THE WEDDING

Hokitika Guardian, 27 May 1922, Page 4

THE WEDDING

MEMORABLE SIGHT. ('By fin Australian). I am going to attempt to give you some idea of what I saw on a day never to be forgotten, it top-nutcli reel-letter day! Ycs ; I saw the Princess and the King and Queen, the Queen-Motlicr, the princes, and the famous Lord I.nscelles, and, what is almost as wonderful an experience, a London crowd on Ipte! I seem to have been born under a lucky star, for the whole business was made possible in a wonderful way. Tuesday was an O.T.C. (Officers’ Training School) field-day for all the boys at the college ,and only the first two hours had to be arranged for. Two of the men kindly offered to take one each, and as the following morn was Ash Wednesday, and a special service was to be held, there was no necessity for me to return till mid-day. ,So I was able to get up to London by 8.15 p.m. on Monday, spend all day Tuesday in London, and return on Wednesday by the 9 a.m. from Paddington. The senior science master of Westminster School—the famous old school founded by Elizabeth, and situated next to the Abbey—asked me to stay with him and I jumped at the chance. He boards in-Vincent Square, and there T went on Monday night. During the night I was awakened at intervals by guv parties passing the place in the wee sma' hours, making their way to .their previously selected positions, there to wait till 11 a.m.l Oh. it was nice to know that T had a spot to go to, for my friend had arranged that T should meet some of the staff and accompany them and the hoys to the railed off green opposite St Margaret’s Church, which lies under the shadow of the Abbey. Well, off wo went at 9.50, making great fun, of my friend, who was got up to the nines—top hat, tails, and spate—a.s he was to have a seat in the Abbey I being a parieular friend of some official of the Abbey. Certainly lie saw a wonderful sight, but i would not have missed the sight outside for a very great deal. He first showed me over the famous school, and and we took snaps of each other —I enclose one of myself, which makes me look as though 1 bad been up all night. 1 assure you I was never litter in my life, though T had certainly had a strenuous week previously.

The hoys began to assemble in Dean’s ■ yard about 10, and you would have loved to see them in their silk hats and long coats, spats, and walking sticks, decorated, too, with a large white earnation in their button-holes—the school flower, I’m told. They fairly fascinated | me, and T tried hard not to smile. For some time I watched the guests arriv- ! ing at the side door of the Abbey—eele- | brities of all sorts in gorgeous uniforms j and ladies in excellent dresses. Then we j moved off to the groen reserved for us lon the route. We passed the Abbey | door, where the luxurious ears whirled u]> and deposited the illustrious people of the land, and tin every side and in every available snot were thousands of sight-seers. The interval before t.bo carriages came was occupied in watching the crowd and the policemen controlling them in a big brotherly, tactful, good-miiurcd way. It was a big task they bad to perform. 1 believe there were 70(’() altogether on duty that day. To estimate the size of the crowd would be impossible—you can judge it bv the length of the route and the pictures T am sending. A bet-ter-behaved and bettor-managed lot of people you would go a long wav to fi.ivl : in fact 1 think it is rigid to say it con Id not he found. Opposite us was a gate leading into New Palace Yard, which bad to bo kept, clear for casualties and stretcher eases. T saw over 50 people'taken through that gate in three cjuarlers of an hour, and it took 30 “bobbies” with aims linked to keen tlie people back. Every now and then someone would be passed out over the •beads of the crowd in a dead faint or » fit. Weren’t the comments of tbo crowd funny 1 wish 1 had had a book to scribble them clown. “’Look, Bill, ’there’s airy plane onp over Big Ben. I .or’, linin’t ’e ’igh hup t . What tie ’c doing Imp there, think ’e Bill?” To wilier Bill replied, “C’ommittin’ suicide .’o course*!” “Here conics the* ‘big hats.’ " Bill says to the cither as the hand of the Grenadier Guards comes by ■"with steady tread, and playing as only ' t)i‘e Guards can play. Then eanic* the Scots—Princess Mary’s own Royal Scots, with bagpipes and all. Oh, it was great- I loved all this, and seeing the fine people* in cars and great ear.riacSW.parsing by the way. The Lord Mayor’s turn-out was as grand almost as tlie King’s. A JOYOUS SCENE. I At last the carriages cease—the course 'is Clear and the stage set for the grand net. Big Ben booms out 11, and thousands are calculating that in two minutes the Queen-Mother will leave Buckingham Palace. A wait of ten minutes, and tlion "Here they eonie’ breaks out on all sides. Tlie sold ion; lining thei route spring to attention, and come to the present, amid ringing cheers the Life Guards, in full regimentals, mine trotting by. Wbat '.a* sight I- Long white plumes claiming, steed 'breastplates gleaming in the sun (sun, don’t forget!, and swords flashing by their scarlet tunics. It was, sure* enough “some” sight. And there was Qtreen Alexandra looking as young ns ever, though grey, of course. I saw her quite well, being only 10 yards off. This augured well for later on. Then mine* tlie Queen with the twoprinces. Again the same joyful reception. A longer pause followed, and then a most unaccountable silence—a lull before tbo storm. Even when the cheering broke afresh I do not remember the noise, for T was all eyes now, 1 and ears had ceased to operate. Did over a Princess in real life or. fairy , story receive such a welcome? She* looked charming, and bowed most grae- j , icnisly to one side and another, tlie 'King for once playing second fiddle, j and sitting hack as proud of his daugh- ] ter as any father in tlie land. T skipped across the green, and saw them a second time, and had a chance this | time to notice the gorgeous coach of. gold and magnificent- footmen sitting ' up there, looking so important. The i horses, too, seemed to realise, their j responsibility, for were they not taking ' to the Abbey the darling of England! j Surely one of the most popular prill- ; cesses that ever was on land or sea. and , what is more she is to marry an Eng- j lishman. and a gallant soldier, one, too who can give her all that, money can buy, for his income is said to be C 42.090 a year. J There was something about this wed- ;

