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25 April 1876 — Madrid | |
Tuesday. 25th April [1876]. Henry got up at 5 to start with Mr Bauer by a 6 AM special train for Aranjuez to meet HRH. He went in uniform. At ½ past 9 I was ready to go to the station to meet them. Mr Hunt (in uniform) & Clarita came to go with me & we were joined by Ida Bauer & all went together. We had some time to wait before HRH arrived. The Walshams & Phipps were there too. When the King arrived he stood talking to me until the train was in sight. The platform was crowded with the English residents who set up cheering when the train stopped. The military bands played our national hymn. On alighting the King led HRH at once to the carriage so that he had not time to speak to us. The King, HRH, Prince Arthur & P. Louis of Battenberg went off in the 1st carriage—Henry & others in the next & there were abt 12 carriages in all. The King told me he had come to meet HRH in a carriage wh our Queen had made a present to his mother. I went straight home, Henry went to the Palace. After breakfast we went to call on the Serranos to settle with them whether they were to come & meet the P. at our house. It is settled the King & Pss are to dine with us. To our surprise they told us that Serrano was going to dine at the Palace & that the Dss was going to the reception in the eveng. We were delighted & Serrano told us that he did it entirely out of respect to the Queen & P. of Wales. The Dss said that the K. & Pss were very amiable to invite her as she had never yet been presented at Court. We told her we were so pleased as it smoothed away all difficulties & that now she cd come to us in the same way. However she was rather disagreeable with me—pouted because she said I ought to have gone shopping with her & not with Ida Bauer the other day. I apologised but she was so cross that, being very tired, she made me cry. I left Henry at the Cortès & went on to Dss of Fernan Nunez to consult her abt my list. Went to Css Montijo’s but she was out. Home & met the HRH & King driving together. Emilia came later to help me. At 6 she & I went out in a cab to go again to Mme Montijo—did not find her so went to Css Nava del Tajo to beg her to tell her aunt that HRH wd go to pay her a visit tomorrow after the review. After taking Emilia home I had to come up the Calle Alcala & happened to come behind the Royal carriage & there was a good deal of excitement & people ran into the middle of the streets to see the Prince & a great many took off their hats to him wh they do not generally do to the King. It appears that all the great families went to the Retiro in their gala carriages. In the eveng we were quiet & only had a visit from Señor C. Sedano to ask Henry whether “the Press” could do something to show their respect for HRH. He left after tea. HRH dined at Lornos’ & went to Zarzuela incog. | |
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