ROYAL WEDDING

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25328, 30 October 1947, Page 7

ROYAL WEDDING

JOURNALISTS SEE PRESENTS

DISPLAY AT ST. JAMES’ PALACE [From E. G. WEBBER, Special Correspondent New Zealand Press Association,] LONDON, October 28. More than 450 of the Royal wedding presents—ranging from hand-knitted bedroom slippers to a magnificent 27piece gold engraved dressing-set presented by the Diplomatic Corps and Adam style furniture presented by Queen Mary—were on display to-day at a newspaper preview of presents in Queen Anne’s room at 'St. James Palace. . . . t . Presents are still arriving at the Palace in large numbers, and hundreds more are already known to be on their W princess Elizabeth has broken with Royal tradition and accepted wedding gifts from all well-wishers whether or not the donors are personally known to her. The gifts already on display at the palace provide an extraordinary indication of the world-wide interest in the Royal marriage. Gifts have already been received or promised from every quarter of the globe and from people in every walk oi life. The shortages in Britain are reflected by the number of gifts of nylon and silk stockings. Princess Elizabeth has already received 61 pairs and many more are on their way. Gloves, handkerchiefs, and articles of everyday apparel are also very well represented. With the exception of those from the Queen Mother, none of the gifts from various members of the Royal Family is yet on display.

Queen Mary’s Gift Queen Mary has chosen for her granddaughter a set of charming Adam-style side tables with a large sideboard and a period china cabinet. Mr Winston Churchill has sent six volumes of his book “The World Crisis,” bound in red morocco leather, tooled and embossed with gold. The Poet Laureate, John Masefield, has sent a poem he specially wrote for the Princess. It is bound in white vellum and engrossed and decorated by Dorothy Hutton. Prince and Princess Galitzihe have sent an old Chinese lacquer box which previously belonged to the second Duke of Cambridge; Lord and Lady Melchett a psalter printed in Paris about 1510, bearing a verse written above the signature of Queen Elizabeth of England; Colonel the Honourable John Astor and Lady Violet Astor, an antique English bracket clock in a mahogany case made about 1780; Lord St. Just, a pair of George I stirrup cups and covers from the original collection of the Duke of Cumberland; Mrs John Grindon Welch, a pair of lace gloves made for Queen Charlotte; and Lady Cynthia Asquith, a pair of Chien Lung vases. On the utilitarian side there is a vacuum cleaner, three books on gardening,- a collection of rhododendrons for her Royal Highness’s garden, a “breakfast in bed” table and tray, sets of bathroom towels, ahd many yards of tweed and other fabrics.

Among the gifts likely to be of particular interest to Lieutenant Mountbatten is an old aquatint of Cheam School, where he was educated. It was drawn by John Young and was “dedicated with all respect to his most worthy friends and patrons and other gentlemen educated at Cheam School.” A miniature of the bridegroom as a baby is another present. Among a number of valuable curios

are a Japanese samurai’s silver helmet, given by the Raja and Ranee of Sarawak, a Basuto bride’s charm, and an Austrian gold four ducat piece. The chief of Clan Fhearguis has recognised Princess Elizabeth’s interest in Scottish tartans by sending her copies of Sir Thomas Innes’s book “Scottish Clans and Their Tartans,” and “Tartans of Clans and Families of Scotland.”

Few of the gifts from the colonies and the Dominions have yet arrived, but among foodstuffs acknowledged are 500 cases of tinned pineapnles from the Government of Queensland and quantities of ingredients for the Royal wedding cakes. Viscount and Lady Bledisloe’s present is an afternoon teacloth hand embroidered in colours. When all the presents have been received and catalogued they will be exhibited to the public at St. James' Palace. They are expected to fill not only Queen Anne’s room, but the adjacent picture gallery. The exhibition v/ill probably be opened 10 days after the wedding.