The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-15
A ROYAL WEDDING
BOURBON AND HAPSBURG UNITED
AT MADRID.
CHARMING CEREMONY.
WITNESSED by SPANS ROYALTY
AND ARIsTOCRACT.

Old Spanish Customs Observed-Thc
Together - Besides Exchanging
wedding Rings the bridegroom
Gave the Bride Thirteen Cola
Coins, Which We're Used at the
Wedding of the Brides Grand
mother.
Madrid, Feb. lin the chapel of the
royal palace. in the presence OF the royal
family and all the aristocracy and Off
cialdom of Spain, Dona Maria de las
Mercedes de Bourbon y Hapsburg, Prin-
cess of Asturias, was to-day welded 40
Prince Charles, Bourbon.
At 1880 O'Clock there assembled in the
private apartments of the Queen Regent,
Maria Christina. those forming the bride s
party, consisting of her mother. the Queen
Regent; her brother. the boy King, Al
fonso XIII; her sister, the Infanta Maria
Teresa; her aunts, the Infantas Isabella
and Eulalie; her uncle, Archduke Eugen
OF Austria; her grandmother, Archduch-
ess Elizabeth, with alb the high retainers
of the court ladies in waiting. grandees
of Spain, and gentlemen in waiting.
At the same hour. in a like manner.
there gathered in the apartments of the
Infanta Dona Isabella the persons COM
posing the party Of the bridegroom. These
were the parents of Prince Charles the
Count and Countess of Caserta, the Duke
and Duchess of Ca,abria; his sisters, Dona
Maria Immaculate, Dona Maria Pia and
Dona Maria Josephine, and their train Of
ladies and gentlemen.
The bridegroom's party emerged first
and proceeded along the winding, mas
sive granite corridors to the chapel be-
ing Immediately followed by the bride 5
cortege from the Queen Regents apart
ments. Their places were respectively
to the right and left but in front of the
altar the bride groom stopped at the steps
leading to the altar and there kneeled
thus remaining throughout the mass,
which was said by Cardinal Sancha, Arch
bishop of Toledo, Primate of Spain. As
ssting were Cardinal Casajares, Cardinal
Herrera, and Cardinal Casana. Also at
tending were the Bishop of Madrid, the
Bishop Chaplain of the Place de Sion and
several other prelates, church dignitaries,
anu CdTOiIidiS. WHOSE placeS were WITHIN
what might be termed the presbytery.
The mass celebrated was low mass there
being no singing. though the organ per-
formed sacred selections, including one
written for the occasion by Zubicurre.
AS the bride and bridegroom knelt upon
cushions touching the steps of the altar
a white satin bordered veil three yards
long and half a yard wide was spread
over the head and shoulders of the bride,
reaching over the shoulders of the groom
but leaving his head uncovered, while
according to the Spanish custom, white
satin ribbon, called yoke, was tied
about the neck of the couple, the knot
being made between them. signifyns
| their union.
After the mass the simple Catholic rit
ual of marriage was read. the ceremony
not differing in any detail from that unit
ing the most humble members of that
faith, except that the ritual was read
from specially printed book in Spanish
Wedding rings were exchanged by both
parties, these, of course being of great
value and unique workmanship.
According to custom the bridegroom
gave the bride thirteen gold coins, each
weighing an ounce. They were the same
used at the wedding of Queen Isabel H.
the grandmother of the bride.
After the conclusion of the simple we'd
ding service. the cardinal primate pro-
nounced a short discourse, exhorting the
wife TO love and obey her husband, and
the husband to love and cherish his wife
adding:
81 give thee a companion, not slave"
The cardinal also said they should be
a good example to those in an inferior
station of life, and then bestowed the
papal and his own benediction.
ii is said that the dowry of the Prin-
cess of the Asturias will be 2OOOO,0OO
francs.