The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1913-10-17
Fashionable Wedding Occurred
In Old London Town
PRINCE AND DUCHESS WED
Arthur OF Connaught Is Happy Husband:
Kings and Queens Were In
Abundance
Especial to The Free Press. I

SnN0 vi I"O hluSS anu nVo A. 81
Price Arthur of Connaughf IS the
Duchess of Fife were mp IS Today
in the Chapel Royal, ST. palace.
The queens present. ~ Queen
Mary, Queen AlexanS ~ & empress
| dowager of Russif q queen of
Norway and Az 81 of Portugal.
This is believed y Je the largest
number of consorts of sovereigns
that has ever assembled on one oc.
casion. The kings were King George
and King Haakon VII of Norway.
Heirs apparent included, the prince
Of Wales and the crown prince of
Sweden and Norway, while the duke
of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha is reigning
prince.
Crowds Were Immense.
The crowds were immense out
side of st. James palace and had
to be kept back by the police. The
royal chapel, which holds only 800
persons, was taxed to it's capacity to
accommodate specially invited guests.
The little chapel had undergone a
thorough change for the wedding, the
old-fashioned heavy pews having
been removed to make way for
raised stands. The aisles were
widened and directly in front of the
altar where the bridal couple stood
semi-circle of gilt chairs was
PLACED for the royal guests. In the
center was one slightly higher than
the rest for Queen Mary.
George Gave Bride Away.
No chair was provided for King
George, because he gave the bride
away. The bridegroom's attendants
included the prince of Wales, as
best man and grand duke of Soxe-
Coburg-Gotha. Princess Mary, daugh-
ter OF the king and queen, of Eng
land, headed the list of royal at
PENDANTS for the bride, the others
being Princess Maud, the brides sis
ter, Princess pat, the bridegrooms
sister and Princess Mary of Teck.
AS far as the trousSeau went, the
wedding was one in which home in
dustries were doomed The ma
terials from which the dresses of
the bride and bridesmaids were
made, were woven in England Scot
land provided the tweeds and wool
ems: Ireland the linen and lace and
Wales the corsets.
Decorations Were Simple.
The decorations of the chapel were
comparatively simple. There was none
n ho+ 30
shrubs and flowers seen at so many
fashionable weddings during the Lon
don season. Everything, however,
was very beautifully arranged under
the direction of the kings head
gardener from Windsor. All the flow
ers and shrubs required were brought
from Frogmore, and as a compliment
to the bride Scottish white heather
figured largely in the decoration
scheme and also composed part of
the. bouquets carried by the bride
and bridesmaids.
The king has on rare occasions
given permission for other than
royal weddings to be in St. James
palace. One Of the most recent we'd
dings there was that of the late
Ambassador Reds daughter and the
Honorable John Ward. er
The Royal Procession.
AS the royal procession proceeded
from the chapel to the banqueting
hall of st. James palace, where the
wedding breakfast was served, privi-
legged spectators were permitted to
assemble on either side in order to
make their bows to their majesties
and the bride and bridegroom as
they pass along.
Something like 600 guests attended
the wedding breakfast, and they
were able to view the large collec-
ton of wedding presents displayed in
the state apartments adjoining the
banqueting hall. The duchess of Fife
changed her custom within the pre-
cincts of the palace and passed once
more through the banqueting hall
in her travelling dress in order to
take farewell of those to whom she
is known personally.
The gifts were numerous and
gorgeous. King George and Queen
Mary sent diamond ornaments to
the bride and expensive gifts4to the
bridegroom. Queen Alexandra's gift
to her nephew is beautiful equas.
trian statuette in silver of the duke
of Wellington.