IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23223, 22 June 1937, Page 17

IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY

LOVELY GOWNS EVERY COLOUR—BUT BLACK TABU Lovely robes and scintillating jewels formed kaleidoscopic effects when all were seated in the Abbey (writes our London correspondent on May 15). Distinguished men and women from all lands seen en masse presented a gorgeous mosaic of colour, heightened in effect by the clever lighting and the general setting of their surroundings. Peeresses and women generally had chosen dresses of rich cream satin or of ever-changing lame in which gold, silver, and ice blue effects were most usual. Women other than peeresses were not so limited for colour choice, so here and there, there were dresses of silver grey, soft blue, sapphire blue, emerald, and orange. The climax of beauty and magnificence was reached with the arrival of the Queen.- The elaborate golden embroideries on her English satin gown were designed to incorporate the emblems of the British Isles together with those of the Dominions. Flounces of old lace were draped from the sleeves and were lightly embroidered with oak leaves. Moulding the lines of the figure, the dress was cut with a square neckline. As her Majesty passed slowly up the nave gleams of light were reflected in her necklaces and corsage ornaments. Queen Mary was an exquisite figure in her classically-designed gown of pale supple cloth of gold hand-em-broidered with silver and fine diamante in a cascading design of roses and fuchsias, and the small sleeves of gold lace had a fuchsia design at the shoulder and were edged with tiny rose leaves. Her five-yard-long robe was lined and bordered with ermine and embroidered with galon. Every inch of the corsage seemed covered with diamonds or pearls. The Queen of Norway’s gown was cut on princess lines and was of shot lame in gold and pale cyclamen -'ink. The hanging sleeves of cyclamen chiffon were delicately embroidered with fine gold leaves.

The Princess Royal wore a slightly draped gown of soft gold lame brocade with a train from the waist and double sleeves of gold lace under her purple robe. She had an all-round diamond tiara and a sapphire and diamond necklace. The little Princesses wore simple white lace frocks with puff sleeves and soft ruchings at the 'ck under their miniature robes.

They were followed by the Duchess oil Gloucester, who wore a dress of rich cream satin embroidered with pearls and diamonds in a leaf design in a panel down the centre and as a border to the flowing train Next came the Duchess of Kent in a dress of supple gold brocade embroidered in a feather design, with gold and silver paillettes and cabuchon diamonds The short sleeves were embroidered in the same design. Viscountess Galway wore the robes of her mother-in-law, the late Lady Galway, over an underdress of white satin, the hem of which was embroidered with the family motto “To extend my fame by .deeds.” Many of the gowns and the iewcls were of historic interest.