In wishing happiness to the Duke of Windsor and his bride on the occasion of their marriage it is inevit ible that thoughts should turn to the fateful event which made that union possible—His Royal Highness' Abdiation in December last. A few days ago his successor and beloved brother with his Queen underwent the most Solemn ritual of dedication on which tis pertinent to quote the words of Viscountess Rhondda who, as a parti cipant in the ceremony minster Abbey, thus recorded her impressions to "Time and Tide'
Mere and more, one found oneself gpusectng uidte® we ponto who pad ante they ain Wore paying Recognizing the services rendered by the Duke of Windsor to his former subjects and their country there. hho disposition "to. grudge him the private happiness which We has chosen to prefer to the more rigorous dis= Spline of Kingship. For the rest the hawly-marvied.palt's appeal for con= sideration Is. deserving) of respect. Both of them, in-an_capecla] sense, Fave paid and will continue 40. pay 2 certain price for" the" happinessd which they. now seck. Beyond the Dublie Is "which was determined when. the then King Edward VIL Bgnlfied his acceptance of the alternative to surrendering. the prospect fof martioge with the lady" of his Shoiee, no human competence rests in Siny but the man and. woman cone cerned to pass. judgment "on. thole decision. tu such matters the full {ruth ix known to their hearts atone, In the Duke and Duchess of Windsor' Hatement It is clear that reference nade to. certain unfortunate efforts mislead public opinion on. the Significance fof actionlca} clerieal—rendered_ necessary by "unprecedented circumstances "ure mischief alone can snyest that the Duke and his bride. Move. been subjected to persecution at the hands the Government just because the {ogleat conventions have had to be forced, "The. mischief 1s all" the fore irresponsible because it cannot bbe met by direct. contradiction from those who are chiefly assailed, Per~ haps it is sufficient to observe that if such perscettion had! been intended neither Mr. Hugh Lloyd Thomas, nor by, for example, could have sent at the wedding, even in capacity. As for the Church pronouncements they seem, on strict analysis, 10 be confined 10 bare" unanswerable assertions that the religious service, whatever its other merits may have been, could not "have the status of a solemnization such as is final and complete in itself, As the civil reg. {stration of the marriage preceded the service this defect was in no Way embarrassing to the married pair. Judgment should not be warped by the "Evening. Standard's" picturesque story of "humiliations" and "boycott" for Viscount Beaverbrook's prejudice: have been strongly marked in his newspapers handling of the episode. The Duke and Duchess, the Life which now lies before them, have the goodwill of all who recog:
ize the right of a man anda woman to readjust themselves to the Inealeulable influences of am emotional upheaval. "They should be permitted to work out their longed-for happiness and contentment of mind in the privacy which they have sought and earnestly claim.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.