European sovereigns stunned by tragedy in Lisbon

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February 2, 1908

King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra have sent "telegrams of warm sympathy" to Queen Amalia of Portugal following the assassinations of King Carlos and Crown Prince Luiz, according to the Associated Press. The British king and queen have also canceled their forthcoming visits to Denmark and Norway. The next court at Buckingham Palace has also been canceled as a "token of respect for the memory of the King and Prince."

News of the assassinations was received by telephone at the imperial palace in Berlin shortly before 5 a.m. An official dispatch about the tragedy had come through some time at from the German Legation in Berlin, but was "still in the hands of the translators."

Kaiser Wilhelm II was said to be "greatly distressed" as he was fond of Crown Prince Luiz, whom he last saw during his visit to Portugal in 1905.
Wilhelm sent a telegram to the Queen and the new king Manoel, and also ordered that the German court "should go into mourning for three weeks."

The household at Wood Norton, near Evesham, the home of Queen Amalia's brother, the Duke of Orleans, received the news of the tragedy "with grief and horror, and expressions of deep sympathy, for the former Princess Amelie of Orleans. Neither the duke nor his wife are at Wood Norton at present.
King Carlos visited Wood Norton often with his wife, and was "well known and exceedingly popular" in the town.

King Victor Emmanuel has ordered strict mourning for 30 days, and has cancelled all "court functions for an indefinite period." The Dowager Queen Margherita, whose husband, King Umberto, was assassinated only eight years ago, has sent a message to Amalia: "None better than myself can understand your terrible misfortune."

Portugal's Prime Minister has stated that he was convinced that Dom Miguel de Braganza, a pretender to the Portuguese throne, is not connected with the assassinations.

Dom Miguel is currently in Italy at Via Reggio. His immediate family and other relatives gathered today for a meeting, and their advisers "assured the family that Dom Miguel had no chance whatsoever of obtaining the throne notwithstanding the strong republican movement." They noted that Manoel "possesses the sympathies of the majority of the Portuguese people."

There are rumors that Dom Miguel is not too far from the Portuguese border, but his relatives have denied this.