King George V and Queen Mary hosted a Ball for 800 Royal and Noble Guests and Relatives at Buckingham Palace on this day in 1934, 90 years ago, ahead of the Wedding of Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark at Westminster Abbey.
There are no images of the Ball from inside the Palace, and thus these are from other occasions or portraits of some of the guests taken on that day!
Their Majesties received 800 guests at Buckingham Palace tonight at a party in honour the betrothed couple, the Duke of Kent and Princess Marla, which was the Princess first official introduction to leading political and diplomatic figures. She wore simply cut evening gown and a tiara, and stood with the Duke of Kent and Their Majesties at the entrance to the State apartments, shaking hands with the guests, after which the Royal hosts mingled informally with the throng.
There was a magnificent spectacle at the King and Queen’s ‘ reception in the great ball and supper room at Buckingham Palace of famous gold plate glittering on tables among chrysanthemums and other winter flowers from Windsor Castle. Royal servants, fully liveried in scarlet and gold knee-breeches and powdered hair, were present.
The guests were seated at seven round tables, at the chief of which were the King and Queen, and the Kings and Queens of Norway and Sweden, the Duke of Kent and Princess Marina. The toast of the evening was the bridal couple, the company uniting in wishing the royal lovers a long and happy marriage.
Not since pre-war days have 80 many members of Royal families gathered in London. Tonight the first of the official festivities in connection with the Royal wedding was held In Buckingham Palace, when the King and Queen gave a dinner party to Royal visitors. Three ruling monarchs, King George, King Christian of Denmark, and King Haakon of Norway, were at the head of the table. Altogether 98 guest were present.
A woman guest at the Buckingham Palace party says it was a magnificent scene, the like of which she had not seen in London since before the war. Everybody would remember it all their lives, and also how radiantly Marina looked. It was obvious how happy she and the Duke of Kent are. The Queen, too, was a happy, striking figure.
I gather that the guests at the brilliant evening reception Buckingham Palace were charmed by the comparative informality of the proceedings. With between 40 and 50 Royal persons present, the ceremonial might have been oppressive, but it was far otherwise. For a time the Duke of Kent and his bride-to-be strolled about together. Princess Marina seemed a little shy at first, but later this feeling wore off. For some time she formed the centre of a little group of young people who were laughing and chatting merrily together. No announcement of names in several ways the party reminded one of a garden party at the Palace, for the King and Queen moved between between serried rows of guests informally, and spoke with many and shook hands with almost every- one.
The Long Picture Gallery, where most of the people I have mentioned were to be seen at some time during the evening, was not over full and was a most pleasant meeting-place.
Let me say something of the wonderful evening party at Buckingham Palace, which started the festivities on the grand scale. There was a pleasant absence of formality, for although it was impossible for close on 1,000 people to be announced separately to the King and Queen, when Their Majesties made a tour of the rooms they greeted an endless number with a hard-shake and a few words, which was better still.
Princess Marina wore a Diamond Bandeau Tiara given by the Duke of Kent, along with the Cambridge Sapphire Necklace.
Princess Marina was presented to many by the Duke of Kent, and was greatly admired in her trailing gown of tea-rose colour, which had a pink tulle sash fastened by a diamond brooch. The tiara from her fiancee graced her head, and the sapphire and diamond necklace from the Queen hung around her neck.
Queen Mary probably wore Delhi Durbar Tiara or Queen Alexandra’s Kokoshnik Tiara.
The Queen was the scene of stateliness and majesty with her array of diamonds, and her gown was a shimmer in which gold and blue harmonised most successfully. The Queen was scintillating with diamonds, and she wore a gown of gold, embroidered in beads and sequins in a spider’s-web pattern.
Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna, Princess Nicholas of Greece likely wore the Greek Ruby Parure.
King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine of Denmark (probably wearing her her Fringe Tiara) with King Haakon VII and Queen Maud of Norway (likely wearing the Maltese Circlet Tiara).
The Duchess of York wore her Turquoise Parure.
The Duchess of York looked charming with her parure, of turquoises, the tiara of these blue stones and diamonds looking particularly well on her dark hair.
Princess Olga of Yugoslavia was wearing her Boucheron Diamond Tiara and Three Diamond Rivières. (the above portrait was taken on the day of the Ball).
Princess Paul of Yugoslavia, with a huge tiara of diamonds and a triple row of the same gems, was a particularly handsome wearer of what is generally assumed were the Demidoff jewels.
Princess Juliana of the Netherlands likely wore the Dutch Diamond Bandeau
Princes Juliana of Holland’s jewels were magnificent and are heirlooms of the House of Orange.
Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone likely wore the Diamond Palmette Tiara.
Princess Alice was another in pale green, though her gown appeared to be of velvet with some silver embroideries on it.
Princess Cecilie, Hereditary Grand Duchess was wearing the Hesse Star Tiara (the above portrait was taken on the day of the Ball).
