AMERICAN INTEREST

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 175, 21 April 1937, Page 4

AMERICAN INTEREST

Visitor Tells of Plans For Coronation

“I began to wonder what, king was being crowned and which country he ruled,” was a remark passed by Mrs. Robert Mae Williams, of London, who arrived in the Dominion a few days ago on a visit to her eon and daughter-in-law in Dunedin. Mrs. Mae Williams was describing preparations in the United States for the Coronation festivities in May. In Los Angeles, where Mrs. MacWilliams had more opportunity to learn something about the city, she found that the great event was something very real and near to the people. Coming from London, where preparations were daily nearing completion, she had found the large American cities almost as keenly interested. The British Monarch was spoken of always as simply “the King,” while every newspaper published details of the ceremony, and in the women’s sections devoted a considerable amount of space to descriptions of the costuming of Queen Elizabeth and the Royal duchesses. At one of the most elaborate and ambitious fashion parades, held by the Los Angeles Junior League, there was a complete coronation ceremony in exact imitation of that to be held in Westminster Abbey next month. Although the costumes were not exactly authentic in detail they -were most reasonable copies of the traditional mode, complete with ermine, jewels, decorations and handsome fabric. There were also some splendid reproductions of the Monarch’s crowns and an excellent one of the order of the Knight of the Garter.

The ceremony was staged as a finale to one of the most colossal dress parades held in the city. At the conclusion of the ceremony there was a second part entitled, “Americans at Court,” in which members of the league who had been presented at the Court of St. James wore their own court gowns.

Although it was presented at a fashion show and was merely a glamorous imitation, the ceremony showed very plainly the interest of Americans in things English, Mrs. Mae Williams said. ,

The Bachelors’ ball, which will be the first occasion on which the recentlyinaugurated Bachelors’ Club have entertained their friends among the fair sex, is expected to be quite an innovation, and is being eagerly anticipated. The ball will be held uext week at the Mayfair Cabaret, and a committee of four club members—Messrs. M. Nathan (secretary), W. Lunn, G. Ward, .and T. Roberts—are busily engaged in making final arrangements. Mr. C. EvansScott is president of the club.