Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-10-10
A SEA OF DIAMONDS.
The Gifts of Royal Lover of go TO His
Bride of %.
Correspondence New York World.

The wedding Of Prince Henry of Hol-
land and the daughter of Prince Freder-
lex Charles Of Prussia was a notable
event IN the fashionable world, despite
the absence from the festivities at Pots
dam of the Emperor and Empress of
Germany. The new palace was superb
ly decorated, and the ceremony took
place IN the Jasper Gallery, which, Tor
the occasion, was turned into chapel.
The dresses were elegant beyond any
thing seen since the nuptlals OF the
Duke and Duchess of Edinburg. The
brides dress was of silver brocade,
richly embroidered, with very long
train; over it was the long veil of lace,
head and veil being adorned with
myrtle and orange blossoms, with
which, by the way, all the articles Of
the trOusseau were worked. The Grown
Princess of Prussia wore a white da
mask underskirt richly adorned with
silver. and her train was of light blue
velvet, trimmed at the end with roses.
She wore for a head-dress a dlndem,
and her neck was graced by golfers of
pearls and diamonds; her dOublet and
train were also enriched by diamond
clasps. The Princess Frederick Charles,
mother Of the bride, wore a white da-
mask underskirt embroidered with sill
yer, and over it pale green tunic lined
with ruby satin and turned over at the
sides. Branches of pink acacia formed
her head-dress, surmounted by dia-
dem. The Grand Duchess of Weimar
appeared in a cardinal red dress, trim
med profusely with old lace. Her jew
els were of the most exquisite character
and much admired Tie Grand Du-
chess of Oldenburg, younger sister of
the bride, who was married last Febr-
uary, wore a costume of light blue and
pink; the still younger sister, the Prin-
cess Louise Margaretha, tiancee of the
Duke Of Connaught, a light pink satin;
and the Hereditary Princess of Meinin-
gen, the Princess Charlotte, daughter of
the crown prince, who also was married
in February, a light blue velvet over
skirt, with an underskirt of the same
hue and trimmed with rich Bru sells
lace. The Hereditary Grand Duchess
of Weimar's costume was In contrast
with the others, being enriched with
colored embroidery, which showed to
advantage her magnificent brilliants
and pearls. 1t was fortunate that the
robe de cOlr was not de 1igU6ur for the
other ladies who attended the ceremony
since their trains would have been
trampled on in the crush; they were,
however, models of elegance. The
Princess Radziwill wore white satin,
garnished with tea-roses, with a splen-
did head-dress and collier.
Next day the royalties went to
church. The bride wore a pink dress,
while the Crown Princess was in dark
costume, the Princess Frederick Charles
IN white, and the young Duchess of
Connaught IN posse IL blue silk. Bon
nets were dc 4&gueor, and SO were white
mantlGS. In the evening came a gala
performance in the theatre Of the new
palace. AT this entertainment the new
Unmarried Princess appeared in the
diadem and jewels given her by
her husband. She wore a
dress of white satin, adorned
with boquets of roses, when also COM
posed her head-dress. The Crown
Princess toilet was of white silk over
damask, with white flowers in her hair;
the Princess Frederick Charles was in
white satin, with white and gold lace
and broad fringes of gold. Variegated
flowers decked her hair. The Grand
Duchess of Saxony had q richly en-
broidered white underskirt, with light
lilac-colored damask robe de cour over
formed her head-dress. The Heredl-
tary Grand Duchess ofSaxony appeared
in white or cream-cOlored satin dress,
adorned with variegated relief en-
broidery en- tabHer. Princess Albrecnt
and Princess Charlotte of Meiningen
had light pink-colored robes, trimmed
with white lace. The Hereditary Grand
Duchess of Oldenburg was in a pale
pink and princes Louise Margaretha in
white silk.
The gift of the emperor and empress
to the bride was diadem of brilliants
and (ten) stars, which can at will be
turned into collier. The Jewels given
by the prince are simply wonderful.
They consist of a diadem, breach, a
collier with eleven poadelogues, and a pro-
longation of the collier destined to sup
port the corsage, and ending in two
clasps, one for each arm, technically
known as PSesc auag,-slavery or a
fetter. The set is duplicated in sapphires
and diamonds, and was manufactured
at Berlin from designs in the style at
Holbem. The stones were originally
| the possession of the groom's mother, a
daughter of the Emperor Paul of Russia.
The great sap phire Of the corsage is of
the purest water and weighs about 200
carats; it is valued at $4,000. There
is smaller one, of about 100 carats, IN
the crown, and round it are grouped five
other stones scarcely inferior in size
and beauty. The solitaire diamonds,
with which these sapphires can be
replaced at will, are exquisite Brazilian
gems of from ten to thirty carats weight
The whole set is valued at more than
a million marks, say something over
$3.50, 900. But then Prince Henry can
afford such eXtravagances, for he is one
of the richest princes of Europe. He
owns ninety-nine estates in Holland,-
| only the king can own hundred
with no end of money in stocks, and
is the proprietor of some fabulously
profitable silver mines in Mexico and
/ South America.
! After spending brief honeymoon at
the groom's hunting seat, the costly
Soestdijk, the prince and princess have
made literally triumphant entry into
the Hague. A princess of the blood
royal once more presiding over the
dutch court is not without significance
for Dutch society. For the last quarter
of a century no marriage has
been contracted in the royal family
of Holland; meanwhile all the
princesses have died. The death ofthe