HEART OF EMPIRE GOES CARNIVAL MAD:

Horowhenua Chronicle, 1 December 1934, Page 7

HEART OF EMPIRE GOES CARNIVAL MAD:

Festivities Following the Royal Wedding. Streets Thronged and Places of Amusement Do Good Business. Keceived Friday, 9.55 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 30. Following" the Royal wedding London went carnival mad to-night. Never had there been such crowds in the West End streets since the Armistice. Hotels, restaurants, theatres and cinemas were all crowded out, and gala' dances, lasting - all night, were held in many hotels,

Human Touches on Eoyal Wedding Day PICTURESQUE PAGEANTRY. LONDON, Nov. 29. . London is not likely easily to forget the picturesque -pageantry, human touches, and supreme moments in the historic -wedding day when the Duke of Kent and Princess Marina were married in Westminster Abbey. On the way to the Abbey from Buckingham' Palace, after the King's carriage passed St. James' Palace, the bridegroom's coach came out of Marlborough Gate. The Duke of Kent sat with his back to the horses and faced the Prince of Wales and Duke of York. Two minutes later the supreme moment for the crowd arrived. This was the appearance of Princess Marina. The slight drizzle had ceased just before Marina left the Palace. Silence settled on the congregation as the sound of St. Margaret's peals cut through the organ's music. The first of the bridal procession were the King and. Queen with the King and Queen of Norway, the King of Greece, Princess Nicolas of Greece, the Prince Eegent of Yugoslavia, and Prince Waldemar of Denmark. Then followed the bridegroom and his two brothers. The King and his three sons were all in full-dress naval uniform. Then came the bride and her father. Slowly, almost timidly, she approached the sacrarium, her dress of virginal white with train held by the,Princess Elizabeth and Lady Mary Cambridge. The Queen's blue velvet costume, the Princess Nicolas's crimson cloak were other high points of colour, , while everywhere the flame of diamonds stabbed through the rich splendour.

Towards the end of the service the crowd in Victoria street was so intense that foot police were unable to control it and had to be reinforced by mounted men. Many women collapsed in the crush. When the Duke and his bride appeared in the doorway of the Abbey, surrounded by the bridesmaids, the crowd burst into a frenzy, of cheering. Departing on his honej'moon, the I Duke wore a brown suit and Marina an almond-green tweed costume trimmed with fur collar and cuffs, with a hat of the same material. ■ The King and Queen were so affected at the Greek service that they raised their handkerchiefs to their eyes. Messrs J. R. MacDonald and J. H. Thomas and Sir John Simon and other members of Cabinet watched the ceremony from the balcony. ■ The Archbishop of Canterbury was present, but did not participate. Later details show that the same ring used at the Abbey was employed for the triple exchanges in" the service, the whole of which was in Greek, but a special translation was provided. For 45 minutes no word was spoken except by the officiating clergy. The nuptial"procession was, perhaps, the most spectacular portion of the service. The two Archimandrites, taking the left hands of the couple, led them thrice round the nuptial table, while the choir sang a paean. The crowns were then lifted from the heads of the Duke and Duchess of Kent. Prayer concluded the second marriage.

Honeymoon Journey.

The Abbey marriage certificates, two of wliich were provided, in event of one being destroyed, were signed by ,the bride and bridegroom and their parents'in the Abbey and were afterwards taken to the Palace, where the names of 50 witnesses were added to the number on the certificate, 146, Mr Mae Donald and other members of Cabinet being among the signatories.

After the service the Duke and Duchess of Kent departed in the Duke's coach at a slow trot. Their Majesties, the Prince of Wales, and the others arrived at the Palace 20 minutes before the young couple.

The first lapse from the time-table, hitherto observed without a hitch, occurred when the Duke and Duchess of Kent arrived at Paddington nine minutes after the train was scheduled to leave. This was due to lengthy family farewell at the Palace, and also to the huge crowds en route. The crowd outside Paddington Station got out of control, and mounted police rode along the platforms, clearing the way for the Royal pair, who seemed almost overwhelmed with the occasion.

The authorities had to call on the mounted police as a sequel to a determined effort of thousands of women to catch a farewell glimpse of the honeymoon couple. The pressure on the platforms was so severe that the leaders of the crowd were forced againstthe rear end of the train. Some men climbed the roof of the last carriage, and others commandeered the "rear engine, clustering on the top and at the sides. Women screamed as the horses forced through the crowd on the platform. There was some alarm and a few cases of fainting before the police mastered .the situation. Rose petals and confetti were still on the Duke's coat as he entered the train.

The dog Dushka, which is the Russian for '' darling,'' waited at the train with the Duke's valet and the Duchess's maid. When shouts heralded his master's arrival he pranced to the window. Dusdika was the only visitor admitted to the Royal saloon. There was a weird scene at the arrival at the village of Hiinley, where there was no lighting except torches carried by policemen and employees ot the Himley estate. Nevertheless, the whole route was lined with people from the surrounding districts. Himley Hall was lavishly decorated, making a bright contrast with the gloom outside. The Royal couple dined alone. They will attend church on Sunday, but declined all public functions during their stay at Himley Hall until before Christmas, when they go to Sandringham •aor a family reunion. The Evening Standard says that, folI lowing his service in the Foreign Office, it was hoped that the Duke of Kent would become Governor-General of one of the Dominions, but his health at that time had not improved sufficiently for him to carry out this His recent tour of South Africa showed that he had overcome ' his earlier physical weakness. Possibly in the near future he may become Gover-nor-General of a Dominion.,