EMPEROR'S ROMANCE,

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 106, 28 January 1908, Page 4

EMPEROR'S ROMANCE,

An Emperor's romance was recalled by an application in tho King's Bench Division by -Mr. Buckmaster, and nine other counsel, for the assistanco of Mr. Just-ice Parker in dividing an estate which originally bolonged to tho beautiful Miss Howard, afterwards Countess.de i3eauregard, who was a favourite of Napoleon Jll. Miss Howard, who was an Englishwoman, was 0110 of tho most noted beauties of her day. Jler houso in London was the resort of all tho best known men in town, aud when Louis Napoleon camo to England as an exilo ; ho mado her acquaintance. She was wealthy, and- she was' impressed by- hie dreams of empire. Silo assisted him iinancially whiln ho was in London, and afterward while he was President of the French Republic. it is supposed, .says the ".Star," tiiat she aspired to bceomo his Empress. For a timo sho occupied apartments at St. Cloud, travcllod. with Napoleon, and appeared at reviews with him, and in other public places. When 110 lieeamo Emperor, however, ho cast her off,_ and sho threatened in revenge to publish his letters to her. Twice tho French secrc-t police searched her house, but tlioy could not find tho letters, and at last Nai»!-con was forced to buy her silcnce with £250,000 and tho titlo of Count-ess do Beauregard. Tho Countess subsequently married Mr. Claronoo Trolawnoy, a menil>or of an old C'-ornislr family, but they we.ro -divorced in 1865. Miss Howard's son, Martin Howard, who was sup|>osc--l to bo the son of Napoleon, was oreated by him Count do Bechovet. Ho married a Hungarian, lady, and they had a son, Count Richard do Bechovet, aud two daughters, the Comitcm Grisilo Charlotte and tho Countoss Marianne Josephine. Count Martin do liechevet died in August last, and his ostat-e w now being divided. It was stated that, in addition to property worth £100,000, which was entirely eaten up by mortgages, thoro were securities for about j;3(i,000 deposited with t-ho Ijegal and General Insurant*) Company. Mr. Just.ieo I'arke-r said he though I it would ho -found that Count llicliii.nl had parted with all his interest, but ho ordered an enquiry to determine how much i<omaiucxl to each of Count Martin's three children.