WEALTH TO PENURY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22056, 12 March 1935, Page 9

WEALTH TO PENURY

ZOUBKOFFS TROUBLES LIFE IN LUXEMBOURG (Received March 11. 5.5 p.m.) PAEIS, March 10 In spite of his shabby clothes and two days' growth of beard, Alexander Zoubkoff, the Russian who jumped into notoriety a few years ago by marrying Princess Victoria of Hohenzollern, was recognised in a cafe at Luxembourg by a French journalist. Zoubkoff now is working as a luggage porter. He said: "Once I spent £15,000 a year here. I used to give £3 tips. Now I can hardly wait for Fridays when theatrical companies move and I help them with their luggage. "I only manage" to get one meal a day. I cannot get a permit to live in France, Germany, Belgium or Italy. They all politely tell me to go somewhere else."

From washing dishes in a Berlin restaurant, Zoubkoff, who was then *3O years old, went to Bonn to visit relativesi and there mad© the acquaintance of the ex-Kaiser's sister, Victoria, then 61 years old. She became infatuated with the Russian and against the wishes of Wilhelm married him on November 20, 1927. The pair set off on their honeymoon on a motor-cycle. A fortnight later Zoubkoff was seriously injured by being thrown from his machine. Extraordinary rumours as to his conduct appeared in the German press, but the truth of these was repeatedly denied by the Princess. In February, 1928, the couple arrived at Berlin, where they proposed to nettle. As the result of a violent scene in a night bar, where Zoubkoff savagely assaulted an attendant who had displeased him, he was taken to a police station for examination. Next day ho was fined £25 for living in Germany without a permit. After that he lived at various places outside Germany His extravagance resulted in th« bankruptcy of his wife, whose property at Bonn was sold at auction. The Princess, in November, 1929. be-o-an an action for divorce on the ground that Zoubkoff had made himself impossible in Germany and did not provide for her. She died, however, in the same month. Zoubkoff was arrested near Bonn while attempting to attend her funeral, and deported. In February, 1930, it was reported that he had become engaged to a German barmaid.