Mrs. Greville’s guests included the Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Hesse (née Princess Cecile of Greece), who had remarkably big diamond and pearl earrings.
The British Aristocracy were led by the Duchess of Wellington (wearing the Wellington Tiara), Duchess of Sutherland (in the Belle Epoque Diamond Tiara), and Marchioness of Londonderry (wearing the Londonderry Tiara).
Every family jewel-case appeared to have been denuded of its contents; outstanding! Heirlooms were worn by the Duchess of Sutherland and the Marchioness of Londonderry. The Duchess of Wellington was among the wearers: of historical jewels, for her pearls were the celebrated Marie Antoinette ones.
The Marchioness of Dufferin wore the Dufferin and Ava Shamrock Tiara
The Marchioness of Dufferin’s diamond tiara is remarkable, but for a different reason. As the bearer of an Irish title and one who is also Irish by birth, it is singularly appropriate that it should be in a design of shamrocks.
Dame Margaret Greville, the Hon Mrs Greville (wearing the Greville Emerald Tiara, Emerald Earrings and the Emerald Necklace) and Lady Greville (in the Greville Ruby Necklace)
No party is complete without a mention of the jewels worn by the Hon. Mrs. Ronald Greville. She wore wonderful emeralds and diamonds: tiara, two necklaces, brooches, bracelets, and ear-rings all of rare specimens of the lovely green gem. The Princess Royal in conversation with the Hon. Mrs. Ronald Greville, whose emeralds and diamonds.–tiara, necklace (which belonged to the Empress Josephine), long chain, earrings, brooches, and bracelets–were things at which to marvel.
Her sister-in-law Lady Greville, had noticeable rubies and diamonds as her choice, both on her head and round her neck. Lady Greville’s ruby and diamond necklace was most effective with her dress of raven’s-wing blue velvet, with which she wore long loves quaintly pated at the top.
Lady Warrender (wearing Diamond Fleur-de-Lys and Pearl Tiara)
Lady Warrender’s tall figure made her tiara of diamonds in a fleur-de-lys design very noticeable.
The Duchess of Portland’s pearls and big tiara were matched only by those of the Countess of Granard, whose tiara had a big centre sapphire.
Family Tiaras among the jewels there was the family tiara of diamonds which was worn by the Countess of Jersey. This is in a design of roses and leaves which are set on wire and so quiver with each movement.
The Marquess and Marchioness of Crowe, the latter quite magnificent in cloth of gold, had their daughter with them, in rose red, did young married couples there included Viscount und Viscountess Hinchingbrooke.
Nor must I omitthe Contessa di Sant’ Elia, in pink satin, for she had on the diamond ‘E’ under a Royal Crown which is the badge of a ‘Dame de Cour; to the Queen of Italy.
Lord and Lady Plunket, the latter very svelte and smart in silver naillettos, made a brief appearance, and arrived with the Marchioness of Londonderry. They came on from the Hon. Mrs. Ronald Greville’s dinner party beforehand, with the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, Sir Harold and Lady Zia Wernher, the latter wearing a fine tiara which had been her mother’s, Lady Sybil Grant and her husband, the Duchess of Sermoneta, the Earl of Rosebery, the German Ambassador, and Sir Robert Horne.
Another group included Lady Charles Cavendish, Lady Diana Cooper (whose diamond tiara curled down on to her cheeks), and the Earl and Countess of Jersey. Lady Anne Rhys, looking mart in an opaque sequined dress and with a jewelled peacock pendant. was among the young married women with their husbands -she was one of those.to. whom the Duke of Kent introduced his future Duchess. Sir Miles Lampson brought his tall and blonde daughter, and was receiving congratulations on Mary, wind engagement to Miss Jacqueline Castellani. Most of the guests stayed till nearly mid-night, including Viscount Hailsham and his wife, who wore silver tissue.
The Duke and Duchess of Abercorn, the Marquess Camden with his wife, who wore a smart frock of jade green brocade, the Countess of Bradford, handsome also in jade green, and Lady Joan Bridgeman, who wore dark red velvet, Viscount Allendale, whose wife wore purple shot with silver, and Viscount and Viscountess Esher, the latter in dork blue velvet. Viscount and Viscountess Harcourt were among married people I suw, the latter in light blue Ince with a pink sash, and others – were Viscount and Viscountess Hambleden. Viscountess Gage, in red, the Hon. Roland Cubitt, with his wife in white, and-the Earl and Countess of Jersey, the latter with black frock and gloves. The Hon. Mrs. Cyril Ward wore one of the most magnificent of the many diamond tiaras there, though the Marchioness of Anglesey’s was beautiful (she was dressed in white and had a lily -at the back-of her waist), and so was Countess Winterton’s.
A huge thank you to the wonderful Beth of HFJMB for sharing newspaper clippings of the Ball.
HFJMB
