the Crown Princes offspring. having been born on July 4, 1906. If the youngster survives to ascend the German throne. his birth, day which will become the national holiday of the empire, will be coinci- dent with the great patriotic festival of Uncle Sam's country.