Monday, October 17, 2016

Lady May will have several bridesmaids

October 18, 1931

Queen Mary's niece, Lady May Cambridge, and Captain Henry Abel Smith will marry at Balcombe on October 24, but a "little golden-haired bridesmaid with impish blue eyes is likely to steal the show," reports the Washington Post.

The little girl in question is 5-year-old Princess Elizabeth, elder daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York,  and "possibly some day queen of the British empire."

Two other princesses will be among the bridesmaids:  Princess Ingrid of Sweden and Princess Sybilla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who is a first cousin of the bride.  There is a chance that Princess Juliana of the Netherlands will also attend.

The bride's mother, Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands are first cousins.

Lady May will wear the same veil that Queen Mary wore at her wedding 38 years ago.  It is a "piece of priceless Honiton lace, one of the most treasured family possessions of the queen."   The veil was also worn by Princess Alice when she married Prince Alexander of Teck (now the Earl of Athlone) in 1904.

The bride will wear a "perfectly plain pearl-colored satin antique cut on tight, modern lines, to suit the bride's slim, girlish figure."  The veil will be held by a wreath of orange blossoms.     Her bouquet will feature lilies of the valley, tied with a silver ribbon.

The adult bridesmaids will be wearing frocks made with "long, full, slightly trained skirts which fit neatly around the hips and flare at the hem," while their bodices are "draped in front and the long tight sleeves puffed at each shoulder."

The four child bridesmaids will be dressed in "soft powder-blue dresses," in the empire style and ankle length.  They will carry bouquets of anemones and all will wear pearl necklaces, a gift from the bridegroom.

All the bridesmaids' headdresses are "bandeaux of folded blue velvet " and all will wear silver shoes.

Lady May met her fiancé when he served as her father's aide.  He is wealthy and comes from an old London banking family.

No comments: