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14 January 1875 — Madrid | |
Thursday. 14th [January 1875]. Wrote & copied; At ¼ to 1 we went to the Ministeries de la Gobernacion to see the King Alfonso XII make his triumphant entry. We were received by the Marquesa de San Carlos whose husband is Undersecretary of F. Affairs. We had to wait abt an hour & ½ & were entertained with refreshments of wh Ittersum partook freely & by the time the King came I fancy he could see nothing as he took a glass of wine with each of his colleagues. The band of the Opera played on a platform in front of the Gobernacion. At abt 2.30 His Majesty appeared & there was great waving of handkerchiefs from the balconies & fluttering of papers with verses—showers of flowers & white pigeons & other small birds let out. The King rode a handsome white Spanish horse & he looked very happy but was almost too obsequious in the way he bowed & smiled, pressing his cap to his heart. His staff was a most brilliant one. The crowd did not cheer but there was a murmur & hubbub & they did not take off their hats. After waiting a few minutes for the crowd to disperse we returned home. I changed my dress & then Henry & I went out on foot. We called on Emilia & saw her & Mr Gayangos & then we came home. The streets were full of people as the shops were all shut. The King on arriving at the Palace was to wait on horseback & see the troops march past. In the eveng we walked to the Bauer’s. Found few people there. We all agreed that altho’ the King looked nice he did not make the grand effect that R. Amadeo did on his entry. | |
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