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Prince Carlos, Infanta Mercedes, and their families |
"The Royal Wedding"
(originally appeared in the New York Times, 15 Feb 1901)
Madrid, Feb. 14 -- The Infanta Maria de las Mercedes de Bourbon y Habsburg-Lorraine, Princess of Asturias [1], today became the wife of Prince Charles of Bourbon [2]. The royal family, all the aristocratic world, and almost every high official of the kingdom were present in the chapel of the royal palace, where the ceremony took place. Shortly before the ceremony, there assembled in the private apartments of the Queen Regent Maria Cristina [3] those forming the bride's party, consisting of her mother, the Queen Regent; her brother, the boy King Alfonso XIII [4]; her sister, the Infanta Maria Teresa [5]; her aunts, the Infantas Isabella [6] and Eulalia [7]; her grandmother, Archduchess Elizabeth [8], with all the high retainers of the Court, ladies in waiting, grandees of Spain, and gentlemen in waiting.
At the same time, there gathered in the apartments of the Infanta Isabella the persons composing the party of the bridegroom. These were the parents of Prince Charles, the Count and Countess of Caserta [9]; the Duke and Duchess of Calabria [10]; his sisters, Dona Maria Immaculata [11], Dona Maria Pia [12], and Dona Maria Josephine [13]; and the train of ladies and gentlemen.
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The groom: Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain |
The bridegroom's party emerged first and proceeded along the winding, massive granite corridors to the chapel, being immediately followed by the bride's cortege from the Queen Regent's apartments. Their places were respectively to the right and left, but in front of the altar, the bride and groom stopped at the steps leading to the altar and there kneeled, thus remaining throughout the mass, which was said by Cardinal Sancha, Archbishop of Toledo, Primate of Spain. Assisting him were Cardinal Casajeras, Archbishop of Vallodolid; Cardinal Herrera, Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela; and Cardinal Casana, Bishop of Barcelona. Low mass was celebrated, there being no singing, though solemn, sacred selections, including one written for the occasion by Zubicurre, were performed on the organ.