The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-06-26
Beautiful Palace and Park of
Magdalena Furnished to
Suit His Tastes.
ING ALFONSO and his cou

row, thursday, June IS. for the
purpose Of taking over from that city
the presentation Of its gift OF the
beautiful palace and park OF Magda-
lena. fully furnished according to the
tastes and wishes of his consort and
81 himself II is gift which is cal
culatcd TO prove very profitable in
vestment TO Santander, since II can
not fail TO have the effect of attract
ing thither during the summer the
various members OF the government
and the diynitaries OF the court, as
we'll as those members of the aristoc-
racy and OF society who love to bask
in the sunshine OF royalty
Tho people OF Santander first be-
came imbuei with the idea through
the frequency OF King Alfonso's visits,
through his manifest liking for tho
city and its inhabitants. and. above
all, by his delight In the regattas
which are among the most popular
features of the place. OF late years
all these maritime sports. invariably
sailing his own boat. carrying OF
many a prize. and incidentally rem
dering Santander quite as important
as the headquarters of yachting in
Spain. as Cowes is in Great Britain,
and Kiel is in Germany.
Santandcr has been on many occa-
sions the object or royal favor. since
Emperor Charles V landed there in
1922 TO take possession of the throne
of Spain. and since the Inflated
Charles l. of England embarked there
on his return home with Duke
"Stecnie." OF Buckingham. after his
fruitless and somewhat romantic trip
to Madrid IN search of a royal wife
And it has been the recipient OF many
queer rrerogativos ana privileges.
About eighteen years ago the lower
part of the city was almost entirely
the steamer Cabo Matichaco. laden
with 100 cases OF dynamite The
harbor. or rather bay. Is much more
spacious and finer than that OF san
Sebastian. and affords unrivaled condi-
lions for yachting, without confront
Ing the dangers of that storm-swept
sea. evillv known to mariners as the
Bay Of Bscay
Of course. Stantander's gain means
San Sebastians loss. At San Sebas-
tian, where the King and Queen have
hitherto been accustomed to spend the
summer, they have no residences OF
their own, and are the guests of his
mother, Queen Christina, at her cha
tcau OF Miramar, which is not by any
means a large or prctentious estab-
lishment. Christina built II when the
King was in his childhood and his
sisters quite young girls. Even then
it was necessary TO lodge most OF the
dignitarics OF the royal household In
hotels and private houses leased for
the purpose in the town of San Sebas-
tian. Now that King Alfonso has sew
eral children o: his own, the nth hav
ing been born last week at La Granja
Miramar has become much too small
for the royal family. especially when
the party is supplemented by the six
children OF his two dead sisters
Moreover. tn. public gambling tables
which were maintained there for a
time by the unsavory NJ. Marquet, of
Ostend celebrity had the result of at
tracing TO san Sebastian a class OF
pecpl. who were particularly oTen-
sivc TO the reigning family. and who
deprived the resort OF much OF its
charm in their eyes.
OF course. Santander will no en- fete
Tomorrow. and one of the features OF
the popular rejoicing will be a great
corrida. or bull flight, in which Bonn
bito. Torquito, Pastor. Joseiito, and
several other of the most famous
torendors are to take part. under che
presidency and direction OF those vet
eran and now retired bull lighters.
Guerrita and Mazzantini. The bulls
will be furnished by the Duke of
Minister, Count Romanones. and who
prides himself on breeding on very
large scale The finest bulls in Spain.
King AlfonSo's bestowal of the title
of marquis upon his recently appoint
ed ambassador to France. Don Ra-
mirez ~ villa Urritia who spent Il
portion of his diplomatic career at
Washington, and who was until three
1t
ative in London. recalls the fact that
marquisates were unknown in Spain
prior to the advent of the Bourbons
TO the throne of that Kingdom, at the
beginning of the eighteenth century.
The First Of the Bourbon rulers OF
Spain was, however. very liberal in
the distribution OF this particular
grade of nobility. and during the reign
OF Isabella II. there were at one time
as many as 900 marquesses, the num-
Der having since been considerably
reduced. owing to the severity with
which the heavy succession taxes on
titles have been enforced during the
last twenty years: in fact, since the
death OF Alfonso XII
When the HapsburSs ruled in Spain,
the principal titles were dukes, and
more especially counts, and prior to
Emperor Charles W of that dynasty.
there were no titles but that OF count
Indeed. the majority OF the feudal
mobiles and possessors OF fiefs were
Known merely as senior, or lord, the
most important of them being popu-
larly describes as Ricos Hombes
which may b. translated as rich
men," 1t was. from among these Ricos
Hombes that Emperor Charles " Sc
lected his twelve grandees. or peers,
when he created the grandezza. and
every one of them received the title
OF duke, with the exception OF the
Marquis OF Astorga The others were