WONDERFUL ROYAL WEDDING IN ROME.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18519, 17 March 1930, Page 3

WONDERFUL ROYAL WEDDING IN ROME.

PAGEANTRY AND HOMELINESS. (Prom Our Own Correspondent.-) LONDON, January 30. Three hundred white doves were released from a turret when the ceremony was completed, three hundred aeroplanes circled over the city and dropped flowers during the ceremony, and a Russian squadron cruising in the Gulf of Sardinia, fired hundreds of salvoes in honour of the wedding. Thus, amid such scenes of extraordinary splendour, and in the presence of five Kings, five Queens, and seventy-one Princes and Princesses, the marriage of Prince Humbert, Prince of Piedmont and heir to the Italian throne, ar.d Princess Marie Jose, only daughter of the King and Queen of the Belgians, was celebrated in the Pauline Chapel of the Quirinal Palace, Rome. It was the greatest demonstration of the royal idea, which Europe has seen for many years. In the long cortege which followed the bride and bridegroom to the chancel were seventy-one Princes and Princesses. And not alone were there so many, but there were also Kings and Princes without kingdoms, welcomed by their inherent right, from the heir of Bourbons, the tall young Comte de Paris, with the ancient Order of the Holy Ghost across his chest, down to sallow Amamdlah of Afghanistan, who went past with a long-trained Princess upon his arm. There were the heir of the Napoleons and those who have lost the thrones of Greece and of Portugal side by side with the Belgian Princes and the Infante of Spain and our own Duke of York. Rupert of Bavaria, in his old German uniform, and George of Saxony, in bestarred civilian clothes, were followed by the Archduke Joseph in a marvellour Magyar dress of fur and plum-coloured velvet.

That long procession of blood royal of all the lines of Europe entered the Sala dei Corazzieri, the hall of the Cuirassiers leading into the chapel at about half-past ten. It is a hall worthy of such a ceremony, with its ceiling deeply carved and gold covered, with six marble doorways, like the approaches of churches, and with all its walls hung with ancient tapestries. Such a tapestrv was rolled up by scarlet footmen like an ordinary curtain as a chamberlain came through the doorway behind it sayinc in auiet tones, “Le Loro Mnesta” (“Their Majesties.”) The waiting guests in the hall rose in their seats. They themselves made an unexampled picture. They had been ranged in some rows of red-covered benches on either side, but most of the front rows, four on one side and three on the other, were filled with distinguished women guests. The men stood behind them and on a further tribune, near the door of the chapel. The women were all in light-toned dresses hidden beneath veils of white lace. Some had lace arranged like coronets and others had it bound round their heads to their throats. Others again wore their veils falling by the ears, and the veils were further decorated with diamond crowns and jewelled fillets and stars and bars and orders. There were Roman Princesses there and the wives and daughters of Ambassadors end Ministers, and ladies of rank from Belgiun and every country, so that much of the world’s treasures of lace had been gathered there, they looked, indeed, in those surpassing veils like 400 brides gathered to greet the Royal bride who now came in upon her father’s arm. Princess Marie Jose was clad in a white velvet gown, specially woven in Como, decorated with* old Brussels lace. It reached her ankles, and had a long train. With it she wore long white gloves, and over her shoulders was a mantle—some 20ft in length—of white velvet with an ermine hem. She wore a great diadem half-encircling her head from which fell a long mantilla of lace, the gift of the City of Brussels, and so beyond compare. Her 15ft. train lined with ermine, a present from her bridegroom, was carried by five chamberlains. She looked more than ever like the traditional fairy tale princess, and her modest bearing, her youth and her beauty appealed to all hearts. Very tall and stately and composed she was, and all the hundreds of lace clad figures on the benches sank deep in curtsies as she approached mingled with smiles and the outstreaching of hands in the Roman salute.

The Queen of the Belgians had a dress of blue, over which, streamed a most marvellous mantle of lace. She was upon the arm of the King of Italy in his grey-green uniform constellated with decorations.

