The first two to offer congratulations were one from the Bourbon family itself, France's most powerful ally, and the other the Regent's elder brother-in-law. This was perfectly in keeping with diplomatic convention.
Just as people wondered whether Austria, Russia, or Baden would speak next, the man to Louis XVI's right—about fifty years old, wearing a snow-white turban set with emerald Gems—dragged his robe to the center of the hall and pressed a hand to his chest in salute to the King.
The representatives of every nation in the hall were all slightly taken aback.
The master of ceremonies struck the floor hard three times with his Scepter and announced in a ringing voice, "Ahmed Jalal, plenipotentiary envoy of His Majesty the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, respectfully offers his congratulations to His Majesty the King."
Jalal drew a parchment scroll from his sleeve and spoke in French with scarcely any detectable accent:
"His Majesty the King of France, supreme sovereign of the European Continent, monarch revered by all nations, may the splendor upon your throne never dim. May this Versailles, before which all palaces in the world pale, gain still more immortal glory tonight with the birth of the Prince..."
The musicians in the rear were just about to play to mark the end of the address when the Ottoman raised his voice again:
"From Marseille to Paris, all that I saw along the way filled us with astonishment. Railways ran unbroken, Gas Streetlights stood everywhere, factory smoke blanketed the sky—none of the nations of the European Continent could compare...
"Your nation's exquisite wares are carried across the Mediterranean Sea by steamship and have become the most sought-after treasures in the markets of Constantinople...
"The principles of the stars and all things, written by your nation's scholars, are translated volume