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28 November 1876 — Madrid | |
Tuesday. 28th [November 1876]. The King’s 19th birthday. Helped Mrs Bruce with her sketch out of the window. Henry went to the Palace for the besamanos at 1. I went at 2.15. Wore pale maize gown trimmed with poppies & brown leaves & a brown train. I took Mrs Phipps with me who was in lavender & dark blue. It poured all day– Our audience lasted a very short time & we were not gone from the house 20 minutes. The Bruces left for Biarritz at 4.30 train. We dined at the Palace in the evening. I sat at King’s right & had Calderon Collantes next. We were 98 at table. The King was not very talkative– On mentioning I was at the Cortes on Saty he said “Il c’est dit ce jour là des paroles que manquaient un peu de tacte”– He could not take his eyes off Mme Montebello who sat opposite—looked very pretty & returned his glances. She was dressed in plain black velvet with white lace & had nothing in her hair but a diamond coronet. After dinner wh was bad & cold—we went into the drawing room wh had Charles III monogram on the furniture & after we had had our coffee the King came up to me & Mme Montebello & begged her to sit down taking her into a corner & there they sat talking some time– Then he moved from one group to another & so did the Princess & she sat & talked to me some time abt books & said she was reading “Waverly”—& said she had read so little as a girl & had been so severely brought up that she was anxious to read now. She said “I want to know the truth fancy I was supposed not know what was a natural son—& how could I learn history if not.” At 12 precisely like Cinderella the Princess rose & she & the King made bows & departed & we were set at liberty. The eveng was not unpleasant as it was much less stiff than usual. | |
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