Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-02-21
ROYAL WEDDING AT MADRID
Princess of the Asturias United
to Prince Charles.
SIMPLE CEREMONY OF CHURCH
Coupled With Old and Curious
Customs.
Couple YoiSed Together with Satin Ribbon
--erooIn Gives the Bride Thirteen Gold
CoiDs-"I give Thee Companion, Not n
Slave" said Cardinal TO Groom.

Madrid. Spain, Feb. 14-In the chapel
of the royal palace, in the presence of the
royal laulily and all the aristoufacy ana
ofilclaldom OF Spin, DonA Maria de las
Merce1es de Hourbun y hHp,burg princess
Of the Asturius, WINS today welded to Prince
Charles Ut Bourbon.
Az 030 O'Clock this morning there as
sembled in the private apartments of the
queen regent, Maria Christina, those form
ing the BRIDES party, consisting of her
mother. the queen regent; her brother. the
hoy king. Alfonso XIII; her sister, the
1nianta Maria Teresa her aunts, the In
fantas Isabella and Eulalia; her uncle,
Aichduke Eugene Of Austria; her grand
mother, Archduchess Elizabeth, with all the
high reiainers of the court, ladies in wait.
ing, grnndees OF Spain and gentlemen In
waiting.
At the same hour in like manner there
gathered In the apartments OF the Infanta'
bona Isabella, the persons composing the
party Of the bridegroom. These we're the
parents OF Prince Charles, the count and
countess of Caserta; the duke aud duchess
OF Cllabria; his sisters, Dona Maria I'm
iraIulata, Dona Maria Pia and Donu Maria
Josephine, and their train ladies and gen.
temen.
The battle-ground party emerged first aud
proceeded along the winning, massive
granite corridors to the chapel being i'm
mediately followed by the brides cortege
from the queen regents apartments. Their
places were respectively to the right ana
left, but In front of the altar the bride and
bridegroom stopped at the steps leading to
the altar and there kneeled, thus remaining
throughout the mass, which was saio BIZ
Cardinal Sancha, Archbishop of Toledo and
Primate oil Spain. The mass celebrated
was low mass, there being no singing.
though the organ performed solemn sacred
selections, Including one written for the
VlIfliH1rIas
AS the bride and bridegroom knelt upon
cushions touching the steps OF the altar, a
white satin bornered veil, three yards long
and half yard wide, was spread over the
head and shoulders of tho bride. reaching
over the shoulders of the groom but leav-
ing his head uncovered, while. according to
the Spanish custom, O white satin ribbon,
called yoke, was tied about the necks of
the couple, the knot neing made between
them, signifying their union.
After the Inass, the simple Catholic ritual
of marriage was read. the cefemony not
differing in any detail from that uniting
the. most humble member of that faith,
except that The ritual was read from a
specially printed book, in Spanish. We'd
ding rings were exchanged by both parties,
these, OF course, being of great vnlue and
| unique workmanship.
| Another custom observed was that OF
| giving coins 10 the bride by the BRIDE
| groom. These may be pennies Or silver, or
| gold coins, according 10 the position and
| wealth of the contracting parties, but they
must always number IL. Those employed
today were 10 gold coins, each weighing
an ounce, and being Of the coinage bearing
! the bust of Felipe, the first Spanish Bourbon
monarch. They we're the same used at the
wedding OF Queen Isabel ii, the grand
mother of the bride.
After the couclusoa of the simple wedd ng
service, the cardinal primate pronounced d
short discourse, eKhorting the wife TO love
and obey her husband, and the husband To
love and cherish his wife, adding; 81 gave
thee q companion, not a slave.'
Arm IN arm the newly-wedded couple
arose and left the chapel, followed by a
single cortege, the two family paItief
merging into one, instead of leaving
separately. as they Ind entered. They
tlayersed the long corridors to the apart.
ments of the queen regent, where record
OF the marriage was entered in special
civil register, the royal family and the
same witnesses signing as signed the
wedding contract on Tuesday.
This ceremony ended. all repaired to the
state dininRroom, in which the betrotha
ball wns held Monday evening, and partoot
of a wedring breakfast.