BANKRUPT MONARCHS

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 1207, 12 November 1919, Page 2

BANKRUPT MONARCHS

The war overturned empires, dethroned monarchs, and dragged dynasties in the dust, and as a result several kings who lost their thrones arc now unable to pay their hotel bills (wrote the London correspondent of the MelboWne ' Age' on August 14). Constantine, the deposed King of Greece, whose wife, Sophia, is the sister of the ex-Kaiser, is in this unhappy state. He regarded the German army as invincible, and while he remained on the throne of Greece lie thwarted the wish of the Greek nation to join the Allies. He conspired to thwart the plans of the Allies in Eastern Europe, and to keep the Kaiser in touch with every important movement on the part of the Allies. After the Rumanian army was overwhelmed in 1917, as a result of Russia's defection and a united German-Austrian offensive, the German High Command proposed to assist the Bulgarians in driving the Allied troops from Salonika, and Constantine proposed to help by employing the Greek army in an attack on the rear of the Allies. The Allied Governments then took steps to depose Constantino and place his second son, Alexander, on the throne. Constantine, Queen Sophia, and the Crown Prince made, their home in Switzerland, in the belief that* their exile would soon be terminated by the final victory of the Central Empires over the Allies. The Greek Government of XI. Venizeios made an allowance at the rate of £20,00f! a year to the exiled monarch: but this was discontinued as the result of Constantine continuing to plot against the Allies and against the policy of the new Greek Government' "He had then to depend on gifts of money from the Kaiser, but that tame to an end with the revolution in Germany and the flight of the Kaiser to Holland. Constantine, with his wife and family and suite, now live at the Hotel National at Lucerne. As the result of compulsory economy their w : eekly hotel bill has been cut down to £96, but is not punctually paid, as the deposed monarch lias to depend on what he can borrow from wealthy Greeks on whom he bestowed favors when he was a king. The Royal Family, including the haughty ex-Queen Sophia, have their meals on a table in the public dinng-room of the hotel, as it would cost at least 20 per cent, more to have their meals served in a private room, and they cannot afford the extra expense. They are unable to afford amusements. The ex-King goes about the town on ffjot, and his granddaughters use bicycles, because the family cannot afford a motor car. The haughty Sophia refuses to show herself .in public, and receives no visitors. Constantino's eldest son, the former Crown Prince, and his brother, Prince Nicholas, share the family poverty at Lucerne. ■ Another impoverished monarch is King Nicholas of Montenegro, who is 78 years of age. .Montenegro fought on the side of the Allies, and was eventually overrun by the Austrians, but the astute old king was suspected by the Allies of playing a double game in order to save his dynasty. When his little kingdom was overrun by the enemy he 'led to Italy, together with most of his numerous relatives, including the Crown Prince, bi.t he left behind one son, who entered into negotiations with the enemy, with a viewto occupying the throne rfiould Germany and Austria win the war. The defeat of the Central Empires awakened the national ambitions of the Southern Slavs for a united kingdom, embracing Serbia, Montenegro, and the Slav provinces of Southern Austria. The people of Montenegro are in favor of this union, and the Montenegrin throne has ceased to exist. Old King Nicholas has accepted his fate, but he wants a substantial allowance from the new Jugo-Slav Government, the headquarters of which are at Belgrade, the capital. of Serbia. So far no allowance has been made, as the Government have evidence that Nicholas has been plotting against the absorption of his country with Serbia. On the other hand, Nicholas declares that he was always in favor of union, but he has no intention of being thrown aside like an old kid glove, and ending his days in the streets as a beggar. He is reported to have told M. Popovitch, President of the Jugo-Slav Chamber of Deputies, that he has no more use for the Montenegrin throne than for a worn-out hat.. In the meantime Nicholas has returned to Cettnge, the capital of Montenegro, and is maintaining there the semblance of a court. Where the- money conies from is not known, but perhaps his daughter, the Queen of Italy, could throw some light on the matter. The court of this small kingdom was always conducted on simple democratic lines, and any subject, however humble, could ventilate his grievance in the royal ear. It was never a difficult matter for even the casual visitor to Cetigne to obtain an audience with Nicholas, even in the days of his prosperity, and he does not stand on his royal dignity in regard to introductions in these days of his adversity. A recent visitor who called on him states: " The king smoked a cigarette during the audience. A Minister stood on his right hand with a silver tray in which to collect the ashes. The Minister is also provided with) a. box of matches, in order to give the king a light if the cigarette goes out." The ex-K-user is in no danger of bankruptcy, for, the German Revolution did not deprive him of his personal wealth, butonly of Crown property which was in his possession as King of Prussia and German Emperor: No accurate estimate of his personal wealth can be formed, but it is believed to lie considerable, although some of his investments, such as his shares i« the Hamburg-Amerika Shipping Company, have lost most of their commercial value as a result of the \vaV. The dethroned rulers of the various German kingdoms, grand duchies, duchies, and principalities find their monetary resources considerably reduced as a. result of the war and 'the German revolution, but none of them is in straitened circumstances. The old King of Bavaria, who was next in importance to the Kaiser under the old German Federation, is living in an ancient manor at Zizers, in Switzerland, which he has rented. He isi 75 years of age, and his suite now consists of an old Bavarian general. The King is seldom seen outside the garden of his^home.