The Funeral of a Spanish King

The burial place of the royal family of Spain is in the Palace of the Escorial. Everything in Spain is done with a great deal of ceremony, and when a King dies the funeral is placed under the charge of the Espinosa family, who live, and have lived for generations, on a government estate, which was given to them in recognition of having performed their duties well.

When the royal funeral cortege starts, the members of this family, dressed in the Spanish costume of several hundred years ago, head the procession, which stops at a place about half-way to the Escorial, and rests for the night. In the morning the oldest man of the Espinosa knocks on the coffin lid and asks the King if it is his wish to continue the journey to his last resting-place; though the dead King makes no reply, the cortege starts and arrives at the Escorial after dark, where they find the large doors of the Church in the Escorial fastened tightly. Some of the leaders then knock at the door; there is a great noise made by the monks who have charge of the church, who call out, "Who is there?"

The Espinosa answers, "A man of peace," the usual answer given by any one in all Spain who knocks at a door and is asked a similar question. The pounding of the door is continued, when the priests cry, "What do you want?" They answer, "To bury the King." "How do you know the King is dead?" "We all know it, we have seen him die." The priests at first refuse them admittance, but after the Espinosa threaten to break down the doors the monks scream to them that they will at once surrender, for a few priests cannot be expected to hold out against such a throng of people. The doors are then opened, the body is taken into the church, and after high mass the King is interred in the very beautiful circular pantheon below the church. Although it is below the ground, the windows give quite enough light to read all the inscriptions on the sarcophagi, which are arranged in niches around the marble walls. There is another large crypt in which are interred the princes and princesses of the royal family; and on the corners of the hall leading thereto are four grand statues of different members of the Espinosa family who have served in this same capacity at different times.