THE ROYAL MARRIAGE.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XII, Issue 2374, 2 June 1906, Page 5

THE ROYAL MARRIAGE.

KING ALFONSO AND PRINCESS ENA. A BRILLIANT PAGEANT. ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION. A BOMB THROWN AT THE ROYAL CARRIAGE. KING AND QUEEN ESCAPE INJURY. NINE PEOPLE KILLED AND SEVERAL INJURED. PER UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. Madrid, June 1. The Archbishop of Toledo, and Dr Brindle, Archbishop of Westminster, and other Prelates, officiated at the marriage of King Alfonso to Princess Ena. There was a marvellous pageant in brilliant sunshine, and vast and tumutuously enthusiastic crowds gathered on the occasion. Returning to the Palace from the San Geronimo Church, the procession halted temporarily in the Calle Mayor, where bouquets were showered from the balconies of houses, and included one concealing a steel bomb, which, exploding to the right, and between the hindermost horses and front wheels of the Royal carriage, killed a groom and two horses, and damaged the carriage slightly, as well as wounding the Marquis of Sottomayor. and the equerry riding on the right, and killed a lieutenant standing to the salute, and four soldiers lining the route. The explosion also decapitated a police bugler, besides killing two female spectators, and injuring numbers of others. The Duke of Cornmachuelos, rushing up, opened the door of the carriage. and dragged out King Alfonso and then Queen Ena, who exhibited great emotion. Recovering himself immediately, King Alfonso inquired what damage was done. He forthwith sent an orderly to reassure Princess Beatrice and Princess Christian, and, raising his voice, ordered the procession to proceed. Queen Ena was deathly pale but smiled courageously. King Alfonso and Princess Victoria helped her out of the carriage, and they continued the journey in another coach. Queen Ena broke down on reaching the Palace.

A STRANGE FEATURE. SEVERAL ARRESTS MADE. POPULACE FURIUS. Madrid, June 1. .V strange feature of the occurrence is that th© bomb was thrown from a house owned by King Alfonso’s mother, and which was bequeathed to her by a philanthropist. The building was let as a grocery shop on the ground floor, with a hoarding establishment above. The attempt which marred the wedding was on the anniversary of the Paris attempt on the life of King Alfonso. It is supposed that the bombthrower was Manuel Durs-ti, a welldressed Catalonian, who, with many others, has been arrested. Messages of sympathy and congratulations have been received at the Palace from all countries. Tlu- populace are furious at the attempted assassination, and nearly lynched several foreigners, including a French detective, who was suspected during the confusion of the authorship of the outrage. Roth the King and Queen reached the Palace uninjured. The courtiers pressed forward, hut King Alfonso waved them hack. He tenderly support'd his weeping bride to the Princess of Wales’ carriage, which was some distance ahead of King Alfonso’s. (The marrying of a King is at all times important, hut the marrying of a King of Spain is ceremonially an event of tin" first human concern, due to quite a variety of reasons, among them being the following: The traditional etiquette of the Spanish Court; the territorial rank of the Sovereign; the religious and civil claim's of the national constitution ns alFeeting either a King of Spain or a King of Spain’s heir. When King Alfonso decided to marry, he had to notify his Ministry; when finally he made his choice lie was barred by the law of his country from intimating it personally. No doubt “the young people” had tlieir confidences, hut King Alfonso did not propose till after his return to Madrid, when he ap|K>inte(l a special ambassador, who carried two requests to England from his master one to King Edward asking his consent to the union, and another to Princess Kua formally tendering the Spanish offer. The acceptance of the proposal was equally formal, and the final formality was entrusted to the Duke of Norfolk, ns Earl Marshal of England, senior British Peer, Master of British Ceremonies, and the most Notable Roman Catholic Layman in all the British Empire. Through him King Alfonso lias notified of the acceptance,

on which the prospective bridegroom formally summoned his Ministry, and stated his intention of taking as his Consort her Royal Highness the Princess Ena of Battenberg. It- has been said that Princess Ena is an English Princess, which is true, while the converse that she is a Princess of England is untrue. Her mother is a Princess of England, of in fact Great Britain, even as are her sisters Princess Louise and Princess Christian, and as were the Empress Frederick of Germany and the Princess Alice. The Constitution of Spain compelled the future Queen to adopt the faith of the State.)

PRESS COMMENTS ON THE OUTRAGE.

(Received this day at 7.37 a.m.) London, June 1. The dominant note of the newspapers in commenting on the above incident is gratitude at the providential escape, which is interpreted as a good augury for the Sovereign’s happiness and also for Spain’s, though all agree that it is high time society should take energetic measures for the protection of itself from the danger of high explosives falling into the hands of anarchists and homicides.

The newspapers also urge the reconsideration of tiie law’s attitude towards secret societies. The “Daily Telegraph’s” Madrid correspondent says that three officers, seven men and five spectators were killed, and a hundred were more or less seriously injured.

CABLE NEWS

(By Electric Telegraph.—Copyught)