The San Francisco call., 1906-06-01
Brilliant Cortege Escorts the Bridal Party to the
Church of St. Jeronimo el Real.
King is CALM and HAPPY AS HE FACES The ALTAR
Marriage Rites Pronounced With the Impressive
ness of the Roman Ritual.
"LONG LIVE WCTORTA!" CRY THROUGHOUT MADRID


today under cloudless sky, with daz-
cling sunshine adding its glories to the
bewildering maze of color in which the
streets were enveloped. From an early
hour the centers presented an aspect
OF extreme animation. The entire night
had been passed amid the din of fire
works singing and dancing. and thou
sands OF provincials. unable to secure
shelter, spent the night in cafes and in
The streets. AT o'clock crowds dense
~ packed the main thoroughfares and
the troops took up their positions, stop
ping all traffic, and the whole city took
on an air of feverish expectancy.
The esplanade fronting the royal pal
ace was occupied by regiments of the
Royal Guards in full gala uniform. with
glittering breastplates and helmets.
They formed semicircles. guarding the
approaches TO the palace from the
crowds eager to gain points of van
tage. The massive outlines of the pal
ace were without decorations save the
royal standard floating above. Detach-
ments of halberdiers, with quaint cock
AIDES. stood with halberds crossed at
the Princes gate. leading TO the palace
courtyard. All along the route of the
GCfltEE HuEfltQ pfEBdE EdlAQliH were So
ing on Troops lined both sides of the
streets in solid ranks for miles
The scene from the Puerta del Sol to
the Prado Palace was one of striking
brilliancy. All the buildings were re-
splendent with the yellow and red col
ors of Spain. woven into sunbursts.
huge rosettes and graceful streamers
looped from roof 10 roof and arches of
roses from which were suspended enor-
1a rraf1fuo~ vines
Under this dazzling canopy of flags and
flowers surged dense masses Of human
ity in festival attire, the women wear
ing white mantillas and bunches Of
flowers in their black hair, and with
bright-colored fans whipping the air.
The population of Madrid had turned
out in a body. and was augmented 10
twice its usual size by visitors from
the country and neighboring towns.
QUEEN GREETS THE BRIDE.
Princess Victoria came from the Pra-
do Palace early in the. morning, accom-
panied by her mother, Princess Henry
Of Battenberg. and her ladies of honor
and escorted by a regiment of the
Royal Guards. The brides party was
installed in the, Ministry of Marine,
which had been sumptuously prepared
for 4ler The Princess put on her we'd
ding gown and Queen Christina greeted
the bride, after which the ladies break
tasted together in the blue salon of the
ministry.
The wedding cortege started from the
royal palace at $3.50 o'clock, amid the
ringing of church bells, the firing of
artillery saIutes and the clamorous en-
thusiasm of the crowds massed along
the route. Ahead rode trumpeters in
crimson velvet suits of the time of
Philip II. sounding the approach of the
royal party. Following them came the
personnel of the royal household, the
heralds mounted on stations from the
royal stud and caparisoned in Oriental
style. each led by a cadet Of the Royal
Riding Academy, and the equerries and
grooms from the royal stables leading
the Kings favorite horses with gold
embroidered saddles. cloths and colored
plUmes, accompanied by pages and rid
ing masters and all the bewildering
equipment of q luxurious court
Next came a long line of gala coaches
Of the Spanish grandees. each of dis
tinctive color, with panels richly paint
ed, gilded and jeweled, and drawn by
ma gnificent horses in silver harness,
adorned with tall plumes matching the
livery. Within rode the nobility of
SpHin, the men with their breasts COW
cred with orders and the women in
welding attire.
cortege was far surpassed when the
famous royal gala coaches came into
view, each drawn by eight superb white
horses with golden and silver harness
and lofty colored plumage, looking like
the coaches depicted on some illuminat-
ed page of a fairy book. These coaches
formed one of the most striking fea-
lures of the wedding cortege. They
were marVels of luxury, some of tor
toise shell. others of mahogany set
with panels painted by famous artists
all ornamented with precious metals
and emblazoned with the royal insign' =
They were relics of bygone days, WI n
Kings and Queens rode in golden We
hicles. but they had been renovated in
all their original splendor for this oc-
casion. The most interesting coaches
were the Amaranth coach for the court
ladies; the CIPHER coach for the lords
in waiting; the coach of the Ducal
Crown for the Infantas and the shell
coach for the Queen mother
All the trappings and surroundings
of these magnificent vehicles were in
keeping. They were drawn by teams of
six and eight white horses well
matched and Of the finest breeds
About these glittering vehicles cir
cled retinues Of grooms. pages, heralds
and others in the snowy uniforms of
Louis XIV.
COACHES OF THE GRANDEEs.
- The coaches of the Spanish grandees
were hardly less remarkable than those
of royalty, the main difference being
that they were drawn by only two
horses each, according to rigid rule
Sonle of the most notable of these
coaches were as follows: The Duke of
Alba's coach Of yellow and red wheels,
the plumage of the horses and the liv-
cry of the lackeys being in the same
color; that of the Marquis of Vienna, a
seventeenth century coach, adorned
with precious paintings by Vincento
Lopez; that of the Marquis de Mira
flores. distinguished by its whiteness.
all the plumage, harnesses and livery
being of white; those of the Duke of
Sotomayor and the Marquis de Tovar.
each Of blue. with red wheels and plu-
mage OF the same color; that of the
Duke of Tamanes. brown, and of the
Count of Heredia. green.
There were some twenty-five of
these historic coaches of the grandees.
each having its own peculiar brilliancy,
and all forming singularly dazzling
pageant
Following the coaches of the Spanish
Princes and Infantas were those of the
vie TD..f..