QUIETLY MARRIED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 275, 19 November 1937, Page 7

QUIETLY MARRIED

PRINCE LOUIS OF HESSE SEQUEL TO AIR DISASTER SCENE OF CRASH VISITED (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright? Received Nov. 18, 5.5 p.m. LONDON, Nov. 17. Fifty guests, mostly relatives and close friends, watched the bride, Miss Margaret Campbell Geddes, daughter of Sir Auckland Geddes, enter the church for her marriage to Prince Louis of Hesse, brother of the Grand Duke who was killed with his wife, children and others in the Ostend air disaster. She wore black relieved onty by a spray of white camelias. The best man was Lord Louis Mountbat’ ten, who replaced Baron von Reidesel zu Eisenbach, who was killed in the crash.

The guests included the Duke and Ducheafj of Kent, Princess Paul of Greece and the Countess of Toerring, sisters of the Duchess of Kent, the Machioness Milford Haven, and the German Ambassador, Herr von Ribbentrop. Sir Auckland Geddes’ daughter now becomes the ruling Princess of tho House of Hesse. Family Almost Wiped Out t Commenting on the crash, Sir Auck* land Geddes said: “Prince Louis’ family has been practically wiped out and he is left to face the situation. That is why the marriage was held to-day entirely in private at St. Peter’s, Eaton Square, instead of on Saturday. I ask the Press and the public to respect the deep grief of Prince Louts and my daughter. The Grand Duke bore the title by courtesy of the Grand Duchy having been abolished after the revolution in 1918. The House of Hesse and its is located in the middle of the Rhine*! land and dates back to the sixteenth'l century. I The bodies of those who lost thelfll lives in the disaster have all been re*, covered and removed to a room. In factory nearby. Scene of Crash Visited Shortly after arrival at Ostend th®' Prince and Princess of Hesse visited the scene of the air crash where th® bodies of the victims are lying at Chapelle Ardente. Flowers have been sent from Belgium and many parts o£ Germany. ; The Prince superintended the re* moval of the bodies to D’Armstadt/ where they will lie in state in th® family mausoleum until the funeraL A search of the area led to the recovery of jewellery flung from th® luggage of the Grand Duke’s party. The population of Hesse is in th® deepest mourning and flags are halfmast. It is understood that the Prine® will not assume the title of Grand Duke. It was agreed between the Reich Government and the Grand Ducal House some time ago that the Grand Duke should assume the title of Prince. It was felt that the title of Grand Duke might imply sovereignty. 4J AIRLINER DISASTER W PILOT’S UNLUCKY DECISION THE OWNER’S STATEMENT LONDON, Nov. IT. ' The owners of the Belgian airlinel in a statement, said that had the pilot stayed up a few seconds longer th« crash would have been avoided. Tha aerodrome decided to advise th a ’plane to continue to London without picking up intending passengers at Ostend. At the moment when thfl wireless operator was about to trans* mit the message the 'plane signalled that it was coming down. Freiherr Greysen zu Eisenbach, af cabled yesterday, should be Barofl von Riedesel zu Eisenbach, a membei of the Grank Duke’s entourage. H« was to have been best man at thfl wedding. Prince Louis and his bride left foB Ostend after their wedding. His Majesty sent a message of sympathy to the new Grand Duke of Hesse.