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TINPLATE QUEEN'S DEATH
Romantic Marriage Recalled
"Princess Christopher, " of
Greece.
_____
LONDON, August 30.
The death is announced of Princess
Christopher of Greece, who was formerly
the widow of Mr. William B. Leeds, a
multi-millionaire American "tinplate king."
The decease occurred at the lady's London
residence. '
About three years ago tbe marriage of
Mrs. Leeds to Prince Christopher created
a sensation in the United States, where
the lady was well known ; but the an-
nouncement of the nuptials was soon fol-
lowed by an intimation through The Offi-
cial Gazette of Athens that Christopher
had previously renounced in law his rank
as a Prince of the sovereign house of
Greece, and his place in the line of suc-
cession to the throne; and that he had
asked and received permission to change
his nationality in order that he might take
the title of a Danish count. He was also
compelled, it was stated, on the eve of his
marriage, to make a complete renunciation,
of' his right to the rank and prerogatives
of a prince of Denmark, which he had held
as well. His wife, therefore, could not
claim the privileges of a princess, nor even
assume the title. Christopher received the
Danish title Count Gluecksburg, after his
complete surrender of' royal rank, this
being a courtesy from his cousin, King
Christian X. He was also known on re-
cent occasons as Count Rosenberg. The
former Mrs. Leeds, in consequence of these
events, became a countess of Denmark.
The Countess Gluecksburg, or Rosen-
berg, as she desired to be known, divorced
her first husband, Mr. Worthington, a
business man of Cleveland, Ohio, more
than 20 years ago. She was afterwards
married to Mr. .W. B. Leeds, who pro-
duced a tinplate trust, which he and his
associates sold to the United States Steel
Trust for £8,000,000. When Mr. Leeds
died in Paris in 1908, he left £8,000,000 to
his widow and his only son, the latter's
share being nearly £1,500,000. Mrs. Leeds,
after the death of her second husband,
was married to Prince Christopher, young-
est brother of King Constantine of Greece.
The bride's exclusion from the ranks of
royalty, did not, however, prevent her from
becoming, by virtue of her narriage to
the former prince, a relative of most of
the sovereign families of Europe. She was
a cousin of King George, a niece of Queen
Alexandra, a cousin of the King of Den-
mark and of the King or Norway;- and a
niece of the Dowager Empress Marie of
Russia. The countess was considerably
older than Prince Christopher, . who wa»
born in 1888, and who became a Danish
subject in March, 1919.
Another Royal Alliance.
Mr. William Leeds, a son of Mr. W. B.
Leeds and the now deceased countess,
married the Grand Duchess Xenia, second
daughter of the Grand Duchess Maria of
Greece and the late Grand Duke George
Mikhailovitch of Russia. Princess. Xenia
is a niece of ex-King Constantine of
Greece. Although the son of a millionaire,
Mr. William Leeds was brought up as
though he were the son of comparatively
poor parents. He was educated at Eton,
and while at college .his mother would
allow him only £2 a quarter. She said
that nearly all the sons of millionaires in
America because vicious and useless on
account of the possession of too much
wealth, and she determined that this boy
should have it only if he grew up worthy
of it.' '
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