DETHRONED QUEEN

Hokitika Guardian, 27 April 1931, Page 8

DETHRONED QUEEN

AN ENGLISH PRINCESS. TRAGIC WEDDING DAY. The hearts of Jill loyal women in New Zealand ami indeed all over the Empire will go oat to Princess Ena of Hatteniierg, Queen of Spam in her hour of trouble. As daughter of Princess Beatrice, Queen Victoria’s favourite daughter, and wife of King Alfonso XII I. Queen Ena Inns been a well-loved figure in European Court circles. As a small child, Princess Ena spent a great deal of her time with her grandmother, Queen Victoria, and it was a great blow to her wlu*n she died. During the years between this period and that of her debut Princess Ena led th.e normal life of any wellborn English girl, except Mint her studies were, more strenuous than those, of most girls of her age. Her musical talent developed rapidly, and she soon became an accomplished linguist. Her coming-out ball at Kensington Palace was a magnificent tunction. King Edward, Queen Alexandra, and the then Prince and Princess ol Wales were presold, and as may be imagined the ball was a brilliant success.

With the Princess now definitely “out” a Royal romance ending in marriage quickly developed. King Alfonso was introduced to Princess Ena at a banquet at Buckingham Palace. After the Royal engagement was announced th 0 most amusing and extravagant stories were circulated concerning, the Princess’s trousseau purchases and the women of Spain were enormously interested in their future Queen.

'l'lie wedding day, March 31, dawned clear and bright. King Allonso, following an old and attractive Spanish custom, had arranged for a guard to keep watch over the slumbers of his bride-elect. The Princess at daybreak to attend Mass with her fiance at six, and at a quarter to eight the Royal couple left the Palace and drove to the Ministry of Murine, where the Princess was to dress. 'Pile Queen Mother °f Spain placed over her head the exquisite Aleneon lace veil worn at her own wedding.

In Spain the bridegroom presents the bride with her bridal gown, and King Alfonso made no exception to the rule. The dress itself was of white s:\tin bordered with silver and trimmed with wonderful rosepoint lace; the whole was hung with testooiis of orange blossom. '\ he train •■as four and a half metres long, am 1 was of cloth of silver embroidered with fleur-do-lys in seed pearls and edged with a lace flounce matching the dress. It was a gleaming mass o! loveliness. Madrid was. of course, (*n fete. They were married in the small church of St. Geronimo.

In his description of the attempted assassination after the marriage ceremony, Evelyn Graham writes; — Outside the church of Santa Murk' the State coach came for a moment to a halt, and his Majesty s-i/.ed the opportunity to toll his bride somethin** of the historv of the church, The coach went forward a step, and at that moment there was a deafening report and the royal carriage was enveloped in smoke, while from all around there arose the shrieks of the wounded. A scene of terrible confusion followed. Several persons were killed outright and many more were seriously wounded, two of the eight horses attached to the coach wore killed, while the coach itself was damaged. A splinter of tho bomb which, enclosed in a bouquet and hurled from an upner story of 80 G'alle Mayor, had fallen just between the two fear horses and the front pair of wheels, struck the King on the breast, but did no harm ; and by wlnit can he regarded as little h'ss than a miracle, both the King and Queen escaped without the slightest injury.

According to the narrative of a high official who was close to the coach at the time, the Queen owed her life to the fact that at the moment of the outrage she had turned to look out of the left window, and it was this position that saved her from death, perhaps, certainly from serious injurv.

Before the echo of the report had d : cd away the King had sprung to his feet and was bending over tho Queen. “Ai'o von hurt s1 ’ | ;o cried as, taking her head in Ids hand, he kissed her. “No, no; 1 am no hurt. 1 swear it ’’ th" Querni replied. “Tt is a bomb,’’ said his .Majesty. “So T thought.’’ answered the Queen calmly. “But it does not matter. T - jP vou that T know how to he a Queen.” When the Carriage of Respect nr- )■’-'! the T ’ : ' ’ • '”>t perfectly

film, sl°rlv Mi’Med. saluted -\ flag at Dm <Gdo ami t'w’ o'f”r ■<! Ids Quid to his Queen, who also descend'd- as che did so th« train of her bridal gown ‘went the ground. e”d when she raised it she saw with hovt-ov (bar it wa« •■a'"<i(l with hi oil. as were also her shoes. This ■ tt-'innted ass-n-sj in’io ' 1 he world, nm-hans. nior > 'ban did nv other similar atrocity. Th,. people '(dt that the nro-Servntion of th 1 .■nun" K l O - y and Dee .p ('••0-- H '-in 1

vas an not of Divine Pro v ‘ 1

S O-ipen of cm.,;-, our Prilie.'ss was wonderfully popular. Her 1 j, e r.r.l p, p. e ec-Q, 1',,"»-.<vn nnd-iv-

standing, and courage helped to en,lvir h r.,. to a 1! (’’‘l'etc” a”fl 00 MnV 10, 1907. when there was horn to ,p e ; r ]\fniceties an heir, great rejoicing filled Spain, as it was the first son

horn to a reigning King of Spain for four generations. She now has two lovely daughters and four sons. What an ordeal it must have boon to the royal mother of six children to hav,. to readjust immediately her mind to altered conditions; to'collect all those priceless personal belonging* so dear to all women, and to bid a hurried farewell to the beautiful palace .poignant with .memories of her bridal days.

And now Queen Emi has departed lot it lie hoped to return again soon to Spain to hear her people cry aloud; “Viva la Reinn!”