PRINCE'S ILL-FATED LOVE.

Western Star, 8 November 1921, Page 4

PRINCE'S ILL-FATED LOVE.

“ There is no doubt that the deaths •of Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria' and his lady friend, the Baroness Mary Vo-csera, were due to suicide,’ not murder,” In this decided a Vienna 'journalist, who was on good; terms with the Crown Prince, sets' out I 'the truth regarding this", tragedy,, of the' Austrian dynasty. As proof,; he-/ points out in the Neue Freic; Press© that the Crown- Prince and the; Baroiiesse wrote' farewell letters —the; Crown Prince to his wife and his; friend Szoegyeiiy ; ' the Baroncfes ‘to, her mother. The'letters contained the full story of their . unfortunate, lore. It was very hard for the Em-' per or Francis Joseph lo admit that his onlv son had committed suicide,; ill view of his religious feelings 1 as

a Catholic, - and the Emperor consented to the publication of the full ti nth two days after the catastrophe, while at first the official story of the death described It as a hunting accident.: . .. .

;j .Now, for the first time, reliable / information is vouchsafed that the ac? ; quaiiitance of the Crown Prince with ['[ th© Baroness , was. brought about by !- the intermediary of the then Prince l r.V Wales, siibsequently King Edward. [i 'Lhe prince had become acquainted > ,w,itb>the 'Vecsera family at Cairo,- ai\d ? again. .met the Barone-i, Vecsera in ;{ October, 1888, in Vienna, at a race i meeting. The Prince introduced 1 his i! friend Rudolf to Mary Veceera, : at "once made a deep impression on ; the .Crown 'Pfiiico, Shortly ' 1 afterwards th© Prince of Wales left- Vienna ; t©. avoid meeting F thb Eiiiperofi William;" who was paying his first official visit to tho Austrian Court." In ex- ' ! piiuiation to his friends, the Prince : stated that ho was ‘not on good terms j with William, and therefore preferred ( j not to stay in Vienna during the ) ! Einji-eror’s visit. Interesting and hitherto unpublished detail)? are given , in the report concerning the surprisingly advanced views of the Crown Prince, who foresaw that in future the European monarchies were bound to become republics. In reference to this, the Crown Priuce once remarked that if he should be expelled from Austria he would take service in the French .Republic,