A PRINCE WITH CHARACTER.

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 20115, 30 June 1914, Page 5

A PRINCE WITH CHARACTER.

LOYAL TO HIS MORGANATIC WIFE

The Archduke Franz Ferdinand was v. nepnew of the present Emperor, whoso only son died under tragical circumstances twenty-five yen.r-* ngo. Franz Ferdinand was a Prince- v:'-irr.o. career Europe watched with .•-•: i>!< -ui.vVty. He showed himself on more (ju-usions than one to bo a soldier first and a statesman afterward;;. He was blamed f^or all the events which brought Austria and Italy within measurable distance of war a year or two ago, and some of his public speech' es were alarmingly bellicose in tone. Many years ago tho_Archduke contracted a morganatic marriage with the Countess Sop'iic Choteck. who was afterwards created Duchess of Hohenburg He was cou.pelled to declare formally that- the Countess and her children would never claim the status of royalty, : bnfc he has always been loyal to his v.-ife : refusing to go where rules of Court precedence prevented her following. He declined to attend the coronation oi King George as the represeata-

iive of the Emperor because the Duchess of Hohenburg would not have been permitted to attend the ceremonies with him, and maJo no secret of his intention to .assert her rights as his wife when ho reached the Austrian throne. Aboutthree years ago the German Emperor received her as a member of a royal house ana placed her next to himself at it State dinner. More recently the Archduke rind the Duchess were >velcomed as the jruests of King George in London, and these concessions appeared to have been due to the obvious determination of Franz Ferdinand to lead his wife to a throne regardless of all precedents and customs.