The bridegroom followed, a tall, handsome figure, giving his arm to the mother whom he so closely resembles. She wore a dress of pale champagne colour, embroidered in gold and pearls, and over her shoulders was the traditional golden mantle with a train of gold brocade. 15 ft. long. Then came the King of Bulgaria, Prince upon Prince and Princess upon Princess, each Princess with a train as long as many a small room. On the arm of the Duke of York, who was in naval uniform with all his orders, was the Duchess of Vendome —of the Royal family of France. She wore a superb dress and train of light emerald and a crown which encircled her head. Danilo of Montenegro, William of Sweden, George of Jugo-Slavia, the proud Duchess of Aosta, Princess Giovanna of Italy, the Prince-priest Maxmilian of Bavaria in his purple robes, the explorer Duke of the Abruzzi, thin and worn from his travels—here and there one recognised them, but there was a host of strange uniforms and unfamiliar faces. The Royal Princesses all wore dresses of pale colours with their royal mantles ovci their shoulders. One by one the long trains borne by the chamberlains or trailing upon the ground vanished into the dim sanctury of the Pauline Chapel. Generals and representatives of various nations followed, and then some 30 ladies-in-waiting, the court ones in white with sky blue velvet (the colour of the House of Savoy) mantles embroidered in silver with “Savoy bows,” and all of ankle length. At the end of the procession—alone—in uniform, marched Mussolini. Then the chapel was filled and the service began. A walnut prie-dieu of the sixteenth century with crimson cushions had been placed before the high altar for the Royal couple, while stalls surmounted by canopies awaited the Sovereigns. Cardinal Maffi, in whose archidiocese of Pisa is the castle where the Prince was born, officiated. He stood over the kneeling couple, placed a ring upon her hand, and they were sprinkled with Holy Water. Four princes held a veil over the heads of the young couple; the veil dropped—symbol that the Prince and Princess were united in marriage. But before uttering the “Yes” of acceptance, both the Prince and Princess, by an ancient and characteristic custom, turned, and he bowed, while she curtsied deep to their respective parents, who were seated on ■ throne-like seats by the altar. After the Mass which followed, an hour from the moment of entry into the chapel the Princess of Piedmont came out upon her husband’s arm. Behind them came the long line of Kinas and their kindred, and soon the stairs of the palace were crowded with wedding quests in everv panoply of distinction. As they moved slowlv down the great staircase you could just hear over the laughter and hum of their voices, the shouts of the crowd outside acclaiming their new Princess, and the curious rattle of huge sugared almonds which the servants of the royal house scooped from silver vases to pour as souvenirs into the hands of the departing guests. At the conclusion of the ceremony, a demonstration on a colossal scale, organised bv the Fascist party, took place. All Fascist organisations comprising every class of citizen, from

members of the professions to the peasantry, marched in perfect order, with banners flying to the Quirinal which was soon filled to overflowing. Aeroplanes circled overhead, hovering over the Royal Palace. Within the Quirinal Square was one vast sea of faces. A hundred thousand voices called again and again for the Royal couple to appear on the balcony, which they did to a roar of cheering. The climax was reached when the Prince and his beautiful bride appeared on the balcony alone. Here was a great Royal wedding. There was grandeur, such as eve** Rome has not seen for long. The ceremony was certainly grand, but it was also intimate, and beautifully “staged.” It was a marriage which united two illustrious Royal Houses, yet, even though the event had its political aspect, it had something else which appealed more to the ordinary man and woman. First, it was a nappy marriage. It was a romance. That is now known to the world. Here certainly was a Royal couple, but here, too, was a couple in love. This, no doubt, gave the marriage ceremony its heart. Jt made the galaxy of Royalty gathered in the chapel not so much royal personages as men and women such as we know in our ordinary lives. It made a dazzling gathering of royalties forget “etiquette.” There had been a procession in the chapel. The marriage ceremony—simple in itself—had been completed. Then the procession was reformed, and the Crown Prince walked down the chapel with his wife. It was then that Kings and Queens. Princes and Princesses, forgot “etiquette. There was no formal bowing. They waved handkerchiefs and they cheered. It was a human touch such as the world understands.

The bride was composed. She was happy, there was no doubt of that. She smiled and flushed. The bridegroom smiled too. King Albert was obviously happy, and the King of Italy smiled with them.

And what of the two mothers,— Queen Elizabeth of Belgium and Queen Helena of Italy—surely, they, too. in their happiness forgot their royalty. Yes, they were mothers at the wedding of their children, who were lovers. Royalty had melted, and \ve remembered that one touch of nature makes the whole world kin.