May 22, 2004 - 1:30 PM

Spain's royal wedding sparkles in the rain

By Elisabeth O'Leary

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's Crown Prince Felipe has married former television presenter Letizia Ortiz in a
glittering ceremony symbolising a new dawn for Spain two months after the deadly Madrid train bombings.

A torrential downpour began on Saturday just as Letizia prepared to enter the cathedral in a fitted wedding gown
with a 4.5-metre (15-foot) train, a conservative V-shaped neckline and a high collar. The tiara had been worn by
Felipe's mother Queen Sofia at her wedding.

The heavy rain forced the bride to arrive in a Rolls Royce rather than walk along the red carpet from the Royal
Palace to the adjacent Roman Catholic Almudena Cathedral, as others in the wedding party had done.

"Letizia, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity to you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit," the dashing prince said, at one point forgetting his lines, in a traditional exchange of vows.

The televised ceremony was beamed to more than a billion people worldwide.

Long one of Europe's most eligible royals, Felipe looked outside the ranks of royalty for his bride. He chose a
31-year-old divorcee who was a rising star for Spain's most popular news broadcaster before saying yes to a
proposal that will make her queen of Spain some day.

The 36-year-old heir to the throne, the prince of Asturias, wore military dress uniform, entering the cathedral on
the arm of his mother, who wore a champagne coloured gown.

His popular father, King Juan Carlos, wore an admiral's dress uniform.

RAIN DAMPENS PARTY

The couple will face a tough challenge maintaining the prestige enjoyed by 66-year-old Juan Carlos, who is
revered for helping steer Spain to democracy after dictator Francisco Franco died in 1975, when the crown was
restored.

Many people who had been waiting near the cathedral packed local bars when the rain began.

"It's not ruined by a little dampness. If it weren't for the rain we'd all be in the street but given the circumstances all
has gone well," said Mario Nunez, a 58-year-old army officer.

The last major public event in the cathedral was a state funeral on March 24 for the 191 train bombing victims.

Officials had expected a million people on the streets to celebrate Madrid's first royal wedding in nearly a
century, but the rain kept many away. Thousands stood under a forest of umbrellas.

"This is a breath of fresh air after the attacks we suffered. We need to get past this," said Rosa Coral, 40, who
came from Barcelona with all her office friends.

Britain's Prince Charles and other royalty from across Europe, the Middle East and Japan filled the cathedral
along with Spanish politicians, dignitaries and sporting figures. Foreign guests included former South African
President Nelson Mandela and his wife, Graca Machel.

Three days after the Madrid blasts the opposition Socialists won a surprise victory in a general election, and the
new prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, decided to withdraw Spain's 1,400 troops from Iraq. The last
Spanish soldier left Iraq on Friday.

An unprecedented display of police force was designed to avert any new attacks in Madrid. The Basque
separatist guerrilla group ETA tried to assassinate the king in 1995.