Express & Star

Romantic getaway to Dudley: When Royals spent their honeymoon at Himley Hall

Dreaming of spending your honeymoon in Dudley – or know anyone that is?

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The Daily Mirror - The Duke and Duchess of Kent leave Himley Hall. Images courtesy of the British Newspaper Archives and Sarah Haywood

Probably not! But it was once the destination of choice for a very popular Royal couple.

After getting married at Westminster Abbey in 1934, Prince George and Princess Marina of Greece – the Duke and Duchess of Kent – celebrated their new life together at our very own Himley Hall.

Village children's tribute to Duke and Duchess - Extract from the Express & Star at the time

Hearing the Royal couple were to spend their first post-wedding romantic getaway at the grand mansion, the former home to the Earls of Dudley, Black Country residents at the time, naturally, became very excited.

Thousands of people, lined the route from Birmingham to Wolverhampton, stretching more than ten miles to catch a glimpse of the Royal couple as they made the journey by car.

Keen historian and self-professed 'history influencer' Sarah Haywood, who works as a teaching assistant at Brierley Hill Primary School, has been researching the Royal holiday and shared her finds from the British Newspaper Archives with Express & Star readers.

The Duke and Duchess of Kent at Himley. The Illustrated London News

She said: "During their honeymoon at Himley Hall in 1934, the Duke and Duchess of Kent indulged in strolls through the picturesque estate.