Reception of Princess Ena in Spain

New Zealand Tablet, Volume 19, 19 July 1906, Page 14

Reception of Princess Ena in Spain

Wo take the following graphic account of ihe enthusiastic reception accorded to the Princess Ena, after passing the Spanish frontier until her arrival in Madrid, from the London ' D«.iiy Telegraph ' :— - Her Royal Highness left London on May 21 after assisting at Mass at the Carmelite Church close to Kensington Palace. '1 he King and nearly the whole of the Royal Family saw the Princess off from the Victoria Station. Shortly before five that afternoon the tram conveying the xtoral party arrived at the Spanish frontier, v.here king Alfonso was awaiting' his brideelect. From tne Spanish frcntier (says Ihe correspondent of the ' Daily" Telegraph ') the journey of the Royal train has been a veritable triumphal progress. The welcome which was extended to Ihe future Queen of Spain at all the stations en route was characterised by an ardor something more than .Southern. Delirious is peihips the only word to describe the ovation which the Royal pa~ty received when the train drew up twenty minutes behind time at Alasaua. Seeing too warmth of the welcome which was accordtxl her daughter a welcome which came straight from the hearts of the peoi lc, Princess Henry of Batfenbere: went with emotion. -Hie enthutiasm of "the croud surpassed anything it is po&sible to imagine Alighting from the train King Alfonso reviewed the troops; and presented the principal authorities to Princess Lna. Uh le the train remained in the station there was a loiM-coniinuc d roll of cheers for the Kin- for us bride for Princess Henry, for Spain, and [o?"fcnfi. n^' , ?? U ,t al0 'r a " ro£e ihe cry ' Vha la R «»a hermosa ! (Long h-.e the beautiful Queen) onnonn lind the lrain , an ? * he Platforms were more than 2° t Persons u ho had come from the neighboring mght m havins * alkcd aH throi 'g h th * Winning the People. And so it was at the various stations miil El Til?- Uo , w as reaped, amidst a hurricane o , enthusias( , ic at tne ri^nt and left side respectively. When Fl Pardn was reached, Uic Mayor of Mostcles presented Prnces? n"« W ha . hut;C *<>''*"**>• The motor waV filled w7S flowers and, in spite of the elTo-ts of the no! cc ami mp\eci. mis little incident s thus described hv hf> speciaJ correspondent of the • I>aily News ' re! mpsmmm nn „ , JJar' ard «n for a Condemned Mara, men, representative of th e w^oie S^fi" 1 ms P ec^d the by ortler oTihe Kl^'to'l^J""^^ tel^aphed was received i n Badata? +£« v . vi SOon as the news

