PLANS FOR ROYAL WEDDING

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25274, 28 August 1947, Page 7

PLANS FOR ROYAL WEDDING

AUSTERITY KEYNOTE OF ARRANGEMENTS (Special Correspondent N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 27. It is expected that the official instruction specifying the correct dress for Princess Elizabeth’s wedding, which will be issued shortly, will permit either morning dress or lounge suits for men, and afternoon frocks for women. Only members of the peerage, the diplomatic .corps, and the Commonwealth High Commissioners are expected to wear Court dress, but even this will not be the general

rule, as a number of new peer; and appointees do not possess ceremonial robes and uniform. According to an announcement from Buckingham Palace, Princess Eliza□eth will not have a trousseau.

i The Worshipful Company of Garden- ! ers has been entrusted with preparing I the Princess’s bouquet. The flowers have not yet been chosen. The Com--1 pany of Gardeners, established in 1605, has provided all Royal wedding bouI quets and flowers for Coronation cere- ' monies since that date. It is expected that the King will - shortly make Princess Elizabeth a member of the 600-year-old Order of 1 the Garter. The only three women members of the Order at present are the Queen, Queen Mary, and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands. Design of Bridal Dress. One of the best-kept secrets of the wedding is likely to be the design of the Princess’s wedding dress, which is now being prepared by the Queen’s dress designer, Norman Hartnell. The Princess recently approved the final design, but not more than six people will see it until it is sent completed to the Princess. In keeping with the general austerity rules, Princess Elizabeth has declined an offer by the Master Bakers’ Association to make her a massive wedding cake. The cake will now be made by the King’s chef at Buckingham Palace. Accommodation problems in London will be considerably increased because the Foreign Ministers’ conference is scheduled to open in the city a week before the wedding, and foreign delegations to the conference will also have claims upon the limited number of first-class hotel rooms available.