Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-05-20
HOW KINGS ARE BORN.

HOW KINGS axe bUhN'
Before nightfa'l Sunday night Queen
Christina, after suffering from neuralgia
Mains all Saturday. was taken ill and dur
ing the night the Court physicians were
hastily summoned to her bedside, and it
was announced that in all probability her
confinement would take place before Mon
day evening.
The ministers and the municipal author
tiles were up all night and visited the pal
ace repeatedly, and prayers were being Of
fered up in the Madrid churches for safe
deliyerance.
Monday morning the Queen was sleeping
Quietly and crowd was collecting in the
plaza outside. Intense excitement was
shown, both among the people and the pol
iticians. About noon the Halberdler GUARDS
left the palace to summon the diplomatic
corps and the high state d'gnltarles to the
royal ante-chambers, where they were to
remain till the Queens confinement. About
five hundred assembled to assist" IN the
salon next the Queens.
Every preparation had been made for the
event. According to the ceremonial follow
ed on such occasions, the Queen as Regent
tine King himself being dead) had apprlsed
all the archbishops and bishops Of the King
dom that the birth of the royal infant was
drawing near, asking their prayers and the
prayers of the people that Providence might
grant Her Majesty happy delivery. Ac-
cording to custom. she herself had visited
the shripe of the Virgin de la Paloma and
other churches Following the traditional
usage, the royal physician had secured the
services of a healthy Asturan nurse. The
Diplomatic Corps, state officials and court
iers had been warned not to leave Madrid.
Immediately after the birth Of the little
Prince the camerara naajor, the Duchess de
Medina de las Torres informed the Presi-
dent of the Council of Ministers Of the fact
and the sex of the child. This news he III
turn communicated to those around him,
and especially to the Captain General Of
Madrid, Gen. PA a, and the commandant
of the Royal Halberdiers, the atter's duty
being to give the proper signals announcing
the news to the people. The ceremonies
within the royal chamber were carried out
according to the usual etiquette. The lit
tie Prince was paced on cushion on
an enormous silver salver and the cam
erara-major carried it herself from
the room. First she presented the child to
the dignitaries named in the royal decree,
and then, accompanied by the President Of
the Council of Miuis.el the heir of Alton
80 XII was presented first to the Diplomatic
Corps and then to all the lei ions present
The Minister of Justice, in his quality of
Notary of the Realm, then drew up the act
of birth and the act of civil status. The
traditional ceremonies over, the infant was
taken back by the caacrara major to his
royal mother, Queen Christina. With the
Queen was Princess Isabella, widow of Count
CirgheDti, and eldest sister of the late King,
who, in case the Queen Regent had died
in child. birth, or yet dies, will become Re
gent.
When the courtiers had exhausted their
raptures the birth was pompously recorded
in an official deed, drawn up by the Minis
ter of Justice, and the ceremony ended.
Meanwhile the news had been conveyed 10
the crowd in the plaza by hosting the royal
standard. Instantly the church bells rang
out,guns were fred and the air was filled with
the sounds of rejoicing. Then the grandees
and courtiers slowly dispersed, and nothing
broke the stiffness of the royal bed cham
Der but the feeble wailing of the baby mon
arch.