THIS YEAR’S COURT

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1929, Page 16

THIS YEAR’S COURT

BRILLIANT IF QUICK. NEW ZEALANDERS PRESENTED. (Auckland Star Co ires pondent.) The first. two courts held this year are memorable; they were held by the Queen alone and a very splendid and gracious figure Her Majesty appeared. The Prince of Wales, in the uniform of the Welsh Guards, was in attendance on his Royal mother at the first court only; the Duke of York took his place on the second night, that which for overseas visitors was of greatest interest, for it was their night, the previous on having been for members of the diplomatic corps. For the second evening’s court the Queen wore the jewels historically connected with the Empire —the great Koh-i-nor, that imperial gem from India, and the Cullinan diamonds from Africa, in addition to the Star of .the Order of the Garter —a tribute to the fact that of the 1500 guests presented to Her Majesty there were large numbers who had come from overseas to be presented. The Duke of York, in naval uniform, stood at the Queen’s right hand, while in the Royal circle were the Duchess of York, Prince and Princess Arthur of Connaught, Lord and Lady Maud Carnegie and the Marquis and Marchioness of Carisbrooke.

GORGEOUS SCENE. It was a scene of brilliance and colour never to be forgotten—the blaze of jewels, the rich uniforms, the beautiful pictures and art treasures in the large salons of the palace. This year we have had a so-called “lightning” court owing to the fact that those who were “attending” and the debutantes they were presenting had only one curtsey to make instead of two, which considerably quickened the speed of the presentations, though perhaps it would be incorrect to say, as one of those in attendance put it, the pace was “at the double.” The Queen dominated the scene by the splendour and beauty of her dress at the second court of the season. Her Majesty wore a gown of palest silver grey marquisette embroidered with diamante and seed pearls, grey mother-of-pearl paillettes, and minute silver crystals over soft woven lame. The sleeves of silver lace were embroidered with pail-

lettes and seed pearls, and ornaments of diamante graced the Queen’s shoulders. Her train was of silver cloth embroidered to match the gown, and she wore a diamond Russian-shaped tiara and a soutoir of diamonds. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York wore a gown in princess style of gold and mauve shot lame brocade, embroidered all over with diamante. Her train was of brocade with lace inset, also embroidered in diamante. New Zealanders who wish to be presented at court must be so presented by the wife of the High Commissioner and Lady Parr presented Mrs. John Russell and her sister, Miss Elizabeth Burns, Mrs. J. M. Howard Tripp and her niece, Miss Peggy Williams, Miss Diana Fitchett, Miss Laura Mappin, and Miss Joan Ritchie to Her Majesty. Lady Parr wore a gown of crepe chiffon suzette of pale shaded shell pink, applique'd with fine black Chantilly lace and embroidered in threads of gold and silver, and a train of lace embroidered with gold and silver and lined with pink t crepe suzette and bordered with black ring velvet and fine lace net. Miss Burns wore a picture gown of ivory tulle, the bodice of ivory faille, with a large silVv.’ bow with shaded green and yellow flowers at ,the waist and a train of silver lace over -dulle. She carried a sheaf of lilies. Miss Joan Ritchie wore a period gown . of parchment satin finished with a brilliant buckle at the waist, a train of parchment satin, embroidered with silver beads and diamante, and lined with almond green chiffon, and she had a bouquet of lilies of the valley. Miss Diana Fitchett wore a gown of green georgette and satin, the bodice embroidered with diamante. The train was of gold lame lined with green - satin, and she carried a green fan. Mrs. J. Mowbray Howard Tripp, wore a gown in amber and gold brocade, the skirt cut with a new godet-panel effect, enriched with topaz and diamante embroideries, her Manteau de Cour from the shoulders in mirror .velvet in a darker shade of amber-lined gold tissue. Miss Peggy Williams wore a train slung from the shoulders in malmaison pink shot lame, lined with crepe chiffon of a deeper tint. He gown was in the same lovely colour lace and crepe chiffon, daintly embroidered in ruby and white paste. Miss Laura Mappin wore a dainty gown of delicate cream silk net entirely hand embroidered with fine lace galon. A handsome floral design of similar embroidery was arranged at° the hem of the graceful net train. Mrs. L. S. Amer, ore a delicate shellpink chiffon gown, a train of gauze velvet in a slightly deeper tone, and carried a fan of South African ostrich feathers. Lady Strathspey attended the first court and wore a gown of parchment lace embroidered in silver and crystal, a draped train to match lined with jade green georgette imprime.