14. 1908, A ROYAL CLASH

As dual queens of the 1st Manila Carnival, Pura and Marjorie held equal rank and shared equal billings, but newspapers, egged by the crowds and their observations, played up the competition angle between the two, further fuelling more controversies, both real and imagined.

WHO'S THE FAIRER OF THE TWO? Oriental Queen Pura Villanueva, "this queen will not fade away"-the caption on this photo says.

First, there was the question facial beauty. The newspaper El Renacimiento was very vocal about who was the better-looking queen. In one important public appearance of the 2 royals, it observed: “The King and Queen of the Occident were very simple in their attire. Perhaps because they had come from a trip. But they were very ordinary looking, including the members of their court. Not so, however, those of the Orient….Altanera sin pedanteria, augusta sin pretensions, producto su distincion de la sangre y de la cuna” (Highborn but without ostentation, majestic without the pretensions, a product of refinement, in blood and in influence).

Then there was the issue of the Occidental retinue getting preferential treatment. For example, when the royalties arrived at the landing, the cars reserved for the Oriental court where nowhere to be found. Thus, Pura and her King Consort left for the grandstand, unattended.

FAVORED AT THE FAIR? Newspapers reported the preferential treatment accorded to the American queen--from the carriage that was ever-ready to take her to carnival functions to the flowers she received.

More discourtesies towards the Oriental Royals were reported with astute observation. El Renacimiento recounted one circumstance: “ When the King of the Occident descended from his carroza, he had a bouquet of flowers for the Queen of the Occident, but not even a leaf for the Queen of the Orient. This was a grave fault and a crass ignorance of the forms of courtesy. A sacrilege to etiquette. Attention is due the Queen, who had graciously accepted them into her country”.

A MONARCH SPURNED. Although they introduced themselves at the Carnival gate as the King and Queen of the Carnival, Pura and Manuel were not immediately let in by the insolent 'portero' who even answered that 'not even Christ can enter without paying the entrance fee'.

The final insult was when the King and Queen of the Orient were refused entry into the Carnival fairgrounds. Detained by the guard at the gate, they were asked to pay the entrance fee of P.20 at the gate. El Renacimiento was livid. “Inandita osadia!!! (Such inane audacity!!!) The Orient Monarchs prevented from entering their own kingdom! Is this revolution or anarchy? All these reactions need immediate reparation.”

Pura was not to be cowed. She excused herself from one significant evening ball, alleging an indisposition, and the members of her court followed suit. As a demanded by native decorum, the whole court of honor resigned their positions.

13. 1908, PAGEANT BY THE BAY: The Meeting of Royals

One of the most spectacular ceremonials conceived for the 1908 Carnival was the meeting of the Occidental and the Oriental Queen on the bay of Manila, a "cadena-de-amor" maritime procession meant to symbolize the eternal friendship of two Continents. In the well-choreographed event, royal barges bearing the queens were to arrive simultaneously at the Luneta, to be welcomed in the grandest of styles.


The grand plan was laid out to include a ceremonial boat for the use of the Occidental King, a 15th century "carebela” type, while that of the Oriental King was of Indo-Chinese style. Each will have a throne, where the King will be surrounded by his Court, followed by the beautiful Queens of the Carnival and their courts. The boats will be escorted by decorated launches.

An eyewitness account records the fantastic fluvial pageant of 27 February 1908: “It was about 4:30 o’clock when the King and Queen of the Occident occupied their throne on the stern of the royal barge and gave order for the procession to start. The boat was towed by the launch Isabel. The constabulary band was stationed in the bow of the royal barge and the 9th cavalry trumpeters on the launch.”

The boat left with its distinguished guests on board, trailed by artistically-decorated launches simulating whales, clown heads, pelican and marine creatures. At the entrance of the breakwater, the ritual meeting of royalties happened. This was followed by a display of fireworks, boat whistles and salvos from battleships and the wild acclamations of the people. Then, all proceeded to the landing, where our account continued.

