The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1921-07-22
YANK PRINCESS
May Be QUEEN
Widow OF Ralph Thomas May See
Husband Acclaimed King of
Albania.
LOSES HEART TO PRINCE
Princess VIora Is Granddaughter Of Eu-
gene Kelly, Millionaire New York
Banker-Her First Husband
Was Frank Jay Gould.

New YOrk.-Princess Vlora, former
ly Mrs. Helen Kelly Gould and more
recently Mrs. Ralph Thomas, MAJ be
the first American to be addressed as
your majesty"
Ii she attains the throne Of Albania,
as seems possible, she bids fair to
eclipse socially Princess Anastasia Of
Greece, formerly Mrs. William b.
Leeds, who, through her marriage to
Prince Christopher Of Greece, has
climbed the royal ladder higher than
any other American woman.
Princess Vlora is in New York "on
business" While her royal consort,
Prince Vlora, is at their house in Paris
arranging plans to ascend the throne
OF his grandfather.
The father Of Vlora, Ferid PaSha, is
prime minister to Abdul Hamid, and
is working quietly with Turkish lead
ers.
She Prefers Paris.
What Will you do in Albania, where
most Of the men are pOlygamists and
addicted TO bloody feudSi' | asked her
in her apartment in the Hotel LenOric.
Il don't know" she said, smiling,
perhaps remain most Of the time in
my Paris home with my two children
Helen, who's nineteen, and Dorothy,
who's seventeen-who are now in
school in Switzerland"
FHha nrinonCS was, II,1,, kT,rnpnt
Kelly, granddaughter of the million
aire New York banker, Eugene Kelly.
She was married at eighteen to Frank
Jay Gould and after %divorcing him
married Ralph Thomas, son Of the
sugar king. After a brief married life,
he died suddenly in 1914, leaving her
several millions.
During the war she sailed for Paris,
where she became a war nurse. While
recuperating in Switzerland, she told
brooding over the fate of Albania and
meditating schemes for its restoration.
Loses Her Heart.
"He told me sad stories of Albania"
she continued, "of its wild scenery and
the picturesqueneSS Of its people. He
was a delightful chap and l confess
that l lost my heart to him. We were
married quietly.
whether the prince will become
king Of Albania is not certain. 1t is
we'll known in diplomatic circles that
the problem Of finding a satisfactory
ruler Is a hard one. The prince is the
natural ruler and is mapping out his
course in Paris and London now.
albania Is the toughest country in
the Balkans, a country Of wild noun
tains, entirely without railroads. The
only towns are situated on the coast
Of the Adriatic. The entire population
is less than 100000.
1.-THE people consist mainly of fierce
mountaineers, walking arsenalS Of
rifles and knives. They are Moham-
medans in religion and confirmed
polygamists."
The princess explained that shortly
before the war Prince William Of
WED, with German and Austrian back
ing, succeeded in getting installed as
king Of Albania at Durazzo. He never
succeeded, she said, in winning the al
legiance of the mountaineers, because
Essad Pasha and local chieftains were
hostile to him. So he returned to Ger
many. Since hen the Italians have
occupied more. Of Albania and joined
hands with the allies, operating from
Saloniki.
II am here to assist my husband in
my own way" Princess Vlora said. III
he wants the throne he can have 1T.
II am very much in love with him
and will help him all l can, but think
I would prefer to spend most Of my
time In Paris.
my mission here is to rest and tO
see certain friends on certain matters
Of Importance"