THE ROYAL WEDDING

Evening Star, Issue 17920, 16 March 1922, Page 4

THE ROYAL WEDDING

MILLIONS SHOW THEIR LOVE FOR PRINCESS,

BEAUTY, HAPPINESS, SOLEMNITY.

[Sydney ‘Sun’s’ Special.]

LONDON. February 28. 'The marriage of Princess Mary and Yis.count Lascollcs was duly solemnised this morning, amid stoics of unparalleled splendor and rejoicing. The Princess’s reception by unprecedented crowds was unsurpassed as a demonstration of warm-hearted and popular devotion to , a member of the Royal Family. People gathered in thousands around the Palace gate to see the beautiful Princess drive out in her golden bridal coach fo wed a gallant prince who _ had come overseas to claim his lovely bride. AO fairy stories faded, with centuries of Royal customs and traditions, when to-day not thousands, but millions, of the populace crowded into London rejoicing that Princess Mary was not marrying a Prince from overseas, but a citizen of England. Probably there were few in that unparalleled concourse, vast even among London unexampled crowds, who examined the Imperial significance of the event; yet beyond doubt this morning, in all that mass of jammed humanity, there was the single trend of thought; “Our English Princess is marrying an Englishman.” That was the keynote of the whole day’s rejoicing, and was prompted by the Princess’s own words during the acknowledg-

mont of one of the many beautiful gifts

which enthusiastic admirers have showered upon her. “ I am thankful,” she said, “ that I, too, am remaining in my native land.” There is an Empire-wide moral in that unstudied expression of human thankfulness. It spells for Britons . the Empire fetr the British, not for foreign alliances through Royal marriages: and in the possibly subconscious realisation of 'this fact lies the chief factor of those which inspired the extraordinary and unbounded demonstrations culminating in 10-clay’s acclaim of the Royal girl whose simplicity,

sincerity, and youthful chan* are visualised in the vivid, popular conception of her personality. London sides wore their bravest blue when the day broke. Tills signal was enough to set people flacking to the city to swell the crowd beyond precedent cal-

dilation, clustering along the route like an incredible swarm of bees round a mi-

cleus of hardy souls who had endured a “ night-long watch to secure their places. White clouds hang like bridal veils across tho sky, growing thicker as Hhe morning grew old; but tile sun was not to be conquered, for it smiled through palely on the bride as sho approached and departed from the Abbey. Bright with the bright blue, scarlet, gold, and silver of the naval and military uniforms, and decorated richly with ornate ecclesiastical robes shot through with delicate 'tints of women’s costumes and hats, splashed here and there with white furs, the Abbey presented a spectacle, gorgeous and unique, as befitted the moment of history. Admiral's and generals jostled with diplomats and courtiers in their ceremonial dress, and at sudden points stood out amid tho gay mass, as did tho diamond-clasped plume on the white turban of tho ‘Maharajah of Jhalwar, and tho equally distinctive but less ornate headgear of Mr V. Sastri. Simplicity struck an effective note in the pidture hat worn by Princess Patricia Eamsay amid a garden of creations which nodded and swayed by the aisle , transept. Long before the time limit for taking seats almost all were occupied, hut the wait of an hour or longer was relieved by b series of incidents. There was a stir and a hurrying whisper when tho sturdy little figure of the Prime Minister (Mr Lloyd George), in Court dress and looking rather us if he had been poured into the costume, moved along the aisle and round, to a prominent scat. Tor a long time ’within the sacrarium sat a pathetic, solitary little figure in a scarlet and blue uniform—young Prince Pon Jaimo, second son of the King of Spain. Then the Harewood family arrived, and bestowed themselves right at tho altar. A particularly interesting figure was tho bridegroom's wounded brother, limping at tho rear of tho group. Lord Lascelles himself was not allowed to tako an unobtrusive position. He and his groomsman, Sir Victor Mackenzie, sat close to the sanctuary rails a quarter of an hour before the brido arrived. An erect, soldierly figure in a scarlet tunic, his quiet face showed little signs of nervousness as ho sat still fffl’ the most part, but occasionally exchanging a word with Sir Victor Mackenzie. A few minutes after 11 a.m. sounds of cheering without proclaimed some popular arrival. Looking through tho open door from tho north transept one saw Queen Alexandra’s coach, and soon after tho Queen’s. The procession had arrived, and as it entered the Abbey Lord Laacelles became tho centre of congratulations.

