ROYAL ROMANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22619, 6 January 1937, Page 9

ROYAL ROMANCE

PRINCESS JULIANA APPROACHING WEDDING DUKE OF KENT TO ATTEND By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received January 5, 8.5 p.m.) British Wireless RUGBY, Jan. 4 The Duke of Kent, who will represent the King at the wedding of Princess Juliana, heiress to the Dutch Throne, to Prince Bernhard von Lippe-Biesterfeld, will leave by air for the Hague to-morrow | morning. PROSPECTIVE BRIDE GOLDEN COACH FOR DRIVE GREAT CROWDS EXPECTED TH.E HAGUE, Dec. 30 It is expected that the population of The Hague will he trebled on January 7, and that more than 1,000.000 people—one in eight of the Netherlands' population—will witness Princess Juliana's bridal procession. In arranging the route of the procession, special care has been taken to avoid canals, lest the press of the crowds should lead to spectators being pushed in. The Princess will drive in the golden coach which was presented to Queen Wilhelrnina on the occasion of her coronation. Mangkoe Nagoro, the ruler of Eastern Java, has arrived with his wife and j ]6-year-old daughter. The latter will give a Court performance, on the day preceding the wedding, of a sacred ceremonial dance never before performed outside the palace walls in Java. All the four Pi oval houses of Java and of Sumatra \vill send delegations to the wedding. Princess Juliana already has chosen as her cook Dirkje van Beelen, from tho fishing village of Katwyk, where the Princess lived for two years while a student at Leyden University. In a personal letter engaging Miss van Beelen, the Princess wrote: "You will be responsible for our daily cooking." Fifty girl students from Leyden will form a guard of honour on the wedding day. The cleverest needlewoman in Holland is making the wedding dress entirely by hand and unassisted. It will take her more than a month. Ihe dress will be of silver brocade with gold interwoven, and will be trimmed with laces from the collection of the late Queen Emma. The train is 13 yards long.

PLEA FOR FRIEND | MARRIAGE ON SAME DAY ONLY OTHER CEREMONY LONDON, Dec. 30 Although the Netherlands Government has proclaimed January 7 a national holiday on which there shall be no weddings, except that of Princess Juliana, there will be one exception. that of a village girl who lives at Oestgeest. The girl was barn on the same day as Princess Juliana and was given the same name. They wrote to each other from a very early age, became friends and studied together. "When the Princess learned that the burgomaster of Oestgeest had declined to perform the ceremony on January 7, she intervened.