THE COURT BALL

Hokitika Guardian, 28 August 1931, Page 3

THE COURT BALL

QUEEN'S LOVELY GOWN.

GENERAL PREFERENCE WHITE.

LONDON, July 21. Every lady who was invited to the Court Ball was asked by the Queen to buy a new dress of British material for the occasion. Her Majesty’s great desire was to give a fillip to British trade—indeed, this was one ;,oL the main purposes of what proved to be a brilliant function of State l —though it had not the formality of a State Ball. The guests honoured fo receive invitations to Buckingham Palace* numbered about two thousand.

The scene was a pageantry of splendid uniforms, glittering gold lace, dedicate gowns, diamonds, There were people of all ages, but youth and beauty predominated. The ladies mostly chose white or very pale shades, realising that such tones were the best accompaniments to brilliant uniforms. Within the Palace the . traditional splendous of crimson, white, and gold made an ideal setting, and the flofal decorations were everywhere lavish and tasteful. The flowers used were chiefly hydrangeas of light pink and blue, white lilies and crotons. Shorty before 10 p.m., the King and Queen entered the white and gold ballroom, accompanied by member s of the Royal Family, and their ,-_suite. ..There..the..guests, were all assembled in readiness for, the Royal Party. Their .Majesties’ entrance was made, through the Royal Drawing-room from their private apartments, and.' though there wos no formal procession, the scene was impressive, dignified and. beautiful. No one could fail to he impressed by the splendid figure of Queen Mary —truly every inch a Queen.

The King, bronzed and well,-- with health completely restored, wore tli 1 full dress kilted uniform of Colonel-in-Chief of the Black Watch. , The Queen was .‘p’erdidily regal in a ,gown of ivory .chiffon, richly embroidered with pearls and diamonds in a. convential design' The corsage, which like the long skirt, was almost completely covered with these embroideries, provided a background for the Order of the Garter, and her Majesty'sropes of pearls, and pearl and diamond ornaments.

The Royal circle was a large one, including the Prince of Wales, the Duke and Duchess of York, the Duke ot Gloucester, Prince . George, Prince s Mary, Countess of Ha. re wood, and the Earl of Harewod, Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, and Major-General the Earl of Athlone, Lady May Cambridge. Princess Ingrid of Sweden, Prince and Princess Arthur of Connaught, and Lady Maud Carnegie, v

... As the King and. Queen took their places under the canopy embroidered with the Royal Arms the band played the National Anthem. Members of the family- were all roundi them and in positions specially appointed stood members of the Diplomatic Corps, Ambassadors, and High Commissioners of the Dominions, with their ladies—S-i . Thomas and Lady Wiltord being among the number.

At the conclusion of the National Anthem dancing began. In the Mu icians’ Gallery at one end of the .lullroom the string band of the lloy-il .vrl il lery provided a programme of music which included modern waltzes, foxtrots, and other dances, as well as the older waltzes set to Strauss’s music. The King did not dance, but the Queen danced with the Prince of Wales. The Duke and Duchess of York danced together and with other partners.

A SUPPER DAINTY

Towards midnight the Queen sign-'ll-cd for the procession to supper, wine she headed, .followed by. the Duchess of York, with Princess Arthur of Connaught, Princess Alice, and Lady Maud Carnegie.

. All these guests supped in the Royal Room, which wag lavish with flowers ind resplendent with ornate gold plate. The Queen had personally supervised many of the preparations. There were flowers everywhere, and the Queen’s special dainty, tiny mutton “pies.” each little moro than a mouthful, the preparation of which is a secret known only to the Royal chef, were served, and declared to be very good indeed. After supper, which was...served; ns well in the Throne Room and in the Household Dining-room, the guests resumed dancing, and many took the opportunity to visit the Royal picture gallery and the Queen’s gold boudoir, which had been prepared for guests -lh 0 wished to sit out. Dancing was c n tinued until the early hours of the morning, though the King and) Queen did not remain the whole time.

SOME GOWNS AND THEIR WEARERS. The dainty little Duches s of York wrs in ivory georgette, beautiully embroidered all over with silver bugles and diamante, with, a coronet and necklace o» diamonds; Princess Mary was also in white, the materials being of satin and lace; trimmed with diamente, worn with sapphires and diamonds. Process Ingrid was in satin in a soft sha f e of pHnk, with a cluster of flowers of the same .shade- oil the bodice. Pi incess Alice’s gown of peach satin was gracefully draped and embroidered on the hips and corsage with diamond and peach-coloured .diamante. Lady -May Cambridge wore a girlish frock, of cream peau d’ange which had a short narrrw train and narrMv shoulder-straps of crystal and diaamite: Princess Helena Victoria wore silver gray lace with silver cmbroirl-

ies; and Lady Patricia Ramsay was "in vhite lace with touches of diamante embroidery. The Marchioness of Cam,ridge wore pearls and diamonds, wit a turquoise-blue georgette dress embroidered w;th diamante, and Lady Louis Mountbatten was in ivorysatin, cut on classical lines and embroidered with gold.

Shoulder sprays of real flowers were much worn with dresses of plain charmouse and chiffon, \outhtul frocks ol broderie angle isc, organdie, and spotted nmlin, with ribbon belts, were seen on some of the younger dancers. ‘-Very woman wore long white kid 'doves ard many carried exquisite fans of ostrich “fen hors.

Among the guests known to New Zealanders were the Earl and Count ss lelljcoe with the Ladies Gwendoline and Myrtle Jellicoe, Lordl ard Lady Islington Lord and Lady Hampden, Miss Isabel Wilford, and Mr and Mrs L. S. Amery. Lady Wilford wore a becoming gown of pearl grey satin ; slio wore diamond ornaments, and x-ai-ried a. fan of white ostrich feathers. Lady Jellicoe wore green —a favourite colour of hers: Lady Myrtle was in coral-pink chiffon embroidered with bugles and she bad a large ostrich fan to match. Mrs Amery wore pale pink chiffon with flowing scarf draperies, and a diamond, and pearl tiara. Additional colour touches along the galleries and up the great staircase were provided by the Yoomen of the Guard in their picturesque uniforms.

Guests privileged to attend say they will never forget the brilliance of the entire scene or the perfection with which the whole function was thought out and carried out.

The Prince of .Wales and the Duke of York both wore kilts. Several hours before the hall was due to. begin a crowd of nearly 10.000 people lined the Mall to watch the guests arrive. The traffic problem at the roundabout, which has its centre in the Queen Victoria Memorial, was dealt with by 100 police officers. The base of the memorial formed an ideal grandstand. Many girls climbed lamp posts in their endeavours, to get a hotter view of the dresses and uniforms. .Sir William Phene Neal, the Lord Mayor-and Lady Neal arrived in their State coach, drawn hv beautiful chestnuts. They, were preceded* by two mounted policemen.