Lafayette (LA) Daily Advertiser, October 28, 1997

Were the princess and her husband German spies?

by Jim Bradshaw

Her former husband was Prince August Wilhelm, fourth son of the Kaiser. Princess Alexandra Victoria, herself a descendant of Queen Victoria of England had divorced the German prince in the 1920s to marry Reuner. Nobody knew for sure just why they came to stay in Jennings.

Jennings newspaperman Franklin Hildebrand reminisced about the pair in his book, As I Remember. He says he thinks they were spies.

"I was astounded at talking to the princess and her new husband while they were here, to learn that they both were strong Hitler supporters and this I could not understand in view of his animosity toward royalty," Hildebrand said.

"But more and more I have come to the conclusion that the pair, especially the naval career husband, was in the espionage service for Hitler. Often they would sprawl out under the trees at Civic League Park about where the Armory now stands and pore over maps and books. Then they would be gone for days at a time.

"When we were at war again with Germany in 1941 and Hitler's U-boats were operating off the Gulf Coast, I often wondered if that man was not making secret trips from here to Cameron and charting the shorelines and sounding the water for submarines and bases in case of war, which was surely on the way even then. The two kept very much to themselves, but would talk freely when approached.

"The only other visits to other Germans I heard of, were calls they made to the home of Ben Meyer where they drank beer. I never heard of them even attending the Lutheran Church while here. The couple left as silently as they came."

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