JOYFUL WEDDING BELLS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21562, 5 August 1933, Page 2 (Supplement)

JOYFUL WEDDING BELLS

PRINCE AND COMMONER SON OF EX-KING ALFONSO RUSH TO GREET BRIDE "All the world loves a. lover!" Never was this saying more enthusiastically emphasised, says the Daily Mail correspondent, than when thd Prince of the Asturias, eldest won of ex-King Alfonso, of Spain, and Senorita San-pedro-Ocejo were united in marriage at Lausanne, Switzerland, on Juno 21. It 'was the first day. of summer, but, the only outward signs of this were, the radiant faces of the happy couplo and the almost delirious jov of the vast cosmopolitan crowd, which besieged the town hall and the Roman Catholic church, whore the two ceremonies were held. Rain fell heavily all day, a happy omen according to Swiss belief, but this did not deter thousands of people of all classes and nationalities from waiting hours in the strcots to sco the Prince and his lovely Cuban bride. Before ho left for "the town hall, the Prince said: "I shall bo happy when this is over. It has been a great strain to both of us; but to-day the future jw'.jj; vn suroa-J out in a wide vista of happiness before lis." The civil ceremony was of the utmost simplicity. Barely 60 people were in the room at the town hall when the Prince and Senorita SanpedroOeojo arrived, accompanied by many beautiful women members of her family.

The Prince woro a blue sorgo suit with tho Order of tho Golden Fleece, and his bride a gown of pink and white crcpe do chine. It was noticed that tho official record of marriage boro the narno of tho " Prince of the Asturias," whoreas tho Prince signed the register

as " Alfonso do Bourbon." The witnesses were the Duke of Almadova, Senorita Vivian Cornill, Senor Arguilles and SenQr Viola Navarro.

It was with difficulty that tjje crowd was kept back as the couple entered their motor-car to return to the Hotel Meurice to change for the religious ceremony. But it was even more difficult for the Prince's bride to enter the Roman Catholic Church for this ceremony an hour later.

When the spectators saw the lovely girl, resplendent in her beautiful gown of ivory satin, there was a rush which almost overwhelmed tho police. There was even worse disorder when the Prince arrived, and for a moment, he was in danger of being carried away from tho church by tho crowd. Ho eventually entered tho church and joined his bride at tho altar. Everywhere there were white lilies bound with the Spanish and Cuban colours.

While the priest, in tho course of tho service, delivered a long homily on the sanctity of marriage, there were constant interruptions from the crowd outside, which at one time threatened

to break down the door of the church. The priest joined tho hands of the couple as a sign of their unity and then in solemn tones pronounced the Benediction. The organ crashed out tho thrilling notes of tho wedding march from " Lohengrin " and the ceremony was over. At tho Hotel Meurico, afterward, the Prince said: " Tho only cloud in our happiness to-day is tho absence of my august father and mother. But I am sure that in timo these family misunderstandings will disappear."

The Prince and Princess then left for Evian-les-Bains, on the French shore of Lake Geneva, where part of the honeymoon was spent.