The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-12-23
POPE ASSENTS TO
ALF0NS0'S WEDDING
Willing to Permit the Marriage of
King of Spain to Niece of
Kinq Edward.

Copyright, 1905, by the New York
WORLDLY
Rome.-It is generally believed in
Vatican circles that the Pope has fin
ally consented TO the proposed mar
rlage of King Alfonso of Spain with
Princess Victoria Eugenia of Batten-
berg, the daughter Of Princess Beat
rice, youngest sister of King Edward
OF England While il was the hope OF
the Vatican authorities that the Span
ish king would marry a Catholic it is
now felt here that because of desirable
royal connections the marriage of the
Spanish king with the English princess
cannot be opposed any further with
any probability of success. At the
same time ii was thought that the
Vatican authorities, before granting
permission in the case had a right
70 insist that the rules of the Church
regarding marriages should be OBJ
served to the letter.
The details of the matter We're
Entrusted by the English royal family
TO the Duke of Norfolk. who recently
visited Rome and the Vatican, as he
is known to English royalty as the
parsonage most IN touch with the au-
thorities in Rome and most faithful
adherent to the Catholic religion
Naturally it was a peremptory matter
for the Vatican authorities 10 insist
that the English princess should en-
brace the Catholic religion before her
marriage took place, and to this re-
request no opposition was made, as
the advent of a Protestant queen in
Spain would, because of the long
standing traditions, have been exceed
lngly Objectionable to the Spanish
people.
The difficulty. however. was regard
ing the possibility of the English prin-
cess becoming a Catholic before leav-
ing England and TO this her royal rel
atives StIenuously objected. It was
then arranged that the princess should
spend some months in Spain with her
mother this winter. and while there
receive the instruction necessary to
join the Catholic religion and be hap
TIED in the Church without ecIat and
IN an out-of-the-way Spanish village.
This has been agreed upon, and the
English princess will soon go to Spain
with her mother and remain there I'M
til her engagement is officially an
ncunced.
Young King Alfonso has ever
Shown his willingness that the we'd
ding should take place in a private
form, in order not to touch upon the
susceptihilities Of his afffanced bride
by having it performed with the sol
emn pomp and ritual of the Catholic
Church in the Spanish capital. and
had sent a suggestion TO the Vatican
authorities that the wedding might be
allowed to take place on board his
private yacht. which he intended to
present to his new queen. The Vati-
can authorities. however, objected to
such a plan and insisted that the mar
1iage should take place in the Cathe-
oral Church at Madrid and be per-
formed by the Papal Nuncio. assisted
by most Of the Spanish Cardinals and
Bishops. These are the details ar
ranged 50 far at the Vatican. and as
soon as the Duke Of Norfolk returns
20 England it viii he known here how
far they meet the views Of King Ed
ward and the royal English family. Ii
j. said al the Vatican that the official
announcement OF the engagement win
be made at the. next meeting of the
new Spanish cabinet. and that not IN
I'll then viii the English princess start
Princess Victoria Eugenia Of Batten-
berg was the favorite grandchild OF
The late Queen Victoria with whom
she was almost constantly during the
latter years of her life. Her codmoth-
err was the former French Empress
Eugene. who, it is said has already.
provided in her viii for her godchild.
j is estimated that the princess for
tune viii amount 10 about ten million
dollars, besides what she will inherit
1rom her mother and from other mem
bers of the English royal family