Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 165, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 July 1920 — SPAIN KEEPS UP OLD FORMALITY [ARTICLE]

SPAIN KEEPS UP OLD FORMALITY

Only European Court Where Ancient Customs Prevail. EVERYTHING ‘STRICTLY ROYAL' Oue In Large Degree to Influence of Queen Mother, Who Remains All Powerful In Court Circles and Is Stickler for Observance of Old Customs and Ceremonies Learned at Court of Austria. The royal house of Spain, despite the democratic nature of the king and people, alone among the remaining courts of Europe retains all the old world formalities which up to the outbreak of the war were so rigorously observed in Vienna, St Petersburg, Berlin, and to more or less extent in London, Rome and some of the smaller capitals of Europe. This is due to a large extent to the Influence of the queen mother, Marla Christina, who remains all powerful in court circles and is a stickler for the observance of those forms and ceremonies which marked all occasions at the court of Austria, where, as a grand duchess, she learned them. "Strictly Royal* at Palace. King Alfonso, after receiving in the throneroom at the patace in the morning, may rub shoulders with jockeys, bookmakers, and the general run of racegoers at the track in the afternoon, but when tie returns to the palace in the evening he resumes, as it were, the crown. It is generally reported that to him the afternoon, free from conventionalities, is the happiest part of his day and that he has often expressed'a desire when harassed by the political troubles of his country, which seem never to settle down, to leave it all and take his family off to some South American republic and engage in the breeding of horses, of which he is passionately fond.

The strict formality of the court was observed at the banquet and reception given to the diplomatie corps a short time ago when for the first time tile representatives of all countries had been invited to the same function since the summer of 1911. The guests saw a display of jewels which probably could not be matched outside of Asia. Although the diplomats were the guests of the evening, the younger members of the royal family preceded them and were to the right and left of Queen Victoria at the tables, the ambassadors and ministers of state coming after them. Jewel Display Dazzling. Dinner over, the king and queen with the royalties and dinner guests formed in procession down a long reception hall where the foreign representatives presented the members and their staffs. The king and queen stopped at each group to pass a few words, but this was the only informality of the evening. Later In the throneroom guests not belonging to the diplomatic corps were presented. 1. The final scene, however, was on the grand staircase, on either side of which stood a row of brilliantly garbed servitors. As the beautifully gowned women wearing many jewels and the men In their brilliant uniforms passed up and down this staircase a changing color scheme was presented. Queen Victoria in a dress of doth es gold, a wonderful diamond tiara on her fair head, two great diamond necklaces reaching to her waist, was a stately and dazzling figure. The queen mother was equally resplendent In pearls, of which she wore a collar of six rows, a tiara, two necklaces, and many clusters. Ladles-ln-waitlng wore jewels formed of every precious stone known, with whom vied the wives and daughters of the grandees of all Spain.