"REASONS OF STATE."

Press, Volume L, Issue 15017, 11 July 1914, Page 2

"REASONS OF STATE."

HOW THEY INFLUENCE ROYAL MARRIAGES.

(FROM A CORRESPO.sDENT.*! LONDON, May 29* Official announcement, amounting to Royal consent, of the coming morganatic'niarriage of Prince Oscar tho Kaiser's fifth, son, to Countess Ina Alan* yon Bassewitz, draws attention to the enormous part diplomacy and considerations of state play in the matrimonial affairs of the scions of royal families. In this particular case, -'reasons ot state" were compelled, by the persistence of Prince Oscar, to take a back seat, but not before the Kaiser had made a good fight in their behalf. The sinister hands of the diplomats were seen recently m the upsetting ol the love-match between -_roivn _ Prince George of Greece and Princess Elizao-*----of iioumania. Tlie princess, one or the i most beautiful wou.cn in European 1 royal circles, has tinned tho heads ot most of the eagibie princes on tne Continent. But she looked witli iavour ou none but Prince George, duspixo thelforts of diplomat- and relatives to naiiv her oil. Although but nineteen years" of age. she lias tlie appearance ofa woman older, and tho head ot a woman in tlie prime of nor powers, lii-ought- up in the gayest ot courts in the whole of Europe, she is a gir wise beyond her yea:s, and tne Ciown Prince of Greece was m-i-r-y 1 *_,*■• 11----i ated by her cleverness, tier vivacity and vitality. ' There are many reasons of state, irom the viewpoint oi' tho diplomats and rulers of Greece to commend an alliance with, the ruling houso ol Koumania. Roumaina, one of the strongest and most stable ol the Balkan nationsshowed, in the late war, that sno held the balance of power among the smaller nations in the cockpit of "Europe, -.ml whilo Greece added considerably to her possessions as a consequence ot her war with Turkey, and later the war with Bulgaria, as matters stand at present she has no guarantee that she will bo able to hoid what she has won: "N atu rail v. a matrimonial allii ance with strong Roumaina would be 'a bulwark against, future aggression. To this end the clever Greek Prcimei, Venezelos, sot himself and before long the engagement was announced. But the course of true love never did run smooth, least of all in royal circles and rival diplomats set to work on Crown Princess Mane, the mother of Princess Elizabeth. Just what influences and persuasions they were abo to bring to bear is not known, but tho emmgement of her daughter and _c Crown Prince of Greer 4 - was called off,-and there matters remain at-, the present moment. But one has not to go outside the family of tho Empsror of Germany to discover how important a part rea- _ ons of state" play .in the matrimonial I affairs of royalty. . Unfortunately tor the diplomats, the Kaiser's sons aro all blest with wills" as strong and as' unyielding as that monarch s and "reasons of state" have not had matters all their own way. But with tho exception of Prince Oscar, the Kaiser's sons, while they have hot always married tho women picked for them by an ambitious father, have contracted no marriages with women beneath their rank. For instance one of them—which one, the public will probably never know —was intended by tho Kaiser to marry Queen Wilhrimina of Holland The Kaiser has always looked with avaricious eyes upon the broad marshes, and tho splendid sea coast of Holland ; - and undoubtedly cherishes # confident hopes of incorporating within his empire in the course of time a land having so.many elements of sympathy with the Germans. With the idea of offering the hand of one of his sons, quite likely without, consulting the son in the matter, to the Dutch Queen, negotiations were opened by the German Government with the Dutch Court. It is said that the level-headed Wilhelmina feared the strong hand of tho Kaiser and replied in the words of a Dutch proverb, meaning "when tho kittens crawl through the - fence the old cat comeover the top." In the end the Kaiser had to be content with Wilhelroina's alliance with a German Prince in the person of Henry of MecklenburgScriwerin. The alliance of the Crown Prince of Germany with Duchess Cecilie came very near falling through altogether, not because of any unwillingness on the part of the interested couple, but because of friction between tho Kaiser and the bride and her mother. Of the other sons, Prince Eitel Fritz is married to Duchess Sophio of Oldenburg, who broke off her engagement with her father's aide-de-camp to contract the royal marriage, whilo Prince August Wilhelm defied his autocra-tie papa and .married long be'tore the Kaiser intended. It will bo remembered that King Alfonso, of Spain, came to England determined to marry quite, another princess than the one he did. Alfonso, it seems, was determined to make a matrimonial alliance with England, despite the fact that his mother was set upon his marriage to an Austrian archduchess, and Emperor William, who has a finger in every pie, tried to induce him to bestow his heart an*L hand upon a German princess. Diplomats still tell with much pleasure of a thwarted royal romance .of bygone days. It seems th;_t the late Queen Victoria conceived tho idea of marrying Princess Alice of England to Princo William, tho son of King William of Holland. Tho Dutch Court was approached, and expressed itself - delighted with the proposal. Prince William was thereupon invited to come to England to form the acquaintance of Princess Alice, and make the proposal. . ' - ~ Through diplomatic channels the Emperor Napoleon 111. heard of the proposed betrothal and for "reasons of state" decided to prevent it. He invited Princo William to spend a few days in Paris on his way to the English Court, and during his stay in the French capital saw to it that tho Prince was plunged into a wild orgy of dissipation. Th rough private channels the scheming French ruler conveyed to the- straight-laced English Queen exaggerated reports of this affair, with tho consequence that she called off tho . proposed marriage. It is known that the present Emperor of Austria failed to marry the woman the diplomats had picked out for him. In has case, however, he married her sister, so probably the same ends were served. It camo about in this way, A marriage was arranged for him with Helene, daughter of Duke Maximilian of Bavaria, and "Francis Joseph paid a visit to Maximilian's palace to maki a formal proposal to the daughter. When ho arrived. Helene. through nervousness, was stiff and formal in hor greeting, and the Austrian ruler was distinctly disappointed. A few hours later, in the park, he came unexpectedly upon Helene's younger sister, Elizabeth, an unconventional, light-heart-ed girl, who, frankly pleased to see Francis: Joseph, impulsively flung her arms round his neck, and implanted a resounding kiss upon his blushing face. The young Austrian ruler quickly made up his mind, and upon returning to the palace, informed the Duke that Eli-abeth, not Helone. was th_* girl JJje wanted to marry, xuaximilian nn.-e a tremendous row.- Helene shed some tears of injured pride, but Francis Joseph stock to his gu»s, and in the end