.Among 4ho Royal group within the sacrarium rails tho Queen's brilliant gar-ter-blue sash, tho Order of the Garter, made a striking note of color against tho cream and gold dress, and even among tho dazzling uniforms around her. Tho front row Of the Royal group included the Queen, tho Princess Royal, and the Duke of York, a vacant chair awaiting the King and Princess Victoria. At 11.30 a louder burst of cheering hailed the Royally punctual arrival of the King ■with the bride. The bells ceased chiming, and tho hushed expectancy within the Abbey deepened. It was tho first time that Viscount Lascelles, who had, been standing for some time beside tho sacrarium rails, was relieved of the painfully close attention of tho assemblage. A few words were sounded by tho organ, and then melodious voices floated, clear and pure beneath the vaulted roof, in 'Lead Us,' Heavenly Father.’ For tho first time Viscount Lascelies betrayed, by the nervous clasping and unclasping of his bands, that he was aware of the world’s stare concentrated upon him. But there was no sign of nervousness when the Princess’s pretty face, flushed and alight with excitement, approached the sacrarium. The bride leaned upon her father’s arm. With a deep bow the bridegroom moved to the bride’s right, the King remaining in the father’s position on the left. The Eight Reverend Dr Ryle (Dean of Westminster) took tho opening passages of tho coremony f and was succeeded by the Archbishop ot Canterbury, who at 11.42 performed the actual wedding. The Archbishop of York also assisted. Viscount Lascolles spoke his vows in a firm voice, clearly audible across tho Abbey from where I sat. Princess Mary’s voice was also audible and unshaken, but her words were indistinguishable, as her back was turned to tho assemblage. DEPARTURE FROM WESTMINSTER ABBEY.

“With this ring I then wed/' pronounced the bridegroom, and ns he finished the concluding passage a deep organ note heralded the sound of a great amen. It was not till after the Princess actually had been wedded that the bridesmaids moved up the steps of the sanctu- , i: ary, where many people present saw them clearly for the first time. Dainty, flowerlike figures in silver and gossamer, delicately tinged with color by the sweet pea bouquets they carried, posed on the steps, and afterwards ranged ’on each side to permit tho Princess to pass. They presented altogether, a dainty and delightful picture. Thus they stood during tho singing of ' the special hymn, ‘Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven,’ in which the boys’ clear treble leapt up in a sudden, jubilant melody that thrilled through all who heard. Then, after tho signing of tho register, came the last prayer, followed by Stainer’s ‘Sevenfold Amen,’ whose lifting notes and dying cadences slowly ana beautifully sank to silence; and withhex

Within the Abbey all had' been solemnity and beauty. Without, all was happiness and beauty —the beauty of the multitude loving their Princess. There was nothing torced, nothing lacking. Cheers, wavings, and blessings were showered upon the Royal bride as, with grave and flushed face and slightly parted, breathless lips, she bowed to the left and' to the right to the banked masses of enthusiastic humanity lining the road from the Abbey, As tbo carriage passed within a few feet of the ‘Sun’s’ special representative Lord Lascelles leaned forward, and, smiling, spoke to her. He seemed to bo assuring her that it would soon bo over. '.So the carriage went forward and rounded a turn into n fresh avenue of cheerings and greetings. WAITING CROWDS WATCH DAWN