toria ! Iho news, indeed, caused general rejoicing, and wneever it became Known satisfaction was expressed tnat the future Queen should so soon have had an opportunity of exercising her clemency. On Sunday morning Mass was said on one of the .balconies of the palace for the soldiers by the chaplain ot the Arapilcs Regiment, and this was heard by the King, Princess Ena, and suite from one of the salons. . Ihe Royal party then left for Madrid, where the Koyal Palace was visited, and whore another Mass, celebrated by the Bishop of Sion, was heard. Meanwhile Princess Henry of, Battcaberg and her sons paid a \isit to the British Embassy. After dinner there was a serenading party of violinists and guitarists assembled beneath the windows of the Palace, who played popular Spanish airs. i r » Procession of Motor-Cars On Monday morning there was a grand procession of motor-cars to the El Pardo Palace, organised by the Duke of Santo-Mauro, President of the Automobile Club and fhe Londe de Penalver. All were gaily decorated with flowers and Spanish and English flags, the sight fcein- a most fantastic one. After lunch King Alfcnso, accompanied by Princesses Henry and Ena, paid a visit to fhc Monastery of the j-.sco jal, the bury ing-place of the Kings of Spain Princes i-na carried wreaths of naturalttowersi w- oers which she placed on the graves of King Alfonso XII. and hin first wife, Queen Mercedes. The Royal f"n VT re TY d by lhe Prior of the Augustiniam Community and his m o n' s, and conducted to the Panteon de los Reyes, or Royal' vaults. Deputations from the Cortes. In the afLoniocn deputations from the Senate and the Deputiei waited on Princess Ena, and presented loyal addrcs cs. l Tuesday was the first day of the official fetes It was a day of amvai of the representatives of foreign Powers. r J]K> PriiKC and Princess of Wales wen* unable to obtain a :» ecial train at Irun and travelled ,y., y . °^ Dll } a . r J tram - TliC da y was one ol blazing heat, but Madrid abandoned its habit of keeping indoors: rrom 11 to 5, and the streets were crowded viifr sightseers. The presentation of th* Extraonlinarv l-.m-ba-ncs to Km- Alfonso at the Palace was witnessed from a place called El Camon by Princess Ena, who, was accompanied by her mother an<l Princess Alexander, Maurice, ami I copold of Battenlverg and the Du.hess of Saxe-Coburp. She had at her side the little Pnnco Alfonso, aj.cd four years, vh-o in heir-pre-sumptive to the throne of Spain. * - Km s Alfcnso and Princess Fna had previously re-r-ped a deputation of the provincial authorities of Madrid, who welcomed her Royal Highness i n the name of the province. His Majesty and the Princess aitervyards leencd a committee ot Monarchists from Barcelona, who hal brought for her Royal Ilighness's acceptance a coronet of diamonds valued at 200 000 pesetas, and an album bound in gold, containing works erhcr in the original or reproductions of Catalan painters, engravers, sculptors, poets, and authors In than'ring them for their expressions of devotion her Poval Highness spoke in French, explaining tl-at she did mt as yet 1 now sufficient Spanish for the purro c of an arleq-uate reply She mmlestly deprecated the flattering terms of tHe addresses, a "nd said she was not worfh so much affection, but she trusted to eventually desc-vc some portion of it. The deputations were emchanted with the beauty, the simnle grace, and tact of her Royal -Highness-. In the evening a theatrical performance was given in the theatre of the El Pardo Palace, which has not ben used since the time of Carles IV. The Betrothal. On Wednesday afternoon a number of Spanish journalists assembled at El Pardo, were received by Kinff Alfonso and Princess Ena, and presented her Royal Highness with a gold pen and a bouquet of flowers. Among the party w a s the well-known Revolutionary Deprfy, Senor Rodrigo Soriano, editor of the recenUyestablishcd paper, l Esnana Ncuva.' He assured the Princess that, althouph a Repub'ioan, he felt it a high honor to he allowed to offer a testimony of respect to the gooclness, beauty, and simplicity of a daughter of the Royal Family of Great Britain a cojuntry where liberty and order held sway. King Alfonso gave orders to the ' Intendent ' of Ihe Palace to distribute 50,00<T pesetas to the poor on the morning of his wedd'ng day,^ and 3iis Majesty will also be.'i'ow dowiies on a number of orphan girls who are entering: the marriage state to-day. " At half-past five the betrothal ceremony took place in the Ambassador^ Hall of the Palace where the Bishop of Sion, standing by a small table on which a crucifix had been ..placed, asked in the presence of the Royal Family, Ministers, Cardinals, -and the Archbishop of Toledo, King Alfonso and Princess Ena. if

there were any impediments to their union, arid' on their answering in the negative both signed a document to this effect using the gold' pe n presented by the journiall'sta The proceedings concluded with the siffninc'of the ' capitulations.' 6 b -nf T^ table used had been brought specially to Madrid for the occasion, and was the one which served a similar purpose on that of the marriage of Cvucen Christina. The articles of the marriage treaty have been published, and by them Princess Ena, as Consort of King Alfonso, wifl have a grant of £18 000 a year and of £10 000 a year in case of the death of the King. Her Royal Highness forfeits for ever all hereditary rights. of sucoession to the Crown of Eng-