Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Siegfried too gay for Miana



More news about the broken betrothal of Duke Siegfried in Bavaria and Archduchess Maria Annunciata of Austria, known as Miana, who is the niece of the Austrian emperor. It is now known that Miana took the first steps to break off the engagement. She apparently took it upon herself to visit Siegfried's home, to find out if the rumors about his lifestyle were true.

(In 1902, the word gay did not refer to a homosexual lifestyle.)

Maria Annunciata, who saw too many unhappy marriages in her family, was "determined to avoid a mistake as possible." She is a woman with a "serious, meditative disposition." The visit to the Bavarian court was arranged after the engagement announcement, where Miana "had an opportunity to learn the Duke's habits and tastes."

Thus, this was not going to be a love match as reported in earlier news stories. When Miana asked to see Siegfried to ending their betrothal, he was "positively repulsive to her." According to the report in the Chicago Tribune, neither consulted their families before deciding to end the engagement.

For the devoutly religious Maria Annunciata, Siegfried was too volatile and too fond of high living to be considered good husband material.

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