Wedding of the Duke of Northumberland and Lady Elizabeth Montagu Douglas Scott

The Royal Family led British High Society to celebrate the Wedding of the Duke of Northumberland and Lady Elizabeth Montagu Douglas Scott at Westminster Abbey on this day in 1946, 80 years ago!

The Duke of Northumberland, son of the 8th Duke of Northumberland and Lady Helen Gordon-Lennox, married Lady Elizabeth Montagu Douglas Scott, daughter of the 8th Duke of Buccleuch and Mollie Lascelles, at Westminster Abbey, followed by a Reception at Admiralty House. Chips Channon recalled:

Drove up to London with John Perry, changed and eventually went to Hughie Northumberland’s very grand wedding in Westminster Abbey. All the duchesses seem to be in aquamarine blue. I noticed that Mollie Buccleuch curtsied to the King and Queen, and to Queen Mary, although she was practically on the altar!! The princesses were too plainly dressed! The Duchess of Kent magnificent.

Went on to the Admiralty where the reception was held. A queue of grand guests waited for an hour to get in: Mollie received us in her gay, intimate way. Hughie charming to me, and asked me upstairs later to watch him change. Elizabeth looked radiant. They are a sweet couple.

As I was talking with Laura Corrigan in the crowded drawing room Queen Mary emerged from a smaller room suddenly …. She came straight up to me, I bowed, and she asked: ‘How is your lovely house?’ We chatted for a second or so, but I was so surprised that I was tongue-tied. All old, grand, privileged England was at this grand affair, an alliance between two great houses.