The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1956-04-20
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BIZ. VICTOR MEEKlNS
PRINCE-KELLY WEDDING
kz VICTOR MEEKlNS

ordained by priest the wife OF
Prince Rainier III of Monaco. We
don't know what makes the women
palitate so wore a wedding with a
prince, but they do, even tho his
dominion is no bigger than Ranier's
dominion. 1t isn't even what we
call a postage stamp principality.
It covers only about 377 acres of
land, just about what a farmer
in Hyde County needs to make a
good living, provided nature is
agreeable.
For weeks and weeks there has
been a furore following the an
rouncement that Prince Rainier was
coming to America to look for a
wife. After playing around for
years, he decided he must get up
and hump it, for if he didn't soon
get him baby, his BIT acres of
land would go back to France in
fee-simple forever, as the law
yers say. He wanted to find
good breeder, he wasn't too much
impressed with the fillies he had
been prancing around with, and
and he came to America, in hopes
he might do a little better.
He didn't find too many gals in
America impressed with his royal
ty. After all, a good red blooded
American rates a sovereign in
this country, while Rainier rated
only prince in Monaco. His 377-
acre principality in the south of
France isn't so impressive to
healthy Americans with many men
here who control thousands of
acres of farmland.
But there was a girl, one Grace
Kelly, a movie actress and thriv-
ing on the diet of white lights,
glamour, notoriety and publicity.
She must enjoy it. She has surely
basked in it since she announced
she was going to marry the prince.
She has, for the past several days,
been leisurely making her way
weddingward by slower steamer,
giving out interviews every day,
satisfying the prurient curiosity
of the American public on various
little points about the affair. She
has to tell them how many chill
dren she expects to have, where
she's going to sleep to the 200
rooms house, etc. ad nauseum.
Day after day she cooperates to
make a circus of the Forthcoming
nuptials. Great predictions are
made by the American people
about the success of this match.
Some say it will not last. The
officiating priest is equally con-
WINGED it will last and comes out
in an interview to say so.
Just what kind of a wedding is
this? Getting right down to brass
tacks, it reminds one of the good
old-fashioned country practice
when a farmer looks around for a
fine heifer to which his bull may
breed. In this little old country,
surrounded on one side by the sea
and shut off by the mountains on
the other, some 1000 people live.
They live principally on the fruits
of silly people who go there to
gamble at the tables of Monte
Carlo. Here congregate the idle
rich, the foolishly extravagant, the
empty headed and foolish who wish
to find forgetfulness in gambling,
or who hope to get something for
nothing. This kingdom is supported
by the taxes on gambling. Much
of it is blood money, for at its
gambling tables, many lose their
all, including hope in this world
and go forth to commit suicide.
Prince Rainier happened to be
the son of Louis II who died in
1949. That's the only reason he's
the head of the Government. But
even he is not an absolute ruler.
That power was stripped away un-
der the constitution of 1911. 1t is
actually ruler by an elected Coun-
Gil of IL members. It takes 200
policemen to control the 377 acre
dominion.
Under the terms with Srance,
which constitute this comical prin-
cipality of BIT acres, unless Rainier
has an heir, the rights go back
to France. There won't be any
more Monaco, and Monte Carlo,
except under the dominion of
France. Rainier has got him a
healthy American gal to share his
bed, this time by benefit of clergy
Let's hope they have lots of off
spring. We don't know much about
Rainier; we guess he's just young
sprout of SO who's long had live
ly interest in female life, surely
he's had the time, money and op-
portunity to pursue it. We don't
know much about the bride; she
just seems another American fe-
male with an itch for notoriety;
with burning desire to stay in
the spotlight. We can say that we
have lot more admiration for
any healthy American girl who