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| Luis Fernando de Orleans y BorbĆ³n, Infante de EspaƱa |
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| La seƱora William Ellis Corey (de soltera Mabelle Gilman); casi una infanta de EspaƱa |
En abril de 1929, la seƱora Mabelle Gilman Corey se convirtiĆ³ a la fe catĆ³lica romana antes de su inminente matrimonio con el infante Luis Fernando de EspaƱa. Luis Fernando (1888-1945) era el hijo menor del infante Antonio de EspaƱa (1866-1930), duque de Galliera, y su esposa, la infanta Eulalia (1864-1958), hija de la reina Isabel II de EspaƱa.
Originaria de San Francisco, la Sra. Corey naciĆ³ con el nombre de Mabelle Lavona Gilman el 4 de diciembre de 1874, hija de Charles Henry Gilman (1845-1909) y su esposa Jeannette Curtis (1854-1946). Mabelle Gilman asistiĆ³ al Mills College en Oakland, California. Mabelle se convirtiĆ³ en actriz de teatro, especialmente en comedias musicales. ApareciĆ³ en muchas representaciones en los Estados Unidos y Europa.
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| El seƱor William Ellis Corey |
En 1905, Mabelle Gilman conociĆ³ a William Ellis Corey (1866-1934) en Pittsburgh. William Corey era el presidente de la Carnegie Steel Company. Se habĆa casado con Laura Cook (1866-1960) en 1883; la pareja tuvo un hijo, Alan Lyle Corey (1889-1970). William Corey y Mabelle Gilman iniciaron una relaciĆ³n, que llevĆ³ a la terminaciĆ³n de la uniĆ³n de Corey con Laura. En su divorcio de 1906 en Reno, Nevada, Laura Corey recibiĆ³ la custodia del hijo de la pareja, Alan, asĆ como un acuerdo de 3 millones de dĆ³lares (aproximadamente 84 millones de dĆ³lares en tĆ©rminos actuales). El 14 de mayo de 1907, William Corey y Mabelle Gilman se casaron en el Hotel Gotham en la ciudad de Nueva York. Corey le comprĆ³ a su nueva esposa un castillo en Francia, le regalĆ³ valiosas joyas y le regalĆ³ un millĆ³n de dĆ³lares como regalo de bodas. El divorcio de Corey en Reno de su primera esposa Laura y el posterior matrimonio con Mabelle ayudaron a poner a Reno en el mapa como destino para divorcios rĆ”pidos.
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| SeƱora Mabelle Gilman Corey |
The marriage of William and Mabelle Corey ended in divorce at Paris in November 1923. In 1924, newspapers spread rumours that Mabelle was engaged to LuĆs Fernando of Spain, but these reports were denied. Five years later, the reality had changed. In April of 1929, it became public knowledge that Mabelle Gilman Corey was affianced to Infante LuĆs Fernando of Spain (1888-1945). Mabelle took the step on 20 April 1929 by converting to the Roman Catholic Church, to which her future husband and his dynasty belonged. Infanta Eulalia, LuĆs Fernandoās mother, was present for Mabelleās first communion. Mabelle hoped that she and the infante would be wed within a few months at her French residence, the ChĆ¢teau de Vilgenis.
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| Mabelle Gilman Corey and Infante LuĆs Fernando of Spain in 1929 |
The marriage plans came to naught. LuĆs Fernando and his lawyer kept trying to extract a higher and higher annual allowance from the wealthy Mabelle, who refused to budge beyond a certain point. By June 1929, Mabelle had decided that her engagement with LuĆs Fernando had run its course. She gave a rare interview in which she discussed the situation:
Everything is finished. I met Don Luis on my honeymoon. We have loved each other for twenty years or more. Itās hard to be broken off, but it is impossible to turn the sacrament of marriage into a bargain counter. I donāt know if Iāll ever love another man. For the present, I donāt care. I have always said that American men make the ideal husbands, although they lack the polish that many Europeans possess.
It was noted that her closest companion was her Great Dane. āThere is an advantage in dogs over men,ā Mabelle quipped. āThey at least are faithful.ā
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| Infanta Eulalia of Spain, Duchess of Galliera |
Infanta Eulalia, the mother of LuĆs, was also rather disappointed at the breakdown of her sonās engagement to the eligible (and rich) Mabelle. āI deeply regret the marriage will not occur because Mrs Corey took such a deep interest in my son, who needs a wife who is devoted but severe.ā
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| Vittel Interment Camp |
Mabelle continued to reside in France after her terminated royal engagement. In October 1942, she was briefly interred at the Vittell Internment Camp in Vichy France. However, she was released from Vittel soon after her arrest, as the Nazis determined she posed no threat to their schemes.
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| Mabelle Gilman Coreyās 1921 application for a US passport: she chopped 12 years off of her age. |
Mrs Mabelle Lavona Gilman Corey died on 14 November 1960 at the Blessed Trinity Missionary Cenacle in Brooklyn, New York. Per her wishes, she was cremated, and her ashes were spread in the garden of Blessed Trinity. She was eighty-five years-old. Mabelle had never remarried after her engagement to Infante LuĆs Fernando of Spain, who she survived by fifteen years.
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