The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-01-31 00:00:00

THE MARRIAGE FESTIVITIES.

: --
The Special Cerretpmn'ent of the Daily News Me tele-
grapbod the tot:owing additional puticulare of the Marrisge
Font,/Mee :
ST. PETERSBURG, Saturday Night.
The State dinner yesterday was a very grand affair.
The guests numbered about five hundred, and the pro-
gramtue was strictly adhered to. Very little interval
was allowed between the barivet and the State ball
in S. George's hall. The Empress was not well
enougn to appear at the latter, bur all the other Illf•111-
here of the Imperial family were present.
In many respects this was the most magnificent
reeve of the day. The ladies met in one halt for the
first time. Before, they had been distributed in
divisions, here and there, but now they appeared in a
v_ist mass of beauty. The Russian c cstume was the
order of the day, and red, the Russian wedding colour,
prevailed. Every lady wore the coif peculiar to
linesia, with very graczy streamers brought over the
itenei and hanging gracefully down the hack. There
was not 711.1111 for the trains, and the fair wearers
wore rendered the PIMP piC111"1.1,10 by lo.tog com.
p...heri to throw them over their arms, whencs they
drooped as if part of the siogniar long slaiiiii d
, Russian sleeves. The °theirs and gentlemen in mile
11
' form kept on one side, and this gay parterre of fair
northern flowers on the other. The foreign Ministers
were there. and the members of the Diplomatic C mica
and their wives. Numerous Eoglish faces appeared,
but Lady Amineins Loiter, the wife il our Arx.has-
sador, was unable through I.inese to attend. All per-
MU of distinction of the two CIMPPY having a tight to
be present were invited. Dean Stanley wore ktfe

doctor's gown, and was conspicuous wherever he
moved.
The Russian Court Ball would be worthy of that
name it there were dancing, The Polonaise 6 really a
grand parade. which was executed to the music rit
" Life to the Emperor," about which there in a certain
feseinating wildfire's. Prince Galitzia, Marshel of the
Palace, opened a paseage in the brilliant throng, and
before their Majesties entered an off,ial peened through
the building with a brazier full of burning aromatic
perfume. Count Adelberg, chief of the Imperial
Household and a very p mnlar Minister in St. Peters-
burg, acted an a kind of Master of the C-remonies.
The Royal party. having passed through the cleared
peerage to the air of "God Save the Queen," the
atately grand tour comment-ltd.
Li was a measured walk, the route each time and
the partners being different. The object seemed to be
that every Prince of the Royal party thould lead the
Bride once round the room, or a portion of it. The
Czar that entered with the Crown Princeam, whose
splendid train of green velvet wan borne after her like
the trains of other Princennes by sprcially appointed
pages. The Crown Prince Id in the Princess of Wales.
The Bride and Bridegroom came hand in hand. After
the first tour the Czar took the Bride. There wee a
general shifting of partners, and another preambulation
took place. When the Royal personages retired, the
ball wan virtually over.
The Czrrewitch and Czarevna, according to due form,
went to the Bride's apartmente, and formally received
the Bride and Bridegroom, who were escorted thither
by the Emperor and Empress. In all the churches of
St. Petereburg Tr Drums were emu and the munioal
bells rang inceenantiy. The city both last eight
and to-night was splendidly illuminated. Particu-
key good preparations were made lent evening
for the departure of the Duke and Duchess.
The long street leading to the station was gag
with flop, illuminations, and coloured fires, and loud
ohm's greeted the manic I pair when at half-gent
eleven they drove to the Warsaw Sratirrn to pike a
epecisl train for the Tsarakoe Selo Palace. The et Won
was beautifully decorated and illuminated, and at all
the stations on the line Bengal fires and bonfires were
part of the illurninstiona. A capital effect was pro-
duced at the WHIISAW St.tion by a clever use of the
electric light. There wire similar preparations at
Tsarskoe, where a torchlight procereion accompanied
the bridal pair to the Palace.
During the Illuminationa one of the watch-towern
caught fire, but the sire was immediately extinguished.

