ROYAL WEDDING GIFTS

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1921, 2 December 1913, Page 7

ROYAL WEDDING GIFTS

WHAT THEY COST.

KING GEORGE'S MOTOR CAR,

Those who wore recently entrusted with the work of receiving and arranging the wedding present? sent from far and wide to tho Duchess of Fii'o and I'rinco Arthur of Counaughfc were struck no loss with tho beauty and magnificence of workmanship of these than with their initial cost. Precisely what tho total value of these is cannot easily be estimated (says a London i riL of place should, perhaps, Ijo given to the magnificent coronet of diamonds that has been presented to the brido by the King and Queen. This is of yerv elaborate design, and is composed throughout of the purest and most perfectly matched stones that thediamond fields of South Africa luivc been able to produce. The cost of this alone runs well into four figures. Quite as costly, if not more so, are the matchless pearls that- Queen Alexandra presented to her eldest grandchild. Tlieso are in long strings, and have taken her Majesty many years to collect. Many of them are almost priceloss iu their purity of colour and graduation of shape and size. These tho Duchess of i'ito wore upon her wedding day. Royal Children's Gifts. Other magnificent diamond ornaments of almost every conceivable design and purpose have been showered upon the Itoyal brido by members of tho British Koj-al Family, including a handsome hair ornament from the children of tho iving and Queen, while various heads of foreign states arc vyins with each, other in presenting rich'and rare jewels to her. The King's present to his cousin, Prince Arthur of Connaught, took tho form of a British-built motor-car of the latest design and Very considerable horse-power. No expense has been spared uppu this, and tho interior fittings—it is a closed car —nro of solid si Ivor, while tho wholo of tho exterior fittings, lamp-brackets, door-handles, brake-handles, etc., arc all heavily silver plated. The cost of this car is well over £1000, and will probably approach nearer doublo this sum before it is finally handed over to its now owner. Insured For a Million Pounds,' When tho present King and Queer, were married, just over twenty vears ago, wedding gilts of all and every description were showered upon the'm in a niaiiuer that had not been previously known, and.a conservative estimate oi tho total value of tlieso was well over half a million pounds sterling, Tho wedding gifts of Prince Arthur and tho Duchess of Fife arc-insured for a million pounds. Tiie King and Queen were much embarrassed upon tlieir marriage by tbo lrequcncy wilh which even costly gifts wcro duplicated, and it was computed then that Her Majesty received over twenty diamond tiaras and ornaments, while they received no ff>wer than sixteen, pianofortes. Therefore, members of tho Itoyal Family and. others on terms of intimate friendship with either the Duchess of- i'ifo or I'rinco Arthur of Connaught have adopted the eminently sensiblo practice—which is rapidly being followed throughout society—-of inviting them to indicate what form they would prefer their various gifts to take. By so doing it was hoped to avoid to a great extent unnecessary duplication of presents. Many of the gifts that have boon showered upon tho young coupio take the form of paintings, tapestries, etc. Tlieso will not bo shown with tho remainder of their presents, but aro all to bo placod as received upon, tho walls of their new town houso in Mount Street-, which is already beginning to assume a very attractive and stately nppearanco. Tho Duchcss of Fife is herself an excellent artist and an extremely good art critic, so that the pictures offered to her have of necessity been masterpieces in their way. Not all the presents offered' to their Royal Highnesses, however, aro of the coatlv nature already described. Some of these aro of comparatively small intrinsic value, fyut will bo none tho less prized upon that account, since they aro the free will offerings oi those who havo been privileged to serve the youthful coupio in quite humblo capacities. Thus tho Duchess of Fifo has received some lengths of Scottish tweed manufactured by some of the women tenantry upon tho Mar Lodge Estate, whoro slip has passed the greater part of her life. Queen Mary still has at York Cottage a commonplace American alarm clock that was sent to her a foTi' days before her wedding by a crippled child-worker in the, South of London. It is no light task to bo placod in charge of these lioyal wedding presents, and those employed in this duty at the present time will be heartily glad when they aro relieved of their responsibility, and tho many articles are placed in tho keeping oi' those whoso task it will bo to look after them in tho future. Tho .whole of tho jewels and ornaments, savo those that tho Duchess of Fife elects to take with her on her holidays, will bo sent to Prince Arthur's bank for f.afo custody, while tho others will bo distributed throughout the various residences as the-1?oval bride may dncct.