FAMOUS BRIDAL GOWNS

Evening Star, Issue 22955, 12 May 1938, Page 19

FAMOUS BRIDAL GOWNS

FASHION STEEPED IN HISTORY ANNE OF CLEVEB IMPOSING RATHER THAN DAINTY When Princess Anno of Cloves was married to Henry VIII. she must have looked imposing rather than dainty, states a writer in the ‘ Daily Mirror. She was a tall woman of ample proportions, arid was dressed in a gown of cloth of gold, apparently circular in cut and with no train. The gown was covered with a floral design worked in large pearls, and round! her waist was a heavily-jewelled belt. She also wore -a costly necklace. As was a custom with brides of the period her flaxen hair hung down, and her head, graced with sprigs. of rosemary, was covered with a small but well-jewelled crown. Her ungracious bridegroom, who had likened her to a “ great Flanders mare,” could not get out of the wedding, nor could he cut her head off, because of her powerful relatioris, but he soon divorced her. Elizabeth Woodville, when married to Edward IV. at Reading, wore a crown over an abundlanco of fair hair which hung down at the back. Her close-fitting dress appears to _ have been of striped blue and gold with an ermine cape turned back over the shoulders. The skirt, cut to display a rich blue satin petticoat _ underneath, was bordered with ermine and finished in a long train. She wore an elaborate pearl necklace. She was the beautiful young widow of Sir John Gray, and she had privately married the King in May, 1464, five months before. As Queen she was surrounded by enemies, and her little son, afterwards Edward V., was born in the abbot’s house, Westminster Abbey, while she was in sanctuary. He and his little brother were smothered in the Tower. SATIN FOR MARY TUDOR. At her unpopular marriage at Winchester Cathedral in July. 1554, with Philip of Spain, Queen Mary Tudor appears to have worn a dress then Continental in style. She had a .cloaeifitting kirtle of white satin, which Was elaborately embroidered with silver, and which had on the breast a large diamond, the gift of the bridegroom. Her shoes were red, and she had a black velvet scarf. Over the kirtle was a golden robe which was richly brocaded, the large sleeves being held back by clasps ot gold set with diamonds, and the long ' train was bordered with magnificent diamonds and pearls. Her coif t of the style fashionable at that period, was bordered with two rows of large diamonds. The bridal dress of the Princess Royal when married to Prince Frederick of Prussia in January, 1858, at St. James’s Chapel, was _of white moire antique, the bodice being trimmed with Honiton lace, and the skirt with; flounces of lace and wreathed with; orange and myrtle to correspond with the bouquet. The train was of moire antique, lined with satin, and bordered with a ruche of white satin ribbons, lace, orange flowers, and myrtle. The Princess wore a-diamond necklace, diamond earrings and brooch, and also- a Prussian and a Portuguese Order. Her headdress was a wreath of orauge flowers and myrtle, and her veil was of. beautiful Honiton lace, which, had ft rose, shamrock, and thistle design to correspond with the lace on the dress. When Princess Alix of . Hesse, granddaughter of Queen Victoria, married the late Tsar Nicholas 11. in November, 1894, the bridegroom was dressed in a red Hussar uniform, while the bridle wore a beautiful costume of silver brocade, with an immense train which was carried by four noblemen. From her shoulders hung the goldr embroidered Imperial mantle, lined with ermine, which was supported by the dignitaries who parried the train. On her head was a diamond crown, which surmounted a wreath of orange blossoms, and ehe > wore a magnificent veil, which did not, however, cover the face. Her maids of honour, corresponding to our bridesmaids, wore dresses of white satin, with crimson velvet trains and velvet coronets to match. One of the spectacular weddings of the early eighties was that of Mile. Pergulia with Mr Leopold de (Rothschild at the Centrall Synagogue in January, 1881. The bride wore a dress of white satin trimrned_ with Mechlin lace to form a bow in the front, which was also set with little springs of orange blossom. Her train was of white satin with Mechlin point. She wore no jewels in her dress or hair, but the latter was also graced with little of blossom. She wore a veil of white tulle arid carried a small bouquet of rare white flowers. The four bridesmaids, who earned bouquets of white azaleas and maidenhair fern with red roses, were dressed mainly in a very light shade of delicate blue, which looked a pale green in artificial light, but two of these dresses had white skirts trimmed with lace. HONITON LACE POPULAR. When Queen Victoria was married to Prince Albert at the Chapel Royal in February, 1840, she wore on her head a wreath of orange blossoms, which was covered with a, veil of beautiful Honiton lace. Her dress was of' pure white satin, made in Spitafields, and _ the body, and sleeves were richly trimmed, with Honiton lace, with a design which corresponded with that of the veil. She wore a necklace and earrings of diamonds, and also the ribbon, collar, and star of the Order of the Garter. Her splendid train, borne by 12 ladies selected from the nobility, was of white satin, lined with the same material and trimmed with orange blossoms. The dress is to be seen in the London Museum. , , The dress worn by Queen Alexandra at her marriage with King Edward VII., then Prince of Wales, at St. George’s Chapel, on March 10, 1863, was of pure white, silk, trimmed' with silver, covered with costly lac© and strewn with a profusion of orauge flowers. It is said to have set. off the faultless symmetry of the bride’s figure to absolute perfection. Her gorgeous train of white and silver was borne by eight bridesmaids. The dress is now on view in the London Museum, though much of the lace trimming has been removed. With it may be seen the bonnet, ribbons, and veil worn by the bride, and also a quantity of the orange blossom with which the dress was decorated. When Princess Victoria, eldest daughter of the Grand Duke of Hesse and. granddaughter of Queen Victoria, married Prince Louis of Battenberg. afterwards first Marquis of Milford Haven, in April, 1884, at Darmstadt, she wore an exquisite dress of lustrous satin with a train about two yards long. It was trimmed on the corsage with Honiton point lace, with lace of the same pattern, but narrower on the On her head was a wreath of myrtle and orange blossom, and her veil of

rick Honiton point lace hanging down so as not to cover the face had a handsome design of orange blossoms, myrtle, and roses at each corner. There were no bridesmaids. The veil was that worn by her mother, the devoted Princess Alice, at her marriage. In accordance with custom. Princess Ena’s wedding dress, when she was married to King Alfonso in May, 1906. was the gift of the bridegroom. It was made in Spain, the style being pure Louis XYL, and the principal materials being white satin and doth of silver. The dress was bordered with dull silver, burnished here and there, and trimmed with magnificent rosepoint festoons. ,