Cheryl, You've done it again; i.e., given us these old newspaper articles that lead to further questions requiring much enjoyed research. In a previous newspaper regarding Countess Anton SIGRAY, who before her marriage was Miss Harriet DALY, it was noted that Austria did not recognize her title. I thought perhaps because the marriage may not have been a Catholic ceremony. Now this 1921 article clears that all up. I have not dealt in nobility and was unfamiliar with the term morganatic marriage. In checking the dictionary it referred to a "morning gift" which left a question. Further checking said a morning gift is also called a dowry. Knowing a little bit of German might have given me the answer earlier. Guten morgen....meaning Good morning.....etc, etc. WEBSTER - Morganatic Etymology: New Latin matrimonium ad morganaticam, literally, marriage with morning gift Date: circa 1741 : of, relating to, or being a marriage between a member of a royal or noble family and a person of inferior rank in which the rank of the inferior partner remains unchanged and the children of the marriage do not succeed to the titles, fiefs, or entailed property of the parent of higher rank BRITANNICA: Morganatic legally valid marriage between a male member of a sovereign, princely, or noble house and a woman of lesser birth or rank, with the provision that she shall not thereby accede to his rank and that the children of the marriage shall not succeed to their father’s hereditary dignities, fiefs, and entailed property. The name is derived from the medieval Latin matrimonium ad morganaticum, variously interpreted as meaning “marriage on the morning gift” (from German Morgengabe), with the implication that this morning gift, or dowry, was all that the bride could expect; or “restricted marriage” (Gothic maurjan, “ restrain”); or simply “morning marriage,” celebrated quietly at an early hour. Essentially a German institution, it was adopted by some dynasties outside Germany but not by those of France or England. The practice ensues from the German notion of Ebenbürtigkeit, or Gleichbürtigkeit (evenness or equality of birth), which in the European Middle Ages had a widespread application in German law. It required that parties to many sorts of transaction be of the same standing or estate, but it could not be an impediment to marriage in the law of the church. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Just a comment, never thought of a dowry in terms of a male conferring his title to the bride-to-be. Marika