by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

David and Wallis in 1934, the year their affair started; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 3, 1937, Prince Edward, Duke of Windsor (known as David) married Wallis Simpson at the Château de Candé in Monts, France, a 16th-century castle owned by Charles Bedaux, a ­­French-born, naturalized American industrial millionaire.

David’s Early Life

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Four Generations: Left to right: The future King George V (David’s father), Queen Victoria (David’s great-grandmother), David (the future King Edward VIII), the future King Edward VII (David’s grandfather), circa 1900

The future King Edward VIII was born on June 23, 1894, at White Lodge, Richmond Park on the outskirts of London. At the time of his birth, his great-grandmother Queen Victoria sat upon the throne of the United Kingdom. His parents, the future King George V and Queen Mary were the Duke and Duchess of York, and his grandparents, the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra were Prince and Princess of Wales. The infant prince was the eldest son of his parents and was third in the line of succession behind his grandfather and father. He was christened with a long string of names: Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David but in the family, he was known as David.

David and his brother, the future King George VI (called Bertie in the family), were raised by Frederick Finch, the nursery footman, and Henry Hansell, their tutor. Finch remained important in David’s life as he later became his valet and then his butler. David continued under Hansell’s instruction until 1907 when he enrolled at the Osborne Naval College. He did not enjoy his time there and after two years, he moved on to continue his studies at Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.

After his father succeeded to the throne in 1910 as King George V, David was the heir to the throne and his education intensified. He was withdrawn from his naval course before his formal graduation and served as a midshipman for three months aboard the battleship Hindustan. Next, he was enrolled at Magdalen College, Oxford, despite being intellectually underprepared. He left Oxford after eight terms without any academic qualifications.

When World War I started in 1914, David was eager to participate. He had joined the Grenadier Guards in June 1914 and was willing to serve on the front lines. Secretary of State for War Lord Kitchener refused because of the possibility that the heir to the throne could be captured by the enemy.

During the 1920s and the 1930s, David made several successful overseas tours. He was a popular prince and was admired for his fashion style and easy manner. Much to his father’s annoyance, David showed little interest in marrying and settling down. His father was disgusted by his affairs with married women and was reluctant to see him inherit the throne. King George V prophetically said, “After I am dead, the boy will ruin himself in 12 months.”

• For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: King Edward VIII, The Duke of Windsor

Wallis’ Early Life

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Wallis and her mother

Bessie Wallis Warfield was born on June 19, 1896, in Square Cottage at the Monterey Inn in Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland.  She was the only child of  Teackle Wallis Warfield and Alice Montague. Five months after Wallis’ birth, her father died of tuberculosis at the age of 27. Wallis and her mother were dependent on the charity of relatives until her mother remarried. Wallis’ uncle, her father’s brother, paid for her to attend the most expensive girls’ school in Maryland and she made friends with several girls from wealthy families.

When Wallis was 20, she married Earl Winfield Spencer, a U.S. Navy pilot. Allegedly, Spencer was abusive and an alcoholic. After several separations, the Spencers divorced in December 1927. Before her marriage was officially ended, Wallis became involved with Ernest Simpson, a shipping executive, who had been born in the United States but became a British citizen during World War I. Wallis and Ernest married in 1928.

• For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Wallis, Duchess of Windsor

Controversy and Abdication

Credit – Wikipedia

Through a friend, Consuelo Thaw, Wallis met Consuelo’s sister Thelma, Lady Furness, who was David’s mistress. In early 1931, Lady Furness introduced Wallis to David. Over the next several years, David and the Simpsons attended various house parties and other social events, and Wallis was presented at court. In January 1934, Wallis became David’s mistress.

On January 20, 1936, King George V died and David became King Edward VIII. He showed impatience with court protocol and caused concern by his disregard for established constitutional conventions. He was also completely enthralled by Wallis and was naively convinced that once she was free from her marriage, he would be able to marry her and she would be queen. Wallis divorced her second husband in October 1936. At that time, it was unthinkable that the Supreme Governor of the Church of England could marry a person who had been divorced not just once, but twice. David’s insistence on proceeding with these plans, despite advice to the contrary, provoked a government crisis.

David informed Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin that he would abdicate if he could not marry Wallis. Baldwin then presented the king with three choices: (1) give up the idea of marriage (2) marry against his ministers’ wishes (3) abdicate. It was evident that David was not prepared to give up Wallis and he knew that if he married against the advice of his ministers, he would cause the government to resign, prompting a constitutional crisis. He chose to abdicate.

David signed the Instrument of Abdication on December 10, 1936, in the presence of his brothers: Prince Albert, Duke of York, the heir to the throne who would succeed to the throne as King George VI; Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester; and Prince George, Duke of Kent. The next day, the last act of his reign was the royal assent to His Majesty’s Declaration of Abdication Act 1936, necessary because only Parliament can change the succession to the throne. On the evening of December 11, 1936, once again His Royal Highness Prince Edward, the former king gave his famous radio speech in which he said, “I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.”

Wedding Guests

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Left to right: Herman Rogers who gave Wallis away, Wallis, David, and Major Edward Dudley Metcalfe (Fruity), the best man

David had wanted his brothers Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Prince George, Duke of Kent along with his close friend and second cousin Lord Louis Mountbatten (the future 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma) to attend the ceremony but his brother King George VI forbade members of the royal family from attending. Instead, the marriage was witnessed by a small group of faithful friends. Major Edward Dudley Metcalfe, known as Fruity Metcalfe, David’s close friend and former equerry, served as best man. Wallis was given away by her friend Herman Rogers.

In addition to the guests listed below, fifteen servants, five newspaper reporters, and several local officials including the Mayor of Monts, France who performed the civil marriage ceremony, attended the wedding.

• George Allen (David’s solicitor)
• Charles and Fern Bedaux (hosts of the wedding)
• Randolph Churchill (journalist, writer, and politician, son of Sir Winston Churchill)
• Dudley Forwood (David’s equerry)
• W. C. Graham and Mrs. Graham (Graham was the British Consul at Nantes, France)
• Bessie Montague Merryman (Wallis’ maternal aunt, the only relative to attend the wedding)
• Major Edward Dudley Metcalfe (Fruity) and his wife Lady Alexandra Metcalfe (Fruity was
• David’s close friend and former equerry)
• Sir Walter Monckton (Attorney General of the Duchy of Cornwall, advisor to David during the abdication crisis)
• Herman and Katherine Rogers (Wallis’ friends)
• Baron Eugène Rothschild and his wife Baroness Rothschild (the Baroness, American-born Catherine “Kitty” Wolf, was Wallis’ friend, after his abdication, David stayed at the Rothschilds’ home in Austria)
• Lady Selby (wife of David’s friend Sir Walford Selby, British Ambassador to Austria)
• Hugh Lloyd Thomas (David’s former secretary, then First Secretary at the British Embassy in Paris)

Wedding Attire

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David wore a morning suit, with a wing collar, striped trousers, a black and white checkered cravat, and a white carnation in his lapel.

