The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-23 00:00:00

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THE QUEEN REGENT OF SPAIN

A Madrid journal contains the following account cf
the marriage of the Queen Regent of Spain with Don
Fernand Munoz :

" Two months after the death of Ferdinand VII. the
Queen Regent became acquainted with the garde do
corps Munoz, who came to the palace with his comrade,
Nicolas Franco, who cirricd on an intrigue with Donna
Teresa Valcarel, the milliner, and confidential favourite
of the Queen. Munoz was the son of a shopkeeper at
Tarancon, and had narrowly escaped being dismissed
from his regiment in 1832, on suspicion of being a
Carlist.

" Christina did not dare at once to disclose her pas-
sion for Munoz, but planned a romantic journey for
that purpose. She resolved to take advantage of the
week that Munoz was on duty at the palace, and to
visit her country house at Quita Pesares. On the
17th of December, 1833, during a most severe season,
she set out at daylight, but was obliged to return, her
carriage having broken down in the mountains in conse-
quence of the snow, which rendered the road impassa-
ble. That night she sent labourers to clear the road,
and on the morning of the 18th she set out again to the
great astonishment of her household, none of the ladies
in waiting having been permitted to accompany her.
She was accompanied by Don Francisco Palafox, Aide-
de-Camp-General of the Guard, her Gentleman Usher
Carbonelle, and Munoz.
When the Queen arrived at Quite Pesares, she
walked in the gardens with Palatox and Munoz,
but she sent Palafox to execute a commission, and
remained alone with the latter. This, no doubt,
was the opportunity sought for making the declara-
tion, as appears from what followed. The same day
the Queen returned to Madrid, and the favour en-
joyed by the garde do corps Munoz became manifest
to every one. He was appointed Gentleman of the
Interior, an office created by the late King, and which
did not appear necessary fora Queen. The favourite
was presented with a house magnificently furnished,
and a splendid equipage, by the Queen's orders. In
a few days after he was seen to wear the diamond or-
naments of Ferdinand VII., and an apartment in the
Palace was allotted to him. He dined with the Queen ;
he accompanied her everywhere, and attended her
alone in her carriage. They even went together to re-
view the National Guard at the Prado. This increased
the scandal which was already public, and allusion
was made to it in the public Journals. The Chro-
nique of the 4th of February, 1834, the fortieth day
of the Royal amours, inserted the following para-
graph Yesterday her Majesty took an airing in an
open char-a-bane, driven by one of her servants. The
Duke of Alagon, Captain of the Guards, attended her.
This paragraph was read with avidity by the at-
tendants at tbe Palace, because the servant alluded to
was Munoz.

" The Queen demanded satisfaction for this insult,l
and having a cringing Minister like Martinez de la
Rosa, and a chief of police like Latre, the Journal was
despotically suppressed, and the two editors exiled.
" The Queen's love for her new favourite was re-
proved by religion, and, after some days, she signified
her intention to Munoz to marry him. Munoz thought
it was a dream, but when he found how fortune smiled
on him he set about realizing the Queen's wish.
" He had but few acquaintances, but it happened
that an obscure priest from his town happened to be at
that moment at Madrid, Munoz applied to him, and
offered to procure him advancement if he would marry
him to the Queen, who could not trust any of the
clergymen of the Royal Chard. How to procure a
license was then the difficulty. The Patriarch refused
to grant one, and so did the Bishop of Cuenca. The
Queen then applied to Cardinal Tibera, who granted the
license on receiving an autograph letter from the Royal
bride.
" At seven o'clock in the morning of the 28th De-
cember, ten days after they became acquainted, the
marriage of Donna Maria Christina de Bourbon with
Don Fernand Munoz was celebrated by the priest Don
Marcos Antonio Gonzales, and in presence of the wit-
nesses Don Miguel Lopez Acabado and the Marquis
of Herreros. The Queen opened the Cortes on the
24th of June, and, notwithstanding the care taken to
conceal it, her embonpoint was remarked as extraor-

