The San Francisco call., 1904-02-14
ALL FORWARD THE MARRIAGE ALFONSO
AND HIS THRTEENYEAROLD COUSIN PRINCESS Pillar OF BAVAR
Prospective Queen and Her
Mother Will Soon Visit
Madrid.

MADRID. Feb. 1s.-Preparations are
now going forward in the Royal Palace.
in Madrid. and the best apartments are
being freshly decorated and beautified
with splendid and costly new furniture
and objects Of art, for the reception Of
the Infanta Dona Paz and, her little
daughter Pillar. Arrangements are
being made for hunting parties and
great lawn tennis and football matches,
all with the intention Of affording the
boy King, Alfonso XIII, and the little
Princess Pillar frequent opportunities
Of enjoying each others company free
from restraint.
First the Spanish newspapers, and
Immediately afterward some important
foreign journals. published the notice
that the paternal aunt Of King Alfonso,
the Infanta Dona Paz, Princess of Ba-
varia. would come to Madrid with her
daughter Pillar, TO sojourn here for
some weeks, and that this visit is owing
TO the desire Of Queen Maria Christina
to marry Don Alfonso to his cousin
Pillar in the foreordained event Of Of
fetal mutual affection uniting the
young folk.
MARRIAGE Is PLANNED.
The marriage cannot take place
before next year, but there are various
circumstances which lead to the belief
that this interesting royal wedding is
extremely likely.
Above all, it must be observed that
the official papers have published the
news. In the second place, DOna Maria
Christina is extrava gantly fond Of her
sister-in-law, the Infanta Dona Paz.
Without going so far as to say that she
does not also love her other relatives,
the Infantas Isabel and Eulalia, still it
is we'll known that she is not satisfied
with the manners, tastes and conduct
not always very correct-Of these dis
tinguished personag ges. On the other
hand, the severe Queen mother is filled
with admiration for the irreproachable
life Of the Princess Paz, who, besides
being a model wife and a good woman,
has a superior education and is pas
sionately fond Of that medical science
10 which her Bavarian husband has
dedicated his life.
If it were not for thee, I should al
most doubt that any woman Of un-
blemished honor could descend from the
family of the Bourbons"' Queen Chris
tina remarked one day to DOna Paz.
evidently alluding to certain customs Of
the ex-Queen Isabel II and her daugh-
ters Isabel and Eulalia- Besides all this
may be added the great love which the
Queen has manifested for the three
children-two boys and one girl-of the
virtuous Infanta. She has often in
vited these youngsters TO Madrid and
frequently sent them magnificent gifts.
ALFONSO is PLEASED.
It also appears that this match would
satisfy the matrimonial aspirations Of
King Alfonso. Indeed, with the expan-
sICn natural 10 the age and frank char
scter of the young monarch, he has
often observed TO his most intimate
frierds and to his mother and sisters
that he was anxious to get married as
son IS possible in order to secure an
heir to the throne. But the cases Of
which 1 have read in history and the
sad examples shown by some Of the
reigning families inspire me with real
terror toward matches made solely for
state reasons declared Don Alfonso,