KILLED AT POLO

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 190, 25 May 1936, Page 8

KILLED AT POLO

PRINCE SsERGE MDWANI.

MAN 0F DYNAMIC PERSONALITY

In full View of his bride, who he had married little more than a month prev vionsly, Prince Serge Mdivani, eldest of the three Mdivani brothers, met his death in a polo contest at Del Ray beach, Florida, recently. The prince, who was only 33, was skippering a, team of Georgians against a Texas team. He and Mr Cecil Smith, one of his opponents, were Iriding full tilt down the field, when the prince made a» daring swerve across the line of play at right angles. It was impossible for his opponent to avoid a collision, and the prince was ung from his pony. The spectators gasped, but there came a sigh of relief as he was seen struggling to his feet. A moment, later, however, the relief changed to horror when the pony lashed out wildly with its hoofs and caught the prince full on the back of the head.

Doctors u'ushcd to the scene, but he died within 10 minutes from cerebral haemorrhage. His 25—yearold bride, Louise van Alexi, ,ex—wife of his brother, Prince Alexis, who was killed in a. car accident in Spain last year, was at. her husband’s side while doctors-did what they could for him. ‘When told there was no hope, she collapsed.

It was revealed after the accident that Prince Serge had dis-regarded all warnings not to ride with pole ponies. Mr Robert O’Malley, his secretary at Los Angeles, stated: “Only 10 days ago I warned him against riding ungovel'n—ableponies. “He laughed, and said I was too cautious. By throwing caution to the winds he sacrificed his life. Prince Serge had just added 19 new ponies to his string of 34, and) was ‘l"2l‘ proud of them.” Women have described Prince Serge as a. man of dynamic personality, who might have made a great career iii the films as “the perfect lover.” He was married three times. His first wife was Miss Pola. Negri, who, on her marriage to him in 1927, stated :——~

“I have been engaged to Charles Chaplin and Rudolph Valentino, but these passing whims cannot compare with my love for Prince Serge.” Following a divorce the prince was married secretly in 1931 to Miss llary McCormick, the American opera singer. In 1933 she was granted a divorce. He was married “Lo-Louise van Alen on February 8 last. She is a, granddaughter of Mr John Jacob Astor, and one of America’s leading heiresses. The only surviving Mdivani brother, Prince David, was at one time the hus—band of Miss Mae Murray, the; film actress.