Tragedy Dims Enthusiasm For Wedding

The Star-Sun, Nov 20, 1947. p.3

Joy and enthusiasm over the wedding of Princess Elizabeth has been completely overshadowed by the city's disastrous fire on Tuesday.

The Government has decided that there will be no celebrations and with some official exceptions, the flags of the city were today flown at halfmast.

Normally, Government buildings would have been draped with bunting and strings of flags, but in deference to the atmosphere of grief only single flags will be flown. As the Government officially represents the Crown, these will be at full mast.

Interest in the Royal wedding has been greatly reduced, and one woman said today that she had heard only one person make any reference to it, even to listening to the wedding broadcast.

The Dean of Christchurch (the Very Rev A. K. Warren), said that the bellringers of the Christchurch Cathedral had made arrangements to ring a peel in celebration of the wedding. This was to have been recorded for rebroadcasting, but in view of the city's tragedy, it had been cancelled.

Churches have offered special prayers and at the Durham Street Methodist Church a special intercessory period was observed at a farewell to Dr Irving Benson, of Melbourne.

"I do not think the people are even thinking about the wedding," was another opinion. "The great tragedy of the fire has overshadowed everything."