July 8, 1898
The Marquise de Fontenoy today reports that "there seems to be no end to the difficulties in connection with the marriage" of Duke Ernst Gunther of Schleswig-Holstein, only brother of the German Empress, and Princess Dorothea of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha,
The arrangement has been "broken off and the breach repaired no less than three times," according to the Marquise. The wedding is now set for August 2, but a "bitter controversy has arisen on the subject of religion, a controversy in which the entire German press has taken part."
The Princess is Roman Catholic, and the Duke is a Lutheran. The Catholic Church "will not consent to bless the marriage between a Catholic and a Protestant" unless the couple agrees to raise the children in the Roman Catholic faith. Sometimes a compromise can be arranged where the sons are brought up in their father's faith, and their daughters "in the belief of the mother."
This arrangement "exists in the instance of the Lutheran Prince Waldemar of Denmark and his French wife, Princess Marie of Orleans." Their sons are Lutheran, but their only daughter was baptized as a Roman Catholic.
Instituted by Wilhelm I, the German army "prohibits any officer from entertaining any engagement to bring up his children to any other form of religion than that to which he himself belongs."
The Duke of Schleswig-Holstein was an officer in the German army and was subject to its regulations. He has used the military requirements as he "bases his objections" on the Roman Catholic church's insistence that his children be raised Catholic.
It is also possible that Ernst Gunther and Princess Dorothea be married in a Lutheran ceremony in Coburg, and "subsequently they should both appear before the Roman Catholic rector of the City of Coburg and declare in the presence of two witnesses that they had been duly married."
According to the Roman Catholic church, this is sufficient to "render the union ecclesiastically valid in its eyes."
The couple will not have "received the Catholic sacrament of marriage," but they will be free to bring up their children in the Lutheran faith.
The marriage will take place in Coburg, instead of in Vienna, the bride's home, due to the recent scandal there in connection with Dorothea's mother, Princess Louise.
All charges of forgery have been dropped, and Princess Louise, now released from the insane asylum, is now living quietly in Belgium.
The "forgeries amounted to a total sum of a quarter of a million dollars," and the money lenders "discounted the notes bearing the signatures of Princess Louise of Coburg and her sister, Crown Princess Stephanie of Austria," as they had never had dealings with either woman. The money lenders did meet with Louise's chamberlain and lover, Captain von Kegelvich.
The forgeries appear to have been perpetrated by Louise's lover, but it was Louise's estranged husband, Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who settled all the debts, to avoid a further scandal. He paid "under compulsion" from the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, "who was anxious at all costs" to avoid a trial in Vienna, where his daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Stephanie, "would have been compelled to appear as a witness."
The forgeries appear to have been perpetrated by Louise's lover, but it was Louise's estranged husband, Prince Philipp of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha who settled all the debts, to avoid a further scandal. He paid "under compulsion" from the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, "who was anxious at all costs" to avoid a trial in Vienna, where his daughter-in-law, Crown Princess Stephanie, "would have been compelled to appear as a witness."
Princess Louise would have appeared at the trial as a witness or a prisoner.
Prince Philipp found himself in a difficult situation. Franz Joseph "threatened to turn out the entire Coburg clique, bag, and baggage, out of Austria unless the matter was settled."
Prince Philippe wrote to his father-in-law, King Leopold II for assistance. But the Belgian sovereign "absolutely declined to do a thing in the matter, and even went so far as to vouchsafe the information that he would not contribute a cent even to avoid the disgrace of his daughter's appearance in court" on the charge of forgery.
Leopold has not paid any of Louise's debts, which appear to have been paid in full by Louise's mother-in-law, the elderly Princess Clementine, and by Franz Joseph. Leopold's conduct has not been appreciated by the Viennese court, and he is considered a "most disgraceful character."
As Prince Philipp has settled the forgery debts, he and his family are free to remain in Vienna.
Prince Philipp found himself in a difficult situation. Franz Joseph "threatened to turn out the entire Coburg clique, bag, and baggage, out of Austria unless the matter was settled."
Prince Philippe wrote to his father-in-law, King Leopold II for assistance. But the Belgian sovereign "absolutely declined to do a thing in the matter, and even went so far as to vouchsafe the information that he would not contribute a cent even to avoid the disgrace of his daughter's appearance in court" on the charge of forgery.
Leopold has not paid any of Louise's debts, which appear to have been paid in full by Louise's mother-in-law, the elderly Princess Clementine, and by Franz Joseph. Leopold's conduct has not been appreciated by the Viennese court, and he is considered a "most disgraceful character."
As Prince Philipp has settled the forgery debts, he and his family are free to remain in Vienna.
If you liked this article, perhaps you can buy me a cup of coffee.
1 comment:
Sounds good to me! :)
Post a Comment