Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-05-04
SWEDEN AND RUSSIA JOINED
First Marriage in History Between
Members of These Royal Families.
CEREMONY A BRILLIANT ONE
Booming of Cannon Announces
Approach Of Bridal Party.
DAY COLD AND cHEERLEss ONE
In spite of This Great Crowd stands
out In storm TO Catch
Glimpse Of NOtRbIes in
Attendance.

Attcmuances - g.
sT PETERSBURG, May 3.-Prnce
helm OF Sweden. second son OF King
tave. the popular sailor prince, who
tied America In 1907, was married
afternoon to Grand Duchess Marie Pa
lovna, cousin OF the emperor of Russ.
and daughter of Grand Duke Alexandra
witch.
The ceremony took place at Tsarskoe-
sclO and was accompanied by all the pomp
aud brilliant display characteristic Of the
most stately court in Europe. The day
vas marrcd by frequent heavy falls Of
snow, which, however, failed to chill the
enthusiasm Of the great crowds that gath
cred around the palace to catch a glimpe OF
the emperor and other royal personages
and the arriving guests. The crowd stood
for hours ia the bleak and muddy palace
square until the conclusion of the Gre
mony
I'm the evening great state banquet was
served, at which tossts were drunk to
the good understanding between Sweden
and Russia recently reached in the Baltic
agreement, to which todays wedding-the
first in modern times between the ruling
houses of the countries-puts the seal.
was announced by the firing of five guns
simultaneously at . o'clock this morning
~ the battery at Tsarkoe-selo and by the
fortress Of ST. Peter and st, Paul in st.
Petersburg. This was but the begin
ming OF the noisy acclamation, for the thun-
der Of salutes was heard almost uninter-
ruptedly throughout the afternoon and
evening. . .
Few See Ceremony.
The wedding guests who took part in
the ceremony assembled at $50 o'clock in
the afternoon at the great palace at
Tsarskoe-sco ony Premier Stolypin, the
members OF thc cabinet the president OF
the Douma and the president OF the council
OF state. the principal ambassadors to Rus
STA and their wives and few of the high
cst digi iiarics Of the empire found place
ia the small blue and gold chapel of the
palace where the orthodox ceremony was
performed. The other guests were sta
toned, according TO their rank. in the
vs,ious salons through which the bridal
procession PASSED.
The roblng OF the bride was performed in
accordance with court custom. in the pri-
vate courts Of the empress. She was
dressed by the empress and the dowager
empress. assisted by their maids of honor
ana tnc idulcs w Wdlllng.
The bride wore on her head jeweled
dlsdem. and from her shoulders hung a
long-tralned mantle OF strawberry velvet
lined with erminc.
In the procession the train of this gar
ment was borne by five court chamberlains.
As soon as the bride had been completely
arranged Prince wilhelm was notified by
the master of ceremonies and conducted to
4
duchess Marie was awaiting.
\ salute of twenty-one guns and a blare
Of trunpets announced the start of the
procession, At its head came the dowager
empress. the emperor of Russia escorting
Queer olga of Greece; the empress, es-
corted by the grand duke OF Hesse; Crown
Prince Ferdinand and Crown Princess Marie
OF Roumania, attended by the court ushers
and marshals and other functionaries.
All Bot Two of Family Present.
Then, arm in arm, came the bridal pair.
Behind the young couple marched Prince
Nicholas and Prince Andrew of Greece and
their wives Prince Christopher Of Greece
and Prince Carl Of Sweden and his wife.
Tho guests from foreign courts were fol-
lowed by more than a score OF Russian
grand dukes and grand duchesses. including
the oldest three daughters of Emperor
Nicholas, Grand Duchess Olga Grand
Duchess Tstiaria and Grand Duchess Marie,
the edest being 10 years old. This was
the first time the emperors daughters have
appeared in state. The little crown prince,
who is too young to be present, and Grand
Duke Nicholas Nlcholaievitch, president OF
the commission OF national defense. who has
been summoned to the Caucasus because OF
the war cloud on the Turkish frontier, were
the only members OF the imperial family
conspicous by their absence.
The grand duchesses, like all the invited
women, wore the picturesque Russian court
costume Of high pearl-encireled caps and
lOw-cut dresses.
The knperlal guests were received at the
chapel doors by the metropolitan of the
court and number OF priests. After the
emperor had been blessed and sprinkled
with holy water, he conducted the bridal
pair 70 the dais before the great golden
gates Of the high altar, The wedding rings
we're brought from the altar on golden
salvers and placed upon the fingers Of the
Lride and the bridegroom by the emperor
60. ,essor.
Double Ceremony.
tuc metropolitan then completed the
Les of the Russian marriage service, two
d,e brides nearest relatives holding
,.-Nns over the heads Of the bridal pail