PRINCESS'S ROMANCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11282, 9 January 1915, Page 8

PRINCESS'S ROMANCE.

SHATTERED BY THE WAR. AN AMERICAN STORY. Tho lover .she chows after rejecting the most eligible kings and princes in Europe, was torn from her and turned into .nn enemy who may be shot by her own countrymen. The Princess Patricia of Connaught, ; tho Princess "Pat" of popular affections, is the victim of a. most cruel war romance, says the "San Francisco Examiner.'' Alter rejecting more kings ami princes than any girl in Europe, the handsome Princess became engaged shortly before the war to the hereditary Grand Duke Adolf Friedrioh of Mecklenburg-StrclitK. Tho engagement was not formally announced, but was universally accepted as a fact. Now the Duke is'a German, officer and his country is at war with the Princess's country. The engagement of course, must l>e at an end, and whether it can over be resumed is very doubtful, as tho feeling between the two countries is such that a marriage between these two .would be execrated in both places. In spite of the Duke's high rank, there is no doubt that the engagement was a. love affair. The Princess had .lechned so many suitors, including several of much higher position than the Duke, that it is certain she is determined to marry only for love, or at least for reasons of personal inclina.tion.

The Duko is a handsome young man, who has made himself very popular in society He is heir to the reigning Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who is one of the sovereign Princes of tho German Empire. Although this family is not of great political importance among rulers, it is very ancient and possesses immense wealth." . lhe young Grand Duke Adolf Friedrich has mingled much more in cosmopolitan society than is usual with German Princes. He has met many Americans m London and Paris He, took part in several of the costume balls tha* have lately been so popular in those cities, and was considered the best-looking figure in historical costume at them.

He also attended entertainments given by the Duchess of Manchester, Mrs John Astor, and Lady Naylor Leyland, all Americans. During the pleasant untrammelled social life which the Grand Duke led away from his own country he and the Princess "Pat" developed an intimacy, which ripened into affection.

The Duke, by the way, is a third cousin of the Princess. ' His grandmother, the Dowager Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who was an English Princess and cousin of Queen Victoria, recently had her pension of 25,000 dollars a year from the British Government cut off on account of the war.

The Princess Patricia is now in Canada, where her father, the Duke of Connaught, is Governor-jGeneral. She has lately been present with her father to witness the departing of the contingents of Canadian soldiers sent off to the war from Valcartier, Quebec. Some of the soldiers she has been wishing success to may now be\shooting at the man whom she expected to be her husband.

The Princess " Pat," ns she is always called; is quite an idol in Canada. The tall, gracious Princess has done more to make the empire popular than anybody ever Bent over from England. One of the Canadian regiments sent to the front has been named ''Princes? Patrioia's Own."

Probably few of 'fJie soldiers' who were cheered on their way by the Princess stopped to think that they might be going to kill her sweetheart. If soldiers stopped to think of such things could they ever fight? The personal, complications of war between two neighbouring countries are horrihh. THAT HORRID LITTLE MAN. The Princess is 6ft tall, but her figure is so graceful and she dresses so well that her height does not make her look awkward. She has beautiful fair hair and lovely blue eyes with Jong lashes. In spite of her very feminine charms, the Princess "Pat" is a great sportswoman. In Canada her shooting has been very much admired. She is also a dashing rider and a good golfer. She , lias even been in a shooting expedition in the wilds of Central Africa.

Disposing of the Princess "Pat's" - hand has been one of the favourite occupations of courts and society for ten years, and it seems that it may be continued indefinitely. She is_ now twenty-eight years of age, which is older than: royal princesses are usually allowed to remain unmarried.

In her earliest youth it was considered most desirable for "reasons of State" that the Princess Patricia should make an important marriage with some European ruler. Her father was the only surviving brother of King Edward when the latter ascended the throne. The Duke and his family were for a long time the most conspicuous representatives of the throne in public.

