THE ELOPING PRINCESS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 256, 22 July 1908, Page 7

THE ELOPING PRINCESS.

MARRIES HER MOTORIST.' (by telegraph—press association—copyright.) Berlin, July 20. : M. Koczian, the motorist and ex-lieuten-ant, married Princess Amelie, of Furstenberg, with whom ho oloped in May last. The bride's mother and brother vainly entreated her to relinquish her project. .Tho ceremony then, proceeded. THE PRINCESS'S RANK. OBJECTIONS OP HER PARENTS. Princess Amelie Louise Dorothea Leontino of Furstonberg is sister' of Princo Emile Egon of Furstenberg, a distinguished diplomat connected with the Austro-Hungarian Embassy iu London. , . _Tho Princess eloped with Lieutenant Gustavo Koczian, a half-pay officer in the Austrian' Army. It is impossible (says the " Express") to exaggerate tho profound nature of the sensation caused by the disappearance of the Princess and her lover, owing to her exalted position and her family'# intimate association with tho Austrian and other royal houses of Europe. Her step-brother, Prince Max Egon Furstcnborg, is un intimate friend of the German Emperor, and,-accompanied hiiii on his recent visit to Corfu in tho Mediterranean. All tho circumstances surrounding this iovo drama are of ft highly romantic' nature. FIRST MEETING. Princoss Amelie herself is a beautiful, vivacious, and strong-willed girl. Her round, laughing faco is crowned with a wealth of golden hair.' The first meeting witli lieutenant Koczian took placo at' Carlsbad, the most fashionablo watering placo in Austria. Hero tho lieutenant,, who was forced to leavo tho army a year ago on. account of his debts, was acting as representative of tho Benz' Motor Company of Vienna. Lieutenant Koczian is a tall, handsome, young Austrian, eight years older, than tho Princcss. It was a' case of lovo at iirst sight, Aftor their first liioeting they frequently arranged secret . trysts. The lieutenant almost invariably appeared in a motor-car and was in the habit of tailing tho Princess for long drives. . ■ 1 In his ardent lovo for tile Princess, Lieutenant Koczian appears to hnvo neglected his business as a : motor-car agent, for eventually ho lost his post and v, r as compelled to seek another in Mannheim. Even when he,left Carlsbad to tako over his new position at the Rlieinischo Automobile Works in Mannheim, tho attachment of the lovers was unbroken. Though separated'thoy kept up a, frequent correspondence. In tho meantime the Princess appears to have laid all the facts of her romantic love affair , before her. family; for slio wrote to Lieutenant Koczian stating that they had refused their consent to tho match. Lieutenant Koczian prcssod his suit with all the devotion of a young and ardent lover, and urged defiance of her relatives. Tho Princess acceded to his wishes. , and Lieutenant Koczian .arrived in Vienna with his parents., SECRET JOURNEY. Secretly loaving tho palaco v.'hero she was living with her mother, she took rooms in ah hotel in order that tho arrangements for tho journey might be raado without interference. Lieutenant Koczian.arrived at tho hotel in a closed carriage. In tho hall of tho hotel, Princcss Amelie, dressed in travelling costume, was awaiting, hiin. / • The lovers, after a fond embrace, entered tho carriage together and drovo .away to the'railway station. On tho station platform wero Lioutenant. Koczian's parents, and after bidding tlieni a tender farewell tho eloping couplo started on their journey.' As tho Princess is just over 21 years old, which is the lowest age at which a girl can marry in Austria without tho consent of her parents, there is no legal impediment to tho marriage. Tho only obstacle, from tho young couple's, point of view, was tho question of money. This the Princess, with girlish ingenuity, has solved by taking away with her no less than ,£15,000 worth of her own jewellery. They aro convinced that' this sum will be moro than sufficient to keep them until they have been married and have overcome tho opposition of tho Princess's relatives to the match. When this has taken place they hope to return to Vienna. .THE PRINCESS'S FAMILY., The House of Furstenberg is one of the most famous ailfl wealthy of ,the .noble families of Europe. It claims kinship With tho Grand Duko of Baden and the Hohenzollern family, and traces its descent to Count .Unruock, a contemporary of Charlemagne. After, the Congress of Vienna the family principality was mediatised, • and the Furstenbergs lost their sovorcign rights.. ■ ■■ / Prince Einile of Furstenberg belongs to the Konigshof branch of tho family, "and owns n vast extent of country between the Neckar and the Danube, including a large portion of tho Black Forest. Ho inherited his immense Blaclc Forest estates on the death of Prince Karl Egon, of the Souabo branch, in 1896, and previously possessed a large- extent, of territory in' Bohemia and Moravia. The net rental, of the Furstenborg estates in tho Dnchy of Baden alono is ,£G2,000, and tho estates, mines, and forests to/which the present -Prince succeeded were valued at o£l 6,000,000.