Queen Victoria Eugenia of Spain was delivered of a stillborn son at 4:00 this morning, according to news reports. The "unhappy outcome is attributed to a premature accouchement," which, however, "was otherwise natural." The little prince will be "buried without ceremony" in the royal pantheon at the Escorial monastery.
Queen Ena "wept bitterly," when she was told of her loss. Her husband, King Alfonso XIII, is still in London, where he attended the funeral of King Edward VII.
The "last few weeks have been trying" for the queen. It appeared that the baby might arrive early, and court officials were summoned on two separate occasions, as the birth seemed imminent.
The dead prince's body was taken to a room adjoining the queen's chamber "for the official inspection by members of the royal family" and court officials who had been waiting there.
This appears to be the first instance of a stillborn child in the Spanish royal family, although Queen Isabel II gave birth to a child that lived only long enough to be baptized.
Queen Ena and King Alfonso have three children, Alfonso, the Prince of Asturias, Infante Jaime, and Infanta Beatriz. The King will leave for Madrid tonight to "comfort his afflicted consort."
In some works I've seen this baby referred to as Fernando.
ReplyDeleteWas there any kind of baptism to a stillborn infant ?
yes, the baby would have been named Fernando. Stillborn babies are not baptized.
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