Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-11
Quaint CeremoniaIs at Royal
Palace at Madrid.
GRANDES DANES HONORED
Accorded Right to Remain Seated in
Presence of Queen.
CUSTOM Is AN ANCIENT ONE
Due de Saint-Simon, in Memoirs,
Gives Description Of "Couver-
ture" of Son.
rareign Correspondent Of The Star.

Foreign Correspondents Of Tho Star.
MADRID. February ~. 1871.
Two quaint ceremonials have taken
place at the palace. the "couverture, or
investiture of nineteen grandee's OF Spain.
and the collation. du COUSIN when
twenty-one grandes danes were accorded
the right to remain seated in the presenca
OF the queen. The mobiles. on whom
was conferred the right to remain COW
cred in the presence Of the king. were
the Dukes of Albuquerque, Frias. Pas
trana and Ahumada the Marquises OF
Tavara. San Juan de P.edras Albas. Mos
Perales Rio. Bondad. Real. Portage.
Pontalba and Soidos. and the Counts OF
Nora Maceda. Revillagigedo. Santa
Engracia. Romanones. Tore -Arlas and
Fuencara.
The ladies thus dignified were the
Duchesses of Pastrana and Ahumada. the
Marchionesses of Astorga. Neiada.
Tavara, Vellisca, Mos Villamagna, Bon
dad Real, Miravales. Portage. Squilache.
Poza Rubio and Fontalba, and tho
Countesses Of Maceda, Santa Coloma.
Santa Engracia Alcub!erre, Romanones
and Tore Arias.
The names of the grandees OF Spain are
interviewer with her h storic past Fa-
miliar to all students of history are the
picturesque figures of the Duke OF Alba.
the Duke of Medina S.donia. and others
which will recur readily to the memory.
These mobiles contributed to the splendors
of the ancient court of spain, and their
descendants today fill an equally i'm
portant place. The grandees hav. ever
been considered n this CO ry 10 repre-
sent the highest NOBILITY in the Worid:
Spanish noble was counted sue. - IL tn
,,.,v, 49, l,xaft AZ "a
the peers of France and ne ~. i
is one of the privileges OF a si4 Gee 10
be addressed as thou" by the -. an
to reply in similar terms. the IN n ar
implying consangu.nity. Al tie court
a grandee is entitled TO the nonors Of
marshal. and In the case OF a prince OF
the royal blood the halDeTG.e salute
by bringing their halberds shar. ly to the
ground.
Of Spectacular Interest.
The ceremonies of the "couverture'' and
the collation. du COUSIN are not devoid
Of spectacular interest. and formerly were
cons. dered as of the highest Importance.
The Due de Saint-Simon, who in 112l
came to Madrid as ambassador eXtraor-
binary to ask the hand of Spanish
princess in marriage n the name OF Louis
XIV. devotes a lengthy chapter I'm his
Memoirs" to a description of the "cou-
venture" of his son. on whom Philip
of Spain had conferred the title of ''gran-
dee" The candidate for this honor drove
to the palace at the head OF an impos-
ing cavalcade. and on his arrival eti-
quette demanded an embarrassing num-
Der of SaluteS and forms Of reverence.
Today the procedure is somewhat SIM
plified, the candidates simply driving to
the palace in their private carriages, or
even in motor cars. Even under the
re gn of Isabella III the protocol was con-
a
ture" Gen. Narvaez, president of the
council of ministers, turned toward the
generals present and Grid: Put on
your hats also, you who have shed your
blood on the field of battle in support OF
the throne" On another occasion Gen.
Narvaez tried to interdict the wear ng by
grandees of a VIII tie plume on their three
cornered hats, saying that such insignia
ought only to be borne by marshals.
The throne room is the scene OF the
ceremony of the 'couverture,' and the
sovereign is surrounded by large suite
resplendent in gala uniforms, while those
already admitted to the honors are seat
ed on their tabourets. The chamberlain
on duty for that day announces the came
of each candidate. who. with his sponsor.
is in waiting in the antechamber. only
a noble already a grandee has the right
to act as sponsor. The king orders that
the cand date be admitted. and the at
ter enters bareheaded He makes two
profound ODE sances to the throne. and
rise, hat in hand.
Tells Virtues of AM stors-
Once more the candidate bows 10 the
king, and then. in loud voice. reads "A
document in which he recites the virtues
of his ancestors and the services which
they rendered to the state. !!e conclude
by declaring that, as their eldest descend
ant, he claims the right TO be styled
"grandee." To this the king replies.
"Cubrios hablad' Literally, Cover
yourselves ard speak"l, by which for
mula his majesty bestows on the appl-
cant all the rights and privileges or a
granGee. The latter then joins the other
grandees. who, in recognition of his new
accord him the place of honor
All the candidates having been Initiated
in the same way, the king leaves MS
throne. An officer Of the royal household
finally enters. from whom each OF the
new grandees receives n gilded key, the
symbol of their right of entry 10 certain
of the royal apartments by both the
grandees and the petites entrees. To-day
this key is worn as an ornament on the
breast on state occasions.
pendant to the ceremony OF the
overture is the COLLATION. du COUSIN
lohada), which takes place before the
q4een. The right to be seated before her
ma jesty is bestowed in the following
manner: The ladies' In court dress, are
by. two sponsors. and As they
approach her majesty they make three
deep reverences at intervals prescribed
by custom. Finally the queen extends
her hand. saying. ''Sientese" C'Be seat
ed. The candidate then joins the two
rows of ladies already seated before the
throne. and her majesty finally speaks
with each. y ribaad OF red silk worn
across the bodice is the emblem of gram
dee rank. The ceremony over, her
majesty gives the signal for departure.
and the ladies leave after making the
customary reyerenceS.
Such is of the ceremonies OF the
court of Spain - ceremonies which. al
though they have been said to err on the
side of punctiiio. can be traced to the
days when Castilian .chivalry. honor and
decorum were a pattern for Europe.