The bride wore a soft crepe dress with a tight, buttoned bodice in her signature color of “Wallis Blue,” a halo-shaped hat of the same color, matching shoes, and gloves. The dress was created by Mainbocher, a fashion label founded by the American couturier Main Rousseau Bocher. In 1950, Wallis presented the dress to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. More than 25 years after the wedding, the dress was still considered one of the most copied dresses in modern times. Wallis wore a glittering diamond and sapphire brooch and matching bracelet and earrings. She had a lavender orchid at her waist but carried no flowers.

The Wedding

Château de Candé in Monts, Indre-et-Loire, France; Credit – Wikipedia

On June 3, 1937, David married Wallis at the Château de Candé in Monts, France, a 16th-century castle owned by Charles Bedaux, a ­­French-born, naturalized American industrial millionaire.  Marcel Dupré, one of France’s leading organists, played the organ and the famous British photographer Cecil Beaton took the photographs.

A civil ceremony was required in France. It was performed in the green-paneled music room, the windows overlooking the beautiful Indre Valley. Four chairs for the bride, the groom, the best man, and the bride’s supporter had been placed before the marriage table, covered with a dark yellow cloth with large vases containing pink and white peonies at either end. The Mayor of Monts, Dr. Charles Mercier, also a physician, performed the civil ceremony. The mayor then made a speech, the register was signed and the civil ceremony was over in five minutes. During the civil service, Marcel Dupré, in an adjoining room, softly played music by Bach, Schumann, and one of his compositions.

When the Church of England refused to sanction the wedding, Reverend Robert Anderson Jardine, the Vicar of St Paul’s Church in Darlington, County Durham, England, offered to perform the ceremony. When Reverend Jardine returned home to Darlington, he soon became aware that he had performed an act that the Church of England could not accept. He was forced to resign his position, and under pressure, he left England and settled in California.

The religious service was held in the music room. An improvised altar of an oak chest was in an alcove of the room. At each end of the altar was a single yellow candle with a cross in the middle. David and his best man entered the room and awaited the bride. While Marcel Dupré played the march from Georg Friedrich Handel’s oratorio “Judas Maccabeus”, Wallis entered the room on the arm of her friend Herman Rogers. Reverand Jardine performed the traditional Church of England wedding ceremony. During the benediction, Marcel Dupre played “O Perfect Love”. Ironically, “O Perfect Love” was specially written by English composer Sir Joseph Barnby for the wedding of David’s paternal aunt Louise, Princess Royal, and Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife.  “O Perfect Love” remains a popular wedding anthem.

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After the wedding, the newlyweds led the guests to the terrace where the best man gave a champagne toast to the bride and groom’s happiness and long life together. The guests dined on a buffet luncheon of lobster, chicken a la king, salad, and strawberries. There was a three-foot-high wedding cake that the newlyweds cut together. More than 2,000 telegrams were delivered and were packed up to be taken on the honeymoon, to be read at the couple’s leisure.

At 6:25 PM, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor climbed into their limousine, driven by George Ladbrooke, the Duke’s chauffeur for seventeen years, for the drive to the train station. Ahead of them went 226 pieces of luggage, including 183 trunks. They went by train to Wasserleonburg Castle in Austria where they spent their three-month honeymoon.

Wallis’ Style and Title

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On December 12, 1936, at the accession meeting of the Privy Council, the new King George VI announced he was giving his brother the title Duke of Windsor with the style of Royal Highness. Letters Patent dated May 27, 1937 re-conferred the “title, style, or attribute of Royal Highness” upon the Duke of Windsor, but specifically stated that “his wife and descendants, if any, shall not hold said title or attribute”. This meant that Wallis would be styled as the wife of a duke, Her Grace The Duchess of Windsor, while her husband was styled His Royal Highness The Duke of Windsor.

The legality of King George VI’s Letters Patent stating that David’s style Royal Highness could not be extended to his wife or any children is doubtful. As the son of a British monarch, David was entitled to that style which should have automatically reverted to him upon his abdication without the need of Letters Patent and automatically extended to his legal wife and any legitimate children. David considered the holding back of the style Her Royal Highness from his wife unjust but out of respect for his brother, he never made a public issue. In their household, the Duchess of Windsor was always addressed as Royal Highness.

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Bocca, Geoffrey. (1954). The Woman Who Would Be Queen. New York: Rinehart & Company Inc.
• En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Wedding dress of Wallis Warfield. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_dress_of_Wallis_Warfield [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
• Flantzer, Susan. (2013). King Edward VIII, The Duke of Windsor. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/may-28-daily-featured-royal-date/ [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
• Flantzer, Susan. (2013). Wallis, Duchess of Windsor. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/april-24-daily-featured-royal-date/ [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
• Hallemann, Caroline. (2017). Inside the Wedding That Changed the British Royal Family Forever. [online] Town & Country. Available at: https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a9967591/wallis-simpson-prince-edward-wedding/ [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
• Higham, Charles. (1988). The Duchess of Windsor. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.
• Hough, Richard. (1991). Born Royal – The Lives and Loves of the Young Windsors. Leicester: Ulverscroft.
• Nytimes.com. (1937). Duke Weds Mrs. Warfield; They Start on Austrian Trip; Windsor and Bride Appeal to Press for Privacy–Wed in Simple Civil Ceremony at Chateau, Followed by Anglican Service. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1937/06/04/archives/duke-weds-mrs-warfield-they-start-on-austrian-trip-windsor-and.html?searchResultPosition=241 [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
• Nytimes.com. (1937). WINDSOR WEDDING TO HAVE 16 GUESTS; Britain Permits Several Who Hold Official Posts to Attend, but None of Royalty. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1937/05/27/archives/windsor-wedding-to-have-16-guests-britain-permits-several-who-hold.html?searchResultPosition=230 [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
• Rothman, Lily. and Ronk, Liz. (2017). Inside the Wedding That Shook the British Monarchy. [online] Time. Available at: https://time.com/4781342/wallis-edward-wedding-photos/ [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
• Staff Writers (2018). Flashback: A royal scandal, the marriage of Wallis and Edward.. [online] The Sydney Morning Herald. Available at: https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/flashback-a-royal-scandal-the-marriage-of-wallis-and-edward-20180514-p4zf5g.html [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

Photo Credit – The wedding of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester by and after Vandyk, hand-coloured bromide print, 6 November 1935, NPG x134883 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott were married on November 6, 1935, at the Private Chapel in Buckingham Palace in London, England. The wedding was originally set to be held at Westminster Abbey but the wedding venue was changed after the death of the bride’s father. John Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch died from cancer at Bowhill House in Selkirkshire, Borders, Scotland on October 19, 1935, less than three weeks before the wedding date. Because of the circumstances, it was deemed more appropriate to have the wedding at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace.

