The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1901-02-15
WEDDING CEREMONY.

MADRID, Feb. l4-In the chape
Of the royal palace. in the presence Oi
the royal family and all the aristoc-
racy and officialdom in Spain, Doia
Maria De Las Mercedes de Bourbon }
Hapsburg. Princess Of the Astugias
was today welded to Primo Charles OF
Bourbon.
At half past ten o'clock there assem-
bled in the priv lie apartments OF
Queen Regent Maria Christiana those
forming the brides parry, consisting CT
her mother. The queen regent, her
brother, the boy King Alfonso XIII,
his sister, the Infanta Maria Tfresa;
her aunts. the Infantas Isabella and
Eulalie; her unc,a. A.ch luke Eugene
OF Austria; her grandmother Arch
duchess Elizabeth, with all l.s high
retainers of the court ladies in ait
ing, grandees Of Spain and gentlemen
In waiting.
At the same hour in like manner
there gathered in the apartments Of
the Infanta Dona Isabella, the persons
composing the party Of the bridegroom
These were the parents Of Prince
Charles. the Count and Countess Of
Caserta. the Duke and Duchess Of
Calabria, his sister. Dona Maria Immac-
ulata, Dona Maria Pia and Dona Maria
Josephine. and their train Of ladies and
gentlemen.
The bridgroom's party emerged first
and proceeded along the winding, mas
sive corridors to the chapel. being i'm
mediately followed by the brides cor
tege from the queen regents apart
ments Their places were respectively
TO the right and 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 said
by Cardinal Sancha, archbishop of To-
ledo primate Of Spain. Assisting We're
Cardinal CasajSres, archbishop of VAL
ladolid; Cardinal Herrera, archbishop
of Santiago de Compostela, and Car
dinal Casana, bishop of Barcelona.
Also attending were the bishop of Mad
rid. the bishop chaplain Of the Palace
de Sion. and several other prelates,
church dignitaries and cardinals, whose
places were within what might BE-
termed the presbytery The mass Gel
ebrated was low mass there being no
singing. though the organ performed
solemn sacred selections, including one
written for the occasion by Zubcurre.
AS the bride and Bridegroom knelt
upon cushions touching the steps II me
altar, white, satin bordered ven, three
yards long and half yard wide, VAS
spread over the head and shoulders Of
the bride, reaching over the shoulders
Of the groom, but leaving his head un-
covered, while, according to the Span
ish custom, a white satin ribbon, called
a yoke, was tied about the neck Of the
couple, the knot being made between
them, slgnifying their union.
After the mass, the simple Catholic
ritual of marriage was read, the cere-
mony not differing in any detail from
that uniting the most humble members
of that faith, except that the ritual was
read from a specially printed book in
Spanish. Wedding rings were eXchang-
ed by both parties, these, of course,
being Of great value and unique work.
manship.
Another custom observed was that Of
giving ccins to the bride by the bride
eroom. These may be pennies or sill
yer or gold coins, according to the
position and wealth of the contracting
parties, but they must always number
thirteen. Those employed today were
thirteen gold coins, each Weighing an
ounce and being of the coinage bear
ing the bust Of Felipe the first Spanish
Bourbon monarch. They We're the
same used at the. wedding Of Isabel
H., the grandmother of the bride.
After the conclusion Of the simple
Wedding service. the cardinal primate
pronounced a Short discourse exhort-
ing the wife to love and obey her hus--
band and the husband to love and
cherish his wife, adding:
Il give thee a companion, not a
slave"
The cardinal also made reference to
the virtues Of the ancestors of the bride