The New York herald., 1922-01-22
ROYALTIES INVITED
TOATTEND WEDDING
OF PRINCESS MARY
Sovereigns Of Italy, Bel
gium, Spain, Rumania and
Norway Expected.
PREPARING THE ABBEY
First Marriage Ceremony Per.
formed in Westminster
Since 1869.
PREPARING THE ABBEY

| Speoldl Gable TO TIE NEW yosK HEsAIp.
COPYRIGHT, 1922. bv The NEW Yorx HusAlu.
| New York Herald Bureau.(
! London. Jan. e1.
! II present expectations are realized
the wedding OF Princess Mary viii
bring together one Of the greatest as
semblages OF kings. queens. princes
and princesses that ever gathered In
London. Although the plans are not
complete. 1t is already certain that the
ceremony Will be OF a most unusual :
character. Foremost in the imagina-
ton Is the scene in the Abbey-the
glitter!ng Jewels and costly dresses Of
the best known women in England,
famous men Of letters, great soldiers
in uniform and eminent statesmen, az
we'll as the monarchs OF several lands
all combining to give brilliancy to the
occasion.
Invitations have been issued to the
Kings and Queens Of Italy, Belgium,
Spain, Rumania and Norway, with MANY
other royal personages included I'm the
list The heads of other countries who
cannot attend will be officially repre-
sented. Prince Waldemar. nephew of
Queen Mother Alexandra, probably will
and will stay at Marlborough House,
where the King and Queen of Norway
and Prince Olaf probably will be ac-
commodated. The Crown Prince Of Swe-
den and Princess Marie OF Rumania also
arc expected.
While the preparations are not to be
compared to those made for a corona.
ton the wedding Will have many bril-
liant features. There viii be no stands
along the route to the Abbey, but Prin-
cess Mary will ride in an open carriage
by her own wish SO as to let the people
see.
No Chair for the King.
The work OF preparing Westminster
Abbey for the ceremony viii begin next
week, when the nave will be closed to
pubic worship. Raised tiers OF seats
VIII be placed on either side OF the nave
extending from the entrance to the chan
Gel. The chancel itself will be reserved
for members of the royal family, rep
resentatives OF foreign courts and rela-
tfves OF the bridegroom. Handsome
chairs for these distinguished guests will
be brought from Buckingham Palace.
There will be no chair for the King.
as he wishes to give his daughter away
personally. and he will stand beside her
at the altar rail until .he time comes
for handing her over TO the bridegroom
I - btdullAul NONCA dtldI ClOlu pure
white silk will be used FOR this occasion.
1t belongs to the Abbey. but usually is
used only for Easter. 1t Is magnificently
embroidered In gold and Is regarded as
a masterpiece.
AS the accommodations within the
Abbey are extremely limited IL will be
possible TO grant only 1.-THE of the
applications for seats which are al
ready pouring into the offices of the
Lord hfarehoIe nfrira In Ta,
Palace. The work of allotting these
seats-about 2.ooo--hss not commenced.
but Il is certain that none not formally
presented at court can hope to receive
an invitation.
A wide passageway will be kept clear
from the west door TO the choir screen
for the procession. which is about all Of
the ceremony which the guests IN the
nave will be able to see. But the west
entrance viii make 1t possible for tho
public TO get a glimpse OF the Princess
as she arrives. The Archbishop OF
Canterbury. the Dean o. Westminster
and probably the Archbishop of York
will take part In the ceremony.
"Obcyy TO he Retained.
Tho service will follow the prayer
book. including tho promise 10 "obey."
But a revised exhortation will be sub
only difference being that the language
In the new exhortation Is slightly less
crude than the wording OF the old.
There will be a fine program OF music
before the ceremony. but the music dur
:. ing the ceremony will be simple and Will
be selected by Princess Mary herself.
The bridesmaids whom Princess Mary
has selected are all beautiful, but ot
, various types and range In ago from "A
TO 90 years. Three OF them ard, cousins
Of the Princess. but perhaps the mos:
; interesting one ,s the youngest Lady
Diana Bridgeman. who between the age
Of 8 and IL wrote a book of poems thus.
trated with her own clever sketches. The
others are Princess Maud. daughter CT
, the Princess Royal: Lady Rachel Cav
endlsh, daughter OF tho Duke of Devon
shire Lady Mary Thyme. daughter %
tho Marquis OF Bath: Lady Victoria
Mary Cambridge. daughter OF the Mar
quia Of Cambridge. who r. the Queens
J elder brother: Lady Doris Cordon-Lon-
nox. daughter OF the Earl OF March
J Lady Elizabeth Bowcs-1.yon. daughter
Of the Earl Of Strathnore. and LADY
; Nay Cambridge. daughter OF Princess
} Alice OF Athlone.
After the ceremony and the signing
! OF the register there will be a modest
reception at Buckingham Palace of a
very private character.
No child OF sovercisn has been mar.
ried In Westminster Abbey since Ed
ward Crouchback. second son OF Ed
ward III. married Avelinc Lancaster ir
1859. and now the tounbs OF these two
on the north side Of the sacrarium are
being cleaned. The CRIME OF hundreds
OF years Is being removed. revealing a
mass OF extremely elaborate and rich
coioring and recumbent cffigies Of the
pair which will be IN full view when
Princess Mary is married.
Westminster Abbey is altogether In
dependent OF an episcopal control. and
!. to-day the Dean acknowledges neither
, ths jurisdiction OF the Prinate nor the
Bishop OF London. When the Archbishop
os Canterbury goes 20 the Abbey in an,
: official capacity II Is customary for the
! chapter clerk 20 read a formal protest
aeainst his presence. The only occasion
az which an exception IS made Is at a
coronation. but the cuSom probably Will
be omitted when Princess Mary Is mar
ried. The date OF tho wedding IS tenta-
: t'veiy announced for Tuesday. Febru-
sry %.