Wedding of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, 1935

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Royal Guests and Relatives celebrated the Wedding of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies at the Basilica of Santa María de Los Ángeles in Rome on this day in 1935, followed by an Audience with the Pope at the Vatican.

Infante Juan, the third son and heir of the exiled King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, married Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, daughter of Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain and Princess Louise of Orléans, at the Basilica of Santa María de Los Ángeles in Rome

They got married on the day of Hispanidad. Minutes before 11 AM of October 12, 1935, Don Juan de Borbón, arrived in a covered car, dressed in tails and wearing the insignia of the Golden Fleece. His father, King Alfonso XIII and his sister Maria Cristina accompanied him.Moments later, the bride appeared, accompanied by her parents, Carlos de Borbón Dos Sicilias and Luisa de Orleans.

The bride wore a designer suit by Worth in silver lamé with antique lace and a long and splendid chiffon veil, supported by a diadem of orange blossom sent from Valencia.The bridal bouquet was made up of gladioli, tuberose and lilies.

The contracting parties made their entrance into the temple while the chords of the nuptial march sounded and occupied two kneelers in front of the main altar, where by the express desire of the bride and groom an image of the Virgin of the Pillar was placed, under whose dedication the young couple wanted to join .

The ceremony was conducted by the Archbishop of Florence, Elías Della Costa, and was acted as witnesses by Don Jaime, Duke of Segovia, brother of the groom;Don Fernando de Baviera, uncle of the contracting party; and Don Alfonso and Don Carlos de Borbón, brothers of the bride.

After the Wedding, the newlyweds had an Audience with the Pope at the Vatican.

After the religious ceremony, the newlyweds, together with the members of their respective families, went to the Vatican, where they were received by their Holiness of the Pope. After the audience, which lasted a quarter of an hour, don Juan and Doña María de las Mercedes went to the Vatican Basilica to pray before the tomb of Saint Peter.

After the religious ceremony, the bride and groom traveled to the Vatican in a Bentley, a gift from the Duke of La Torre, one of the witnesses at the wedding. They were received in audience by Pope Pius XI for fifteen minutes.

Two days before their Wedding, a Banquet was held in honour of Infante Juan and and Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies at the Grand Hotel in Rome, where the exiled King Alfonso XIII had resided in the last years of his life.

The Banquet was held at the Grand Hotel in Rome. Among the more than 6,000 guests invited were the heir to the Italian Crown, the Prince of Piedmont; Prince Christopher of Greece; the princes José Eugenio, Luis and Fernando de Baviera y Borbón;  Don Alfonso de Orléans, and Don Jenaro, Don Raniero and Don Gabriel de Borbón;  the Count of the Andes, the Marquis of Castel Rodrigo;  Prince Pius of Savoy, etc. The images that have emerged from the banquet show the happy newlyweds toasting with champagne with their loved ones.

Princess María de las Mercedes wore Queen Maria Cristina’s Loop Tiara with a Diamond Rivière and Brooch all given as Wedding Gifts by King Alfonso XIII.

Queen Maria Cristina’s Loop Tiara

Spanish Fleur-de-Lys Tiara


The tiara of the fleurs-de-lys, which Alfonso XIll gave to Aunt Ena for the wedding, I only wore once in England for the coronation of the Queen, which was in June 1953. When we were going to leave for Westminster Abbey, I had my small tiara on, and then Queen Victoria said to me: No, you have to wear the one with the fleurs-de-lys. And I obeyed. But as soon as it was all over, I gave it back to her. They had given it to her as a gift and the logical thing is that she would have it as long as she lived. Later, when she died, they gave it to me, but I passed it on to Sofia. Aunt Ena continued to wear it for important events and for some precious photographs”.

Mellerio Shell Tiara

Sapphire Tiara

Diamond Earrings

Queen Isabella II’s Emerald Suite

When Juanito was born, Alfonso XIII gave me a brooch with a huge emerald that had a pair of earrings and ring en suite”.

Pearl Brooch

Ruby Clip Brooch

Pearl Bow Brooch

Pearl Bracelet

Emerald Brooch

Strawberry Leaf Brooches

Diamond Brooches

 

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The Wedding of Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona, the third son and heir of the exiled King Alfonso XIII and Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, and Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, daughter of Prince Carlos of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Infante of Spain and Princess Louise of Orléans, at the Basilica of Santa María de Los Ángeles in Rome on this day in 1935, followed by an Audience with the Pope at the Vatican. This was the third Spanish Royal Wedding in Rome in 1935, after the Wedding of Infanta Beatriz of Spain and the Prince of Civitella-Cesi and the Wedding of Infante Jaime, Duke of Segovia. The couple had four children, including the future King Juan Carlos, and eventually returned to Spain in 1976, a year after the Monarchy was restored with their son. The Count passed away in 1993 and the Countess in 2000.

In the evening, there was a Banquet held in honour of Infante Juan and the new Infanta María de las Mercedes (wearing Queen Maria Christina’s Cartier Loop Tiara) at the Grand Hotel in Rome, which was also attended by Crown Prince Umberto of Italy, Prince Christopher and Princess Françoise of Greece, and Prince José Eugenio, Prince Luis and Prince Fernando of Bavaria, among a host of Royal and Noble Guests, though Queen Victoria Eugenie was not present.

Infanta María de las Mercedes’ corbeille de mariage was also displayed for the public and included Queen Maria Christina’s Cartier Loop Tiara, her Pearl Brooch and her Ruby Clip Brooch, which were given to the bride by members of their family.

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