MOUNTBATTEN WEDDING.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17544, 28 August 1922, Page 2

MOUNTBATTEN WEDDING.

GREAT ASSEMBLY OF ROYALTY. PHTT.T.TATJT SCENE. (FBOM* OUB OWN COBBESTONDBNT.) LONDON, July 21 ; There was nearly as much public interest taken in this week's important wedding at St. Margaret's, estnimsfcer, as there was in that at the Abbey a few months ago. when Princess Mary was the bride. Enthusiastic Londoners Began to assemblo in the vicinity of , Westminster in the very small hours—from 1 a.m. onwards-for a ceremony to take place at 2.15 p.m., and m that wide interval the entire route from Park lane became thickly populated, no heed at all being paid to the heavy downpours of rain. The wedding of Lord Louis Francis Albert Victor Nicholas Moimtbntten, K'C.V.O., R.N.—affection.)tely known as "Dickie" for short—to Miss Edwma Cynthia Annette Ashley was remarkable for the great assembly of Royal and distinguished guest 3. Tlie King and Queen and Queen Alexandra were there, and the Prince of Wales wps best man. Others among «■ distinguished company included: The Duke of York. Princess Marv (.Viscountess Lascelles) and Viscount'Lascelles, Prince George, the Duke of Connaught, Princess Royal, Princess Victoria, Princess Christian, the Duchess of Argyll, the Duchess of Albany, Princess Arthur of Connaught, Princess Alice (Countess of Athlone), the Earl of Athlone, Princess Helena Victoria, Princess Mirie Louise, Princess Maud, Grand Duchess George of Russia, Grand Dmke Michael and Countess Torby. Princess Andrew of Greece (sister of the bridegroom and mother of four of the bridesmaids), Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven (mother of the bridegroom). Marquis and Marchioness of Milford Haven Lady Mary Cambridge, and Prince and Princess Nikita of Russia. Dukes.and duchesses Ambassadors and their wives, Cabinet Ministers and their wives, Indian princes in gorgeous turbans, and the Maharanee of Cooch-Behar, in a wonderful Indian gown of orange bordered with jade green, were among the great company—numbering over a thousand—who were in their places long before the arrival of the King and Qheen. Officers of H.M.S. Renown and H.M.S. Repulse, in full dress, with gold epaulettes, showed the guests to their Lard Louis is a grandson of Queen Victoria's daughter Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse, and the younger son of the late Marquess of Milford Haven, better known as Admiral of the Fleet Prince Louis of Battenberg. The bride is the elder daughter of Colonel Wilfrid W. Ashley. M.P. for the Fylde Division of Lancashire, and,, through her mother, a granddaughter of the late Sir Emest_ Cassel, who left her a large part of his enormous wealth—his estate was sworn at £6,000,000 and Brook House, Park lane, was part of her inheritance. Tho bridegroom is ju&t 22; the bride, is 21. Everyone wanted to have a. glimpse or the richest heiress in Britain. Thousands of the waiting throng never saw her, but they all cheered and waved as she journeyed from Brook House to St. Margaret's. And they wr.ved and cheered with ecstacv a little later when, with her sailor hus-band, she wa.s pulled in her car, with ropes, by a score of Renown's bluejackets, from St. Margaret's to Brook House, with an old shoe tied to the spare wheel behind. The bluejackets tied on the shoe, with much joy. The Bridal Dress. Verv simple in effect, but very beautiful, was the bridal dress, of specially woven frosted and bright silver, the effect being brilliant and supple. In character it was rather mediaeval Venetian, and it was handsomely embroidered in diamante and crystal. The sleeves, of lisse, were long to the wrist. The train of silver was cleverly pleated into a collar, from shoulder to shoulder. Over this.was draped some .of the finest possible examples of old Point de Veniße lace, remarkable for its wonderful preservation and its dimensions—4 yards in length and 1* yards in width. There was a deep collar and broad edging to below the waist of antique Spanish lace. All the lace was the gift or Mrs Cassel. Pale delphinium blue was the colour of the dresses worn by fte seven bridesmaids, who were: Mias Mary Ashley (only sister of the bride), Princess Margaret, Theodora, Ceeile, and Sophie (daughters of Prince and Princess Andrew of Greece), Lady Mary Ashley (daughter of the Earl and Countess of Shaftesbury), and Miss Esther Pakenham (daughter of Captain and Mrs Hercules Pakenham). Crepe Romaine was the material, the skirts being draped with georgette to match. There were girdles of pale colours, and at one side the 1 overdress was arranged in large cor-nucopia-shaped fluffed out bows repeating the same pretty tints. They wore silver caps, and to each the bridegroom gave a diamond brooch. ' Canon Carnegie's Address. There were blue and dull mauve and purple delphiniums on the alter, and at either side of the entrance to the chancel short pillars made of delphinium spikes. Canon Carnegie was assisted in the service by the Rev. F. Lawrence Long, who had acted as tutor to the bride"groom. The procession was met at the west door by the choir, singing the hymn. "Holy, Holy. Holy, Lord God Almighty." The Psalm was xxiii., the Lord's Prayer was recited to Bortnianski's setting, and the second hymn was "Thine for Ever, God of Love." Canon Carnegie, in his address, reminded the young people that mutual comfort and the society one with the other wore the primary reasons for the institution or marriage. "We are reading very often," he said, "of unhappy marriages, but out of a long experience I can saytthatt t in the very large majoritv of cases, with normal and responsible people, marriages turn out happily, and are a source of unmixed blessing and help to those who enter into them." It was by remembering the spiritual significance of the marriage bond and its connexion with the deepest things of life and of the hereafter that success in marriage could be attained. During the signing of the register the anthem sung was "Halleluiah unto God's Almighty Son." Leaving the church, the bridal procession passed beneath an archway of crossed swords held aloft by officers of H.M.S. Renown. Very slowly was progress made to the waiting car. Here representatives of all ratings of the Renown, under Chief Petty Officer Sheather, were ready with ropes attached to' the car, and they started off, the King and Queen and other important guests having assembled at the iron gates to see them pass. The bridal