dinary.
" On the 16th of November,lB34, just eleven months
after her acquaintance with Munoz, she was delivered
of an infant, which was baptized Gertrude Magna Vic-
toria, and her recovery was so rapid that in nine days
after she reviewed the 2d squadron of the Guards,
which was going to fight in Navarre for her eldest
daughter. The same night the infant was conveyed
from the palace by the physician and placed under the
care of trusty servants at Segovia.
" The year following the same acts and the same
scenes were repeated. On the 17th of May, 1835, a
Royal ordinance was issued dispensing with the cere-
mony of kissing hands, through condescension, it was
said, for those persons who were presented at Court.
At the Palace it was understood to mean the advanced
state of pregnancy of her Majesty. The Queen and
Munoz went every evening to the country.bouse at
Quira Pesares, and at the same time the infant was
brought from Segovia. This daily interview, and the
expensive train of Victoria's nurse, rendered the Royal
maternity so notorious that the very children used to
call Victoria the Queen's daughter. The same autumn
the Queen gave birth to a male infant, which was con-
veyed with its sister to Paris. During the events
which took place at La Granja in 1836 Munoz was
with difficulty saved from the hands of the populace
by concealing him in some private cellars. Since
that time Munoz has not been seen in public with the
Queen. Such constant intimacy could not be con-
cealed, and the Ministers thought it their duty to ad-
dress the Queen on the subject, but Garelly and Zarco
del Valle, who made some overtures on the reports
circulated, were quickly dismissed. The marriage of
the Queen with Munoz has caused incredible injury to
the Spanish nation. A family without education has
possessed themsels es of the Queen's patronage, and the
vilest society has been admitted into the Palace. The
innocent Isabella neither knows how to read nor write,
and the society which surrounded her was of the most
improper description. The marriage of Ferdinand's
widow once proved, it is evident that she is no longer
competent to act as guardian to the Queen
The laws have declared that the mother who marries a
second time cannot retain the guardianship of the chil-
dren of her first husband."
The Journal des Debals says, " that the abdication
of the Queen of Spain is a fact that ought not to have
surprised any one. Exposed for the last two months
to all kinds of insults, the Queen's position was no
longer supportable—she had no choice left but to retire
or be degraded. The young Queen Isabella is to re-
main in Spain ; her name will for some time, at least,
serve as a watchword for her party, and there may pos-
Orly be some cries heard of Long live the Constitu-
tion l Long live Isabella!'
" By retiring the Regent leaves the municipal autho-
rity and the military dictatorship at issue. The des-
tinies of Spain are placed between the Juntas and the
Duke of Vittoria. If Espartero was one of those ener-
getic characters who sometimes appear in the midst of
a revolution, the victory would not be long doubtful,
and the friends of Spain might desire his triumph, be-
cause in default of right, he represents unity, and unity
is the only mode of regeneration for Spain. But, with
his irresolute character, it is to be feared that the ar-
dent passions of his adversaries will annihilate him.
The retreat of the Regent will infallibly create a col-
lision between Espartero and the hundred-headed
anarchy of democracy.
" The French Ministry appears to have been unfor-
tunate throughout the late events in Spain. M. Tillers,
when he accepted office, enjoyed a certain popularity in
that country, but did not take advantage of it. The
best result that France can now expect is, that Spain.
yielding to a hostile influence, will not declare war
against her. This, indeed, is a sad result after seven
years of sacrifices and assistance of every kind afforded
by France to the Spanish revolution."

EASTERN NEWS.

(From the chronicle.)
TURKEY.

CONSTANTINOPLE, SEPT. 30.—The letters and I
papers which have now come to hand furnish no furt her
details of the important events of which I informed you
in my last letter, but they detract nothing from the
truth of the reports at first circulated. The progress
of affairs on the Syrian shores has been, it is clear, up
to this moment, even more favourable than could reason-
ably be expected ; and the period now is not far dis-
tant when Mehemet Ali will be effectually crushed.
We must not, however, it is equally certain, hope for
brilliant successes in the first instance. The warfare in
question is of that character in which nothing will be
done by precipitate measures, but in which all must de-
pend on moral effect, and allowing time for the revolt to
spread. The force we are acting with is yet a small one
—too small to be removed from the coast, and we must
not deceive ourselves as to Ibrahim's strength, or rely with
a confidence which might possibly compromise us on the
courage and fidelity of the Sultan's troops. All hitherto
has gone well, but much caution must still be used.
Beyrout, there can be no doubt, is now occupied by a
Turkish garrison, and Soliman Pacha has abandoned
the coast ; but though arms and ammunition have al-
ready been distributed to 10,000 of the Syrian inhabi-
tants, none of the chiefs by all accounts, have as yet
embraced the Sultan's cause, and, without the influ-
ence they exercise, little can be done with these people.
Ibrahim, also, as I have already informed you, was ad-
vancing to attack the position we have occupied, and
the force he has with him is not to be despised, united,
as of course it now will be, with that commanded by
Soliman Pacha ; and on the success or failure of this
attempt much, therefore, will now depend. Six
thousand additional troops are to be sent from here with
all despatch ; and there is a report also of
an Austrian force which is to embark at Trieste in a
few days. When these arrive the case will be different,
but as I have said, under every circumstance, more will
be done for the Sultan's cause, and more bloodshed
eventually b© spared, by permitting events to take their