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Friday, March 4, 2011

Don Jaime weds American-French girl

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 March 4, 1935

Emanuela de Dampierre, an American-French girl, was united in marriage today with Don Jaime, second son of former King Alfonso XIII of Spain, reports the Associated Press.

The granddaughter of the former Josephine Curtis of Boston, "whose ancestors played an important part in United States history," and the "tall son of Spanish royalty" were married in a brilliant and regal ceremony at Rome's Jesuit church of St. Ignatius in the "presence of scores of royalty, hundreds from the aristocracy of France, Spain, and Italy, and a number of Americans.

The bride was escorted down the aisle by King Alfonso XIII, as her father, the Count de Dampierre, did not attend the wedding.

Crown Prince Umberto and Crown Princess Marie José represented the King and Queen of Italy.  There were more than 2,000 wedding guests, including Queen Amelia of Portugal, Grand Duke Dimitri of Russia, the Count of Paris, his sister, Princess Francoise and her husband, Prince Christopher of Greece, and "scores of others."

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 The groom's mother, Queen Victoria Eugenia, did not attend the wedding and remained in London, where she now lives.  She also did not attend the wedding of her daughter, Infanta Beatriz, to Prince Torlonia in January.  After a private audience with Pope Pius, who gave the couple a "rosary and a prayer book," the newlyweds were the guests of honor at a "brilliant breakfast reception at an aristocratic palace in Rome."

Tonight, the couple dined with King Alfonso and members of the bride's family at Alfonso's villa in Rome.  Tomorrow, they will leave for London to see Queen Victoria Eugenia.

After a honeymoon cruise "up the Nile," the young couple said they would like to visit the United States.

Don Jaime suffers from an "auditory ailment," and has sought treatment throughout Europe.  He also has an "accompanying speech impediment."   In 1933, he renounced for himself and his descendants the right to the Spanish throne.

His older brother, Alfonso, the Count of Covadonga, attended a party in Cannes, while "his brother was being married in Rome."  He expressed "resentment that family approval should have been given his brother's marriage to a commoner and withheld from his own."

The Count, who lost his position as Prince of Asturias and the right of succession, when he renounced his rights at the time of his marriage in 1933 to a Cuban-born commoner, Edelmira Sampedro, told an AP reporter: "Since father disapproved of my marriage to a commoner, he should be present at my brother's marriage to a commoner."

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