Court, etiquette, dignity

In the Spain of the Habsgurgs, royal court meant a group of people as a specific place. Thus, the servants, ministers and officers of the most varied condition which accompanied the monarch and the royal family to serve as part of the different existing royal houses or the network of councils and other courts constituted the royal court. But this was also the particular city or villa where the King settled with the ragtag Entourage of servers. However, not all sites where was the person of the monarch were court, because it was believed that this had moved to a new place only if also had moved there the Royal seal. The Spanish monarchy could not have capital, although in functional sense, the Castilian court came to meet this greater role, bearing in mind that the Crown of Castile was the main base of the monarchy and, consequently, the territory where the Hapsburgs ended up settling permanently. Moving the unit from Toledo, Felipe II set the residence of his court at Madrid in 1561 and in this village was maintained until the beginning of the 17th century, when Felipe III worry to Valladolid in what, actually, was a return to the Castilian city that often had been chosen to host the court during the first half of the 16th century. The passage of an itinerant court to a steady, though not permanent, explains, first, according to criteria of practical necessity. As it has been shown speaking of the polysynody, the institutional apparatus of the monarchy did not fail to grow as the century progressed. Similarly, increased the number of servants of the various Royal houses (king, queen, prince, princesses). Apart from the difficulty of itself it entailed the movement of so many people, the transfer of the court was supposed to find a place that meet good condition of health, supply, defence and communications and, in addition, that could and were willing to show that human droves because the dignity that reporting royal residence also had many drawbacks that not all councils were willing to accept rigged. As Alfredo Alvar demonstrated, the choice of Madrid was made in attention to their good condition and willingness to accommodate the court.

Protocols of the Habsburgs Court

Of the Alcazar in which lived the Kings of Spain until the eighteenth century, it was said that "the Palace of his Catholic Majesty is high class, punctuality, devotion and courtesy". The Spanish, solemn, heavy and Manor Court Protocol, was introduced by Emperor Carlos V in 1548 by moving that applied the House of Burgundy. Since then, all acts of the day and night were developed in accordance with imperturbable standards.
The Kings were as a reflection of the divine, but as the German historian Ludwig Pfandl, in the chapter of his biography of Felipe II, devoted to this subject, the Burgundian Protocol "also taxed them life and forced into a servitude that becomes as bloody derision of their other privileges". To move around his palace, the King will need numerous people contest, even when at night the rooms of the Queen.

How are the meals of Kings and Princes organized?
In service to the King intervened not less than twenty people, since the cleric, who blessed table, to the halberdiers, who were escorting the dishes and various aristocrats, it was an honor for those who deliver the napkin or fold the tablecloth. During the meal, the silence was absolute; everyone understood with soft gestures.

Did you know that people could enter the palaces to see the Royal family having lunch?
It was part of the Protocol to show the Majesty of the King. A line of guards separated the people of the King and their servers.

Who formed the guard of the Kings?
There were three units: the 'monteros' (Burgos) Espinosa, whose origin comes from the middle ages, germans and flemings.

What requirements needed to be a member of these bodies of guard?
Catholic faith, lineage, good background, cleaning blood and military experience were the main. The precautions should be many because other European Kings were killed by his bodyguards.

How many keys were of the interior doors of the Alcazar in Madrid?
There were three. The King himself had one of those keys, but he could not use because their dignity prevented it. The Palace aposentador; had the other two. This gave one the greatest waiter. The dealer accompanied the King on their displacement by the alcazar by opening and closing the doors to their step.

When you started treating Majesty the Kings of Spain?
In the Middle Ages they called them as Lord. The Catholic monarchs received the treatment of Highnesses. Carlos V as emperor was Majesty and, by reason of the Burgundian Protocol, this began to apply to his child.

Did you know that the King and the Queen slept in separate bedrooms?
And when the King wanted to be with the Queen, he moved together with their vassals and other charges, so that there was neither secret nor intimacy.

Why bread was carried in a closed metal box and the vinegar was used under watchful eye?
To prevent poisonings. Vinegar conceals the flavor of many poisons mixed in sauces. One of the missions of sommeliers was supervised the preparation of meals to the King: to maintain its quality, its hygiene... and his life.

Who could cover their heads in the presence of the King?
The greats of Spain, bishops and cardinals, the generals of religious orders, ambassadors, the Knights of the military orders and the Golden Fleece and the members of the Council.

How many rooms had to go through to get to the King?
There were a room, a little room, an antechamber, a little antechamber and a cabinet work. Before every door there was a couple of guards corps or ushers.