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Monday, November 10, 2008

200,000 cheer Leopold & Astrid



November 10, 1926

More than 200,000 Belgians, "enthusiastic over the real romance", lined the streets of Brussels, cheering for their new Crown Princess.

Crown Prince Leopold of Belgium and Princess Astrid of Sweden were married today in a Roman Catholic service at the Church of SS Michael and Gudule. The church dates back to the 13th century.
The sun "shone brilliantly" throughout the day, and largely the entire population of Brussels piled into the streets to celebrate the marriage of their future king.

More than 9000 were present in the congregation, the largest-ever gathering in the medieval cathedral.
Female guests were requested not to wear black (mourning) or white ("too obtrusive.") Instead, the distaff guests were dressed in "harmonious pale shades of blue, mauve, maize or yellow." Women were given special permission by the church to not wear hats or cover their heads, although some guests chose to do so.

The first group of royals to arrive included the King and Queen of Denmark, the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg and her husband, Prince Felix, the Crown Prince of Norway, Princess Marie-José of Belgium, Prince and Princess Axel of Denmark, Prince Henry of Great Britain, the Count of Flanders, Prince Carl and Princess Martha of Sweden (the bride's brother and sister), Prince René of Bourbon-Parma (whose wife is a Danish princess), Prince and Princess Sixtus of Bourbon-Parma, Princess Ingrid of Sweden, and her brothers, the Dukes of Vasterbotten and Uppland, and her uncle, the Duke of Narke, Prince Xavier of Bourbon-Parma, Prince and Princess Bernadotte, and their sons, Counts Carl and Folke Bernadotte.

The bridal party was scheduled to arrive a few minutes after the first cortege. The congregation grew "restless and apprehensive" as the delay grew to 15 minutes, and then a half hour. Finally, at 11:35 a.m., "the roar of the voices outside gave notice" that the King and Queen and the bridal party were about to arrive.

The second cortege included three carriages. The first included the ladies and gentlemen of the court, King Albert and Queen Elisabeth, and their son, the Duke of Brabant were in the second carriage, and the third carriage conveyed the bride and her parents, Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg.

The bridal party was met by the Archbishop of Malines, who conducted the service.

Princess Astrid was "altogether charming in white, which always becomes her." She wore a Brussels lace veil, and her train was carried by four pages, all in white, "drawn from the families of the old Belgian nobility."

The wedding did not include the nuptial mass because the bride is Lutheran. She has agreed, however, to raise her children in the Roman Catholic faith.

The Duke of Brabant and his new duchess walked down the aisle to the strains of the Hallelujah Chorus. As the doors to the church opened, the crowds began to cheer, once more, for their handsome prince and his beautiful bride. At the palace, the couple did come out on the balcony, to more cheers.
 
A luncheon was held at the palace for the bride and groom and their families and witnesses. Later in the afternoon, the Duke and Duchess also attended a reception for more than 3000 guests.

The Duke and Duchess left the palace this evening at 6:00 p.m., in a car, and were believed to be en route to a chateau in the Ardennes to begin their honeymoon.

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