BATCHELOR PRINCES

Shannon News, 4 February 1927, Page 3

BATCHELOR PRINCES

Royal Romances Yet To Be CHARMING LADIES WAIT FOR CHARMING PRINCE In the fairy tale books the meeting of a handsome prince and a charming princess is a sure sign of wedding bells in the next chapter. But in real life romance and royalty rarely come together. There is not an eligible prince or princess in Europe who, if rumour is to be believed,, has not been on the point of becoming engaged a dozen times. Yet they are still single—still awaiting the impelling breath of romance*, says a “Sunday Chronicle" •writer. Not Till 32! Nobody is a bigger enigma in the Royal marriage market than the Prince of Wales. The public, which dearly loves the pomp and panoply of a royal wedding, has thrilled a score of times at the possibility of his choosing a bride from the many pretty princesses available, but so far he has shown no desire for matrimony. Ten years ago the Prince remarked: "I don’t think any man should marry before he is thirty-two.” When his 32nd birthday arrived and two I eligible princesses came to England on a visit, the nation was agog with curiosity and speculation. I But the princesses returned home, I and to the general disappointment there was no report of a Royal engagement. Time after time the Prince’s name has been coupled with that of some - daughter of a royal house. First one princess then another ha s been announced as his choice, but always the pitiless official denials have got heavily to work. False Rumours. The limelight which foc.use s on the Prince of Wales rather obscures his two brothers, Prince George and Prince Henry—two more royal bachelors, who find love long in coming. So far they are heartwhole. Rumours ; arise regarding them, but die quickly from want of nourishment. Though he made several gallant at- ■ temptg and enlisted some of the pret- ' tiest princesses in Europe to his aid, 1 Cupid has also failed to transfix the heart of Prince Olaf of Norway. Not long ago it was said he was on | the point of becoming engaged to 1 Princess Astrid. There were felici- j tations in the Swedish and Norwegian newspapers, but nothing happened. Some time before rumour had associated him with the name of Lady May Cambridge, the only daughter of * Princess Alice and the Earl of Athlon e.

There was no doubt about it, said the gossips—an engagement was on the point of being announced. But again the little god had to admit defeat, and the reported romance never came to flower.

To-day Prince Oiaf’s matrimonial intentions are almost as vague as the Prince of Wales’. It is said that he may never marry.

At one time or other, practically all the eligible p'rincesse s in Europe have been marshalled to persuade King Boris of Bulgaria to take the plunge into matrimony, but without avail. Not until last year when he met Princess Goiovanna who came incognito to a distinguished party given by the Duches s of Aosta at Lugano, has he shown the slightest interest in the choice, of a bride. The “Buts.” Even now —- (hough rumour is strong that the two will make a match of it —it is not at all certain that Cupid’s shafts have gone home. There may be a marriage, but . . . . . . And the "huts” of royal romances are written down in secret history. Prince Nicholas of Rumania is another royal bachelor whom Cupid has not yet succeeded in bringing to the altar His difficulty" is not in falling in love, but falling in love with an eligible princess.

A certain beautiful nobody with whom he became violently infatuated at the seaside resort of Tekirghiol last summer made his prospects of marriage rather more complicated. After several warnings from Queen Marie he was finally ordered to leave and embarked on a gunboat which should have taken him to Galatz. Instead of proceeding there, however, ho landed at Constanza and hastened back to his lady-lovci Unfortunately he was seen in her company by a member of the Rumanian Government, who promptly informed the Queen.

Confronted with the Queen’s stern decree that the affair must end, Nicholas weighed his youthful love and the Regency in the balance and found the inevitable decision very difficult to make.

One of the prettiest of the princesses who still remains heart-whole is Princess Ileana of Rumania, who is at present touring America with her mother. It does not seem long since she was a school-girl in England, but now shg is in the full bloom of young womanhood, and one of the brightest and most charming princesses in all Europe. Several times rumour has been busy with reports of her possible engagement, but here again love is a long time in flying through the palace windows. Les s than half a year ago she was definitely engaged (by rumour) to King Boris, but the romance—if any —came to nothing. Soon afterwards it was “officially” announced that she was going to marry Prince Amadeo

of Italy. The rumour, however, w promptly killed stone dead by a fl and uncompromising contradiction. Spinsters Still. The Princes Sigvard and Gusti Adolf, sons of the Crown Prince < Sweden, boys of nineteen and tsvent accompanied pretty Princess Ingri their sister, on a visit to , Englai about three years ago The Princci is very English in her ways, and somewhat proud ol the fact that si is a grand-daughter of the Duke < Connaught, as well a s a descendant c the great Bernadotte. Two other interesting eligibles ai Prince Charles of Belgium, sector son of King Albert, and the Princes Marie Jose, his sister. Educated at the Ursuline Conven at Brentwood, the Princess retains great love for England, and owns t being fascinated by London. Spend ing a holiday at her old school tw y ears ago, she made it a headquarter for visits to London for exploratioi of art galleries and other famou sights. Queen Ena’ s Daughter. Prince Charles holds the rank 9 lieutenant in the British Navy, an< accompanied the Prince of Wales t India and Japan on the Renown ii 1922. His latest venture is an expo dition to Central Africa,- including thi jungles of Tanganyika and the Bel gian Congo. Cupid has' done his best to find e handsome prince for the Infanta of Spain, but so far she has beet Beatrice, elder daughter of the King proof to his attacks.