• • Unofficial Royalty: Private Chapel, Buckingham Palace in London, England

Henry’s Early Life

Henry with his siblings in 1912 (Front row) John, Mary and George (Back row) Albert, Henry and Edward; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Henry was the third son of the five sons and fourth of the six children of George, Duke of York (later King George V) and Victoria Mary of Teck (later Queen Mary). He was born on March 31, 1900, at York Cottage on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England. Henry attended St. Peter’s Court School in Kent and then Eton College near Windsor which was unusual for a royal child at that time. He also attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst and Trinity College, Cambridge. Henry had a military career in the British Army and served with The King’s Royal Rifle Corps and the 10th Royal Hussars. On his 28th birthday, his father King George V created him Duke of Gloucester.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester

Alice’s Early Life

Mary Theresa (née Montagu-Douglas-Scott), Lady Burghley; Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester by Lafayette bromide print, circa 1910 NPG Ax29354 © National Portrait Gallery, London

Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott was born on December 25, 1901, at Montagu House in Whitehall, London, England. She was the third daughter and the fifth of eight children of John Montagu Douglas Scott, 7th Duke of Buccleuch and 9th Duke of Queensberry and Lady Margaret Bridgeman, daughter of George Bridgeman, 4th Earl of Bradford. Alice’s father was the largest landowner in Scotland, and she was a descendant of King Charles II through an illegitimate line. Alice grew up in her family’s country homes home, Boughton House in Northamptonshire, England, Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland and Bowhill House near Selkirk, Scotland. She attended St. James’ School for Girls, in West Malvern, Worcestershire, England.

For more information, see Unofficial Royalty: Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Gloucester

The Engagement

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September 2, 1935: A royal gathering at Balmoral Castle on the occasion of the Duke of Gloucester’s engagement to Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott. From left to right: The Duchess of Buccleuch (Alice’s mother), King George V, Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Queen Mary

Both Prince Henry and Lady Alice were older than usual when they married. Henry was 35-years-old and Alice was nearly 34-years-old. Henry’s eldest brother David (the future King Edward VIII and later Duke of Windsor) was also not married and his parents had given up hope. David encouraged Henry’s bachelorhood because it made him feel more comfortable about not being the only single sibling. He also encouraged Henry’s travels which kept him out of any serious relationship. In the early 1930s, most of Henry’s friends thought he had his eye on Lady Alice and that Henry would have courted her if he would settle down.

Pressured by his parents, Prince Henry decided it was time to settle down and started to seriously court Lady Alice, sister of one of his best friends Lord William Montagu Douglas Scott. In May 1935, after an extended stay with an uncle in Kenya, Alice returned home due to her father’s illness and the couple started to see quite a lot of each other. Henry and Alice were staying at Windsor Castle with Queen Mary while King George V, who was ill, was staying at Sandringham. Henry wrote to his father: “I saw Alice Scott several times & met her out riding each morning. I think Mama liked her.” George V replied quickly to his son, a surprise considering his health situation, “Mama thought Alice Scott very nice, glad you saw something of her at Windsor.”

While walking his dogs with Alice at Richmond Park, Henry finally proposed. Alice later wrote in her memoirs: “There was no formal declaration on his part, I think he just muttered it as an aside…nor was there any doubt about my acceptance. I was thirty-four, so I had had a very good innings. Apart from my great happiness in getting married, I felt too that it was time I did something useful with my life.”

King George V wrote to Alice’s father: “I must send you a line to say how delighted the Queen and I are that my son Harry is engaged to be married to your third daughter…Our families have known each other for many generations now, that it gives me great pleasure to think that they will be more closely connected still.”

Sadly, Alice’s father would not live to see her wedding day and Henry’s father would die ten weeks after the wedding.

The Wedding Site

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The Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace was created by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1844 in what had originally been a conservatory. Queen Victoria was delighted with the result, supervised by Prince Albert, and described it as “beautiful” and “exceedingly restrained”. During World War II, the Private Chapel was damaged by bombing and was later incorporated into The Queen’s Gallery. In 1889, the wedding of Henry’s aunt Louise, Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife was the first wedding to take place at the Private Chapel in Buckingham Palace.

• Unofficial Royalty: Private Chapel, Buckingham Palace in London, England

Bridesmaids and Supporters

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Left to right, back row: Clare Phipps, The Duke of York (later George VI), Lady Elizabeth Montagu Douglas Scott, the groom and the bride, Lady Angela Montagu Douglas Scott, The Prince of Wales (later Edward VIII), and Moyra Montagu Douglas Scott. Left to right, front row: Lady Mary Cambridge, Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II), Princess Margaret of York and Anne Hawkins

Supporters:

Henry’s two eldest brothers The Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VIII, later the Duke of Windsor) and The Duke of York (the future King George VI) served as his supporters.

Bridesmaids:

• Princess Elizabeth of York, the groom’s niece, the future Queen Elizabeth II
• Princess Margaret of York, the groom’s niece, married Antony Armstrong-Jones, later 1st Earl of Snowdon
• Lady Mary Cambridge, the groom’s first cousin once removed, daughter of George Cambridge, 2nd Marquess of Cambridge (nephew of Queen Mary), married Peter Whitley
• Lady Angela Montagu Douglas Scott, the bride’s sister, married Vice-Admiral Sir Peter Dawnay
• Lady Elizabeth Montagu Douglas Scott, the bride’s niece, daughter of Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 8th Duke of Buccleuch, married Hugh Percy, 10th Duke of Northumberland
• Anne Hawkins, the bride’s niece, daughter of Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott and Admiral Sir Geoffrey Hawkins, married Commander Michael Edward St. Quintin Wall
• Clare Phipps, the bride’s niece, daughter of Lady Sybil Montagu Douglas Scott and Charles Phipps, married David Hadow
• Moyra Montagu Douglas Scott, the bride’s first cousin, daughter of Lord Francis Montagu Douglas Scott, married Colonel David Smiley

Wedding Attire

‘The Royal Wedding’ (Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester; Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester) by Vandyk, published by J. Beagles & Co bromide postcard print, 6 November 1935 NPG x197272 © National Portrait Gallery, London

The groom looked splendid in the blue and gold uniform of the 10th Royal Hussars with the sash and star of the Order of the Garter and black-topped boots. The Prince of Wales wore the uniform of a colonel of the Welsh Guard and the Duke of York wore the uniform of a colonel of the Scots Guards. The bridesmaids wore simple satin dresses with golden satin sashes.

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Alice’s wedding dress was designed by Norman Hartnell, the first of many designs for the women of the British royal family. What was most striking about Alice’s dress was the color. It was not the traditional white but pink. Hartnell described the color as “glimmer of pearl” while others called it “blush pink” or simply “blush-colored.” Alice wanted a simple dress and Hartnell did as he was told. The dress was a modest, simple design, with long, narrow sleeves and a high neckline draped into a nosegay of artificial orange-blossom. The cathedral train was appropriate for the intended setting, Westminster Abbey.

