BRITISH CONSERVATISM AND THE PRIMROSE LEAGUE ... - ideals

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displayed throughout the course of the ceremony.
The bride had a bunch of primroses in her hair, and
the bridegroom wore his badge of office. The brides
maids--nine in number—were attired in costumes of
Primrose nun's veiling of British manufacture, with
hats to match; they each wore the badge of a dame of
the Primrose League, and a broach of primroses and
pearls, the gift of and specially designed by the
bridegroom; they also carried gilt fans, on which were
their diplomas, surrounded by wreaths of real
primroses, the gift also of the bridegroom. The guests
in the Church wore the badges of the League. At the
conclusion of the service, while the register was being
signed, the National Anthem was played on the organ.53
IV
As has been previously demonstrated, the Primrose League placed
a tremendous emphasis on the printed word, relying not only on its own
newspapers, leaflets, and Precepts for coverage, but also on a variety
of Conservative dailies and weeklies.
The late nineteenth century was
an age when many politicians were convinced loyalties could be won or
lost through the presentation of reading material.
An especially
interesting feature of the period, was the use of story, verse, and
advertisement as a means of maintaining a conservative subculture.
The material written for children is, in many respects, the
most revealing literature available for analysis since it addresses in
allegorical
fashion many of the issues most central to the doctrines of
the Primrose League.
A key feature of these tales is the conscientious
reworking of deferential relations in an effort to maintain the
53
England, 1 May 1886, p. 6.