- Lord and Lady Ludlow in the grounds of Luton Hoo.
[Beds & Herts Monday Telegraph: September 29th, 1919]
The secret of Lord Ludlow and Lady Wernher, who were married at Christ Church, Mayfair, says The Star, was very well kept. Not a breath of the coming event reached any but the few immediately concerned, and the only people present at the ceremony [on Thursday, September 25th], apart from the bride and bridegroom, were Major H. A. Wernher, who gave his mother away, Miss Margaret Pryce and Lord Bledisloe (formerly Sir Charles Bathurst), who acted as best man. Major Wernher, it will be remembered, married Countess Zia Torby in 1917.
Lord Ludlow lost his first wife in 1911. She was the widow of the 7th Lord Howard de Walden and mother of the present peer – she died suddenly at Monte Carlo while putting on her hat. There is no heir to the peerage.
Lady Wernher is the widow of Sir Julius Wernher, who died in 1912, leaving £5 million, of which £1 million was left upon trust to Lady Wernher for life. The lady, in 1917, subscribed £2 million to the Victory Loan – probably the largest individual subscription of that kind on record – in memory of her son, Lieut A. P. Wernher (Welsh Guards), who was killed in action in 1916.
Lord Ludlow has the reputation of being the best dressed peer. He is a wealthy man, with two country seats – Heywood, Westbury, Wiltshire, and Lamport Hall, Northants – and a town house at 27 Portland Place. He is treasurer of Bart's Hospital and president of the Cancer Hospital.
From the National News: Lord Ludlow, who had just been quietly married to Lady Wernher, the enormously wealthy widow of the late Sir Julius Wernher, has been notably successful in he matrimonial market, and appears to have a penchant for widows. He first married the widow of the late Lord Howard de Walden, a beautiful and well-endowed woman, who died very suddenly about eight years ago.
The first Baron Ludlow was Lord Justice Loper. The present Lord Ludlow is a good-lloking, well-dressed man of about 54. He drives a four-in-hand well, and is extremely fond of hunting.
From the Weekly Dispatch: That women can keep a secret is proved by the fact that no-one knew anything of the wedding of Lady Wernher – probably the richest widow in the country – and Lord Ludlow, until it happened.
A most elaborate trousseau of mauve lingerie and purple gowns, combined with rare Venetian laces, sables and chinchilla, had been prepared by two famous firms, the heads of neither house having the least idea for what the wonderful clothes were wanted. The only one I the secret was the head dressmaker, who had since received a watch from Lady Ludlow.
[Lord Ludlow died on November 8th, 1922, following a riding accident in the Hoo grounds after returning from a meeting of the Hertfordshire Hounds, of which he was master.]