ROMANCE OF KAISER'S SON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16120, 8 July 1914, Page 8

ROMANCE OF KAISER'S SON

TO WED A MAID OF HONOUR. A MORGANATIC ALLIANCE. (Feom Otjb Own Cobbesfokdeht.) LONDON, May 29. Tha announcement in Berlin of the en* gagement of Prince Usoar, the Kaiser'l liftn son, to tho Countess Ina Marie von Bassewitz oauacd vary great surprise owiwr to tho Kaiser's well-known objections to morganatic marriages and the strict family code of HohenzoUerns in thi» respect Prinoo Oscar, who is a captain m the Potsdam Foot Guards, will be 26 years of ago m July. His &mcco is &ix months older. Their marriage- will be what is known in German nobilrty as a "left-Jiaaded union," or a mesalliance, line Prince's determination to marry the girl of hie choice has a romantic history. Ho first became acquainted with the Countees while she wae among the Kaiserin's ladies in waiting. The Emperor noticed tho affection between the couple, and shortly aftorwarde the Countess withdrew from tine imperial entourage to i£turn to her parents' home Castle Brostov, in Mecklenburg. _ Tho comradeship continued, and the PrHico laft his parente in no doubt as to his intention to overcome ail " old-fogeyish " dynastic objections and lead tiho Oountese to tho altar. He found an ardent supporter for his cause in his mother, and it was she who finally induced the Emperor to give his consent. No marriage of a Pruesian Prince is valid without the approval of tho Emperor, aa head of the family, and' erery Prince, on attaining his majority, hae to agree in writing to resnecfc thi-3 provision in the Hohensollwn family'* '' house laws." The Countees will bring her husband a rich dowry. The Kaiser has repeatedly shown hie dieliko of unequal marriages in cases of other reigning German families. The reception of the wife of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand' of Austria was the first breach, in fcho Prussian rule of precedence applying to morganatic wive-3. Hohenzollern history itsolf is, however, not free from similar marriages. Frederic William 111 married the Countess Harrach after the death of Queen Laise, but the Countess subsequently had , great difficulty in establishing her position at Court. The first Hohenzollern naval Prince, Adalbert, married an Austrian actress, Mile. Therese Elsler, in 1850. Anotiher instance is the morganatic marriage in 1873 of the present Duke of Sachsen Meinengen. The Countess, who cannot take the title of Princess Oscar of Prussia, will doubtless be granted some special title, probably the rank of duchess, by the Kaiser. The Oounteaa has four brothers, one of whom ie a lieutenant in a Cuirassior regisaent. The prospective nranriaee of -Prince Oscar teaveeonly two other children of the Kaiser—Prince Adalbert, an elder, and Prince Joachim, a younger 'brother—unmarried A morganatio marriage, of course, does not involve the loss of aniy rights in the case of a Prince, but his Consort is debarred from sharing either his title qr his rights of succession.