| Alvarez | |
| Fictional Character | |
| 1632 series POD: May, 1631 | |
| Appearance(s): | Grantville Gazette XXX |
| Nationality: | Spain |
| Occupation: | Mercenary |
Lieutenant Alvarez was a Spanish mercenary officer who was among the foreign mercenaries that were hired to London by Richard Boyle. Alvarez was accommodated to the Tower of London. He routinely shared his disparaging criticisms of England in general and the Yeomen Warders in particular, who in turn hated the arrogant Spaniard.
In spring 1634, the Warders took their revenge by playing the "washing the lions" prank on Alvarez (an idea given to lionkeeper Thomas Heneage by Melissa Mailey). Alvarez was summoned to the Water Gate to see the supposed "Annual Ceremony of the Washing of the Lions", and was instead set adrift on the Thames River by an actor hired to pretend to be a waterman.
Alvarez's humiliating situation was observed by Warders Andrew Short and Stephen Hamilton who proclaimed the new "Annual Ceremony of the Washing of the Gullible Spaniard".