October 15, 1954
Infanta Pilar of Spain made her debut tonight at the Parque Hotel in Estoril, Portugal, reports the New York Times.
The eighteen-year-old infanta is the eldest child of the Count of Barcelona, pretender to the Spanish throne. The Don Juan and his family entered the "thronged ballroom," hundreds of "discreetly jeweled women swept deep curtseys."
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There were about 1600 Spaniards, including a third of the grandees and their families, who "mingled with more humble monarchists."
All contributed $8.00 each to the event and traveled to Portugal to attend the gala event. Many of the guests believed that this would be one of the last social appearances by Don Juan before his "expected abdication" in favor of his elder son, Infante Don Juan Carlos.
The gala also included 350 Portuguese and foreign "socialists, including thirty members of European royal families. Former King Umberto of Italy was one of the guests.
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