Evening star., 1922-06-08

royal families, cabinet members anc
government officials were guests.
Queen Marie of Rumania, In speak
ing Of the marriage. expressed her
satisfaction and added:
THE marriage unites the old Ru-
manian family with the younger dy-
nasty of the Serbs, Crots and Slo-
| venes The Jugoslavs are especially
happy because King Ferdinand and
myself are connected with SO many
of the royal families Of Europe. They
consider 1t is q great stroke OF good
fortune for them and their future
that their king should marry a hu-
manian princess"
Engagement Announced.
Many little romances and royal love
| affairs which rumor had woven
around the eligible young King OF
Jugoslavia were halted rather
abruptly early this year by the Of
fetal announcement that he would
we'd Princess Marie, second daughte
of King Ferdinand and Queen Marie
of Rumania.
Both King Alexander and Princess
Marie had been reported engaged to
scions of various royal houses from
time to time. but the first fntimation
that they were interested in each
other came less than year ago.
Despite the fact that he was known
to be a rather proud, studious young
man. the courts of Europe had buzzed
with stories linking his name with
various favorites of the Partisan
night life. These were ignored at
Bucharest. where tho prince had told
every one his ambitions He was
anxious TO tighten the bonds between
Jugoslavia and Rumania in order TO
insure peace to the Balkans. and he
| knew his marriage to Marie was the
most decisive step he could take In
this direction.
Yet the royal heads of Europe kept
wagging. They knew the ruler OF
Jugos,avia was only thirty. and they
knew. too. that he had displayed his
forgot the devotion he showered upon
Titiana. eldest daughter OF Car Mich
| olas, who was lost to him through
the red executioners, and remember
| I'd only the suddenness with which
he seemed to forget her and fall un-
der the charm OF Princess Sophie.
daughter Of Prince Emanuel. Duke of
Vendone and Alencou, a member OF
| the Bourbon Orleans family.
Rumors Denied In Paris.
| The Jueoslav legation in Paris Is
sued denial of the rumors that ne
WAS engaged to Princess Sophie. but
| II failed to still the gossip. Mean
while. the prince had seen much OF
Marie while he was conyalescing In
| Paris from an attack OF appendicitis.
Almost his first act upon leaving the
French capital was to visit the Ru-
manian royal chateau of Sinai. where
he spent the Christmas holidays last
year with the princess This and
various encouraging statements from
the Bucharest court paved the way
for formal announcement
The princess, in the meantime. had
not been neglected by the matchmak-
ers. She was considered the prettiest
young girl of royai blood in Europe.
which won her the affectionate title
of 'Mignon" in court circles. Long
before she was mentioned in con-
nection with Alexander she had been
/ reported engaged to the Prince OF
Wales. She was known to be well
liked at Windsor Palace, where she
was a constant visitor while attend
ing school in England. When this
match failed to develop fast enough
for the gossips they transferred her
affections to King Boris OF Bulgaria.
only to find themselves thwarted by
Official denials from the royal house
holds OF both Rumahia and Bulgaria.
Her marriage today marks the first
wedding in Europe since the war in
which the bride and groom were both
of reigning families.
Plans for the wedding have attract
ed considerable attention to the Ru-
manian rulers. as well as reviVing
reports that Queen Marie intends to
visit the United States-a trip she
has planned several times since the
armistice. In view of the fact that
she faces her own coronation cere-
mony, tentatively set for some time in
| the fall. it is thought likely that she
may come to the United States after
the wedding and postpone the corona-
ion Ii necessary.
She issued a statement recently to
the effect that many pressing invita-
tions had been received from wom-
ems clubs and civic societies in the
United States and that she found 1t
difficult to resist them.
Becomes Heir Apparent.
King Alexander, second son of the
late King Peter of Serbia, became
heir apparent to his fathers throne
in 1909. when his elder brother,
Prince George, renounced his rights
as sequel to a bitter press cam
paign. in which an almost endless list
of outrages were charged against
him. The campaign was intensified
by charges that the royal youngster
had murdered one of his servants
during a At of anger.
Serbia, upon its liberation from the
Austrians, became the predominant
state in the organization OF Jugo-
slavia- therefore. 1t was certain that
its prince regent. as Alexander had
been designated when King Peter re-
tired in 1914. was headed straight for
the new throne.
He had won the respect ard esteem
of the Balkans in many ways, but
chiefly through his efforts to unite
the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. for
merly under the Austrian yoke. These
endeavors won him the title of
''peacemaker." His action in ap-
pointing governors for Serbia, Mon
tenegro. Slavonia, Bosnia, Dalmatia
and Croatia also was warmly ap-
King Peter died in August, 1921, at
the age Of seventy six, and Alexan-
der. then suffering from an attack of
appendicitis in a Paris hospital, was
proclaimed his fathers successor at
Belgrade.
King Alexander was born in 1888.
AS a youth he was frail and sickly,
but his career began to give more
promise after several years of hard
campaigning at the head of Serbia S
army. His education was completed
at Petrograd and his first real mill
! tary training was obtained in the
Balkan war of 1912.
Devoted to Allied Cause.
Throughout the world. war he was
devoted to the allied cause. 1t was
Alexander who ordered the mobiliza-
ton of Serbfa's army and personally
led it into battle. He was severely
wounded in the hghtine around Bel.
grade before his troops were forced
to evacuate the city. and barely es.
capped capture at Nish. where he set
! up capital for a brief period before
the Austrians entered.
Several attempts were made to as
sassinate him during his regency and
after he became king. The latest of
these occurred in June, 1921, and re-
suited in the death of one person