New Britain herald., 1926-11-13
DUKES MARRIAGE
 ANNULLED IN ROME
Action Promotes Discussion in
 Church Circles

New York, Nov. 1s --Annulment of the marriage of the Duke of Marlborough to Consuele Vanderbilt by the Roman Catholic diocesan court at Southwark. England, and confirmation Of this decree by the Holy Rota tribunal in Rome has caused considerable comment in church circles in New York.
 Duke of Marlborough and Miss Vanderbilt were married In St. Thomas Episcopal church in New York In November, 1895. They had bean confirmed and baptized In the Episcopal faith. The duchess di- vorced Marlborough in an English civil court in 1920, Both later were married. the duchess to Jacques Balsan Of Paris and the latter to Miss Gladys Dea- con of Boston. When the duke and Miss Deacon were married in Paris in 1921 a Presbyterian off!ciated. He read the church of England service but left out the word "obey." a.
 Leading Catholic and Episcopal dignitaries and authorities on Cath ollie law and usages commented but briefly on the annulment last night. Bishop Manning o, the Episcopal diocese In New York said:
 "It seems increditable to me. that the Roman Catholic church, which takes so strong a position against divorce, should show such discrlm- jration in favor of the Duke or Marlborough who, because of the circumstances of his divorce and remarriage, was debarred by the present Episcopal bishop or ox ford, England, from attending the Oxford diocesan conference in 1922.
 Ut would be a serious thing ln- deed. and most dangerous in Its im' plications if the Roman Cathono church should claim the right to an null the marriage such as this, whlcn was entered into in entire good falth' which resulted in the birth Of two children and which was accepted as binding by both parties to 1t TOT many years"
 Monsignor Lavelle, rector Of st. Patrick's cathedral, referring 10 the statement. of an unidentified Roman Catholic ,thority in England mat "notbing more can be done TOT duke than for tramp" said:
 "There is no favoritism. what the reasons were for granting the de' cree I do not know. but we can pc perfectly sure they were reasoH' found to be within the law"
 Other Catholic authorities salo that the church would not under take to annul a marriage mereis hecause 1t was not a Catholic mar r,are. but that If In any marriage outside the church there shouia exist conditions that would mahe it null and void If 1t had been per formed in the Catholic church' tben the church would, upon re- ouest, grant decree Of nuiity.
 If was asserted by the Rev. Nli- erad Parsons. editor of the Catho- lie weekly magazine America una, as the duke had been divorced anu remarried he could not embrace the Roman Catholic faith unless one of two things happened nouncing his present wife, II HIS first marriage should have proveu to he valid. or proving that ms first marriage was invalid.
 Ea+ber Parsons added that the Catholic church did not claiin jurisdiction over the validity of the form of marriages as contracted ps non- Catholics. However, such q marriage, valid in other respects might be invalid because Of some inherent defect in the contract It. fsaIf: such,H for instance, would pc Tack of proper consent
 Consuela Vanderbilt. daughter oi the late William k. Vanderbilt. was nearing the age of IS when she married the Duke Of Marlporoush. The duke was the ninth Of his me created since Sir John Churchill was made first duke by Queen Anne Tn l7Oc. He was A years old and had only recently inherited the title on the. death of his father. .
 The marriage was known as sl'- GOO, ,OoO affair. When the young couple went to London to live Con suelo became a great favoritc- wltn Queen Victoria. The Prince or Wales, afterwards King Edward VII. was godfather for the first child of the union, the Marquis of Blan- ford. The other child is Lord lVor Spencer Churchill.
 The parents of the duchess were divorced. Her mother later married o. Fl. P. Belmont.