ROYAL WEDDING

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 19730, 27 December 1926, Page 11

ROYAL WEDDING

ABBIVAL IN CAPITAL. enthusiastic welcome. delight of the populace. * preparing to celebrate the relig'ous wedding of the Duke of Brabant Princess Astrid of Sweden, Brusegdcred itself to the spirit of - as it had not done since those joyous days of liberation at the end of 1918, the "Times” correspoudeat wrote on November S. The streets have been all ablaze with the colours of the Belgian flag, and at tdght the eity has been brilliantly lighted and echoing to the strains of till early morning. Two hours before noon, when the rr 3in with the Royal Party was expeetto arrive from Antwerp, the pavements along both sides, of the route by winch the procession would pass to the palace were thronged, and windows, baleordea and roofs occupied. The densest crowd of all, packed th© three sides of the great Palace Charles Bogier ; which rcskes so impresrfve the approach to the G-?.re du Nord. The station platform was covered with red carpet ard the main hall of the ststitm wns transformed into a re«Ry brilliant salon. The whole roof was envaretl with masses of pendant Swedish && d Belgian flags, and the blue and yellow of Swed*3t with Belgium’s black, yellow and crimson mace a gorgeous colour scheme. On each side of th© hall were light barricades, behind which were the scats for the 2(K) invited guests, and the centre of the hail was carpeted with Oriental pugs, whil© the Mid was banked deep in palms and white chTysanthemuias. In the yestibule. similarly carpeted and embowered in flowers, wft,’ ranged on one side a choir of 290 children, war orphans from St Joust. The whole effect was extremely successful.

It was 2Q, minutes past 12 whan a fanfare of trumpets announced that the Royal train was approaching, and tha engine, all aflutter with flags, came slowly out of the mist while the band played the Swedish national anthem. The King of the Belgians was the flrst to alight, followed by his Qu?cn. They shook hands with members of the recommitte. and then stood aside to give place to the bride and the Duke of Brabant, who were wreathed i” smiles. Then came the- Duke and : j.'uchcos of Vast ergotland, the bride’s ! parents, the Crow- Prince of Norway, the Couzt of Flanders. Princess AxeH of Denmark, the bride’s sister, and her' uncle, the Duke of Narke, Comte Jean j de Me rode. the Comte d and Comtess Caraman Chimay. Wfien they reached the vestibule the., party stood with the bridal couple is front and the rest grouped behind them, while the children’s choir sairj; very prettily Gretry’s “Ou pent on etue irJ.eux qu’au scin de la famille. ,, As leaned on the arm of the vejy proud looking Duke of Brabant, cnlirely absorbed in the song, one had :an opportunity to study the Princess Astrid, who was evidently quite tin-self-conscious and unaffected. She tras dressed completely in white, with white fur at her neck, carrying in. her hand a large bouquet of orchids. She made altogether a delightful and it was quite impossible nod, to | recognise the happiness which flowed ' in the faces of both herself anil the \ Du£a of Brabant. tn spite of the rain, the party drove in open carriages, and the jouncey to the palace was a triumphal profession, the multitude cheering and citeering again. By the Colonne du Congues was posted another detachment of the. 2nd Lameers, with their colours, arfd there the Princess alighted from It er carriage and placed a bouquet on 1 he tomb of the Unknown Warrior, while the King and the Duke of Vastergotland, who had also alighted, salute* I. Again at the palace the crowd was 'enormous, and stayed till the bridal co role came out, to be joined by the King and Queen and the whole Boy al party. Throughout the day’s proceeding it was impossible not to be in? pressed by the great popularity of th e Belgian ■Royal House and also of the present wedding.