Author Archives: Scott

Wedding of Queen Elizabeth II of The United Kingdom and Lt. Philip Mountbatten

by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2017

The Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom) and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten were married at Westminster Abbey in London, England on November 20, 1947.

Princess Elizabeth’s Family

HRH Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary was born on April 21, 1926, at 17 Bruton Street, Mayfair, the London home of her maternal grandfather. Her parents were the Duke and Duchess of York: HRH Prince Albert, the second son of King George V, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the daughter of the 14th Earl of Strathmore. The new baby was named after her mother, her grandmother Queen Mary, and her great-grandmother Queen Alexandra, who had died the previous year. In her family, the baby was known as Lilibet. Elizabeth had only one sibling, a sister, Margaret Rose (1930-2002) who married Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960. The couple divorced in 1978. Elizabeth and her sister were educated at home primarily by their governess Marion Crawford. The York family was considered an ideal family by the British public and King George V adored his granddaughters, particularly Elizabeth.

At her birth, Elizabeth was third in line to the throne after her uncle Edward, Prince of Wales (known in the family as David), and her father. It was considered unlikely that she would become queen since her uncle was still young, and it was assumed that he would marry and have a family. In January 1936, when Elizabeth was nearly ten, her grandfather King George V died and his eldest son succeeded him as King Edward VIII. The new king was still unmarried and Elizabeth’s father was now heir to the throne and Elizabeth was number two in the line of succession. Later that year, there was a crisis when King Edward VIII proposed to marry Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American. The government’s opposition to the marriage and the king’s unwillingness to give up Mrs. Simpson led to King Edward VIII’s abdication in December 1936. In an instant, Elizabeth’s life changed. Her father succeeded his brother as King George VI and Elizabeth was now heiress presumptive. This meant that she was presumed to be the heir, but if a brother were born, he would move ahead of Elizabeth in the succession. As befitting her new role, Elizabeth received private instruction from Henry Marten, Vice-Provost of Eton College in constitutional history.

After her marriage in 1947, Elizabeth had a little more than four years to enjoy her new husband and start a family. Her first child Charles was born in November 1948 and a daughter, Anne, was born in August 1950. Ill with lung cancer, King George VI died on February 6, 1952, while Elizabeth and Philip were in Kenya. She had left her country as HRH The Princess Elizabeth and returned as HM Queen Elizabeth II.

Sources:
“Brewer’s British Royalty” by David Williamson
Wikipedia: Queen Elizabeth II
“Margaret Rose, Princess, Countess of Snowdon (1930–2002)”, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
Wikipedia: Princess Margaret

The Family of Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten
(Prince Philip of Greece)

HRH Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was born June 10, 1921, at Villa Mon Repos on the Greek island of Corfu. His father was HRH Prince Andrew of Greece, the son of King George I of Greece (formerly Prince William of Denmark) and Grand Duchess Olga Konstantinovna of Russia, and his mother was Her Serene Highness Princess Alice of Battenberg, the daughter of Prince Louis of Battenberg and Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine. During World War I, when King George V ordered his family to relinquish their German styles and titles, Prince Louis became Louis Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Milford Haven. Princess Victoria’s mother was Princess Alice, a daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Therefore, Philip and Elizabeth are third cousins as they were both great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. They also share descent from King Christian IX of Denmark. Philip is King Christian’s great-grandson and Elizabeth his great-great-granddaughter, so they were also second cousins once removed.

Philip had four much older sisters: Margarita (1905-1981) who married Prince Gottfried of Hohenlohe-Langenburg; Theodora (1906-1969) who married Prince Berthold, Margrave of Baden; Cecilie (1911-1937) who married Georg Donatus, Hereditary Grand Duke of Hesse; and Sophie (1914-2001) who married (1) Prince Christoph of Hesse, who died in World War II and (2) Prince George William of Hanover.

Philip’s childhood was far from ideal. A year after his birth, his uncle, King Constantine I, abdicated after Greece suffered a humiliating defeat in the Greco-Turkish War and his father Prince Andrew was arrested. Andrew had been a commander in the war and had refused to obey orders that he considered desperate and dangerous to his men. He was court-martialed and found guilty of “disobeying an order” and “acting on his own initiative.” Many others who had been tried and found guilty had been executed, so there was fear that Andrew would suffer the same fate. However, he was spared, but banished from Greece for life. His family fled Greece on a British cruiser with the young Philip in a crib made from a fruit box.