Alice wore a pearl necklace, pearl stud earrings. Her tulle veil was held in place by a crystal headdress specially made for the day, instead of a tiara. The bridal bouquet was of white roses and lilies of the valley with a sprig of myrtle grown from a sprig taken from Queen Victoria’s wedding bouquet. Every royal bride has since carried a sprig of the myrtle for good luck.

The Wedding

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The bride on the way to Buckingham Palace

Henry had breakfast with his parents and from the windows of the palace, they saw that the crowds were already lined up ten deep. Crowds also gathered near Alice’s family home in London, in Grosvenor Place hoping to get a glimpse of her.

The Private Chapel was decorated with hundreds of white flowers. Two gold vases full of lilies stood at the altar. The communion rails had garlands made from lilies, white heather, orange blossoms, roses, and narcissus. Flowers six feet high decorated the pillars.

Waiting in the Private Chapel were about 120 guests, far fewer than there would have been in Westminster Abbey. King George V and Queen Mary (the groom’s parents), Queen Maud of Norway (the groom’s aunt), King George II of Greece (the groom’s second cousin), the Duke of Kent (the groom’s brother), the Duchess of York (the groom’s sister-in-law, the future Queen Elizabeth, wife of King George VI) and The Princess Royal (the groom’s sister Mary) sat on the right side of the altar. Behind them sat the three surviving children of Queen Victoria: Arthur, Duke of Connaught, Princess Louise, and Princess Beatrice, along with Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden (the future King Gustaf VI Adolf), and Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood (husband of The Princess Royal) and his two sons (the groom’s nephews). On the opposite side sat Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 8th Duke of Buccleuch and his wife Vreda (the bride’s brother and sister-in-law) and Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott, Dowager Duchess of Buccleuch (the bride’s mother). Behind them sat other relatives and members of the Cabinet.

Alice accompanied by her brother Walter Montagu Douglas Scott, 8th Duke of Buccleuch, taking the place of his recently deceased father, rode in the Glass Coach to Buckingham Palace. After arriving at the palace, they met the bridesmaids in the Drawing Room and walked in a procession to the Private Chapel where the groom was waiting with his two eldest brothers.

The service was conducted by Cosmo Gordon Lang, Archbishop of Canterbury, Arthur Winnington-Ingram, Bishop of London, and Arthur Maclean, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church. After the hymn “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven” was sung, the Archbishop of Canterbury led the couple through their wedding vows. The Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church prayed for God’s blessing upon the couple. Then the Archbishop of Canterbury gave a short address, followed by his benediction. While Felix Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” was played, the newlyweds proceeded to the adjacent household drawing-room to sign the wedding register.

After the Wedding

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Left to right: Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, King George V, Queen Maud of Norway (the king’s sister), The Duke Of Gloucester, The Duchess of Gloucester, and Queen Mary

After the signing of the wedding register, the royal party proceeded to the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Tremendous cheers greeted the newlyweds. When King George V and Queen Mary appeared the cheers were renewed. The crowd was especially delighted at the appearance of Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. The new Duchess of Gloucester waved repeatedly to the crowd before leaving the balcony. Queen Maud, The Princess Royal, the Duchess of York, and other members of the royal family also appeared on the balcony.

The wedding breakfast was very simple. The guests were seated at twelve round tables decorated with gold vases filled with roses, chrysanthemums, heather, and mimosa. The bride and groom sat with King George V, Queen Mary, and Princess Elizabeth of York. King George V made a short toast to the health of the bride and groom.

After the wedding breakfast, the bride and groom were taken by carriage to St. Pancras Station in London. Along the way, the streets were crowded with well-wishers. The train took them to Kettering, Northamptonshire, England where they spent their honeymoon at Boughton House, one of the seats of the Duke of Buccleuch.

Boughton House; Credit – By Euan Myles – Euan Myles Photography, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.w.ikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52799330

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.

Works Cited

• Bowles, Hamish. (2018). The Royal Bride Who Wore Pink. [online] Vogue. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/article/the-royal-bride-who-wore-pink-princess-alice-duchess-of-gloucester [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
• En.wikipedia.org. (2019). Wedding dress of Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_dress_of_Lady_Alice_Montagu_Douglas_Scott [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
• Flantzer, S. (2014). Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/princess-alice-duchess-of-gloucester/ [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
• Flantzer, Susan. (2013). Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. [online] Unofficial Royalty. Available at: https://www.unofficialroyalty.com/june-10-daily-featured-royal-date/ [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
• Hough, Richard. (1991). Born Royal – The Lives and Loves of the Young Windsors. Leicester: Ulverscroft.
• Nytimes.com. (1935). WEDDING BELLS FOR ANOTHER ROYAL SON; Duke of Gloucester’s Marriage Leaves the Prince of Wales Alone Unwed ANOTHER ROYAL SON TO WED The Marriage of the Duke of Gloucester Will Leave the Prince of Wales Alone a Bachelor. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1935/11/03/archives/wedding-bells-for-another-royal-son-duke-of-gloucesters-marriage.html?ref=oembed [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
• Orderofsplendor.blogspot.com. (2011). Wedding Wednesday: Alice, Duchess of Gloucester’s Gown. [online] Available at: http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com/2011/11/wedding-wednesday-alice-duchess-of.html [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].
• Pope-Hennessy, James. (1959). Queen Mary, 1867-1953. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
• Trove. (1935). ROYAL WEDDING – QUIET CEREMONY IN PALACE CHAPEL LONDON REGRETS LACK OF PAGEANTRY CROWDS CHEER HAPPY COUPLE LONDON, Nov. 6. – The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1957) – 7 Nov 1935. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/11852400 [Accessed 27 Oct. 2019].

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2019

The Marriage of Princess Louise of Wales with the Duke of Fife at Buckingham Palace, 27th July 1889 by Sydney Prior Hall; Credit – Royal Collection Trust

The painting above depicts the couple kneeling at the altar, Behind them, from right to left: The Prince of Wales; Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine; Queen Victoria; The Princess of Wales and her brothers King George I of Greece, and Crown Frederik of Denmark

On July 27, 1889, in the Private Chapel of Buckingham Palace in London, England, Princess Louise of Wales (later The Princess Royal), the eldest daughter of The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), married Alexander Duff, then the 6th Earl Fife, later 1st Duke of Fife.

• Unofficial Royalty: Private Chapel, Buckingham Palace in London, England

Louise’s Early Life

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Princess Louise of Wales was born on February 20, 1867, at her parents’ London home, Marlborough House. She was the third of the six children and the eldest of the three daughters of The Prince of Wales, the future King Edward VII, and The Princess of Wales, born Princess Alexandra of Denmark. Louise was the granddaughter of two monarchs, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and King Christian IX of Denmark.

Unlike their beautiful mother, Louise and her sisters Victoria and Maud were not considered attractive and had the rather unpleasant nickname of “The Hags.” Their education was minimal although they had been taught music. In public, the sisters appeared shy and did not want to be noticed or have others talk about them. In private, they were less inhibited and took part in the family tradition of practical jokes. Every summer, the whole family went to Denmark, the homeland of Louise’s mother, where relatives from all parts of Europe gathered.

