SERBIAN KING ENGAGED

Evening Star, Issue 17958, 3 May 1922, Page 6

SERBIAN KING ENGAGED

HIS .SEARCH FOR BRdHE. OVERTURES TO PRINCESS MARY. The engagement of King Alexandcr of Serbia aikl Brim-css i\lario of Rumania, which was announced ad .Belgrade icccntly, ends two years of ccarching for a suitable bride !'or Serbia's King, which has been one of the most perplexing problems with whirl) Yugoslav diplomat* ha\v> had lo <leal. Now that ilm 1 talk an Cupid seems to have, taken matters into his own hands, the story oi Alexander’s Odyssey in search of a throne mate may be interesting, as showing that even Royalty cannot have ils own way when there is a question of marriage. ■Soon after Em armistice King Alexander's advisers told him that he would be expected to wed. in order to prove In tbo Serbian nation that the throne wonkl not go begging for its future riders, and Alexander was given a list of suitabie brides. At the top of tiie list were the names of the Rumanian j’j-imessw:. These, ho vever, were promptly scratched off by Alexander himcelf, with the. remark mat ho did not want to lie up with the Yugoslav or either Baikal! nations, and that besides the, only one in the Rumanian house whoso beauty was at all plow in;; lo Alexander was the Queen hcr-cif. .Meanwhile Alexander had been faxMnatod by a. young crcm-h eovi-nm-s who accompanied him on nil his incognito visits •to I’ari-s and the Riviera. Ec ■ months it looked a? if the French "id would induce him to giro up tho Miron? and sct-110 down io pnie; life in Imr Brittany villare. Ilia Mmiriwi's inWrveiled, however, with app.vds not to liive;': up Mm Kara-irem-gevit- i; line, imt avreed to let the; regent take Iks time in trying to hud a Miita-bh' bride. The princess-es of France, Italy, and ''Main ail wem paraded fee Alexander's benefit during (he Riviera., awnam; but an alliance with any of those tailed bcca.r«•<;• Alexander's oar<« oi' stale seemed hr. doubtful a bnr-.lcn tor Mri pr:-wc>scs (e> si;a rc. finally came (ho 'e .... from tbo tc.rhian ,dblister at Loimou ‘hat i’nnce:;« kirry had Ciiinmciiigd M-inj.-aiVluaiily on tiro fa r t that Alexander bad not found a bndo. AliiAaiii.br s jih.'iograoii wa■ promptly sent to !linkimrbam Palace. A jew wergs la.ter Brumes-; Mary returned tuc compliment by sending Imr photograph to Belgrade, mi incident which sent Alexander nndnng to Paris again, ready to carry negotiations to a. fiius-i. Unfortunately -Alexander’s mis.-ion was not kept secret, and reports of tin? Serbian ruler’s intentions rmi'bed (he ears of (.Jus P.iiie'O of Wales, who vertmnaliv dislilmr, Alexandra’, .lin t what 'happened orobabiy will never be know;;, bni’AV-xander im e-.n.vt’d a. neb km telegram from Lond*..n te-lim-g him u, was useless to hop-. for a British connerlion. and tan m-ct'alien regent, promptly developed alleged appendicitis. Even this failed (•> arouse tho sympathy of England's Keyal family, and Alexander returned In Belgrade lo lake up in? kingly duties with the Rumanian candid;.;-,'-;, ilm only ones left to whom !m could consistently offer t.li i throne. App;iro.x:’y the .Ministers are satisfied with Ak-:;-rmdcr’c selection, although they nro dill worried as to hove Rrinccss ’.Marie will I talm matters should the King renew, as lie lias threatened, his incognito visits to the Freach charmer’s residence.