The San Francisco call., 1909-07-24
KING OF SPAIN
URGED COUSIN
TOGFT MARRIED
Prince Follows Advice and Is
at Once Stripped of Titles
and Position
Sensational Story of Romantic
Marriage of Alfonso and the
Princess Beatrice

PARIS July 23.-The details sur
rounding the romantic marriage OF
Prince Alfonso or Bourbon-orleans 10
Princess Beatrice of -Coburg.
which cest him his position as a prince
of the royal house Of Spain and his
career in the Spanish army, today came
into the possession of the Associated
Press.
They reveal the fact that King Al
fonso instead Of refusing his consent to
the marriage. as was reported by
Madrid dispatches. actually advised
the prince to marry her secretly, and
personally interviewed by telegraph
with the Bamberg ecclesiastical au-
thorities. in whose diocese the mar
riage took place, TO procure a dispen-
sation for st.
WILL CREATE SENSATION
This story was obtained from the
prince and when it becomes known in
Europe ii is likely to create a greater
sensation than did the wedding and the
princes disgrace.
Prince Alfonso and Princess Beatrice
first met in 1896 on the occasion of
King Alfonso's marriage. The prince,
then only 20 years old. proposed mar
riage. bat Beatrice refused him.
In 1907 both the queen and the
queens mother sought to induce Beat
rice TO relent The princess. however.
declared that she ne--er would change
her religion. but finally when she
said she had no objection to rearing
her children as Catholics. the queen
mother replied: Then there is not the
slightest difficulty 10 the union"
KING ALFONSO INTERCEDES
Letter at La Granja King Alfonso for
mally asked the hand of Princess
Beatrice for his cousin and gave his
word Of honor there would not be the
slightest difficulty concerning the re-
ligiOus phase Of the union
The prince then proposed again and
was accepted.
When he returned to Madrid King
Alfonso asked Premier Maura what he
thought OF the marriage and the pre-
mier replied that the marriage of an
infant Of Spain TO a Protestant could
not take place on account of govern
ment difficulties. King Alfonso was
furious
WOULD NOT GIVE HER Up
Princess Beatrice, because of her
friendship for Queen Victoria. said she
would give up the prince. and King
Alfonso summoned the prince to Madrid
and asked him what he intended to do
The prince replied that he intended to
marry the princess regardless of con
sequences.
King Alfonso warmly congratulated
The prince saying that his reply was
worthy Of a Bourbon. and even If the
constitution prevented him from giving
official consent. he, as Alfonso of Bour-
bon, would do everything in his power
for the couple.
Princess Beatrice then left Madrid
and Prince Alfonso, upon the advice
Of the king. went to see Pope Plus and
asked for a dispensation for a mixed
marriage The Spanish government
meantime warned the Vatican and the
dispensatiOn neither was granted nor
actually refused.
Urged By KING TO MARRY
When the prince graduated from the
military school at Toledo July u he
volunteered to go to the front in Moroc-
co. King Alfonso granted the prince
three days leave of absence and urged
him secretly TO marry Princess Beatrice,
declaring that he would wire the bishop
Of Bamberg TO grant a dispensation
Prince Alfonso arrived in Coburg July
IS and the civil marriage took place
that morning. At o'clock in the after
noon the priest at COburg received a
telegraphic dispensation from the bish-
op Of Bamberg and then the Catholic
ceremony was performed 1t was not
intended that the news of the marriage
should be made public, but it was
printed in Spain, and the royal decree
of the degradation OF the prince fol-
lowed.
KING HAD TO OBEY
The prince. in concluding his story
TO his friend, said:
Maura, the head of the clerical
party in Spain. and because he holds
majority in parliament forced the
king to kick his own cousin out of the
country and the army. TO strip him of
title and honors for the crime of mar
rying Protestant, who is a niece of
King Edward and first cousin of
the emperors of Germany and Russia,
The prince has again wired King Al
fonso asking TO be allowed to go to
the front The Infanta EuIaIie, the
princes mother, who is here, is al
most prostrated over the ruin of her
sons career. as she knew that both the
Spanish and British royal families were
in perfect sympathy with the mar
riage.