Alexandra was extremely possessive of her children and prolonged their childhood far past the norm. For example, Louise, at age 19, was given a child’s birthday party. While Louise and Maud married, their sister Victoria was not allowed to marry so that she could serve as a companion to her mother.

To learn more about Louise, see Unofficial Royalty: Princess Louise, Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife

Alexander’s Early Life

Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, 1889; Credit – Wikipedia

Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on November 10, 1849. He was the only son of James Duff, 5th Earl Fife and Lady Agnes Hay, daughter of William Hay, 18th Earl of Erroll and Lady Elizabeth FitzClarence, an illegitimate daughter of King William IV and his mistress Dorothea Jordan. Alexander had two older sisters and two younger sisters. When Alexander’s father became 5th Earl Fife in 1857, he was able to use the courtesy title Viscount Macduff, and Macduff became his nickname. Alexander was educated at Eton College.

In 1874, Alexander was elected to Parliament as a Liberal Party member for the Scottish constituency Elginshire and Nairnshire. He remained in Parliament until his father’s death in 1879 when he became the 6th Earl Fife and then had a seat in the House of Lords.

About Alexander Duff’s Titles

Alexander was married as the 6th Earl Fife. Two days after the wedding, Queen Victoria created him Duke of Fife and Marquess of Macduff in the County of Banff in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The Letters Patent contained the standard remainder that the peerages were to be inherited by the “heirs male of his body”. Alexander and Louise had two daughters. When it appeared that they would have no more children and Alexander’s peerages would be extinct upon his death, Queen Victoria issued another Letters Patent. The Queen once again created Alexander Duke of Fife and Marquess of Macduff but with the remainder that in default of a male heir, these peerages would pass to the daughters of the 1st Duke and then to their male descendants.

When Alexander died in 1912, all his titles created before the 1900 titles became extinct because there was no male heir, and his elder daughter Alexandra became 2nd Duchess of Fife in her own right. Because her son and only child predeceased her, upon Alexandra’s death in 1959, James Carnegie, her nephew, the son of her sister Maud, became the 3rd Duke of Fife. When Carnegie’s father died in 1992, he became the 12th Earl of Southesk.

To learn more about Alexander, see Unofficial Royalty: Alexander Duff, 1st Duke of Fife

The Engagement

Louise and Alexander in 1889; Credit – Wikipedia

Despite her mother’s possessiveness and her grandmother’s matchmaking, Louise decided that she wanted to marry for love. She preferred to marry a British subject rather than a European prince that would take her away from home and so, like her aunt Princess Louise who had married the future 9th Duke of Argyll, she chose a husband from the British aristocracy, Alexander Duff, then the 6th Earl Fife. Louise and Alexander were third cousins via their mutual descent from King George III. Alexander’s descent was via the long-time relationship of King George III’s third son, the future King William IV, with actress Dorothea Jordan by whom he had ten children who married into the British aristocracy. Alexander was eighteen years older than Louise. He was a close friend of Louise’s father The Prince of Wales who was only eight years older than Alexander. Alexander was a regular companion of the Prince and frequently went shooting with Louise’s father and brothers so he was someone Louise saw often.

When Louise’s grandmother Queen Victoria arrived at Sandringham to discuss a potential engagement with Louise’s parents, she was met by Louise who tearfully explained that if she was not allowed to marry Alexander, she would die an old maid. Queen Victoria, who had known Alexander since childhood, explained that as her grandmother and sovereign, she had to spend some time with her potential groom before deciding about the marriage. Queen Victoria was partial to Scotsmen and when she spent some time with Alexander, she approved the marriage.

Queen Victoria recorded in her journal on June 27, 1889, that she had officially given her approval to the marriage. On that same day, she wrote a letter to Alexander: “…I love my granddaughters dearly and they are like my own children: their happiness is very near my heart. Dear Louise, will, I am sure, be happy with you, whom I have known and liked since childhood. That my dear beloved grandchild should have her home in Scotland and in the dear Highlands is an additional satisfaction to me.” She signed the letter “your very affectionate future Grandmama.”

The Wedding Site

Buckingham Palace: The Private Chapel 1843-4 by Douglas Morrison; Credit – Royal Collection Trust

The Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace was created by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1844 in what had originally been a conservatory. Queen Victoria was delighted with the result, supervised by Prince Albert, and described it as “beautiful” and “exceedingly restrained”. During World War II, the Private Chapel was damaged by bombing and was later incorporated into The Queen’s Gallery. The wedding of Princess Louise of Wales was the first wedding to take place at the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace.

Wedding Guests

Royal Guests

• Queen Victoria, grandmother of the bride
• The Prince of Wales, father of the bride, the future King Edward VII
• The Princess of Wales, mother of the bride, born Princess Alexandra of Denmark
• Prince Albert Victor of Wales, brother of the bride
• Prince George of Wales, brother of the bride, the future King George V
• Princess Victoria of Wales, sister of the bride
• Princess Maud of Wales, sister of the bride
• Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, Princess Helena, aunt of the bride
• Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, uncle of the bride
• Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, first cousin of the bride
• Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein, first cousin of the bride
• Prince Christian Victor of Schleswig-Holstein, first cousin of the bride
• Prince Albert of Schleswig-Holstein, first cousin of the bride
• Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lome, aunt of the bride
• John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, uncle of the bride
• Princess Henry of Battenberg, Princess Beatrice, aunt of the bride
• Prince Henry of Battenberg, uncle of the bride
• Princess Frederica of Hanover, Baroness von Pawel Rammingen, second cousin once removed of the bride
• Baron Alfons Von Pawel Rammingen, husband of Princess Frederica of Hanover
• Prince George, Duke of Cambridge, first cousin twice removed of the bride
• Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, Duchess of Teck, first cousin twice removed of the bride
• Prince Francis, Duke of Teck, husband of Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge
• Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, second cousin once removed of the bride and her future sister-in-law
• Prince Francis of Teck, second cousin once removed of the bride, the future Queen Mary, wife of King George V
• Prince Alexander of Teck, second cousin once removed of the bride
• Prince Edward of Saxe- Weimar
• Princess Edward of Saxe-Weimar, born Lady Augusta Gordon-Lennox
• Prince Victor of Hohenlohe, first cousin once removed of the bride
• Princess Victor of Hohenlohe, born Laura Williamina Seymour
• Countess Feodore Gleichen, second cousin of the bride
• Countess Victoria Gleichen, second cousin of the bride
• Countess Helen Gleichen, second cousin of the bride
• Count Gleichen, second cousin of the bride
• King George I of Greece, uncle of the bride, born Prince Vilhelm of Denmark
• Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, widower of Princess Alice, uncle of the bride
• Crown Prince Fredrik of Denmark, first cousin of the bride, the future King Frederik VIII of Denmark
• Ernst, Hereditary Prince of Hohenlohe Langenburg, second cousin of the bride, the future
• Ernst II, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg

The Queen’s Household

• Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch, Mistress of the Robes
• Eliza Hay, Countess of Erroll, Lady of the Bedchamber in Waiting
• The Honorable Emily Cathcart, Woman of the Bedchamber
• Miss Ina McNeill, Woman of the Bedchamber
• The Honorable Evelyn Paget, Maid of Honor in Waiting
• The Honorable Marie Adeane, Maid of Honor in Waiting
• William Edgcumbe, 4th Earl of Mount-Edgcumbe, Lord Steward
• Edward Bootle-Wilbraham, 1st Earl of Lathom, Lord Chamberlain
• William Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland, Master of the Horse
• General Sir Henry Ponsonby, Private Secretary and Keeper of the Privy Purse
• William Pleydell-Bouverie, 5th Earl of Radnor, Treasurer of the Household
• Lord Arthur Hill, Comptroller of the Household
• William Legge, Viscount Lewisham, Vice-Chamberlain
• Field-Marshal Sir Patrick Grant, Gold Stick in Waiting
• William Pery, 3rd Earl of Limerick, Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard
• Major-General Sir John Cowell, Master of the Household
• General Lord de Ros, Lord in Waiting
• Major Sir F. I. Edwards, Groom in Waiting
• Colonel The Honorable H. W. J. Ryng, Equerry in Waiting
• The Honorable W. Carrington, Equerry in Waiting
• Colonel The Honorable O. Montagu, Silver Stick in Waiting
• Colonel H. H. D. Stracey, The Field Officer in Brigade Waiting
• The Honorable Sir S. Ponsonby Fane, Comptroller in the Lord Chamberlain’s Department
• Mr. Conway Seymour, Gentleman Usher in Waiting
• Mr. E. H. Anson, Gentleman Usher in Waiting
• Mr. Arnold Royle, Gentleman Usher in Waiting
• Captain C. G. Nelson, Gentleman Usher in Waiting
• The Honorable Henry Stonor, Gentleman Usher in Waiting

Attendants to Other Royalty

• Charles Harbord, 5th Baron Suffield, Lord in Waiting to The Prince of Wales
• General Sir Dighton M. Probyn, Comptroller and Treasurer to The Prince of Wales
• Sir Francis Knollys, Private Secretary to The Prince of Wales
• Major-General Arthur Ellis, Equerry in Waiting to The Prince of Wales
• Charles Colville, 1st Viscount Colville of Culross, Chamberlain to The Princess of Wales
• Lady Emily Kingscote, Lady of the Bedchamber to The Princess of Wales
• Miss Charlotte Knollys, Woman of the Bedchamber to The Princess of Wales
• Captain Holford, Equerry in Waiting to Prince Albert Victor
• The Honorable Mrs. J. M. Stopford, Lady in Waiting to Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
• Lieutenant-Colonel The Honorable C. G. C. Eliot, Equerry in Waiting to Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
• Lady Sophia Macnamara, Lady in Waiting to Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne
• Lieutenant-Colonel Arthur Collins, Comptroller and Equerry to Princess Louise, Marchioness of Lorne
• The Honorable Lady Biddulph, Lady in Waiting to Princess Henry of Battenberg
• Colonel J. Clerk, Equerry in Waiting to Prince Henry of Battenberg
• Miss Trotter, Lady in Attendance to Princess Frederica of Hanover, Baroness von Pawel Rammingen
• Major-General R. Bateson, Equerry in Waiting to Prince George, Duke of Cambridge
• The Honorable Mary Thesiger, Lady in Waiting to Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, Duchess of Teck
• Captain Edgar Sebright, Equerry in Waiting to Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, Duchess of Teck
• Colonel E. Hadjipetros, Gentleman in Waiting to King George I of Greece
• Charles Marsham, 4th Earl of Romney, Lord in Waiting to The Queen in Attendance on King George I of Greece
• Baron Grancy, Equerry to Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine
• Lord E. Pelham Clinton, Groom in Waiting to The Queen in Attendance on Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine
• Captain Bull, Equerry to Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark
• Colonel Stanley Clark, Equerry to The Prince of Wales in Attendance on Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark

Other Guests

• George Cadogan, 5th Earl Cadogan and Beatrix Cadogan, Countess Cadogan
• Charles Gordon-Lennox, 6th Duke of Richmond and his daughter Lady Caroline Gordon-Lennox
• William Beauclerk, 10th Duke of St. Albans and Grace Beauclerk, Duchess of St. Albans
• William Montagu Douglas Scott, 6th Duke of Buccleuch
• George Campbell, 8th Duke of Argyll and Amelia Campbell, Duchess of Argyll
• Anne Murray, Dowager Duchess of Atholl
• Susanna Innes-Ker, Dowager Duchess of Roxburghe
• James Innes-Ker, 7th Duke of Roxburghe and Anne Innes-Ker, Duchess of Roxburghe
• Winifred Cavendish-Bentinck, Duchess of Portland
• William Montagu, 7th Duke of Manchester and Louisa Montagu, Duchess of Manchester
• James Hamilton, 2nd Duke of Abercorn and Mary Anna Hamilton, Duchess of Abercorn
• Hugh Grosvenor, 1st Duke of Westminster and Katherine Grosvenor, Duchess of Westminster
• Christian de Falbe, Danish Ambassador and Madame de Falbe
• The Greek Ambassador
• Schomberg Kerr, 9th Marquess of Lothian and Victoria Kerr, Marchioness of Lothian
• Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, Prime Minister and Georgina Gascoyne-Cecil, Marchioness of Salisbury
• Charles Vane-Tempest-Stewart, 6th Marquess of Londonderry and Theresa Vane-Tempest-Stewart, Marchioness of Londonderry
• Spencer Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington
• Lady Geraldine Somerset
• William Hay, 19th Earl of Erroll
• Alice Douglas, Dowager Countess of Morton
• Archibald Primrose, 5th Earl of Rosebery and Hannah Primrose, Countess of Rosebery
• Thomas Parker, 6th Earl of Macclesfield and Mary Frances Parker, Countess of Macclesfield
• John Poyntz Spencer, 5th Earl Spencer and Charlotte Spencer, Countess Spencer
• John Scott, 4th Earl of Clonmell
• Archibald Acheson, 4th Earl of Gosford and Louisa Acheson, Countess of Gosford
• Adelbert Brownlow-Cust, 3rd Earl Brownlow and Adelaide Brownlow-Cust, Countess Brownlow
• Granville Leveson-Gower, 2nd Earl Granville and Marie Louise Leveson-Gower, Countess Granville
• Thomas Coke, 2nd Earl of Leicester and Georgina Coke, Countess of Leicester
• Charles Noel, 3rd Earl of Gainsborough and Augusta Noel, Countess of Gainsborough
• John Townshend, 1st Earl Sydney and Emily Sydney, Countess Sydney
• Lord A. Somerset
• Lord and Lady Randolph Churchill
• Lady Agnes Townshend
• Lady Alfred Paget
• Lady Colville of Culross
• Lady Suffield
• Dowager Lady Churchill
• Lord De L’Isle and Dudley
• Lord and Lady Vivian
• Lord Rowton
• Lord and Lady Rothschild
• Lord and Lady Wantage
• Admiral of the Fleet The Honorable Sir Henry Keppel
• The Honorable Mrs. Robert Bruce
• The Honorable A. T. and Mrs. Fitzmaurice
• Captain The Honorable North and Mrs. Dalrymple
• The Honorable Lady Ponsonby Fane
• The Honorable R. Meade
• The Honorable Lady Hardinge
• The Honorable Julia Stonor
• The Honorable H. Tyrwliitt Wilson
• The Honorable Lady Knollys
• The Honorable Mrs. Ellis
• The Honorable Horatia Stopford
• The Honorable Harriet Phipps
• William Ewart Gladstone, former Prime Minister, and Mrs. Gladstone
• G. J. and Mrs. Goschen
• The Honorable Lady Ponsonby
• W. H. and Mrs. Smith
• Henry Matthews
• Sir C. L. Wyke
• Lady Cowell
• Lady Scott and Miss Scott
• General Sir F. Seymour, Baronet
• Sir Prescott Hewett, 1st Baronet, Serjeant-Surgeon to Queen Victoria
• Sir William Jenner, 1st Baronet, Physician in Ordinary to Queen Victoria and to the Prince of Wales
• Sir James Paget, 1st Baronet, Surgeon Extraordinary to Queen Victoria
• Sir William Gull, 1st Baronet, Physicians-in-Ordinary to Queen Victoria
• Sir Frederick Leighton, 1st Baronet, painter and sculptor
• Sir Theodore Martin, Scottish poet, biographer, and translator.
• Sir Henry Acland, Physicians-in-Ordinary to Queen Victoria
• Lady Probyn
• Colonel Sir George Maude, Crown Equerry to Queen Victoria.
• Colonel Sir N. Kingscote
• Major-General Sir C. Teesdale
• Sir Oscar Clayton, Extra Surgeon-in-Ordinary to the Prince of Wales
• Sir Arnold White, Solicitor to Queen Victoria
• Mr. E. Beck
• Mr. Henry Calcraff
• Reverend A. Campbell, Vicar of Crathie Church near Balmoral in Scotland
• Mrs. Stanley Clarke
• Reverend Canon Robinson Duckworth, former tutor to Prince Leopold
• Reverend Canon John Neale Dalton, chaplain to Queen Victoria and tutor to Prince Albert Victor of Wales and Prince George of Wales
• Dr. Evans
• Major Wynne Finch
• Mr. Frederick Gibbs, former tutor to The Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred
• Mrs. Hervey
• Mr. C. Hal
• Mr. M. Holzmann
• Reverend B. Jackson
• Francis Laking, Physician-in-Ordinary to The Prince of Wales
• Mr. W. Leslie
• Reverend J. Mitchell
• Miss Mitchell
• Mr. Mackenzie of Kintail
• Mr. A. Montgomery
• Mr. A. H. A. Morton
• Mr. M. Muther
• Fraulein Noedel, tutor to Princess Louise and her sisters
• Dr. Alexander Profeit, Commissioner of Works at Balmoral Castle
• Dr. Quain
• Dr. James Reid, Physician in Ordinary to Queen Victoria
• Mr. Reuben Sassoon, banker
• Reverend Edgar Sheppard, Sub-Dean of the Chapels Royal
• Captain H. F. Stephenson
• Mr. C. Sykes
• Signer Tosti, composer of romantic and drawing-room songs
• Mademoiselle Vauthier, governess to Princess Louise and her two sisters
• Captain G. A. and Lady Cecilia Webbe

Bridesmaids and Supporters

Left to Right Standing: Princess Victoria of Wales; Duke of Fife; Princess Louise; Princess Victoria Mary of Teck; Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein; Countess Feodore Gleichen. Seated: Princess Maud of Wales; Countess Helena Gleichen; Countess Victoria Gleichen; Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein; Credit – Royal Collection Trust

Mr. Horace Farquhar, a friend of the groom, was the groom’s supporter and best man. He was created Baron Farquhar in 1890, Viscount Farquhar in 1917, and Earl Farquhar in 1922.

The bride was supported by her father The Prince of Wales and had eight bridesmaids, all relatives of the bride.

• Princess Victoria of Wales, sister of the bride, unmarried
• Princess Maud of Wales, sister of the bride, married King Haakon VII of Norway
• Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, first cousin of the bride, unmarried
• Princess Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein, first cousin of the bride, married Prince Aribert of Anhalt, marriage dissolved
• Princess Victoria Mary of Teck, the future Queen Mary, wife of King George V, second cousin once removed of the bride and her future sister-in-law
• Countess Feodore Gleichen, second cousin of the bride, unmarried
• Countess Victoria Gleichen, second cousin of the bride, married Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Machell
• Countess Helena Gleichen, second cousin of the bride, unmarried

Note: The Gleichens were grandchildren of Queen Victoria’s half-sister Princess Feodora of Leiningen who married Ernst, 4th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg.

Wedding Attire

Alexander William George Duff, 1st Duke of Fife; Princess Louise Victoria Alexandra Dagmar, Duchess of Fife by William Downey, for W. & D. Downey. albumen cabinet card, 27 July 1889, NPG x3805. © National Portrait Gallery, London

The groom wore the green uniform of the Banffshire Artillery Volunteers and the Order of the Thistle, an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. In 1884, Alexander had been appointed Honorary Colonel of the Banffshire Artillery Volunteers.

The bride’s wedding dress was made of white duchesse satin with a long train trimmed with orange blossoms. On her head, Louise wore a wreath of orange blossoms and a point de gaze lace veil.  She wore diamond and pearl jewelry.

The eight bridesmaids wore dresses made of blush pink faille, a soft, light-woven silk fabric with a ribbed texture, and carried bouquets of pink roses.

The Wedding

Credit – Wikipedia

Clergy Officiating:

• Edward White Benson, Archbishop of Canterbury
• Mandell Creighton, Bishop of London
• The Very Reverend Randall T. Davidson, Dean of Windsor, Domestic Chaplain to The Queen
• The Reverend F. A. J. Hervey, Domestic Chaplain to The Prince of Wales
• The Reverend T. Teignmouth Shore, Chaplain in Ordinary to the Queen

Music Provided by:

• Charles Sherwood Jekyll, Organist and Choirmaster of the Chapel Royal, St. James’ Palace
• Choir of the Chapel Royal, St. James’ Palace

July 27, 1889 was a gloomy, rainy, chilly day in London, “better befitting October than July” according to the New York Times. Nevertheless, crowds gathered to see the bridal procession on its way from Marlborough House, the London home of The Prince and Princess of Wales, to nearby Buckingham Palace where the wedding would take place in the Private Chapel.