car was towed by a gaily decorated caarabano filled with saiiors, and was followed by another to Brook House. Some of the Dresses. Tho Queen had a dress of delphinium blue chitfon delicately embroidered in ficelle colour and shades of blue. Over it was a mantle of parchment-coloured brocade edged with ostrich feather trimming to match, a blue lisse hat with parchment-coloured ostrich feathers at one side. Hand-in-hand with the Queen walked Queen Alexandra, wearing over a black and silver dress, a long coat of orchid-mauve velvet and crepe de chine embroidered in gold, and a hat of similar velvet, with gold and silver sequins, and a black and purple sigrette at one side. Princess Mary, who had a very enthusiastic welcome i from the crowd, wore a prettily drapett J dress of parchment-coloured crepe Ro- | main, and a large hat to match, sur- | rounded with an ostrich feather to tone, i A feather boa was of opalescent colourkg- . .. Fourteen hundred guests were invited to the reception at Brook House, •,\7iere the bride and bridegroom received the congratulations of their friend 9 as they stood under a beautiful grove of orange trees 9or 10ft high. The staircase was banked with delphiniums. Wonderful were the presents, but] the most unique and quite unconventional w;is that from the Prince of Wales. It was a charming personal memento of the bridegroom's tours in the Renown, and consisted of a silver figure of Atlas, on an eoony base, holding up a traveller and his kinsman on the two great voyages—to Australasia and to the East. From the King ami Queen Lord Louis received a pair of ovalshaped sleeve-links of delicate workmanship, with the letters "G.R." in diamonds. Queen Alexandra also gave qleeve-links, containing on the one half a diamond and ruby bar and on the other the diamond initial "A." The bride gave her husband a Rolls-Royce motor-car. The honeymoon is to be spent motoring in Europe, with Northern Soam as the ultimate destination, where the bride ni d bridegroom will bo the guests of the Kin? and Queen of Spain. Returning to England late in Au<nist they will go for a visit to the States, and early in December Lord Louis will resume his duties as a sailor.