On a summer’s day in 1818, a young German
princess walked into one of the most famous hotels in London to
meet a man twice her age. Just a year earlier, Adelaide of
Saxe-Meiningen and her suitor, William, Duke of Clarence, would
never have considered chatting let alone taking the step that would
inevitably follow this brief exchange. But after a short time
together, with chaperones, of…
It was a quiet country affair, far
removed from the pomp and ceremony we’ve come to expect from royal
weddings. The setting was an English parish church, the regal guest
list only filled a couple of pews, and the bride walked in several
minutes late carrying her own train…
Banbury Cross is of course, synonymous
with local Oxfordshire folklore for many, because of the popular
rhyme which has a ‘fine lady’ riding to it on her cockhorse.
Indeed, this is the main reason why many people know of the
existence of the Cross at all. Far less known…
In addition to the private gifts
exchanged at royal weddings were also those public gifts given on
behalf of a nation. Either to accompany its native bride on her
marriage, or increasingly, to take the form of diplomatic presents,
such as the Sevres porcelain dinner service from the Government and
People of France for the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince
Philip, in 1947. A plate sometimes…
Royal wedding dresses aren’t just about
what the bride wants to wear. While the woman in white has a big
say in the design, her dream dress also has to fit the rather regal
occasion which will see her and her intended say ‘I do’. Autumn
Kelly and Zara Phillips both had…
It’s the cake that keeps on giving. The
flower strewn bake that took centre stage at the wedding of the
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on April 29th 2011 still makes its
presence felt with slices of it popping up at auction with what
seems like an almost metronomic…
Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, was
the first of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s children to wed and
she was also the first to contract a second marriage. For both
ceremonies, she chose striking outfits which would take their own
places in royal wedding history. Anne’s First Wedding Dress All
modern royal brides have an input into the design of their dress
and, as you would expect from a…
Some royal wedding dresses stand the test
of time, others are always very much of the era they were worn but
some are such instant hits that they take on a fame all of their
own. The gown worn by the Queen’s only sister, Princess Margaret,
for her wedding to…
The only daughter of the Queen and the
Duke of Edinburgh is known for her down to earth, no-nonsense
approach to life and in many ways, the flowers chosen by Princess
Anne for her wedding in 1973 to Captain Mark Phillips were that
attitude in petal form. As she became the…
The wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah
Ferguson, on July 23rd 1986, was really rather floral indeed. We
expect all brides to carry a bouquet but Sarah, unlike many women
in recent royal history, chose to wear flowers in her hair, too. As
she made her way into Westminster Abbey, this royal bride was
surrounded by petals and all of them had special meanings for a
very romantic wedding. Embed from…
