Karl Stephan to be king of Poland

August 17, 1919

Germany "has approved the suggestion made by Austria" that a member of the Habsburg Imperial family is made King of Poland. A Berlin newspaper, the Lokal-Anzeiger, reports that Archduke Karl Stephan "probably will be named.

The New York Times reports today on these dispatches from Berlin and London as Germany's "concession to Austria on the Polish question are in consequence of the strong stand" taken by Emperor Karl and the Austro-Hungarian government, according to information received by the Daily Mail's correspondent in The Hague.

The Germans have demanded that Austria "send to the western front from ten to fifteen divisions of picked troops, confining herself to the defensive on the Italian front."

Archduke Karl Stephan has "long prepared himself" for the role of King of Poland. When he was exiled many years ago from the Vienna court, he moved to his residence in Cracow, setting up "a Polish household and frequenting the aristocratic Polish clubs. His children were taught to speak Polish. One of his daughters married Prince Jerome Radziwill and another is the wife of Prince Czartoryski, the Polish leader.

Even before the German Governor of Warsaw on November 4, 1916, "announced that the German and Austrian Emperors had agreed to the independent status of a Russian Poland," Archduke Karl Stephan's name had been mentioned in Vienna and Berlin as "presumptive King of the monarchy to be formed out of the new Polish state."

Archduke Karl Stephan is a cousin of the late Emperor Franz Joseph. He was born at Gross-Seelowitz, Silesia, on September 5, 1860. He is the son of Archduke Karl Ferdinand. In 1886, he married his cousin, Archduchess Maria Theresia. They have six children. Their eldest son, Archduke Karl Albrecht, is an artillery officer in the Austrian army.

Archduke Karl Stephan is an "honorary Colonel in several German and Austrian regiments and has many decorations."

The couple's six children are Archduchess Eleonora, who is the wife of Alfons von Kloss; Archduchess Renata, Princess Radziwill; Archduke Karl Albrecht; Archduchess Mechtildis, Princess Czartoryski; Archduke Leo Karl; and Archduke Wilhelm.