Guests arrived at the Pimlico entrance to Buckingham Palace at 11:30 AM and were conducted to their places in the Private Chapel by Her Majesty’s Gentlemen Ushers. The clergy also arrived at the Pimlico entrance and were taken to their place at the altar at 11:45 AM while a “Marche Nuptiale” composed by Charles Sherwood Jekyll was played by the composer on the organ. The groom and his supporter arrived at 11:40 AM and remained in the New Luncheon Room until summoned for the ceremony.

The mother of the bride, The Princess of Wales, along with her brothers King George I of Greece and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and her sons Prince Albert Victor of Wales and Prince George of Wales, left Marlborough House at 11: 30 AM, arrived at the Grand Entrance of Buckingham Palace at 11:40 AM and were conducted to the Bow Library. Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine and the other members of the Royal Family, who had arrived at the Grand Entrance were also conducted to the Bow Library, where they assembled at 11:45 AM and awaited the arrival of Queen Victoria from the Private Apartments. After the arrival of Queen Victoria in the Bow Library, the procession of the Royal Family and their attendants made its way to their places in the Private Chapel while “The Occasional March” by Georg Friedrich Handel was played on the organ.

The Vice-Chamberlain then proceeded to the New Luncheon Room and conducted the groom to the Private Chapel while a march from Richard Wagner’s opera “Tannhäuser” was played on the organ. The groom, with his supporter, took his place on the right side of the altar where he awaited the arrival of the bride.

The Prince of Wales and the bride along with her sisters Princess Victoria of Wales and Princess Maud of Wales left Marlborough House at 11:40 AM, proceeded the short distance down The Mall, and arrived at the Grand Entrance of Buckingham Palace at 11:50 AM. They were conducted to the Bow Library, where they were joined by the other six bridesmaids, who had assembled in the Lower Drawing Room, and proceeded at once to the Private Chapel. The well-known march from the opera “Lohengrin” by Richard Wagner was played on the organ as the bridal procession made its way down the aisle.

The bride was given away by her father. Before the Archbishop of Canterbury gave the final address, the anthem “O Perfect Love” written especially for the occasion by English composer Sir Joseph Barnby was sung by the choir. “O Perfect Love” remains a popular wedding anthem. Felix Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March” from his suite of incidental music to Shakespeare’s play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” was played as the bride and groom left the Private Chapel.

Queen Victoria and the Royal Family then proceeded to the Lower Drawing Room, where the Register of the Marriage was signed by the bride and groom and attested by Queen Victoria, royalty, and distinguished persons invited to attend for that purpose.

After the Wedding

Credit – The Strand Magazine, No. 55 July 1895 Some Remarkable Wedding Cakes by Framley Steelcroft

The bride and groom returned to the Bow Library and received the congratulations of the royal and distinguished guests assembled there. Then Queen Victoria, the bride and groom, King George I of Greece, Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, The Prince and Princess of Wales, and other members of the Royal Family along with William Edgcumbe, 4th Earl of Mount-Edgcumbe, The Lord Steward; Louisa Montagu Douglas Scott, Duchess of Buccleuch, The Mistress of the Robes; and Eliza Hay, Countess of Erroll, The Lady of the Bedchamber in Waiting proceeded to the State Dining Room, where luncheon was served. Luncheon was also served for the other guests in the Supper Room.

Gunter’s Tea Shop of Berkeley Square in London, considered one of the best wedding cake makers of the day, made the wedding cake. It was seven feet high and weighed 150 pounds. A sugar Greek temple was atop the cake and around it were medallions of satin with raised sugar monograms. The cake was exhibited to the public before the wedding and while it was on display, it was decorated with artificial flowers. On the wedding day, the artificial flowers were replaced with about twenty pounds of fresh natural flowers.

After the luncheon, Queen Victoria and the Royal Family proceeded to the Picture Gallery where they received the congratulations of the wedding guests. The bride and groom then returned to Marlborough House at 2:30 PM followed by The Prince and Princess of Wales, King George I of Greece, and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. In the afternoon, The Prince and Princess of Wales held a reception at Marlborough House.

At 5 PM, the bride and groom left for East Sheen Lodge, the suburban home of the groom, near the banks of the Thames at Richmond, where they spent their honeymoon. Queen Victoria watched their departure from the Buckingham Palace balcony.

Children

Louise with her two daughters; Credit – Wikipedia

Louise and Alexander had two surviving children.

• Alexandra, 2nd Duchess of Fife (1891 – 1959), married her first cousin once removed, Prince Arthur of Connaught; had one son
• Maud (1893 – 1945), married Charles Carnegie, 11th Earl of Southesk, had one child

As female-line great-granddaughters of the British monarch, (Queen Victoria), Alexandra and Maud were not entitled to the title of Princess or the style Royal Highness. Instead, they were styled Lady Alexandra Duff and Lady Maud Duff, the styles of daughters of a Duke. In 1900, when it became apparent that the Duke and Duchess of Fife were unlikely to have a son to inherit the title, Queen Victoria issued the Duke of Fife a new Letters Patent as Duke of Fife and Earl of Macduff in the Peerage of the United Kingdom giving the second dukedom of Fife a special remainder in default of male issue to the Duke’s daughters and their agnatic male descendants.

Louise was the eldest daughter of King Edward VII and was created Princess Royal during her father’s reign, in 1905.  At the same time, Louise’s daughters Alexandra and Maud were granted the title of Princess with the style of “Highness” and received precedence immediately after all members of the royal family bearing the style of “Royal Highness.” This act was unprecedented and when the College of Arms told King Edward VII it could not be done, the King simply said, “Do it!” Louise’s brother, the future King George V, was greatly disturbed by this act.

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Works Cited

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• Nytimes.com. (1889). LOUISE AND LORD FIFE ONE; A GLOOMY DAY FOR THE ROYAL WEDDING. RUMORS THAT HER MAJESTY IS BREAKING UP–MGR. PERSICO’S WILD-GOOSE CHASE IN IRELAND.. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1889/07/28/archives/louise-and-lord-fife-one-a-gloomy-day-for-the-royal-wedding-rumors.html?searchResultPosition=3 [Accessed 4 Oct. 2019].
• Steelcroft, Framley. (1895). Some Remarkable Wedding Cakes. The Strand Magazine, (No. 55), pp.101-104.
• Thecourtjeweller.com. (2014). Jewel History: The Royal Wedding (1889). [online] Available at: http://www.thecourtjeweller.com/2014/07/jewel-history-royal-wedding-1889.html [Accessed 4 Oct. 2019].
• Thegazette.co.uk. (1889). Page 4312 | Issue 25962, 8 August 1889 | London Gazette | The Gazette. [online] Available at: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/25962/page/4312 [Accessed 4 Oct. 2019].
• Trove. (1889). THE MARRIAGE OF THE PRINCESS LOUISE OF WALES. – (FROM OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) LONDON, JULY 27. – The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 – 1954) – 11 Sep 1889. [online] Available at: https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13734404 [Accessed 4 Oct. 2019].
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