Maria Cristina of Spain is dead

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February 6, 1929

Queen Maria Cristina of Spain, the mother of King Alfonso XIII, died suddenly early this morning in Madrid. "Until an hour of her death," Maria Cristina "remained alert and keenly interested in national and court affairs." Last night, she attended a court "motion picture exhibition," with other members of the royal family, She retired about midnight, complaining of "slight pains in her head," but she chose to dismiss her servants, and went to bed.

By 4 a.m., however, the queen was in serious distress. She suffered several fainting spells before relapsing into total unconsciousness, and she died just before 5 o'clock. The queen's death was caused by a blood clot.

The New York Times reports that the Queen's death "has plunged Spain into sincere mourning, for her service as Regent and her devotion to charitable, social and welfare activities throughout her life strongly endeared her to the people."

King Alfonso is said to be "greatly affected" by the death of his mother.

The Dowager Queen was born in Moravia on July 21,1858, the daughter of Archduke Ferdinand Karl and Archduchess Elisabeth Franziska of Austria. Her father was a first cousin of Emperor Franz Joseph.

Maria Cristina's early life had not prepared her for the role of a queen consort, and later, as regent for her only son.

She spent her early life as a "recluse in a convent for noblewomen in Austria," according to her obituary in the New York Times. She was the convent's abbess, and it was her intention to take the full vows of a nun. She was certainly the youngest abbess of the Damenstift in Prague, and she stepped down before her marriage to King Alfonso XII of Spain.

"International and political events intervened" and the archduchess found herself leaving her convent. Maria Cristina first met the young Spanish king when both were children. A marriage was arranged when King Alfonso XII visited Austria after the death of his first wife, Mercedes.

Maria Cristina and Alfonso were married on November 29, 1879. During their six years of marriage, Queen Maria Cristina gave birth to two daughters, Marie de las Mercedes and Maria Teresa. She was pregnant with their third child when King Alfonso died on November 25, 1885.

Mercedes was the heiress to the throne and was styled as the Princess of Asturias. If Maria Cristina gave birth to a third daughter, Mercedes would have succeeded to the throne.

On March 16,1886, Maria Cristina gave birth to a son, who automatically succeeded to the throne as king.
Maria Cristina acted as regent for her son until Alfonso XIII reached his majority in 1902. Her sixteen years as regent were marked by "almost continual internal troubles in Spain and disturbances and revolutions in the colonial possessions."
Perhaps the most serious blow during this time to "the once-powerful Spanish Empire" was the war between Spain and the United States, which resulted in the loss of Spain's most "important colonial possessions and terminated Spain's rule in the New World."

For some years, Cuba had wanted to "shake off the Spanish yoke," and had made demands for independence in 1894. Revolution broke out against Spain, and "the situation came to be regarded by the United States as a menace because of the nearness of the island to the American shores."

Queen Maria Cristina's funeral is expected to be held on Friday, "when the body will be taken in state with all the ceremonials to Escorial."

The ceremonies that were planned for King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine of Denmark who arrived in Madrid today have been postponed. The Danish sovereigns "at once sent expressions of condolences to the Spanish royal family."

American President Calvin Coolidge has sent his condolences to King Alfonso and the British court has ordered court mourning.