PRINCE’S ROMANCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 May 1928, Page 9

PRINCE’S ROMANCE

MARRIAGE IN REGISTER OFFICE. Without pomp or pageantry, Prince Charles Philippe, Due de Nemours, nephew of .the King of the Belgians and a descendant of the Kings of France, was married yesterday in a London register office (wrote a. Sunday “Times” correspondent on April 15 last). He is 23 years of age. His bride, a few years older, was Miss Marguerite Watson, a vivaciolus Ameri can. The time and date of the wedding had been kept a strict secret and it had not been expected, even among flic close friends of the bride and bridegroom, that it would take place until this week. The bride is the only daughter of Mrs. Fitzgerald Garrett Watson, of Washington and Newport, Long Island, and cousin of Mrs. Herman Le RoiJones, one of the leaders of American society. The Due de Nemours is the only son of the Duke and Duchess de Vendome, and the youngest of their four children. The Duchess of Vendome is the daughter of the Count of Flanders, younger brother of King Leopold of Belgium. The marriage took place at the Henrietta Street Register Office. Few people were in the streets when the bride, a slim young woman, dressed in a navy blue coat trimmed with cross-fox. a collar of beige, and a navy blue straw hat, walked along accompanied by a man friend. She had recently undergone an operation for appendicitis. Meanwhile the Due and his friend Mr. "Toby” Charlton, whose wife : s the. Earl of Carrick’s daughter. Lady June, arrived on foot. He was wearing a black lounge suit, with a. narrow pin stripe and a- bowler hat, and carried brown kid gloves. The American Vice-Consul attended Io witness the ceremony. Mr. Claude Marcel was another wit m?r-s. Subsequently the bride and bridegroom and one or two friends lunched at. Claridge’s. The Due de Nemours told me his life story. “My father.” lie said, “was the son of the Due D'Alencon, and the Duchesse D’Alencon was (lie sister of the Empress of Austria, wife of Franz Josef. Al one limo, of course, our„ family had big estates, but not. now.. The Vendome family now has a very beautiful property and chateau near Evian, on Lake Geneva. “I began my education at Stonyhurst College in England, and afterwards went to Italy to study, and finished in Paris. Since then 1 have beep nearly all round the world studying farming and prospecting, for my grea* ini .'rest is sheep. In order to lit myself for this work. I went, to Canada. to study farm life, and worked a.-; ar ordinary hand, and also as a harvester on Lord Rodney’s farm at Fort Saskatchewan, and later went to Lord (’heylesnioro's farm. which also ie Alberta. I am very fond of flying, too. and have travelled extensively by air.” MET IN PARIS. I*, is said that ho has flown aboui 200 line's backwards and forwards io Pa,:.;. Th" late Captain Mindiiu and Leslie Hamilton, the two aviators who perished with Princess Lowenstein on a flight across the Atlantic la i summer, wore great friends of the Pi inee.. 1 ’ Gr; J ip/' 1 11V bri’k

in Paris at the Ritz,” the Due told me. “Miss Watson was visiting Europe at the time, and I happened to be working on a farm in Northern France. I was asked to meet some Amei’icam), and Miss Watson was among the party. Within a. week we had become secretly engaged, but as I was under ago we could not. be married, so Miss Watson, went, back to America, and I went to Canada, to farm. “About, a year later I went to New York, fbr a fortnight, .where we met again, and decided that, as soon as it was practicable we should be married. But when I came back to Franc?, ami saw my family, they were against the atuanco because of my age. At Christmas; 1926, Miss Watson came back to Europe, and we decided to marry in 1927. “Then I had to go off to Africa, and Madagascar prospecting, and I came back ?. few months ago. Since then we have been trying to find a way to get through, the formaliti.rL attendant upon our union. The influence of my family was brought to bear, with the result that a church ceremony was hindered.” “Will the bride adopt the Roman Catholic faith at any time in the future?” I. asked him. “I hope so,” he replied, “but, anyway, we afro going to the Country to rest, and will then go to Africa, where I want to do some work. -1 have no intention of settling down in any country for the time being.”