THRONE OF HUNGARY

Hokitika Guardian, 8 January 1929, Page 7

THRONE OF HUNGARY

HA lAS Hi: KG TO RETURN. Willi 11 1 0 announcement <>l' Count Stephen Ucllilcn. Prime Minister of limitary, that Otto, son of Emperor ( hiirlcs aml Km] icss Zila, is itieligibe lor the throne of tin: .Magyars am! that Lhe country will soon hold a relerendmii to select a king, the climax ha-, been reached in the interregnum wliicii began tin years nee. I urine this period Hungary has been a kingdom without a king. At diHeront times there have keen as many as half a dozen pretenders to the throne. Only two of them however, remained in the field. The struggle between the two was extremely bitter and it plunged two branches of the House ol Hapsbarg into a lend which reminds one of the Wars of I lie Hoses in England. Two royal women were the leaders in the desperate combat—Zita, Empress of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Jerusalem, who was lighting for her son, Otto, and Archduchess Isabella, wife of tin l Archduke Frederic, Duke of Teschen, who was lighting for her son Archduke Albrecht. When (leant Ik'htlen declared last month that Otto was eliminated from the race and that the “bond between the nation and the dynasty which was severed must bo re forged” lie settled the question of the monarchy beyond any doubt and Archduke Albrecht is as good as elected. Count Bethlen enjoys extraordinary powers in Hungary and his word is law.

Arehduko Albrecht, whose full name is Albrecht Francis Joseph Churl (is Frederic Georges Hilbert Marje, is 34 years of age. hi the highest set he is described as a modern Adonis. This seems to be the view also of the Italian Court, where the young Archduke has found great favour in the eyes of Prill cess Giovanna. The proposed union of the House of Savoy and the House of Ilapsburg, seems to have carried much weight in the preliminary settlement of the problem of the Hungarian monarchy.

It is, however due mostly to anolher woman’s devoted work that Archduke Alike relit is now on tin* slops of the Hungarian throne. She is liis mol her Archduchess Isabella, a woman of imperious hearing and indomitable will. THE ARCHDUCHESS AT 72. Archduchess Isabella, Princess of Croy, is now 72 years of age. She is a dose relative of Prince Reginald de Crov. who in league with Nurse Cavell hid English and French officers in his chateau at Mons at the beginning of the war. thereby exposing himself to the same fate that befell the martyred nurse. The Archduchess is a vigorous woman even to-day—more vigorous than her cousin, Empress Zita, who is only half her age., The family of the Archduchess is exteremely rich—in fact, they are the only rich Hapshurgs, the estates of the others having been impounded or confiscated—and abundance of financial means permitted her to work quickly and efficiently. She has set a sumptuous court for her son in Magyarovar, in the heart of Hungary. There their adherents, aristorats and peasants, foregathered and planned the campaign, which, judging from its result, was not less thorough going than an electoral battle in Amer-

Isabella lias ibuilt up a network of bureaux in the neighbouring States anti in the diplomatic centres of the ('ontineiit whose co-operation has helped her to overcome the opposition of some of the chancellories of Europe. THE EXPRESS ZITA’S BATTLE. Against the powerful machine of Archduchess Isabella the efforts of Empress Zita were of little avail. Site is poor and her family lives mostly on •lie contributions of their Roval cousin King Alphonse of Spain. Slit l has a phantom court in a small Spanish fishing village. Lcqueitio, which is as far r‘moved from the theatre of this royal battle as any place can he. It takes about three days by fast I rain to reach it from Hungary. 'For diplomatic intrigues, Zita was in an exceptionally bad position. The Foreign Offices have not yet forgotten her adventurous •••(■hemes to put her late husband on the tlirone ol Hungary. Her underground organsatioii of volunteer ambassadors in the eapilals of Europe was paralymml by ever-present suspicion. Finally, her descent was a great handicap tor her son. The Hungarians dislike the Eourbon-Parmas, the family ol which she is a member, and (he Empress had may disagreeable experiences on account of ber Ismily relations during I lie war.

Diplomatic relations between Otto's and Aibereiil’s fainilie." were severed seven years ago whim Emperor Charles and Eimuvss Zita swooped downed on Western Hungary and declared that they had come to occupy their throne. Archduke Albrcchi failed to renort to his • over, h'li and relative at the time of the coup d'etat and Zita never torgave the young man for having ahon,fulled them. Relations boiween tin l.ww families became 'more sti allied when Zifa obtained information about (.lie st homings of Alhrc'-lif’s mother. S’-'morons “rescripts” were dispatched from Leipieilio to Mae-yarovar callin' Hie re.bel!ions Ijapsbiirg to obedience, but they were of no avail. Politicians visited Albrecht’s castle, never-ending conference stook ])lace with high (<ev(‘riinieut oliieials, ami ways were devised to stir the peasants to enthusiasm for the young llapsburg Prime A NECESSARY SOLUTION. Conditions have become such in

Uimgai’v that the problem of the kingdom had to solved without delay. It has stood in the way of Hungary’s rei.iiciiiaiion with nor neigh':., mrs. The Succession States do not want Otto on the throne. They fear that the court /camarilla (surrounding Zita would never he satisfied until they regained till the territory that had belonged to the Hapshurgs. , The Succession States have no appehciishm in regard to Archduke Albrecht. Isabella has made it clear from lilt.* very beginning through her spokeman that her son would be King of Hungary and mulling else. At lus is a-;gvr ■! '"i b:> "li "mbo a solemn declaration to this eifect.

A: n .use lore ,it is the fourth cousin of Otto and under the old iyiiU'lie law lie had no right to the succession. His power will he derived jrmn a referendum. a new expression of the will of the nation.

Tiie Hapshurgs are thus about to obtain a new lease of life. With their record of ruling for 80(1 years and being heads of the Holy Roman Empire lor 400 years they have left all their roval and imperial competitors far behind.