Thursday, May 19, 2016

Alfonso and Ena's wedding will be a grand affair

 


May 19, 1906

Madrid is "rapidly putting on gala attire" as the city anticipates the upcoming marriage of King Alfonso XIII and Princess Ena of Battenberg, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The wedding will take place on May 31.  "Superb" street decorations are appearing throughout the city and "parks and other public places are being transformed into luxurious gardens," as thousands of "palm trees and rosebushes" are being planted.

Florists in the Canary Islands have been ordered to "supply 1200 tons of flowers for the Plaza de Toros" and other centers within the capital.

The Spanish government has "requisitioned the prominent hotels" for the visiting royalty and envoys.  Other hotels are charging $25.00 per day.  Princes for "everything: have become exorbitant.

The royal palace is the "scene of constant receptions" for the arriving delegations.  Three saloons in the palace are filled with the daily arrival of more wedding gifts.  Princess Ena's gift to her fiance is an "exquisite jeweled sword," designed in Toldeo.

The American minister,  Mr. Collier, will host several "brilliant" banquets.

Princess Ena will travel on May 24 to France onboard a British warship. She proceeded "by special train to the Spanish frontier" where she will be greeted by King Alfonso, Premier Moret, and the Foreign Minister, the Duke of Almodovar.  The Princess will stay at the Pardo Palace.


On the morning of the wedding, Princess Ena will get into the "famous tortoise-shell coach drawn by eight white horses with gilded harnesses and white plumes."  The bride's party will meet the bridegroom's cortege at the Plaza Oriente, and they will "proceed together to the Church of San Geronimo."

The arrangements for the procession, the wedding, and the festivals are said to be on the "scale of the greatest splendor."

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Lovely commentary. Sad ending for this love story however.

Bill said...

In the first photo I think it is odd they didn't make Alfonso sit on a pillow. Ena looks a lot taller than him in that photo. I thought they would want to make the king look taller. Very interesting to me.