Regards,
Dave.
In early January we discussed the difference in the jewels worn by Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent, in various photos of her in her wedding gown, and the possibility of when the photos were taken,
http://mb.boardhost.com/historyroyaljewels/thread/1546591045.html
In doing so I was "butting in" on a discussion on the RJWMB in which Nellie had argued that the various photos were taken on different days. Initially Nellie suggested that the ones of Princess Marina in her wedding dress (but without the earrings and brooch) were taken after the wedding. Later she suggested they were taken the day before the wedding.
http://members2.boardhost.com/royal-jewels/thread/1546477072.html
Because the photos of Princess Marina without the earrings and brooch were published by weekly and bi-weekly journals --in the case of The Sphere on 1 December 1934, almost immediately after the wedding, -- I concluded that the photos had to have been taken some days before the wedding and then distributed to enable weekly and bi-weekly journals to publish them immediately.
I have now found proof that the photos were taken before the wedding day and distributed to the media with an injunction that they were not to be published before 30 November 1934 . The actual wedding day was Thursday 29 November 1934.
One of the photos published by The Sphere 1 December 1934.
Proof that the photos were taken before the wedding comes from the back of one of the photos, which is currently listed for sale on the IMS Vintage Photos site.
Notation on back of photo.
https://imsvintagephotos.com/princessmarina1607119?search=Duchess%20of%20Kent&description=true&page=19
The front of the photo https://imsvintagephotos.com/princessmarina1607119?search=Duchess%20of%20Kent&description=true&page=19
Precisely when the photos were taken is difficult to judge. I suspect that the date was somewhere in the week of the wedding, between Monday 26 November and Wednesday 28 November. They are unlikely to have been taken in the week before as Princess Marina arrived in England only on Wednesday 21 November.
After her arrival, last minute adjustments and fittings were undertaken at the London salon of Molyneux. While much of Princess Marina's trousseau was made by Molyneux in Paris, the press assured the British that the wedding gown was made in London. If it was all done in Paris, then one UK reporter went to a lot of trouble to suggest the final fitting was in London.
The above could simply be a good yarn; nevertheless, most UK publications constantly reported that the dress was being (or was) made in London.
The reporter did not give a date for her spying, but I suspect that the fittings were done either on the Thursday or Friday after Princess Marina's arrival, and that the finished gown was probably available for the Princess early in the week of her wedding.
1
Responses « Back to index | View thread »