The New York herald., 1922-06-08
Princess and King
to Be Married in
Belgrade To-day
Rare Gifts Made to Marie of
Rumania, Soon the Bride
Of Alexander.

BELeRAEp. June 7 (Associated Press).
When Princess Marie of Rumania.
who will be married tomorrow to King
Alexander OF Jugo-Slavia. arrived here
her future kingdom she was given bread
and salt by the Mayor of Belgrade in
token of friendship and loyalty.
While she was traversing Rumanian
territory, the Princess was showered
with holy water. incense, rosemary and
rice, for good luck
The wedding will take place In the
Serbian Cathedral at IL A. NJ The.
Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox
Church will offlciate. In accordance
with Serbian custom. no civil ceremony
will be held.
The bride and bridegroom and the
royal families will then return to the
palace in state. where they will receive
the congratulations OF relatives, friends
and others. This will be followed by
luncheon at the palace. In the after
noon there will be military review.
Another formal dinner will be given In
the evening by the King and Queen of
Rumania in honor of the bride and
Bridegroom.
Honeymoon in n Castle.
The royal couple will then depart for
castle at Beed, Slovena, six hours
from Belgrade. where the honeymoon
will be spent
Strict adherence to national tradition
will be the keynote for the wedding
ceremony. There will be no bridesmaids.
but hundreds of young girls, dressed in
white and carrying flowers. will form
guard of honor on either side as the
bride enters the cathedral. After the
bridal couple. the most important per-
sonages at Serbian marriage are the
koom (sponsor)---on this occasion the
Duke of York; the dever (knight at
tendant on the bride), usually a relative
or the bridegroom, and the start swat
Oiterally, wedding expert). who is the
general master of ceremonies.
The most trying ordeal of the bride
begins on her return from church,
when she alights in front Of her new
nome She will step over band of
cloth extended between the gateposts.
1t represents the crossing of the an
Client moat, and is symbolic of the
separation of her new life from the
old Next she will take sieve filled
with wheat and sugar to be flung by
he- In handfuls to all corners of the
courtyard. In former times a bride
followed this by throwing the sieve
itself right over the roof of her new
domicile, but the height of the palace
In Belgrade makes this impossible.
The new Queen will then approach the
palace door bearing loaf and flask
OF wine, symbolical of the joy and
plenty that she brings to her husband.
Her final task is to lift up and embrace
child, on whom she bestows a gar
ment of he- own making. The infant
son af peasant from Topola--brth-
place of the great Kara-George, the
founder of sthe- dynasty--has been Sc
lected for this honor
Rare Jewels for the Bride.
Among the most notable presents
made to the bride are tiara and neck
lace OF diamonds and emeralds from
King Alexander. These pieces Of jewelry
are heirlooms from Empress Marie OF
Russia, grandmother of the present
Queen of Rumania, and now by fortui-
tous circumstances come to her great
granddaughter. King Alexander dis
covered them for sale and made the pur
chase.
King Ferdinand and Queen Marie OF
Rumania gave as their joint present a
magnificent string OF pearls. and Queen
Marie likewise presented golden tea
service inherited from her mother. From
members of the royal family and the
aristocracy of Rumania came a large
number OF rare Rumanian embroidcries,
sapphire pendants and amber necklaces.
The Duchess of Vendome sent Sevres
lamp and Lady HAMILTON of England
an antique fan Ira NJ Morris, Ameri-
can Minister to Sweden, presented a
silver tea set
Every country in Central Europe is
represented in the list of donors. One
province in Jugo-Slavia presented the
bride with 100 horses.
A dress of pure gold Is one of the
most conspicuous of the wedding gifts.
II was presented to her by peasants.
King Alexander has received from
the Serbians in Macedonia a shirt of
pure silver. woven on hand loom from
a medieval design that Is now nearly
extinct.
A new palace is ready for occupany OF
the royal pair. 1t is situated within a
stones throw of the old royal residence,
which has been unoccupied since the
assassination of King Alexander and
Queen Draga in 1908. The Serbians, be-
lieving the old palace to be accursed,
have begged Marie never to cross its
threshold.
Young Royal Couple.
King Alexander Is "a years old. and
his bride, 22. Next TO King Boris of
Bulgaria, Alexander. who is the son OF
Peter Karageorgevitch. the late Serbian
ruler, is Europe's youngest regning
sovereign. The young Kings mother
died when he was four years old, and
he has never known family life For
twelve years before he assembled the
throne he served as a soldier, and
therefore never had chance to make
himself a home. His brother George,
who Is living in Paris and who re-
nounced his rights to the throne twelve
years ago, will not attend the wedding.
Reared in a democratic and catholic
atmosphere. the young ruler is essen
TALLY one of his people.
Princess Marie is charming, viva
cious girl. with blonde hair and blue
eyes. Like her mother, she is an ac-
compllshed linguist painter and music
ian. She Is fond of outdoor sports,
especially tennis, football, horseback
riding and hunting. She has been de-
scribed by an American friend as a
"tom-boy."
The young Princess has received n
thoroughly practical education I'm queen
ly duties from her mother. and will be
prepared to share with the King the
burdens of the greater kingdom of
Serbs. Croats and Slovenes Her sister
Elizabeth. is now Crown Princess Of