Duke And Duchess Fly To Deeside

Press, Volume C, Issue 29536, 10 June 1961, Page 11

Duke And Duchess Fly To Deeside

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, June 9. The Duke of Kent and his bride arrived on Royal Deeside for their honeymoon last night, newspapers reported. En route they exchanged a champagne toast —8000 feet up. In the fluorescent-red Heron of the Queen’s flight they had found three bottles of 1955 champagne and a pile of smoked salmon sandwiches —provided at the Queen’s special request.

In warm sunshine after the showers of the afternoon the Duke and Duchess had waved goodbye to the 2000 guests at Hovingham Hall a few hours after their wedding in York Minster. When they left on their honeymoon flight hundreds cheered. The only other passengers were their two pet dogs—a poodle and a golden labrador. They flew to Aberdeen, to another burst of cheering And then they drove to Birkhall. a Royal house near Balmoral. In snite of the cold weather all Aberdeenshire seemed to be at the roadside. Flowers and confetti were thrown on the car. All along the 50-mile route, through town, village and hamlet, there were cheering knots of people. From Ballater to Birkhall there was heavy rain; but the

■ crowds stayed until the car i had passed. The Duchess travelled in a i white silk dress patterned i with sprays of shaded Royal ; blue and jade green poppies. Her coat was of heavy Royal ■ blue surhh silk, lined with ; white silk. The Duke wore a grey suit i with brown chukka boots and i he had a white rose buttonhole. i Black clouds smothered the mountains. Rain pelted the house as night fell.

But inside all was ready for a 10-day honeymoon. After that the Duke and his bride will fly to the sunshine of Majorca. Earlier they had been married In 13th Century York Minster among all the pomp and splendour of ancient tradition, made human by little touches of simplicity—the tears of the Duke’s mother, the bridesmaid who nibbled the flowers, and the warm smile from the Queen.