PRINCESS ASTRID MARRIED.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 January 1927, Page 4

PRINCESS ASTRID MARRIED.

SECOND WEDDING DRESS, BRILLIANT CHURCH SCENES. QUEENS IN TEARS. BRUSSELS, Novemlier 11. The little Princess Astrid of Sweden is the Duchess of Brabant at last. The long travelling, the salutes, the addresses, the banquets—all the gilded delays of the royal wedding are over. Sdio mounted near midday, leaning on her father’s arm, the 40 steps to the doors of the historic church ol St. Gudulo, where, crosier in hand and mitre upon his head, the Archbishop of Alnlines, the Primate of Belgium, stood waiting. Four pages in white doublets and plumed hats held her 16ft. long train. On her breast hung an emerald and round her throat was a necklace of diamonds. In her hands she caiiied a sweeping cluster of lilies ; it was like a many branched hush of lilies. Those who were watching iiom the houses sav it was a most beautiful sight. The sun had regained something of its lost youth and shone as if in the earlier days ot spring on the roofs and pinnacles of the city below. From the towers of the great Gothic church the banners of Sweden and Belgium were flying. Out of sight in the meandering streets far beneath and all around in balcony and window and way up above to the broad avenues of modern Brussels the people were crowded, cheering and waving and happy. GREETINGS AT PORTAL.

As she reached the broad ledge of the entrance the princess stood awhile as if moved and astonished at the roar of welcome that arose and descended and gathered around her from all the city. She turned and waved the' lilies at the throng. From the houses around they threw rose leaves in fluttering showers toward her. She seemed overwhelmed. She bowed and bowed and waved the lilies anew till her tall, soldierly father placed his hand on her arm and drew her wittiin.

So she went under the grey portal and up the aisle. Outside she had been the Princess*; inside she seemed the bride going to the altar. Ihe clustered diplomats and courtiers, the ranks of generals and of magistrates, and the benches full of princes and princesses could not deprive the scene of a certain simplicity, which seemed to settle upon it.

A flash of her father’s silver collar, a flash of Princess Astrid’s wonderful silver brocade as she passed, and slie was upon the altar steps kneeling beside her bridegroom. THE VOWS.

She was hidden from our sight. A mere handful of kings and queens and princes and the clergy saw her and the young duke plight their troth. ’I he Archbishop gave them a short, fatherly address with all the bishops of Belgium gathered around him. Ho sprinkled holy water upon the kneeling pair and blessed them and similarly blessed their rings, for they exchanged rings. Their, vows they said so low that even those standing close barely heard them. Then the Archbishop, in Latin; “ 1 hind you in matrimony in the name of the Father and ol the Son and of the Holy Ghost,” and, so saying, lie blessed them again. The voices of the choir filled the church in beautiful harmony, and then the organ wove into one the national anthems of the two just united, and slowly the royal procession returned to the great door. TEARS OF GOOD .MOTHERS. Tho Queen of the Belgians was in tears and so was the Queen of Denlike all good mothers. As she had gone to the altar tho bride had held her head; enclosed in a cap of Brussels lace that stretched out into a long veil, bent over her bunch of lilies, hut now she walked erect, a happy smile playing over her features, greeting the company as she passed. So too. did the Duke, a handsome prince indeed, whoso gentle look! restful eyes, and waving hair recalls Byron and Lamartine and the men of those lost, romantic (lavs.

All the princes and princesses followed them. Prince Henry looking very fine in his Hussar uniform. There were 26 primes and princesses who thus went, two by two, behind the long silver train of the Duchess. Women present exclaimed at tilic beauty of this train and dress. It was of silver brocade, made in .Stockholm especially for the wedding in St. Gudulo. As the Princess wore

another wedding dress at Stockholm for the civil ceremony there last week, she had two separate wedding dresses, a

rarity even for a princess, surely. Outside the church, while hells pealed and cannons saluted, the Duke and Duchess took tilieir places in a glasspanelled state carriage drawn by six horses with hewigged postillions, and drove through the streets of Brussels to the royal palace.

SMILE THAT WON BRUSSELS. Such enthusiasm as the crowd displayed has never been heard in tho city, 1 am told. The marriage came as a litllc* .surprise to the Belgian people at first, hut in the last two days Princess Astrid, with her smile and her wave of the hand and her flutter of her handkerchief, has quickly won the people to her. They gathered in thousands upon thousands last, night round the Palace in a torch light procession which was to have comprised ex-Servicemeu and other war-time associations, hut ended by comprising everybody. You coukl hear their cheering and shouting far away. The hoys of the colonial school, too, tools the horses from her carriage yesterday as she was returning from the civic reception and drew her to the' palace. After the wedding the whole front or the Palace Square was filled with the people of the city acclaiming the Duke and Duchess, calling out for them, and for the King and Queen of the Belgians till they came. One old woman was crying. Asked why, sllie said : “ I am so pleased our good Prince has found so sweet a Princess.”