Evening star., 1947-07-07
Nine. lupeseu Passes
Crisis, Hope Rises
For Her Recovery
BY the Assoeioisd e,ass


Mime. Ernesto Undreanu, wife of
the secretary Of former King Carol
OF Romania. said today Elena
ldagda) Lupescu passed the crisis
Of her grave illness last night and
I'VE even hone that the improve
ment she shows will lead to her re-
covery."
The auburn haired woman sought
Thursday to legalize in marriage
her 23-year-old relationship with
the former monarch. who twice has
retired hastily from the troubled
Romanian throne. She has under
gone four transfusions from snemia.
Mime. Undreanu said, Mime. Lu-
pescu this morning is better"
"Of course, nobody can tell she
said. Yesterday we thought it
would be matter OF hours, but dur
ing the night, which physicians said
would bring the crisis, she showed
strength, end this morning seemed
better.
1T is absolutely untrue that she
has lapSed into coma. She has
been conscious all the time excent
when sleeping, but of course she
is very weak and is very seriously
! ILL.,"
Given Four Transfusions.
1T is also absolutely untrue that
she has leukemia. She suffers from
serious snemia and is very Ill. She
has had four blood transfusions and
thev seem to be helping her.
I'VE have hope now that She may
continue her recovery"
Two physicians still attended
Mime. Lupescu, who lay pale and
quiet in Carols luxurious Copaca- =
bsns Palace Hotel suite for which
the former monarch pays $50 day.
The entire sixth floor of the fash
tonsble seaside hotel has been barred
! to the curious. Silence was MAIN
! tanned in the corridor leading to
Nine. Lupescus room.
The temperamental Carol, who
has been holding his emotions in
check only by visible effort, was re-
ported red-eyed from lack of sleep.
He was said to have paced the floor
in the adjoining rom through the
night, chain smoking cigarettes to
keep awake in the event he was
called to the bedside of the woman
with whom he fed his throne the
last time to escape what Carol said
was the humiliation of Nazi don1ins-
ton.
| Status Of Ceremony In Doubt.
Meanwhile, the legal status of the
/ 'deathbed marriage ceremony which
the stricken woman and her royal
lover went through last Thursday
remained g. matter OF doubt.
Legality of the ceremony hinged
on sn Interpretation of BraziIs
unique in extremis" marriage law
occasionally invoked when q dying
person wishes TO make a legal mar
riage gesture toward person with
whom he or she is has been living,
usually for distribution of common
property or transfer of other rights.
The law provides that the dying
person may designate, in the pres
ence of six persons, the other part
ner in the marriage. The witnesses
then report to a marriage court and
if there ere no legal obstacles the
court may declare the marriage
legsl-providing the requesting party
dies.
Complicated by Divorce.
The case OF Carol and Mime. Lu-
pescu is complicated by the fact
that both have been divorced
Carol from Princess Helen of Greece
and Mime. Lupescu from a Roman
ian Army officer. Brazilian law does
not permit divorce, but does allow
the Supreme Court to decide whether
foreign divorces may be recognized
| A factor believed TO support the
marriage here is the fact that
Bucharest dispatches say the di-
vorces are considered to be legally
in order in Romania
! The marriage petition has been
filed in the marriage court and will
he submitted to a judge within five
days.
I If Mime. Lupescu lives. and still
wishes to marry Carol, they must go
through another ceremony.