New Britain herald., 1929-12-28
PRINCES ROMANCE
 LIKE FAIRY TALE
Hulnbert and Marie Jose Were
 Friends in Childhood

Brussels. Dec. 2S.-'. . so the
 handsome boy prince and the pretty princess fell in love. II was q deep and abiding love. which lasted through the years, so that finally their royal parents gave their con- sent and they were happily mar ried ."
 Royalty is at pretty much of a discount in Europe. but good old fashioned romance is not. That is why all the Belgians and all the Italians are looking forward with the keenest excitement to the mar riage January s of Princess Marie Jose and Prince Cmberto. The plain people, who have to man the trenches in times of War and pay the taxes in times of peace. have come to look rather cynically on most royal marriages. But here they are sure, is love story in real life instead of the usual state wcd- ding decreed by diplomatic gray boards.
 Were Childhood Friends
 The romance began when tho Crown Prince of Italy and the only daughter Of the King and Queen of the Bcl9ians were children. It has stood the test of time and distance
 It has Withstood obstacles It was brought 10 culmination when Marie Jose stamped her pretty foot and declared to lady of her court that if she could not marry the man of
 her choice she would enter d con- vent.
 mberto, Prince of Piedmont, heir to the throne of Italy, often is called the Prince of Wales Of his country
 He is tall. handsome, well educated He IS religious, soldierly, democratic
 lie is brave; his calm demeanor when an Italian tried to assassinato
 him in Brussels proved that.
 He is the only son of the Italian royal couple, born on September 15, 1904. When the Prince of Piedmont was about 10 celebrate his twelfth birthday. his royal and soldiorly 1 father was at the front with his i troops. The House of Piedmont al
 ways has been a martial house, Ii was the boys great grandfather, Victor Emmanuel II. who brought | about united Italy. So the lads
 mother was not at all surprised at the answer she got when she asked | him what he wanted as a birthday present.
 "I wish to join father at the ! front where our soldiers are fight
 ing"
 He Won Permission To his intense ioy he was all l lowed to go. In his boyish scrawl, | nc sent back letter to his grand
 mother, the Dowagcr Queen Mar Slarlta. telling her that the artillery fire did not scare him and gravcIv assuring her that father was very brave"
 lie came into public and popular notice the next year when q radical paper Of Rome, started a Christmas | tree fund for the poor of the Etcr- ] nal City. Little Umberto promptly omptled out his savings bank and sent the total-ten dolars-to q paper whose policies often brought
 It into criticism of the government and the royal family.
 By 1921 the main lines of his education had been laid down nj
 home by privt4e tutors and the boy W2s then cnr6Fed as a private sol dicr in the First Grcnadier Regiment of Sardinia. After three months
 he was made q corporal and after
 six months q sergeant. To perfect himself as a young officer, he was enrolled in 1925, when he was Of
 age. in the Military Academy in Turin. He has made that ancient capital of Piedmont. where his family reigned long before there was united Italy, his residence ever since.
 To Be Brides Home, Too He has his own place there and
 1t IS thither that he will take his
 bride when they settle down as young married people. He now has an allowance from the state Of two
 million lire. This will be raised to
 3,0o0,000 after his wedding. Princess Marie-J osc, the only