FOURTH COURT OF THE YEAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 29, 3 August 1939, Page 19

FOURTH COURT OF THE YEAR

CEREMONY AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE

(By Air Mail from "The Post's" Representative.) LONDON, July 13. It was a beautiful summer night- for the fourth Court held by the King and Queen at Buckingham Palace on July 12, so no hardship was imposed upon the debutantes while waiting in the Park.in their cars for a couple of hours or more. As usual, there were hundreds of admiring crowds gazing at them all the time, and inside the Palace there was the customary brilliant scene-—lovely dresses, flashing jewels, and handsome uniforms.

The Queen looked very beautiful in her gown of white satin, the wide skirt deeply bordered with bands of gold lace and gold lame. Her train of gold lame was bordered with bands of guipure lace, trimmed with pleating and embroidered with gold paillettes. Her Majesty's magnificent diamonds included the Koh-i-Noor.

The Duchess of Gloucester was in white and gold brocade, the train lined with emerald georgette. Her jewels included an emerald and diamond tiara. Lady Maud Carnegie's gown was of "gold lame with a train to match. She wore a diamond tiara, amethyst and diamond necklace, and carried a white feather fan. Lady Patricia Ramsay was in blue lame, with a silver train. Her jewels were diamonds.

A band of the Coldstream Guards played as debutantes filed slowly past the dais. There were about 800 guests in the big white and gold ballroom. Roses were brought from the gardens at Windsor Castle to form part of the decorations. In front of the twin Golden Thrones stood Gentlemen-at-Arms, brilliant in scarlet uniforms and shining breastplates.

Mrs. W. J. Jordan, who was accompanied by the High Commissioner, presented eight New Zealanders, namely, Mrs. Robert Kennedy (Dunedin), Miss Christine Duigan, Miss Lesley Forsyth, and Miss Patricia Forsyth, Miss Elisabeth Gunson (Auckland), Miss Molly. Rogers (Gore), and Miss Winifred Tait (Wellington), and Miss Moira Walshe (Wellington).

Mrs. Jordan, who is steadily gaining in strength after her serious illness, wore a becoming picture gown of delphinium blue lace and taffeta. The train of blue taffeta was trimmed with soft ruchings and a feather fan to tone was carried.

Two sisters who looked very striking and who are quite unlike one another in colouring were the Misses Lesley and Patricia Forsyth, daughters of Mr. and Mrs. R. S. Forsyth. The former was in a close-fitting dress of delicate orchid slipper satin, Empire style, with hand-embroidered bodice worked in silver and diamante., The train of the same satin was lined with chiffon and had an embroidered panel on net, beautifully hand-worked in silver and diamante. She carried a white feather fan and wore suede gloves of the tone of her dress. Miss Patricia Forsyth, in complete contrast, was in an off-shoulder bouffant Victorian pannier dress of scabious blue gossamer lace, with lace train to tone,.* lined with shirred chiffon of the same shade of blue and embroid-' ered with diamante. She carried a Victorian posy in shades of blue, pink, and lavender.

Miss Elisabeth Gunson was a dainty little figure in white and gold, brocade, with gracefully draped bodice and a full gathered panel back ta the touching skirt. The white and gold train was lined with silk taffeta of palest green which matched exactly the foliage of the lily-of-the-valley posy which she carried.

Mrs. Kennedy's becoming parch-ment-toned satin. beaute dress had a train of gold lame brocade.' ,A sprig of lily-of-the-valley was worn on one shoulder and an ostrich .feather fan of shades of light green Was carried.

Miss Rogers chose sapphire, blue chiffon over the same shade of taffeta. Her train of blue chiffon had a ruched chiffon lining in pale shell pink. Her bouquet was of pale pink ("Madame Butterfly") roses and smylax. She wore a necklace of pearls and a diamond, brooch.

Miss Tait, who is tall and very slight, looked graceful in her dress and train of ice-blue and silver lame, the bodies being made with high front crossbands which disappeared over th£ shoulders. A -panel of sunray pleated lame was cleverly gored into the front of the skirt, to give the fullness necessary for curtseying, and a very beautifully slender and clinging line. The train of ice-blue 'chiffon was appliqued with lame water lilies. Her shoes were of silver net. A white ostrich fan was carried.

Miss Walshe was in a very becoming dress of ivory moire shot with a gold thread, with train of the same. Shoulder straps of gold diamante held the shirred bodice. A bouquet of rose* in golden hue and gold shoes made a complete harmony. ' "

Prior to the Court, Dr. and Mrs. E. B. Gunson entertained a number of friends at their new flat in Westminster. Those invited .included Mr. and Mrs. Jordan, the Countess of Orford and Lady Anne Walpole, Lord and Lady Bledisloe, Sir James and Lady Purves-Stewart, Sir Henry and Lady Horton, Mr. C. Alma Baker, Mrs. -Pottinger, Dr. and Mrs. A. J. Harrop, Dr. and Mrs. C. A. Mirbt, Dr. and Mrs. Bernard Myers, Dr. and Mrs. John< Parkinson, Dr. and Mrs. Brown Thomson, Sr. and Mrs. R. A. Young, Mr. and Mrs. George Balint, Mr.' and Mrs. C. R. Chisman, Miss Chisman, Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Gunson, Mr. and Mrs. E. Laurence Jones^ Mss. Felix Kelly and'her son, Mr. "Fix" Kelly, Mrs. and» Miss Oakes,' Mr. and Mrs. M. Maurice Smith, Mrs. I. W. Raymond, Mr. and Mrs. Rawdon Temple, Miss Jean Harper, Miss Harrington, Mr. iA. D. Blackley, Mr. J. Cannon, MbVlr. J. L. Dixon, Mr. R.C. Horton, Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Manson, Mr. George Sievwright, Mr/ Neville Sievwright.