Minister Collier to the Secretary of State.
Madrid, June 8, 1906.
Sir: I have the honor to report to you that the festivities in celebration of the wedding of the King of Spain to Princess Victoria Eugenia of Battenberg, come to an end to-day.
The festivities began on May 29 with the arrival of numerous foreign princes, who came in representation of their respective sovereigns. A few of them, related to the royal family of Spain, were lodged in the royal palace. To the others were assigned private houses or palaces in the best quarters of Madrid. The Spanish Government also extended its hospitality to all the special ambassadors and envoys on special mission. To the special ambassadors of the United States, France, and Holland houses were assigned with a full complement of servants, as well as horses and carriages. The house occupied by the American special ambassador was that of the Countess of Pinohermoso, in Calle Amor de Dios, in the old part of town. Its situation was in a section of the city once very fashionable, but from which most of the aristocracy had moved. But the house itself was an excellent one, and had been furnished at the expense of the Spanish Government in very fine style, specially for the occasion, and I feel that we should consider that our ambassador has been, as Señor Ojeda had predicted would be the case, received with special courtesy. Two things relating to the etiquette of the occasion ought to be noted: First, the very great courtesy shown to the permanent diplomatic corps here, it practically being given preference over those here on special mission; and secondly, the adherence of the Spanish Government to its previously declared, purpose not to recognize the wives of special ambassadors and envoys on special mission as having any diplomatic status. The members of the permanent diplomatic corps were regarded by the Spanish Government as the exclusive representatives of their respective Governments for all purposes connected with the wedding except attendance at festivities, and to most of these they were invited, and in general were given the place of preference, while there were two functions (the theatrical function at the Prado Palace and a dinner at the Royal Palace in Madrid) to which the permanent corps were invited, but not the special embassies and missions. On the other hand, there was one dinner given exclusively for the visiting princes, special ambassadors, and envoys.
Requests from foreigners for invitations or tickets had to come through their permanently accredited diplomatic representatives; all arrangements for the coming and lodging of the special embassies and missions were made through the ambassadors and ministers permanently accredited, so that when those on special mission arrived they found their lodgings (houses or hotel accommodations) ready, servants at hand, and officials of the foreign office assigned to act as aid to their embassy or legation, and usually a military attaché detailed to their service. Señor Don Jaime de Ojeda, secretary of embassy in the Spanish foreign office, son of Señor Don Emilio de Ojeda, subsecretary of state and former minister plenipotentiary of [Page 1346] Spain in Washington, acted as aid and escort to the American special embassy. Probably I know better than the special ambassador the amount of work done by Señor Don Jaime de Ojeda, not only prior to the coming of our special embassy, but during its stay here. He superintended the arrangements for the complete furnishing of the house occupied by the embassy, providing for the comfortable lodgment of the entire suite of the ambassador besides his wife and two daughters, and two or three servants who accompanied him. When it is known that the house when taken by the Spanish Government was wholly unfurnished, the extent of the task assumed by Señor Ojeda, as well as the character of the hospitality of the Spanish Government can be better understood. I sincerely hope that some recognition can be made by the President or the department. In acting as aid to the American embassy he took a position where he deprived himself of the opportunity of receiving one of the much-coveted orders which the sovereigns of Europe gave to the persons acting as aids to their special embassies and missions. The person who was detailed as a military escort to the American special embassy was Colonel Monteverde, military attaché of the Spanish legation in Washington.
The first of the festivities connected with the royal wedding was on Tuesday evening, May 29. It was a theatrical function given in the royal palace of El Pardo, about 7 miles from Madrid, where Princess Victoria Eugenia (Princess Ena) stayed from the day of her arrival in Spain until the morning of her wedding. This theatrical function was the most exclusive of all festivities, there being present besides the visiting royalties only 108 persons. Those present included the ministers of the Crown without their wives, the ambassadors of the permanent corps and their wives, the ministers plenipotentiary permanently accredited to Madrid (including myself) without their wives, a number of the ladies of the Queen, and the suites of the visiting princes. The special ambassadors and envoys were not invited to this function, the reason assigned being the fact that they had not presented their letters of credence. Neither were any persons in the permanent corps present except the heads of missions. The presentations of credentials by the special ambassadors and ministers on special mission took place on the 30th. The brilliant ceremony of the marriage of the King and Princess took place at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 31, in the Church of San Jeronimo. The permanent diplomatic corps, with their wives, attended the wedding ceremony, seated on the tribune nearest the altar on the right side of the church, immediately behind the visiting princes who were related to the bride, and the ambassadors and envoys on special mission with their suites were in a tribune on the left side of the church, opposite that of the permanent corps, immediately behind the princes related to the King.
The official programme of the festivities was as follows:
May 29. Morning and afternoon, arrival of foreign princes; 2 to 4 p.m., reception of foreign princes; 9 p.m., theatrical function in the Palace El Pardo.
May 30. 10 to 12 a.m., presentation of credentials by special ambassadors and envoys. 5 p.m., signing of the marriage capitulations at the palace at El Pardo.
[Page 1347]May 31. 11 a.m., wedding in the Church of San Jeronimo. At night, illuminations of the city and display of fireworks.
June 1. 8 p.m., banquet in the royal palace in honor of the foreign princes, special ambassadors, and envoys (chiefs of missions only), followed by a reception of the suites of the special embassies and missions. At night, popular festivals, “verbenas.”
June 2. 3 p.m., royal bull fight. 9.30 p.m., reception at the royal palace, the ball that had been planned having been changed into a reception without music on account of the death of many persons as a result of the attempt made upon the lives of the King and Queen on the day of their wedding.
June 3 (Sunday). 11 a.m., Capilla publica in the chapel of the royal palace. 9.30 p.m., gala performance at the Teatro Real.
June 4. 9 a.m., military review at Carabanchel, a camp about 6 miles from Madrid. 4 p.m., concert in the Plaza de Toros by choral societies from different sections of Spain. 10.30 p.m., ball in the house of Duchess of Fernan Nunez, attended by all the royal family and all the visiting princes, diplomatic corps, special embassies, missions, and others.
June 5. 9.30 p.m., illuminated military and civic parade, reviewed from the royal palace by the King, the royal family, the foreign princes, and the special ambassadors and envoys, who then bade farewell to their Majesties.
June 6. 5 p.m., battle of flowers in the park of Madrid. Suspended on account of rain. 8.30 p.m., banquet at the royal palace in honor of the Spanish authorities.
June 7. Banquet in the royal palace in honor of the diplomatic corps.
June 8. 3 p.m., general reception in the royal palace.
The foregoing constituted the strictly official programme. In addition there were popular festivities almost every night and several receptions and dinners and teas at the different embassies and legations. The decorations of the city, and especially those at night, were most extensive and beautiful, and united with everything else to express the universal delight of the people in the King’s choice of a bride who, by her beauty and graciousness, captivated all who saw her.
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