MARRIAGE OF THE MARQUIS OF BUTE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3565, 21 June 1872, Page 3

MARRIAGE OF THE MARQUIS OF BUTE.

The marriage of the Marquis of Bute took place on April 16, at the Oratory, Brempton. Archbishop Manningperformed the ceremony, assisted by the Reverend Fathers of the Oratory. The marquis attained his majority in 1868. The bride, the Hon Gwendaline Ann Howard, is the eldest daughter of Lord Howard of Glossop, and is eighteen years of age. The wedding, which has been the talk of the fashionable world for so many months past, has been celebrated with all the pomp and ceremony peculiar to the Roman Catholic Church. The Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary is situate dost to the South Kensington Museum, and its architecture is as unpretending as possible. The interior is in the form of a Latin cross, the altar being at the foot. Beyond a few pictures and a little gilding round the cornices, there is no attempt at ornamentation'. All the grandeur of the place is centred in the altar. This is grand in the extreme. The floor is of mosaics of marble, with an altar rail of white marble. Two enormous golden candlesticks, eight feet high, with candles in proportion, were placed on either side of the table, and in front of them two more, rather smaller. Six candlesticks, five feet high, were at the back of the altar, partly hiding the beautiful altar piece, and other smaller candlesticks were arranged, and the candles lighted. On the right of the altar, looking into the Oratory, was a simple throne for the archbishop. A few choice exotics and flowering shrubs were arranged about the stops, and a rich flowered carpet reached from the altar to the centre aisle. In. front of and outside the altar rails, a table was placed for the use of the bride and bridegroom. The whole of the centre of the church was filled with seats, the front chairs being covered with scarlet cloth. About half the places were reserved for distinguished visitors, and these and the rest of the seats were quite full by the time the service commenced. Three-fourths of the congregation were ladies, and all of them being gaily and richly dressed, the scene was extremely brilliant. Among the earliest arrivals were Mr Disraeli and the "Viscountess Beaconsfield, and Mr Lowe. They were soon followed by the Duke of Cambridge, and the Duke and Duchess of Argyll, the Duke of Northumberland, and most of the Roman Catholic nobility. The noble marquis arrived at a quarter to eleven, and knelt at the table in front of the altar until the arrival of the bride. The organist played a voluntary as the procession passed up the centre aisle, and the bride was led by her father to a place on the left of the bridegroom. The groomsman was a son of the Count de Landau, a lad of about fifteen, dressed in a black velvet Highland costume. The bridesmaids were eight in number, and four of them children. The principal bridesmaid was the Hon. Angela Mary Charlotte Howard, sister of the bride; and among the other bridesmaids were the Hon. Alice Mary Elizabeth Howard, the Hon. Constance Mary Germana Howard, the Hon. Winifred Mary Howard, sisters of the bride. The bride was dressed in white satin, the dress in front cut a la Mary Stuart, and trimmed with Honitou lace and orange blossoms. The headdress was likewise composed of lace and orange blossoms, and a lace veil was thrown over the head, reaching to the waist in front, and to the ground behind. The bridesmaids were all dressed alike in white silk skirls covered with white muslin and trimmed with pink silk. The elder ladies wore white bonnets, trimmed with pink rosebuds and sprigs of myrtle. Only the bride had a bouquet. The service commenced with a procession of priests, who conducted Archbishop Manning to his throne, and invested him with his robes, put his mitre on his head, and handed him the crook. The organist now played the slow movement from Mozart’s Symphony in G, and, the bridegroom led his bride within the altar rails. Her father and mother, the groomsman, and the bridesmaids, formed a group around the Archbishop, who, having asked for the license, proceeded with the service, which was mostly in Latin. The more interesting parts are nearly the same as in the Church of England service, but the exceptions are noteworthy. The question put to the Marquis was, “ "Wilt thou take Gwendaline here present for thy lawful wife, according to the rite of our Holy Mother the Church?” The bridegroom responds, “ will.” A similar question is then put to the bride, who answers iu like words. The ring was then put on, and a present of gold and silver made, the bridegroom saying— l1 1, John Patrick, take thee, Gwendaline, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part, if holy Church permit: and thereto I plight thee my froth.” The hands are separated and rejoined, and the lady makes a similar declaration. Then follow some prayers iu Latin, and the service proceeds by the"bridegroom saying “ With this ring I thee wed, this gold and silver I thee give, and with all iny worldly goods I thee endow: in tho name"of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.” “In te conlldo ” (Hummel) was then sung, followed by the ‘•Are Vo rum ” (Gounod). This ended the marriage service, which only took ten minutes, and the bridal party adjourned to the vestry to sign the register. Tho Duke of Cambridge, Duke of Argyll, Duke of Northumberland, and Mr Disraeli followed, and were invited to attest the signatures of the marquis and his bride. This ended, (ho party returned to their places in front of the altar, and the choir sang “ Avo Maria” (Gounod), the tenor solo resounding through the building with telling effect. The low Mass was then begun by Monsignor Capel, the organ playing the slow movement; from Beethoven’s Symphony in C minor. The Holy Sacrament was then administered to the marquis first, and then to tho marchioness. “ Tota Pnlchra ” (Sclnilthes) wn« then sung, and the Very Rev. Monsignor Capel advanced to tho front of the altar steps ami delivered a homily on the duties of the married state, which tho bride and bridegroom listened to kneeling at their table. The address lasted a quarter of an hour, and as soon as it was ended, and the Benediction pronounced, the marquis gave his bride Ids right arm, and led her to the prin-cipal-entrance, where the carriages were waiting. They were loudly cheered ns they drove off to the house of the bride’s father at Rutland gate,'where the wedding breakfast was served. The bride and bridegroom, left at two o’clock, ett route for Cardiff Castle.