A ROYAL ENGAGEMENT.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12901, 12 February 1906, Page 5

A ROYAL ENGAGEMENT.

OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT OF BETROTHAL-

United Press Association—Per Electric Telegraph—Copyright. i MADRID. Februarv 9. King Alfonso ha* officially informed the Ministry of his betrothal to Princess Ena. of Battenberg. The. wedding will take: place on .Tune 2nd. at the church «»f San («romino El Real.

The conversion of Princess Hna • to the Roman Catholic, faith will be a ceremony «t great solemnity. It will be held ir. the Nan Francisco Cathedral at Madrid. ;>nd will be presided over- bv the Prosit* <>f Spain, ihe Cardinal Archbishop rf Toledo. The nine archbishop.* and fortysix bishops of the kingdom will -be mjuV moned lev attend. During the \reddin« lestivmes Madrid will be transformed into a gigantic garden of flowers. Roses and pinks will be brought by hundred* of wag-

goii 10.n1.* fn»ni ScviUc, Mau;ig.<. Valencia. Alicante, and Murcia. Gra:»ii j<<«K-cwi<iri» in character will be ©rgaoJM..i by the students and women cigar-mai e;>. .aid aj.i tional dance* will be performer by pcisaai-. from she provinces. Stroma *4 whii« and red wine will flow from lii<c J«»asil««n* of Madrid in lieu of water m iie day of the wedding. On* of the jik*l popular celebrations will be a nionsur hull fight, conducted with all the and panoply of ancient use. Many <.b.»ng*;n» aj« being made at the palace to puj.».*}c tin-.-apartments f<r the K.i=g. am: 3is bride the Prince**-, will have her p-;v.i.<« apartments «n the first U<.*»r «<f tin' j■.■.•..-<»-. whrrc an army of worknwn arc engage 3 in aiding the necessary transformation. V-*n Cartas, the widower of the late Priri.fr* <-f tli© Austurias. the elder sisSer «>f the King. lives wi'.h his b.iby Prince, tijt Heir Pjcsumptive. in the palace, and will e&ntirmc to do jsn until the King; has a descendant of his own. A Madrid jeweller is manufacturing a magnificent dinner service *»f solid silver to be used at the weeding banquet.