A quiet wedding for royal cousins

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July 11, 1931

Infanta Beatriz of Spain and her second cousin, Prince Alvaro of Orléans-Borbon, are preparing for an autumn marriage, reports the Associated Press.

They plan to marry "quietly in a Paris pension," and will have "a campus honeymoon" since Prince Alvaro still has two more years of university study before he receives a degree in mechanical engineering.

Infanta Beatriz, 22, is the elder daughter of King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenia, who went into exile earlier this year.  She is a year older than her fiance, whose mother, Beatriz, is Queen Ena's first cousin.

Prince Alvaro is a student at the Polytechnic Institute in Zurich.  His father, Infante Alfonso of Orléans-Borbon, is the King's first cousin.  Both are great grandchildren of the late Queen Isabel of Spain.

The wedding, which is scheduled to take place in October or November "in the tiny candlelit chapel of the exclusive 'pension de dame' -- half hotel, half convent" where the groom's mother, Infanta Eulalia now lives. 

The bride has not made any plans for an elaborate wedding or trousseau.   She and her family are currently living at the Hotel Savoy at Fontainebleau since Spain was declared a republic.  She and her younger sister, Infanta Maria Cristina, are often seen "strolling through the village shops," where they carry their own packages.  The two young women also spend time taking long walks in the nearby woods.

Infanta Beatriz is also fond of sports, and she plays a lot of tennis, "where her sturdy volleys brings applause from spectators."  Prince Alvaro is an "accredited aviator and sportsman."   He flies his own plane, and enjoys swimming, rowing, golf, and he plays tennis "with much vim."  

The couple, after their marriage, plan to settle in Zurich.