CLOUDS DTSSOLYE. The more ardent sightseers forestalled daylight bv their arrival at tbo line of the route‘ at 5 a.m. Pal! Mall was chilly, rain was falling, the lamps were shining in the puddles, and tha wind was sweeping wildly from Admiralty Arch to the Palace. With the approach of morning the black clouds were swept away, and the earliest pink—the color of Princess Marv’s favorite flower—-suffused the sky. Six' a.m. saw groups about all the lamp-posts, and at 7 then; was a long and sleepy line ranging to the kerb. At 8 police and soldiers were busy holding back the crowd, at 9 the pathways were packed, and at 10 they were crammed to bursting point. Ladders caiao from nowhere, and soon the trees wore as thick with clinging forms as in a monkey forest, while the chattering and munching were as great for three hours. There was intermittent lunching from 8 till 11 a.m., when the Royal escort clattering round from Marlborough House told that the Queen-Mother Alexandra was coining. She had a tremendous greeting, but a wilder note was in the cheering when Admiral Beatty’s car glided by. The Queen and the Princess Royal passed smiling at a row of tiny, grimy urchins whom kindly police had rescued from the feet of the crowd and sot in front of the living wall. These saw best, and cheered' at their shrillest when the fairy Princess .went by. There has never been such a crowd in London. One of the representatives of the ‘Sun’ viewed the. procession from a room of the Grand' Hotel, which, facing ths Admiralty Arch, looks right down Pall Mall from Charing Cross to the Palace.

Trafalgar square lay before him filled avith a vast concourse of people. The murmur of the hundred thousand voices below bore a striking resemblance to the soughing of the wind through the pines of Manly Beach mingled with the roar of the breakers on the shore.

From tho monument across the way Nelson majestically looked down upon a throng such as even ho had never seen before. The plinth of the column and the liono were covered with people. Even the roof of tho distant Art Gallery was invaded shortly after midnight by the vanguard of enthusiastic spectators to peg out claims in tha pick of the positions.

MANY MINOR CASUALTIES.

At 11 a.m. all the pavement space in the vicinity of tho Abbey was occupied, but, despite warnings to the contrary, it seemed that the whole of London was determined to jam into Trafalgar square. The result was that an hour before the procession arrived the crowd was 1,000 deep in places. The number of people who fainted was positively astounding, and there was an almost continual stream of ambulance men carrying prostrate women, who greatly outnumbered the men.

The predominance of women accounted for a remarkable color scheme. Seen from above, instead) of the traditional drabness of a London crowd, there was a striking blaze of colored hate, especially in Mary blue and also brick color. The men wore grey felt hate, and there was hardly a cap visible in the whole assemblage. Tho gradually increasing pressure of 100,000 people down the slope toward Whitehall finally broke the thin red line at this bottle-neck.

Until late in the evening huge crowds paced to and fro outside the Palace gates, hoping against hope to catch a glimpse of their idol, but only a few lights glimmered from the windows, and the rest of the Palace was in darkness. In Whitehall small parties of ardent sightseers were already installed, determined! to face tho rigors of a cold nightlong vigil. Many brought small stools, and sat with stoical patience covered with blankets and rugs. The company at tho wedding breakfast, including the King and Queen and the bride and) bridegroom, numbered 170. Sweet peas and roses were tho principal table decorations. An incomplete list shows 808 presents.

THE CHIMES OF LOVE, (To Princess Mary.) With Empire's flowers about you, Flower-sweet, to-day yon stand; The lotus, maple, wattle,

And fern of Maoriland Draw near to watch their daughter, Of gracious heart and hand. Not yours a throne’s allurement, Or policy’s cold state; Love called and swift you answered,

.Girl-princess of tho groat, Glad-visioned soul that soaring Knew Love, a royal mate. Now, in their hour exultant,

The orange blossoms fair. To thistle, rose, and shamrock, A wondrous thing declare, As gleams the golden circlet An English wife shall wear. The chimes of Love are pealing Across the waters blue, And dreaming bolls of crimson

Would wake the echoes, too, Till all a chiming Empire Proclaims tho story true. E. Beaufils Lamb,