The New York herald., 1922-02-19


HERALD.
LONDON. FeN s.
THE beloved Princess Mary will
in a very literal sense indeed
i be making history VIXEN she
stands side by side with Viscount
ascelles in front Of the High Altaf
OF Westminster Abbey on the last day
of the present month.
Strange to say. hers will be the first
marriage of IA Kings daughter ever
witnessed by the gray old walls of the
abbey. Stranger still this will only
he tie third royal wedding which has
ever taken place on this, the most
historic spot in the British Empire.
The first was solemnized when the
present beautiful choir had been stand
ing only few months. The second
was the nightly popular marriage OF
Princess Patricia of Connaught anc
Commander Ramsey just three years
ago. This paucity OF royal weddings
at the abbey is remarkable, to say the
least of it. when one thinks of the vast
number of other great royal functions
such as coronations, funerals and so
forth whicl1 have here taken place.
However, there are the written rec
ords and on this subject they are
mute.
The first of these three royal
maidens was the beauteous Aveline,
who was married to the second son
of King Henry III. popularity known
as Edmund Crouchback. BY an in
teresting coincidence tie tombs oe
this royal pair, which lie on the north
side of the abbey high altar, have
recently been undergoing a remark
able process of renovation and they
will be complete just in time for the
great day.
1t appears that about two hundred
years ago the abbey authorities of the
time were advised to cover these two
magnificent thirteenth century tombs
with a coating of varnish, having for
its object the preservation and pro-
lection of their beautiful coloring.
Unfortunately, a kind of chemical
process took place in the course of
years quite the reverse of what was
anticipated and the tombs turned to
the color of very dark oak. 1t has
been found possible, however, within
the last few months by means of a
. secret process to remove all the hid
eous and disdguring varnish. The col
ors are once more disclosed to view
and in some places the gold is shining
with all its old medieval luster. 1t is
In the highest degree appropriate that
this work should have been completed
in time for the marriage of a kings
daughter for the first time in the
abbey.
some UnsiRhtly Monuments.
People over and over again. and not
unnaturally. express their regret and
even horror at the way in which this
beautiful church, "the loveliest and
most lovable thing in Christendom,"
has been spoiled by the addition of in
congruous and unsightly monuments.
notably in the eighteenth and nine
teepth centuries. One place. however;
has escaped this epidemic of bad taste;
viz, the high altar and the east end
of the abbey generally.
Here the whole thing is beautiful,
harmonious and tasteful to degree,
while every stone, one might almost
say, forms a history in itself.
The high altar at the occasion of
the royal wedding will be arrayed in
sumptuous hangings of white silk to
which more than ordinary interest
Is attached. 1t is the time honored
custom, in fact, IL has virtually the
force of law, that the sovereign of
England and his consort should make
a solemn offering to Westminster Abb
bey at the time of their coronation
It is laid down that this offering shall
consist of an ingot or solid wedge of
gold on the part of the sovereign and
a mark of gold in the case of the
queen consort. while both of them pre-
sent in addition pail or altar cloth.
During post Reformation times the
later item has generally been repre-
scented by a quantity of rich SILK o.
cloth of gold. but in 1911 King George
V. and Queen Mary decided to revert
TO the practice of their more distant
predecessors. The result was that
Westminster Abbey became enriched
at the coronation of 1911 by a pref
erably superb white frontal, the git
of the King, and a dossal. the gift of
the Queen. They were embroidered at
the Victoria and Albert Museum at
South Kensington on the model OF q
splendid old piece Of medieval en-
broidery belonging to a country church
IN the west of England.
1t should be added that the por-
traits of the present King and Queen
appear on the later piece of e.nbroid-
cry. The likenesses of the two kneei-
ing figures to their originals are quite
remarkable and form a striking testi-
mony to the possibilities of the needle
rs a portrait maker.
Golden Professional Cross.
Hard by the high altar stands usu-
ally the golden professional cross of
Westminster Abbey. which will. OF
Course. be carried at the head of the
choir and clergy at the time of the
voyal wedding. This beautiful work
Of art possesses certain personal in
isrest of it's own, for 1t Is closely as
tociated with a terrible crisis in the
life of the brides grandfather
1t will be remembered that in June.
1902, King Edward VII. was suddenly
struck down, to the horror of his sub
iects, by dire disease. which led to the
Dostponement Of the coronation for
hany weeks. Among the many dis