ESTABLISHED 1866. The Marlborough Express. MONDAY, JULY 2, 1917. "NO GERMANS NEED APPLY."

Marlborough Express, Volume LI, Issue 154, 2 July 1917, Page 4

ESTABLISHED 1866. The Marlborough Express. MONDAY, JULY 2, 1917. "NO GERMANS NEED APPLY."

Tiie recent decisioh->of His Majesty the King that all Biritish princes of alien birth should be compelled to re-* uounce their princely titles, being compensated, 'as we have heard has already been done,- in three or four cases by. British marquisates or earldoms, may be •regarded as a sign that for the future there will be far, fewer matrimonial alliances between members of the British Royal House and Continental prihcelets 'and princesses. Especially will all alliances with persons of German birth be discountenanced ; indeed, we may regard,, it as -certain that the British Parliament, the consent of which to all Royal marriages with foreigners has first/to be obtained, would at once taboo any such proposal. At one time, a German match was considered a specially desirable; thing: for a British prince or princess. .That was in the early part of the Victorian era, when the influence.qf the late Prince Consort was so powerful.. As time went oh, however, V Queen Victoria's personal penchant for looking across the Rhine tor husbands ariql wives for her children' seemed to' suffer a distinctly' noticeable falling4)ff. The Pl-incess -J-6ui'ie was .he first\to break with a bad precedent,' and married, and was very happy with, a Scots lord, the Marquis of Lome, of the historic house of; Aigyll. Later on the marriage of Ring Edward's daughter Maud to the Duke of Fife afforded another proof that the British Royal Family had determined to break away from a Irtng-establishedE custom. German brides are to-day even less popular with the English people than they were in Queen Victoria's time. Wherever the German woman goes she carries with her, an atmosphere of Teuton duplicity and treachery. She always remains a German. The rTsaritsa of Russia and "Dear Tino's" ■•wife, Queen Sophie (the Kaiser's devoted sister) are cases in point. This subject of the unwisdom, or positive danger to : the State, of foreign marriages for British royalties has recently been much in the public mind j for the Prince of Wales, who was twenty-three years old on Saturday week, is now of marriageable iige, and in the natural course of things-the question of finding him the right kind of wife must- occupy the attention of his Royal parents. An English bride for England's future King has been warmly advocated in many leading English journals'. Where can such a union be sought? This is a question which has been discussed in the London Daily News, which points out that there should be no lack of choice before the young prince and those who advise him on Ins matrimonial future. Our contemporary says that the Stanleys, the Talbots, and the Nevilles are the three greatest English families from the genealogist's! point of view, and the Stanleys descend from Greek Emperors If. English blood royal is preferred, there are the Somersets, who aescend illegitimately from John of Gaunt; the Fitzßoys, the Beauclerks, and the Lennoxes, who descend in the same way from Charles 4*5, and the' Fitzclarences,- from William I\. The Scots hare an even stronger claim to be considered royal, ? r Ji), mes I>uke of Monmouth married the L/onntesK of Buccleuch, and became tho direct ancestor of the present Duke of Buccleuch. It has always been said that a. certificate of marriage between Charles 11. and Lucy. Walters (which would have regitimatised Monmouth) was preserved -by the Earls and Dukes of ■Buccleuch, and was surrendered by the present Duke's grandfather to Queen Victoria If anyone, adds the Daily News, will take the pains to coheot from "Burkes Peerage" all the marriageable dayghters of these tamibes he will find that there is an ample choice before the Heir Apparent. May lie choose wisely and well.