Alfonso flees; Spain is a republic

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April 14, 1931

King Alfonso XIII has yielded his throne, and Spain is now a republic, according to news reports. The Spanish monarchy, which "stood proudly for fifteen centuries, with only one brief intermission, was toppled over in a few breathless hours this afternoon, without a drop of bloodshed," the New York Times reported on its front page.

 The Republican flag flies throughout Spain.

 The king, accompanied by the Duke of Miranda, and two Civil Guards, and is en route to Cartagena, where he will board a ship to Marseilles. Earlier today, he slipped out of the palace by a garden gate and got out of Madrid before anyone realized it.

An official statement will be released tomorrow regarding Alfonso's position. He has neither abdicated nor renounced his throne but has chosen to leave Spain for the time being to avoid bloodshed.

The new provisional government will soon hold elections, but it is apparent from last night's demonstrations that the people are eager for a republic.

The new President Alcala Zamora gave a brief interview to the New York Times. He said: "America is the leader of democracy in the world and I send her cordial greetings."

Queen Victoria Eugenie is expected to arrive in France by tomorrow and will travel to England to visit her mother, Princess Beatrice.