Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1906-05-31


QUEENS PALACES
Then King Alfonso has delightful
shooting box at Ell Pardo and beau
tiful seaside home, the Miramar pal
ace, at San Sebastian. At all these
homes the usages and etiquette of two
centuries ago are still maintained.
Among the rules which Princess
Ena is likely to find somewhat irk-
some is one requiring that the queen
shall retire at ten o'clock in summer
and half-past eight in the winter.
Should the king wish to visit the
queens apartments after dark he
must wear slippers over his shoes,
have a black mantle thrown over his
shoulders and a shield over his arm.
long sword and go unaccompanied.
Two guards whose service begins at
II O'Clock pass the night in the ante-
chamber to the queens room. The
king himself has a nocturnal guard.
1t consists of six gentlemen of the
aity of Espinosa. They wear a GU
rious uniform comprising a blue jer-
kin, short braided trousers, silk stock
ings and a sort of a silver trimmed
opera hat. Each carries a fine Toledo
sword. When the king retires to his
room these guards take charge of the
key and give it up to no one until the
next morning, when it is delivered to
the grand master of the palace after
the king has arisen.
Perhaps the most trying feature of
the life at court so far as the queen
is concerned is the extreme lack of
privacy At one time even her re-
ligious confessions had to be made in
the presence of the king and, although
this restriction has now been done
away with, still the minutest detail
of the days proceedings is mapped
out in advance. 1t is said that the
queen mother seldom has more than
ten minutes at her disposal during
the course of the day.
In accordance with the custom Of
the Spanish court, the royal trousseau
will be exhibited for the inspection of
the public. This, however will not
take place in the royal palace, which
is the residence of the bridegroom
elect. 1t has not yet been decided
where the display will be made, GER
tain buildings in the vicinity Of the
palace being under consideration, such
Is the ministry of marine, the senate
or the palace of the council of state.
The trousseau of Queen Maria Girls
tina was shown In the ministry OF
marine, but that building Is not at
the moment in very good condition,
and II would not be strange II an
other building would be chosen. The
senate adjoins the marine ministry
and its salons are very large. If the
cortes are closed the government will
decide in favor of the senate building,
as 1t offers innumerable advantages
for such a show, not the least being
the absence of steps to its approach.
According to the usage OF the Span
ish court all the articles of the trous-
seau are exhibited down even to the
most intimate details of household
linen, the dresses on lay figures and
the jewelry and other articles in glass
cases, the whole being under the care
of the halberdiers. The latter, who
form the guard of the king and are
the successors to the ancient "gardes
du corps" take their name from the
halberds with which they are armed
and with which they strike the floor
as they announce the arrival of Wis
itors, the number of blows varying
according to the rank of the person
entering. Very democratic is the
court of Spain. and when there is an
exposition of the royal trousseau en-
trance is free to all and representa-
lives OF every social grade In Madrid
pass through the royal salona