The good looks of the Princess and her sister and brother were considered a valuable asset to the Royal Family. They were all expected to help the family interests by making advantageous marriages. Princess Patricia's sister. Princess Margaret, fulfilled these expectations by marrying the Crown Prince of Sweden, but Patricia was an absolute rebel to the idea of being married for " reasons of State."' Years ago her father took her to Spain with the object of arranging a match with King Alfonso, who was quite willing. The tall, strong Princess looked at the antemic King with his sallow face and curious projecting un-"dcr-lip, and treated him very coldly. She declared to her father: " I will never, never marry that horrid little man !'' THE KAISER'S SONS. J't is not true that when King Edward remonstrated with Prmcess "Pat" she threw herself on the floor and wept. She has a different way of declining an unwelcome marriage. King Alfonso took the episode with admirable philosophy. He met King Edward in the south of France, soon after, and said to him: "Since your charming niece. Princess Patricia., does not care for me. .may 1 hope iVr better luck with your equally charming nice. Princess Victoria of Battenburg?" Tins time King Alfonso made a good guess. . Several sons of the German Kaiser in succession were proposed for Princess " Pat." At one time it was stated that she would probably marry his second son, Prince Kite! Frit?!, but she found insuperable objections to bi.s habits. The Princess whom ho actually married recently left him. 1n'1.907 efforts were made to bring about a match between Princess Patricia and the late Crown Prince Luis of Portugal, hut once more she resolutelv declined. The Prince was assassinated with his father in 1908. The next plan of the Royal matchmakers was to marry the Princess fo the. middle-aged Count of Turin, older brother of the Duke of the Abrnzssi, whoso affair with Miss Katharine Elkins excited so much interest. _ Turin had an international reputation for adventures of a. different kind from those, pursued by his gallant brother. This was probably why the Princess Patricia absolutely declined to have anything to do with him. Still, the British Royal Family persisted in trying to marry the Princess "Pat" suitably. It must not be supposed that her father is a hard- ,

hearted man who docs not care abooK his daughter's feelings. On tho con* trary. everybody says the Duke is 2 very kindly and genial man, but, bre« in the old traditions of royalty, b.2 believes that he would bo doing hi* best for his daughter by marrying hen to a ruling prince. In this cause h* iK heartily supported by his wife, whfli ™ «• daughter of Prince Frederic* Charles of Prussia. ". DESTINED TO BE UNHAPPY. In 1009 tho matchmakers tried ia vain to marry the Princess to KinS Manuel, who then occupied tho thron.2 of Portugal. Eventually he married a Princess of Hohenzollern. The] strange episodes that occurred during the honeymoon seem to prove that thl Princess Patricia was wise when eh«2 firmly declined lum. (. For several years in London tbrt T rnicpss was much with a coterie ofl young people that included tho beauJ til ul Lady Marjone Manners and the? Marquis of Anglesey, known in so* ciet.y as , " Handsome Charlie." S<J e.iefy believed there was a love, affairi between the. Princess and the Maraud t was said that King Edward &*3 Jutely lorbnrle. a marriage between th2 young people because the Marquis wal not ol sufficiently high rank. " Ihe same gossip asserted that PrincA Arthur of Conn aught was in love witM Lady Marjone Manners- These plantf were somewhat disarranged, for th* 1 Ma rquis of Anglesey married Lady Mam* ]or, e from whom he has since separate fid. I nnco Arthur made a conventional marnage takmg his COUB i n , JEj Duchess of Fife, who is very rich 1 BRILLIANT AND ATTRACTIVE. It was then, after an extended es* penence 0 1 society and suito re ;ts2 the Princess chose the Grand Duke ofl Mecklenburg-Strehte. He was the idea? o a woman who had seen many Z of different types and understood theift ways Society is therefore ££3 vmced that he must be a very briH Hant and attractive man, eventhougtf a born Prince. &^ Not only is the Grand Duke" now log. "»Uy an enemy of all that is British* but it ,s conceivable that the chaS and strange coincidences of war majj bring him to sword point* with a mej* ? e *™X°H** woman he 3 nected to wed. Princess '' Pat's'' bro2 ther Prince Arthur of Connaught, Q at the front with the ritish expedition} the Scots Greys, his capture and deten, tion u. a prisoner of war would be wclj worth the while of any German officer J JJie ancient Greek dramatists, with] a Princes "Pat" for their tragia! heroine, would not have denied themJ selves a climax even more harrowing. J.o meet that dramatic ideal all futuraf possibility of Princess "Pat" boinatf reunited with her royal lover would be 3 obliterated by a personal combat in] which Prince Arthur of Connaugliti would be slain by the Grand Duke- ) Considering the heavy casualties thatt have more than decimated the. British! officers sent to France, it would not b* strange if the Princess should read the,' name of her, brother in the list of dead or wounded almost any day now. An<l this is another of the worries and griefs' she is compelled to bear. I That the Princess should lose lover now seems all the more a tragedy because of the many experiences she! has passed through m her determine tion to assert her rights as a womari and not a mere puppet of royalty. \ She has often been described as thef most difficult and obdurate of royaf maids. ; Psychologists know that when ai woman of such character is deprived; of anything on which she has set hen heart tho shock is far greater than ltd would be in the case of a young and! undeveloped girl. > This story proves that even thosoj who have beauty, wealth,'.rank andl ability cannot always grasp the 'happW ness that is within reach of the poorest* and humblest.