Princess Ann
Thursday 15th November 1973
I Obey
In a dark emergency November, a touch of summer for a young Princess.
Thirty-five year ago Princess Ann made this wedding vow "I obey." How many of us would make such a vow today? We're more relaxed, still conventional with our love of white wedding dresses and multiple-tiered wedding cakes but we've come a long way. Now weddings are fun and less stuffy.
Which conventions will you keep for your wedding and which will you break? Here's an interesting snippet from that cold November day when the economy wasn't doing too well.
Princess Grace of Monaco
'The most stunning woman there, we all agreed was Princess Grace of Monaco in a white mink hat and a magnificent loose off-white coat,' wrote Marje Proops. She went on to quote a guest "But guests shouldn't wear white at a wedding.it simply isn't done."
Will you wear white? I bet you will, it's a convention we all enjoy but I bet you won't be wearing mink nor will you be uttering such a snobbish phrase as '.it simply isn't done.'
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Beloved Child was Handed Over
Conventions like the mother of the bride having a little weep are not so easy to break In 1973 the Queen was seen as '.fighting back the tears.' But reading on we can see that moment described as 'that sad and private moment, when her own beloved child was handed over to someone else.' Can you imagine describing that today; a person being 'handed over' to another?
We can laugh now but the UK was like this in 1973 and was governed by convention and an extensive class system. The wedding dress was treated almost as another person with its own personality '.a regal gown of perfect simplicity,' '.getting all the attention was the pure silk gauze train,' and '.Medieval trumpet sleeves.'
All the above is captured by the Daily Mirror which contains some memorable images and swings from one extreme of 'coo-ing' over the dress, the Mother's emotions and then describing the trained police dogs looking for gelignite and reminding the country about petrol rationing and power-cuts.
Window into the Past
An original newspaper is a window on the past. It freezes time and gives clues to what our everyday life was in thought and deed. The above reports come from the Daily Mirror which also contains fascinating adverts for Parka Jackets for £3.25, Minceburgers, and an £8 pay offer for Fireman.
We can now invite our friends to view us over the internet, we can upload images in seconds, and we can even set up a Facebook group to keep us organised. But it's not real. It's not something you can have in your hand and keep and pass on to your family. Sometimes something as conventional as a newspaper is just perfect.
Historic Newspapers supply original newspapers for special dates in your life in a variety of impressive gift packs including the anniversary folder which contains a newspaper title of your choice for your special day and one for each of the couple's birthdates. All newspapers are 'refreshed' and come with a certificate of authenticity that can be personalised.
