THE ROYAL FAMILIES OF EUROPE.

Inangahua Times, Volume IX, Issue 1475, 26 November 1884, Page 2

THE ROYAL FAMILIES OF EUROPE.

The Sovereign houses of Europe may almost be regarded as one large family. They are bound together by innumerable marriages brothers and sisters and cousins and second cousins are scattered ab ut everywere. Take our own Royal family as an example. The Queen's eldest daughter will, in the ordinary course of things, become the German Empress. One of her sous ia married to the daughter of the Emperor of Russia. The Princess of Wales is the daughter of the King of Denmark ; her sister is the Empress of Russia, her Urothet the King of Greece. Oue of the Queen's cousins is King of the Belgians, another King of Portugal, while through her children and grandchildern she will be related to every princely family on the Continent. The barrier of religion shuts off Austria, Italy, and Spain, but some tendrilsof relationship have crept across the mountains, and will flourish there. Through the accomodating policy of the Coburgs in the matter of creed, the religions barrier has been broken through, and branches of Protestant origin have been grafted on Roman Catholic stocks. Hence for example, it happens that the daughter of the Queen's cousin, the King of the Belgians, will someday be Empress of Austria, holding court at Vienna, Pesth, or Constantinople as the facts may determine. Out own Royal family is but an illustration of what happened with other Royal families. The Monarchies, of Europe are one vast net work of family alliances, a congeries of brothers and sisters, nephews andnieoes, uncles, aud aunts. This state of things has been brought about by the custom which forbids the members of royal or prince I y houses to marry out of their own chaste. -«* Verax," in the Manchester Examiner.