Love and Politics

Queen Marie caused a flutter in Paris and London and invoked one of those series of rumors which seem inalienable from Royalty.

The ostensible purpose of Queen Marie's visit to Paris and London was to buy a layette for the first baby (expected next month) of her daughter, Queen Marie of Yugo-Slavia. But it seems that her true purpose was matchmaking and political.

The Queen, who is " wonderfully fascinating," is reputed to have made matches between her daughter Elizabeth and King George of Greece, her son Carol and Princess Helen of Greece, her daughter Marie and King Alexander of Yugo-Slavia. But she still has two children on her hands, Prince Nicholas and Princess Ileana. What to do with them? With Nicholas, she is not averse to having him accept the vacant throne of Albania. She also wants to find a suitable wife for him, but no name was mentioned. Princes Ileana was in London several weeks before her mother with a lady tutor. The incorrigible dowagers of London put two and two together: Given an intriguing Queen, an unmarried Royal Princess, a bachelor Prince, all in London together, there could be but one inference--the Prince of Wales will yield to the attractions of the pretty Princess, arrange a future marriage, after which, as the fairy stories depict, they will live happily ever after in the midst of their future faithful subjects.

The political side of the Queen's visit is concerned with the recognition of Greece, recognition which France and Britain withheld after the execution of Constantine's Ministers last Fall. She saw M. Poincare in Paris: the French Government announced a week later that the French Minister at Athens would be fully accredited to King George II of Greece. The fascinating Queen stormed London for the same purpose, but so far the Foreign Office is reported to be putting up a brave fight.

Queen Marie is a daughter of the Duke of Saxe-Coburg und Gotha* and was born Oct. 29, 1875. She married Jan. 10, 1893, the now King Ferdinand I of Rumania, who succeeded his uncle, King Carol, Oct. 11, 1914.

*A prince of the House of Saxe-Coburg und Gotha, became consort to Queen Victoria of England. In England since 1917 the House of Saxe-Coburg und Gotha has been known as the House of Windsor.