Royal Weddings I Have Attended

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 19, 23 November 1934, Page 48

Royal Weddings I Have Attended

Princess Meorie Louise to the Duchess of York

Next week's Royal wedding will : have the largest congregation in history, for the ceremony at Westminster Abbey is’ to be brdadcast to. the Empire. Princess Marina arrived in London this’ week and arrangements are iow complete for the cerémony which will link the Royal houses of England and Greece. ‘The story printed below was written by a London society woman who has attended many Royal wedding ceremonies. THE first Royal wedding I ever attended: was that of of our Princess) Marie Louise, then known as Princess Augusta of Schleswig-Holstein. It" took place at’ St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. ‘The bride-: groom was Prince:Aribert of Anhalt... There was great. excitement about it, and I'recall that the crossed "A’s" of the Royal couple were worked on everything in use. : The Emperor of Germany and his consort, the late: Empress, were present, and’ the scene-with our then Prince and Princess of Wales and other members of our Royal family, great officers of State, Ambassadors and Ministers, senior officers of the Services and parliamentarians in their uniforms, and ladies in formal dress antl wearing imposing jewels-was dazzling. But the real cachet was given when, from a side door, there entered a short figure all in black and wearing. the blue riband: of the Garter, and was conducted by the Prince of Wales, later. Kdward VII., to the Royal pew, from where Queen Victoria witnessed the wedding of her grand-daughter. Later I was at two French Royal weddings. Fhe brides were sisters of the late Duke of Orleans. Both had been brought up in Bngland, where their parents, the late Comte and Comtesse de Paris, had found a refuge in ‘their exile. The present King of Italy, then Prince. of Naples, was best nian at the ‘first of these weddings, which: took place in:the little riverside_Chapel. at Kingston-on-Thames, built by a former Countess of Mexborough. ‘The wedding was by way of being.a quiet affair, the little chapel holding only a-.tithe of: the' friends: of ‘bride: and bridegroom. One stately old lady I can visualise.as French Royalties’ and courtiers bent to kiss her hand. She was the last daughter -of King Louis Philippe. fot . ' ~The: marriage of the other sister of the late Duke of Orleans took place at. his Worcestershire seat, Wood Norton. The Comtesse de Paris was then_' alive, and I remember meeting. her walking down the avenue. She was tall ,and rather angular, with a pronounced hose and..clever, . fine

On the eve of the: wedding it was found that the ceremory could not: be legalised: if performed in the temporary chapel, .which.the Duke had put up regardless of expense. ‘The legal ceremony therefore took place in a little corru- . gated iron-church at Evesham; at x-very edrly hour on a cold ‘ and frosty morning, and: I remember: finding: my way over a . frost-whitened cabbage ‘patch. to’ the’ chapel, ‘into which. I Was soon followed by ‘King Alfonso: of: Spain, ‘one. of the . bridegroom's supporters, ‘Soon all the principals in the wedding arrived, and in a few minutes the legal ceremony was concluded and the party returned to. Wood Norton. Special. guards were put on for this wedding. There _ were the King and Queen of Spain, Queen Amelia of Portu‘gal, the bride’s: eldest sister, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess Vladmir of . Russia, grand- -parents of: Princess Marina, soon to be a Royal bride. in our own Royal family, and: other Royal personages were present. The Graad Duke was at. that time a marked man in Russia. As the German Emperor. and the late Mmpress. were guests at. Windsor at. the time of this wedding, our own Royal family was engaged at, the castle. The procession of Royal pérsonages from the house to the temporary chapel, however, was a long one, and the Duke of Orleans, surrounded by French Royalists, was treated with all ceremony as King of France. My next Royal wedding was that of Princess Mary. our Princess Royal, to Viscount Lascelles in Westminster Abbey. I occupied. a very good. seat overlooking the chancel, and spent a most interesting time previous to the actual cerethony watching all the people arrive. The apparel of the two Archbishops and the Scottish Primus was such as I had never seen before, very. dignified and magnificent. . Royal guests were seated as they came at either side of ‘chancel, those of the bridegroom at one side and of the bride at the other. .Lord Lascelles looked from his wrist watch to the great West door several . times, and whispered to his best man, Sir Victor Mackenzie, in a nervous sort of way. At last the bride arrived, with the King, and she looked so girlisi and sweet that a hum of admiration could be heard. I have seen her many times and in many costumes, but tht was the occasion when I realised the real loveliness’ of our King’s daughter. I was in almost the same seat in Westminster Abbey about a year later for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of York. Again preparations and arrivals occupied eyes and thoughts. The Duke of: York looked very bright aud happy as he awaited his bride. My last recollection is-of a dense crowd outside and my appeal to a burly police constable to get meé through a portion of it. "Hold on to my belt,".said he. I did so and was trailed. along at.a. good pace and very pleased to bé in charge of the police!