Ferdinand II of Portugal was one of the most loyal and distinguished guests of the former Hotel de la Paz. We have four different stays on record, always accompanied by his wife, the Countess of Edla, and by his son the Infante Augusto, Duke of Coimbra.
Ferdinand had been king consort of Portugal through his marriage to Queen Maria II and regent of the kingdom during the minority of his son Pedro V. He was also the father of Luís I, who occupied the Portuguese throne during his visits to Madrid.
Known as the Artist King, he was a painter, a collector and one of the great patrons of European Romanticism. His most celebrated legacy is the Pena National Palace in Sintra, whose construction and decoration he personally championed.
His first documented stay began on 9 June 1878. Two days later, Alfonso XII came in person to the Hotel de la Paz to return the visit, accompanied by the Duke of Sexto. Spanish ministers also travelled to the establishment to pay their respects to the Portuguese royal family.
Ferdinand II returned on 11 September of that same year and again chose our hotel. He was received at the station by the Minister of State, diplomatic representatives of Portugal and Brazil and the civil governor of Madrid. That very afternoon, Antonio Cánovas del Castillo came to the Hotel de la Paz to pay his respects.
Five years later, on 17 June 1883, he returned together with the Countess of Edla and the Infante Augusto. Alfonso XII awaited them in person at the Delicias station, accompanied by the President of the Council of Ministers, Práxedes Mateo Sagasta, the Minister of Portugal and numerous representatives of the court and the diplomatic corps. The King of Spain warmly escorted Ferdinand II to his carriage, while Sagasta offered his arm to the Countess of Edla. From the station, the family moved to the Hotel de la Paz, where they occupied the principal rooms.
The fourth documented stay took place on 9 October 1883. Ferdinand II arrived on the express from France accompanied by his wife, his son and his chamberlains, the Count of San Thiago and the Baron of Kessler. Alfonso XII, the President of the Council, the civil governor and the Portuguese legation once again received him at the station. After settling in at the Hotel de la Paz, the royal party went that afternoon to the Royal Palace to pay their respects to the Spanish royal family.
Ferdinand II’s relationship with Spain had begun much earlier. After the revolution of 1868, his name was seriously considered for the Spanish throne, though he ultimately declined the Crown.
His four visits, the official receptions that took place upon his arrival and the personal presence of Alfonso XII both at the hotel and at the stations make Ferdinand II one of the most notable and best-documented guests in our history.
