Two royal houses may be united in marriage

March 31, 1925

The Chicago Daily Tribune reports today that Princess Mafalda of Italy may be about to announce her engagement. It is said that she once took a vow "that she would die an old maid if some reigning prince did not propose marriage to her." It seems her wish is about to come true. "Reports of Bordighera today indicate that Princess Mafalda probably will sit on Belgium's throne and it looks like a real love affair."
The reporter, George Seldes, writes that the Duke of Brabant, who is the heir to the Belgian throne, has been visiting Princess Mafalda and her mother, Queen Elena, at Bordighera, and "has been anxious to marry the girl for a year, but youthfulness and family considerations interferred."
The Duke of Brabant has again been visiting the Princess, and "an engagement announcement is expected soon."
Princess Mafalda is "truly regal." Everyone in Italy knows that "she opposed the marriage of her sister, Princess Yolanda, to a commoner." She would only marry a prince "as a husband," but "she would not take just anybody the family chose, but she wanted somebody she could love just as the girls do in all the American movies she has seen."
It seems her wish is about to come true. The Duke of Brabant will be accompanied by his sister, Princess Marie-José, "giving rise to the belief that a blonde beauty may some day sit on Italy's throne" as the wife of Crown Prince Umberto.