The Washington times., 1920-07-12
DIES !.
IN SPAIN At "a
Former French Empress Who
Provoked War OF 1870, Ex-
pires at Childhood Home.

one eye, and was fearful OF becoming
totally blind. with the desire again
to visit her native country, she beg
ged that she might be taken there be-
fore she became entirely blind. Her
wish was grstifed. and last April
Eugenie again saw the beauties OF
spain-snd especially OF Apdslusia-
where she was born.
Despite her ninety-four years she
displayed notable vitality. and ex-
pressed gratitude for the welcome
from the people OF Spain.
ROMANTIC CAREER .
A marvellous career, full of romance
and pathos. resplendent with the
glories Of a dazzling and unexpected
rise 20 SUPP cine power, dimmec Us SUD
denly and Unexpectedly bv tho trag-
edy of an irretrievable fau, comes
to a melancholy close In .hs deaIh
o. Eugenio Marie de Montijo, Cvun-
tcss-puchess OF Teba. In her own
right and by her marriage with
Napoleon III former Empress OF the
French.
Born on May o, 1926, she was de.
scended on her fathers side from
Spanish family OF hish nobility. the
head OF which, in 1902, received the
title Of Count de Teba at Teba. sub
sequently created Marquis de Montijo.
was at ono time an officer In the
army under Murat. and
later served with distinction In tn"
wars, whence he emerged
with the loss OF an eye and badly
wounded leg and hand.
This gentleman married Scotch
woman, the daughter OF william Kirk.
patrick, a merchant in Malaga. Spain.
who for a period had acted as British
and also as American consul In that
city. 1t is said that the preliminary
consent to the King OF Spain had 10
be obtained TO the union OF Spanish
grandee with n commoner. The serV-
ices of Scotch genealogists were &C.
cordingly enlisted in the search for
pedigree. They proved 10 the Kings
satisfaction that Mr. Kirkpatrick was
on the maternal side a member OF the
cadet branch Of the Stuarts and con
seauently a distant kinsman of Queen
Victoria herself. and that his ancestors
on the pstcrnal side had borne the
title Of baron. Thereupon the King
exclaimed:
"Yes, let the SON OF Guzman wed
the daughter OF Fingsl."
WENT TO GRANADA.
After their marriage the Count and
Countess de Teba removed to Gran
ada, and later to Madrid. Two daugh-
ters were born to them. The eldest OF
these, Francesca subsequently mar
r!ed the Duke of Alba and Berwick.
the inhcritor OF the ducal honors Of
Linares. The younger was Eugcrie.
On March IS. 1889. tho Count de Teba
died. leaving his widow and children
in comfortable circumstances. The
dowager countess. who seems to have
inherited all the Scotch love for wan
dering, took her small family first to
one capital OF Europe and then to an
other. In some ways the life was
beneficial to the future empress. as
it gave her opportunities OF acquiring
a knowledge of the world. which she
turned to good account when called
upon TO fill an exceptionally difficult
and trying position. II also gave her
a mastery OF French, English and
Italian, besides Spanish. Curiously
enough, she was never able to learn
German.
Returning to Madrid the Countess
de Montijo was appointed first lady OF
honor to the Queen of Spain, and be-
came one of the most prominent fig
ures in the society of the gay.st cap
ital in Europe.
After the marriage OF the elder
daughter the countess in 1S49 took up
her residence with Eugene in Paris.
Here the young Lady became cele-
brated for her beauty, her amiabiiity
and her rare mental gifts. She was
likewise a daring horsewoman at a
time when very few French ladies
even learned to ride. The son of the
then American minister to Paris, Will
liam c. Rives, fell madly in love with
her. His family would not agree 10
the match. except on condition that
the issue of the union should be
brought up Protcstants. This condi-
tion the bride-elect refused. Young
Mr. Rives returned a bachelor to his
ancestral home in Virginia, but event
ually married and became the father
of Amelie Rives.
HER MEETING WITH THE PRINCE.
Eugenie made the acquaintance of
Prince Louis Napoleon. as he was
then called, when he was living ct
the Elysee in his character of Fresi-
dent OF the French Republic. They
sometimes met at Fointainebleau,
where the Montijo family always
spent n few weeks during the hunt
ing season. From the first he was
attracted to the brilliant young SPAN
ish girl. But when he became EN-
pcrOr, IN lNo-, MS nina was SCI on
an alliance with some European roy
atty. At that time. however, his
throne was considered so unstable
that first one and then another prin-
cess refused his advances.
Finally he determined to follow the
dictates of his heart. In January,
1853, he startled his ministers by an
nouncing that he had determined on
an alliance with Mile. de Montijo.
The news was published in the Of
ficial "Moniteur" next morning. 1t
excited much opposition, not only in
the cabinet, but among, the French
public. An alien empress. not of roy
al blood. was distasteful to them. But
the Emperor stood firm. In a formal
communication made at the Palace
OF the Tuileries. i'm the presence of
the highest French dignitaries and
the representative members OF his
own family, he described his future
bride as French at heart, by educa-
tion, and by tho memory Of the blood
shed by her father In defense of the
frst empire" The royal marriage
was thereupon fixed to take place on
January 20 and 30. tho civil colobra-