HAPPY LANDING. Queen of the Occident, Marjorie Colton, alighting from the royal barge, welcomed by her royal entourage.

“Thousands of surging humanity crowded along the edge of the Luneta fill, the banks of the inner basin where the landing was o be made, and along the road leading to the Legaspi landing, to get a glimpse of the royal party. Never before had so many people gathered together in this city on any occasion and while it is impossible to state the exact number of people who were on the Luneta and the new-made land, a conservative estimate would be from 80,000 to 100,000”.

The royalties arrived a few minutes after 6 at the pier, where they were received by the Carnival Committee composed of Mayor W.W. Brown, Judge Gilbert, Dr. Reno, Dr. Guerney, Capt. Weigl and Mr. Nolting.

DRIVING MISS MARJORIE. Queen Marjorie and Consort Col. George Langhorne

The two royal couples were escorted to automobiles which were awaiting their arrival and the procession then started for the grandstand on the Luneta. The court rode in stately carriages. During this trip, bright lights were focused on the entire entourage. The Queens stood up in their cars to acknowledge the cheers of the spectators. “Everything looked fairy land, decorations, lights, people, everything.”, a newspaper reported.

At the grandstand fronting the Legazpi Monument, the keys of the City of Manila were given by the Mayor to the foreigners. From there, amidst the sound of trumpets of cavalrymen, the courts filed past to go to their fancy palaces, to meet again at Elks Club and then to the Carnival Hippodrome to start the national ball.

12. 1908, Queen of the Occident, MARJORIE RADCLIFFE COLTON

1908 QUEEN OF THE OCCIDENT. Marjorie Radcliffe Colton, of Illinois. Sister of Philippine Collector of Customs, George R. Colton and future governor of Puerto Rico.

Little is known about the other queen of the very 1st Manila Carnival of 1908. Elected as the Queen of the Occident (Reina del Occidente), Marjorie Radcliffe Colton was the sister of then Philippine Collector of Customs, George R. Colton (1866-1916). George R. Colton had arrived in the Philippines as a Lt. Colonel of a Nebraska Regiment, then became a Collector of the Port of Iloilo. After his Philippine service, he was appointed as the Governor of Puerto Rico (1909-1913) by U.S. Pres. William H. Taft. The Coltons were originally from Galesburg, Illinois.

Marjorie’s name appeared on the candidates’ list for the Carnival queenship on El Renacimiento, where, with 338 votes, placed her second to the last. But with the pull-out of the leading contenders brought about by the controversial newspaper coupon scam, Marjorie suddenly pushed to the forefront of the race, and eventually captured the title of the Occidental Queen, to reign alongside the Oriental Queen, Pura Villanueva.

ROYAL MATCH. Queen of the Occident, Marjorie Colton with with Col. George T. Langhorne, King of the Occident.

Upon their selections, the 2 queens had several private conferences regarding clothes and the selection of their court. As part of her royal wardrobe, Marjorie initially chose a blue colored gown with a velvet cape of the same color. Her maids of honor, who came from distinguished American and Spanish families, were to be dressed in European clothes with wide capes of blue satin.

THE OCCIDENTAL TOURISTS. The court of honor of the Occidental Queen was assembled from prominent American and Spanish residents in the Philippines.

Designated as the King of Occident to escort Marjorie was no less than Col. George T. Langhorne, aide de camp of Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood and a Spanish war veteran (he would later wed Mary K. Waller of Chicago). The Occidental retinue included Nina de Lis, Hemphill Irving, Luz Rubio, Alberta Clark, Helen Dorrington, Carrie Angur, Marie Fecket, Harriet O’Brien and Mary Macleod. Their consorts were G. S. O’Reilly, Herbert Glona, Daniel Maloney, Maj. Howland, Capt. Paxton, Hanson E. Ely, Capt. Nuttman, Capt. Weigel, Mr. Bowdith and Mr. Gesler—all Americans living in the Philippines at that time.