The tsllowlug reedrsros (et through R ,ntot's grimy)
hays also bum published by seversl a :hr. datl, pspors
•

ST. PSTEISBUR-0,-JAII 21

The Duke awl Ducheas of Edinburgh arrival at
Tearekos Selo at 123' a.m. to day. The platform of
the station wee brilliantly illuminaial with Bengal
Their Royal Highnesses, upon alightiniT, were
reoeived with enthusiastic hurrahs by the" assembled
crowds. The Gevernor of the town Aide•de-camp
Gmeral Gage], and Lieutenaut-General Stepanoff were
at the station te receive the august couple. A deputa-
tion from the mercantile ccmmunity of Tsarskoe Belo
presented to the Duke and Duchess salt and bread
upon a rich silver di-h All the houses along the route
from the station to the Alexander Palace were illmnb
nal ed and decorated with Rigs, and their Royal High-
in so's wire v,ry enthusiastically cheered on their way
to the palace, where they were received by Aide-de-
camp General Gogel. Their Royal Highness"... were
accempanied by hldlle. blilutin, Lady Oeborne,
Equerry Oeerolf, Chief Chamberlain Groot, and Vice-
Admiral Popoff.

BT. TETERSBCRO, JUL 25, Midnight.

. _
The Prince of Wales, Prince Arthur, and some of
the distinguished English visitors, went out shooting
today with the E nperor.
Th• Duke of Edinburgh and the Grand Duchess
Marie took a drive at ore o'clook this afternoon in a
sledge in Taarskoe Se', and visited the Grand Palace
and the Arsmal, accompanied by Lady Osborne and
Mdlle. Milutio. At a quarter to ten thia evening the
Emperor arrived at Tsarskoe S-lo from hunting, and
took tr a with the newly-trarried pair. His Maj .sty
returned to St. Petersburg at a quarter to eleven.

ST. PETERSBURG, .Tan, 25.

The Emperor hae honed the following manifesto :
"Be it known to all our faithful euhjects that,
relying upon the blessing of the Almighty, and with
the assent of our beloved Consort the E npress Maria
Alexandrovna, we have consented to the marriage of
cur beloved daughter. the Grand Duchess Maria
Alexandrovna, with Prince Alfred Erneet Albert, of
Great Britain, Duke of Edinbu"gh. end that this union
was solcmnly accomplished on the 11th of January of
this year, according to the orthodox rite. In making
known this event, so gratifying to our parental
hearts, and in recommending the future lot of our
beloved daughter and her consort to the all• powerfol
protection of the Lord of Lords, firmly trnating to His
mercy, we are fit]. ont4 y convinced that all our faithful
subjects will join their prayers to God with ours for a
happy union and prosperous future Le the newly
married couple.
"Given at St. Petersburg on the llth of January,
Anew Domini 1874, and the nineteenth year of our
reign. " ALIMANDER."

A grand parade of about 30,000 troops of all arms
was held at St. Petersburg on Mouday before the
Winter Palace in honour of the Prince of Wales, the
Prince Imperial of Germany, and the Crown Prince of
Denmark. Followed by a numerous staff, the Eat.
peror and the Prio ces rode along the lines, the troops
cheering and the b sods playing the different national
hymns with line effect. The Aaff then took up a
peal ion, and the troops marched past in front of the
Alexander Column. After the march past lunch was
served in the Winter Palace for the Emperor, the Royal
guests, and their suites. The Graod Dachess Marie
of I...uchtenberg gave a concert on Sootley even.
ing, at which all the Princes except the Duke of
Edinburgh werwpresent The programme, in deference
to English custom, was entirely composed of sacred
music. The merchants of St. Petersburg are to pre.
sent the Duchess of Edinburgh with a beautiful and
costly piece e f plate. The English colcny will give a
lifeboat to the Russian i.ifebrat Soaety in honour of
the marriage, and will present a silver model of the
boat to her imperial Highness:. The subscriptions in
rolief of the Samara famine have reached in St. Pet re
burg a total of £15,0c0 The Duchess of Edinburgh
the ilny before her marriage received a deputation horn
II e Oretburg Uhlan Regiment, of which her Imperial
Higbee:re is honorary colonel. The dep Aation pre-
belated to her Imperial Highness a history of her regi.
"nest, compiled by Lieutenant Krestovski, as a wedding
gift,