OCTOBER 20, 1968 – NEWLY-WED MR. AND MRS. ARISTOTLE ONASSIS ENTERTAINED CLOSEFRIENDS AND RELATIVES WITH A CHAMPAGNE WEDDING BREAKFAST LASTINGUNTIL DAWN TODAY ABOARD THE GREEK MILLIONAIRE’S LUXURYYACHT, “CHRISTINA”, ANCHORED NEAR HIS PRIVATE ISLAND, SKORPIOS, INTHE IONIAN SEA. MRS. ONASSIS WAS, UNTIL HER WEDDING ON SKORPIOS YESTERDAY, MRS. JACQUELINE KENNEDY, WIDOW OF PRESIDENT JOHN F.KENNEDY, WHO WAS ASSASSINATED NEARLY SIX YEARS AGO.
UNINVITED NEWSMEN SCUFFLED WITH POLICE OUTSIDE THE TINY CHAPEL OFTHE LITTLE HOLY VIRGIN ON SKORPIOS YESTERDAY AS, WITHIN,WINE-DRINKING AND RITUAL DANCING MARKED THE COUPLE’S MARRIAGE. MRS.KENNEDY, A DEVOUT ROMAN CATHOLIC, WAS MARRIED ACCORDING TO GREEKORTHODOX RITES. HELICOPTERS, ARMED GUARDS, HARBOUR POLICE ANDGENDARMES IN BOATS PATROLLED AROUND THE ISLAND TO MAKE SURE THEWEDDING REMAINED PRIVATE.
IN SPITE OF THE PRECAUTIONS, SCORES OF NEWSMEN “GATECRASHED” THEWEDDING. ONLY 15 REPORTERS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS HAD BEEN OFFICIALLYFLOWN FROM ATHENS BY THE GREEK PRESS MINISTRY TO BE PRESENT AT THECEREMONY. ABOUT 50 UNINVITED NEWSMEN ARRIVED FROM A NEARBY ISLAND IN ROWING BOATS AND WADED ASHORE, BRUSHING ASIDE POLICEMEN WHOTRIED TO STOP THEM. THEY WERE FINALLY ALLOWED TO GATHER SHIVERINGIN THE RAIN-SOAKED COURTYARD OF THE CHAPEL.
THE RAIN WAS TAKEN AS A GOOD OMEN OF RICHES AND FERTILITY BY LOCALGREEKS. MRS. KENNEDY WORE A SOFT BEIGE TWO-PIECE WITH PLEATED SKIRTBUT CARRIED NO BOUQUET, HER DARK HAIR IN A SINGLE HEAVY BRAIDSECURED BY A WHITE RIBBON. MR. ONASSIS WORE A DARK BLUE SUIT WITHA RED TIE AND A SPRIG OF LEMON BLOSSOM IN HIS BUTTONHOLE. THE 30GUESTS INCLUDED PRESIDENT KENNEDY’S CHILDREN, JOHN AND CAROLINE.
AFTER THE CEREMONY, THE 62-YEAR-OLD MR. ONASSIS SIGNED A DOCUMENTPLEDGING THAT ANY CHILDREN BORN OF THE UNION WITH HIS 39-YEAR-OLDBRIDE WOULD BE BROUGHT UP IN THE GREEK ORTHODOX FAITH – IN DIRECTCONFLICT WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF MRS. ONASSIS’ FAITH THAT CHILDRENOF “MIXED MARRIAGES” BE BROUGHT UP AS ROMAN CATHOLICS. THE COUPLETHEN DROVE TO THE SHELTERED BAY WHERE THE “CHRISTINA” LAY TOANCHOR.
ON BOARD, 13 MAIDENS FROM THE NEIGHBOURING ISLAND OF LEFKAS, INNATIONAL COSTUME, SANG AND DANCED FOR THE WEDDING PARTY. FINALLY,MOST OF THE GUESTS LEFT AND A SHALL PRIVATE PARTY WAS HELD UNTILTHE EARLY HOURS OF THIS MORNING.
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