A ROYAL ROMANCE

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2453, 31 March 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

A ROYAL ROMANCE

[n Continental court circles says the Vienna correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, the question of peace of war excites much less interest just now than the royal romance that has culminated in the engagement of Prince Oscar Charles, second sou of the King of Sweden, to a lady of his own nationality, but not of royal blood. The Crown Prince of Sweden had amongst her maids of lionuor a young Swedish lady, .Miss Munck, known for her beauty, grace and charming manners ; but, although of noble birth, Miss Munck was poor and an orphan. Her father, t'olonel Munck, yeilding to the pressing advice of her friends, accepted an oiler of marriage from a wealthy young officer belonging to a crack cavalry regiment, and everything was prepared for the wedding. The day was fixed, the trousseau was bought, and presents had arrived, when suddenly Miss Munck broke off her engagement for reasons which convinced her that she did not posses the exclusive affections of her suitor. When she returned her former liiffh spirits had gone, and lier face bore an expression of melancholy, which, however, enchanted her beauty considerably. Meanwhile Prince Oscar hail been for a two years' trip round the world in the royal Swedish frigate Vanadis. Shortly after his return his friends discovered that he was iu love, and the fact likewise became evident to Mis 3 Munck herself. She could not fail to be sensible of the admiration of the gallant and handsome young sailor prince. But what was to be done ? According to the Swedish constitution, any prince marrying outside the circle of royalty forfeit his rights to the throne and his privileges as a member of the royal family. Miss Mutick, listening to what she believed was the voioa of duty, again left the Swedish Court. She announced formally to her relatives her intention never to marry, and assumed the garb of a nurse and the charge of a ward in one of the large charity hospitals of Stockholm. Prince Oscar at last succeeded in meeting her, and finally, after a long struggle, he wrung from her the confession that she loved him. Still the brave girl refused to marry him, and it was not until the Prince could tell her that the Queen had been moved to give her consent that finally she yielded. But the King's sanction had yet to he obtained. In vain did Prince Oscar at first plead that as his brother, the Crown Prince had already two sons, his own chances of ever ascending the throne were practically nil, and that he therefore ought to te allowed to abandon the privilege of Royalty and to become a private citizen ; but as time wore on, and the King saw his son could not bo influenced in the matter,"his Majesty was induced to yield, principally owing to the entreaties of the Queen who was oil the eve of an operation froin"which she was not expected to recover. The King couhl not resist this appeal from his beloved wife, whom he feared he was going to lose, anil thus for the first time for 300 years a Prince of Sweden will marry the daughter of a private gentleman. In virtue of the Swedish Constitution, Prince Oscar will lose, besides his rights to the throne, his titles of Royal Highness and Duke of Gothland, the yearly allowance granted by the Swedish Diet and his palace at Stockholm. He will in future lie called Prince Barnadotte. He will retain his position as commander in the Swedish Navy, which rank ho has earned fairly in the ordinary course of promotion. The Prince, it may be added, seems the happiest of men.