SCANDAL IN HIGH PLACES AT BELGRADE. A Rumoured Royal Divorce.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 217, 27 August 1887, Page 3

SCANDAL IN HIGH PLACES AT BELGRADE. A Rumoured Royal Divorce.

Tna Vienna correspondent of the " Daily Chronicle" says he has received from a trustworthy source a somewhat startling explanation of the causes that led to the recent change of Ministry, and consequently of policy, in Servia. "King Milan," says my informant, "is about to sue fora divorce from Queen Nathalie, whofce- return to Servia is doubtful. Since her departure from Belgrade last month the Queen has scarcely communicated with her husband, who has only received a few lines from time to time from her Majesty's secretary, who travels with her. For several years past the Royal couple have been living virtually apart, although in spite of this there have been frequent quarrelling^ and violent scenes in the Konak. Jealousy is said to be the cause of this unfortunate state of things, which for some time past has been the public talk of Belgrade. The Minister of one of the Great Powers and the wife of a Minister of one of the lesser States are also mixed up in the affair. " " The difference between the King and Queen, however," adds the correspondent, u is not confined to domestic troubles, King Milan believing, and if report speaks truly not without justice, that his wite was constantly conspiring against him, and was intriguing to have him deposed and herself appointed as Queen-Regenfc during the minority of the Crown Prince. Queen Nathalie, who is a Russian, has, of course, been supported throughout by Russia, and by the Russophilo party in Soryia, in her attempts to get rid of King Milan, Preparations to this end are said to have reached so advanced and dangerous a stage that the King, seeing that the growth of Russian influence had become too great for him to destroy, resolved to change his tactics, and to adopt the very policy that the Queen had been directing against him — namely, tho substitution of Russian for Austrian influence. By this means King Milan counted upon averting the revolution that he believed to be brewing against himself, and upon checkmating the Queen. His Majesty thereupon sent for M. Ristics, with the result that in known."

Dunedin riflemen are not agreed on the subject of using the Lee-Remington rifle at the next prize meeting. Mr Cobb has married Miss Webb. He knew that they were meant to be joined as soon as he spied her. Marrinna, whom Tennyson describes as "gazing athwart the gloomy flats," was probably engaged in house-hunting.