ding which is surely unique—one can hardly imagine a more spontaneous outhurst of nopular feeling and sheer joy in the pleasure and happiness of another. Certainly she deserves it, for her goodness is well known. Then, too it is doubtful if the King and Queen and the Royal Family were ever in higher favour with the people than the present Royal Family. The war has done much to bring them eloser to the lives of ordinary beings, and this, no doubt, was in the minds of many on this day of days. . T oecupied the intervals while the service was on in talking to the Westminster hoys and taking their photo-

graphs. I’ve Since bad the mortification to find that I have taken the two best on one film—,such was my excitement. I’ve not cfoiio that for many

moons, THE RADTAnT PRINCESS. “Here they come!” The cheering rises like the- voice of uii approaching storm, anti this time tho first carriage don,tains tlie liricle and bridoprrooTtt. Great as ine enthusiasm was befotethis time it kliowsno bounds, and is moro prolonged ns the carriage is cli iven very slowly, a very thoughtful piece of management. Tho 'Princess is radiant, nnul is bowing her thanks to all. He is smiling, but is sitting bolt up-, ri'dit perhaps for fear of creasing the now ribbon of the Order of the Garter that he is wearing. At any rate he is j playing second fiddle, as the King d' , for'it is tho day of the Princess. And so thev pass and the excitement dies away. ‘The Royal conches pass by and the crowd is nlrcndy on tho move. T made for the back of the Abbey, anc * , watched tho guests leaving by car. ( They were doing so when I passed the front of the Abbey an hour later. For once tbo men far outshone the ladies. Of. course, T’ve never seen anything like it, and may never again—Dukes and Admirals, generals and members of Parliament, Gentlemcn-in-M niting. and Church dignitaries, soldiers and sailors, and the Yeomen of the Guards; the King’s Own Household Guards, tlie Beerfeaters gold and silver, scarlet and , blue, black velvet and silver buckles, cock hats and feathers—all theso I ( have a. vague impression of—a mere ( passing show. I tried to got them in j mv owners, but ft was a hopeless task. The fact is tlie whole thing is now like j a, dream, and l cannot quito realise that T was privileged to see so great and historic a pageant.