Gilded Age Heiress Not Treated Royally

Public domain image of Gladys Vanderbilt ~Born as Gladys Moore Vanderbilt in 1886, the youngest of 7 children of Alice Claypoole Gwynne and her husband Cornelius Vanderbilt II, the president and chairman of the New York Central Railroad. She grew up in the Vanderbilt family’s Fifth Avenue mansion in New York City and summered at the family’s “cottage” The Breakers in Newport, Rhode Island. ,Consuelo Vanderbilt, Duchess of Marlborough, was her fist cousin. She famously married Charles Spencer-Churchill, 9th Duke of Marlborough.

“GLADYS VANDERBILT WILL NOT BE RECEIVED!”

Madame Helene Oswald de Felso-eor, formerly the Baroness Bessan of Hungary, Austria, a connection by marriage of Count Laszlo Szechenyi, whose recent marriage with Miss Gladys Vanderbilt is of international interest, has been a resident of San Francisco for the past twelve months. She relates much that is interesting in regard to the position which the newly made American Countess will occupy at Court.

A sister of Madame Helene de Felso-eor is the wife of Count Shirmay, a cousin of Count Szechenyi's mother. King Franz Joseph is a great stickler of Court etiquette, and so strong is his determination to have none but those of blue blood at his Court that only Kamerers are received at Court functions. The distinction of a Kamerer is only obtained when there has been twelve generations of nobility on both the father's and the mother's side. The Szechenyis have hundreds of years of ancestry, but Miss Vanderbilt being of plebian birth debars her and her children from not only this very high distinction of Kamerer, but also from appearing at the King's Court.

Count Szechenyi's hope is to prevail upon the Pope, when he gives his Papal blessing, to intercede with Emperor William, who is very close to the boys of the Szechenyi home, to bestow a title upon the little American bride. This will enable the issue of the alliance to start a line of ancestry toward Kamerer and put the Countess in a position to be received in the inner circles.

A similar arrangement was made when the Countess Sophie Chotek became the wife of Crown Prince Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary. The King gave the Countess the title of Princess. That her children might inherit the throne, it was necessary that she have a higher title than Countess.

Madame Helene de Felso-eor, who is now an American, maintains that this latest acquisition to the nobility of Europe will never be divorced from her Royal Lord and master. As she says Miss Vanderbilt chose a title bestowed by a man from a country where the wives of noblemen are accorded very different treatment than that meted out to the newly made Countess' less fortunate American sisters. 

In Hungary women are treated with the utmost respect and consideration. The husband never enters the apartments of his wife without rapping on the door, and when bidden to enter always kisses the lady's hand. If she wishes him to kiss her lips she so indicates by raising her head. If she does not give this indication of wanting to be kissed, he simply retires with the salute on the hand. Any slighting remark cast upon the character of a woman in Hungary, if made within hearing of a gentleman, is immediately the cause of a duel.

Hungary is a country where the people have inter-married to such an extent that they die young. Life just goes out. As Madame describes it: "It is, like the puncture of a tire, so sudden." Cousins marry, uncles and nieces, nephews and aunts. It is the second of kin that unite in marriage. First cousins do not marry.

The first son of Hungarian families is the ruler of the household. They extent that they die young. Life just goes out. As Madame describes it: "It is, like the puncture of a tire, so sudden." Cousins marry, uncles and nieces, nephews and aunts. It is the second of kin that unite in marriage. First cousins do not marry. The first son of Hungarian families is the ruler of the household. They have all the distinction, all the money, and give to their brothers and sisters an allowance. Count Szechenyi is the third son and has simply an allowance which enables him to live as a gentleman.

Madame  Felso-eor is the widow of Dr. Laos O. Felso-eor, surgeon of the Hungarian army. Her position remained the same at court as before her marriage, but she had to renounce the title of Baroness when she became the wife of an untitled man. His position was high, being of the army, but he was not received with his titled wife. He died at the age of 32. Had he lived a few years longer– to the age of receiving a pension– Madame Felso-eor would have remained in her own country; but not having the means after her husband's demise to keep up her. position in Court circles, she determined to leave Hungary for Paris. After many years residence in the French capital, she toured the continent. Then she went to New York and from there she came to San Francisco.-San Francisco Bulletin, February, 1908

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