The family in exile was forced to depend upon relatives. They first settled in a Paris suburb in a house provided by Princess Marie Bonaparte, Andrew’s sister-in-law. During the next several years, the family drifted apart. Philip’s mother, Princess Alice, suffered a nervous breakdown when Philip was nine, was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, and spent two years in a Swiss sanatorium. After her release from the sanatorium, Alice isolated herself from her family until late 1936, maintaining contact only with her mother. In this period, her daughters married and settled in Germany, Philip was sent to England to live with his mother’s brothers and her mother, and Andrew moved to the French Riviera. Andrew and Alice did not see each other again until the 1937 funeral of their daughter Cecilie, their son-in-law, and two of their grandchildren who were killed in an airplane accident. After this, Alice did remain in contact with her family, but she and Andrew remained separated. Philip, by this time, was a teenager. She told Philip he should return to live in Greece, apparently not aware that her family was steering him toward a life in England.

Sources:
“Brewer’s British Royalty” by David Williamson
“Alice, Princess Andrew of Greece” by Hugo Vickers
Wikipedia: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Wikipedia: Princess Alice of Battenberg
Wikipedia: Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark

The Engagement

Engagement photo taken on July 10, 1947

Always looking to make connections for his family, Philip’s maternal uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten (the future 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma), then a Captain in the Royal Navy, arranged for his nephew to be the escort of Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret when the Royal Family toured Dartmouth Naval College in July 1939, where Philip was a cadet. 13-year-old Elizabeth fell in love with Philip and the two began exchanging letters. Seven weeks after this meeting, World War II began and Philip served in the Royal Navy during the war. Philip and Elizabeth saw each other during the war whenever possible, but it was not until the war was over that the courtship started in earnest. Philip was often at Buckingham Palace, his sports car roaring into the palace’s forecourt and Elizabeth running out to meet him. By the summer of 1946, the press was beginning to speculate about an engagement. Philip proposed at Balmoral and Elizabeth said yes without consulting her parents. Although George VI approved of Philip, he resented that the “Royal Firm” of “Us Four” would be no more. The Royal Family was due to visit the Union of South Africa in early 1947 and the king did not want the engagement announced until their return. Apparently, some sort of argument ensued, but the king got his way. While Elizabeth was on her African trip, Philip, urged on by his uncle, renounced his Greek and Danish titles, became a naturalized British subject, and took the anglicized version of his mother’s surname, Mountbatten. On June 8, 1947, at midnight, the engagement was announced: “It is with the greatest pleasure that the King and Queen announce the betrothal of their dearly beloved daughter The Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, RN…to which the King has gladly given his consent.”

Source:
The Queen: The Life of Elizabeth II by Elizabeth Longford
Wikipedia: Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Wikipedia: Queen Elizabeth II

The Engagement Ring

Philip did not have the kind of money needed for an engagement ring, but his mother came to the rescue. Alice had kept two tiaras and after a family discussion, it was decided that one of the tiaras would be dismantled to make the engagement ring and a bracelet that Philip would give to Princess Elizabeth as a wedding present.  The second tiara, the Meander Tiara, would be Alice’s wedding gift to Elizabeth.

Alice took the tiara to be dismantled to the jeweler Philip Antrobus Limited at 6 Old Bond Street in London where Princess Elizabeth’s platinum engagement ring was set with eleven diamonds in a design that Elizabeth and Philip had chosen together. The central stone is about three carats and is surrounded by five small diamonds on either side.

Source:
“Royal Sisters” by Anne Edwards

The Bridesmaids

Elizabeth had a retinue of eight bridesmaids. Two bridesmaids were also princesses: Margaret Rose, Elizabeth’s 17-year-old sister, and their paternal first cousin, Alexandra of Kent, the youngest in the wedding party at the age of 10.

Eldest of the eight bridesmaids was Diana Bowes-Lyon, the 24-year-old daughter of The Honorable John Herbert Bowes-Lyon. The Honorable Margaret Elphinstone, the 22-year-old daughter of the 16th Lord Elphinstone and his wife Mary Bowes-Lyon, was one of Elizabeth’s closest friends. Both were Elizabeth’s maternal first cousins.

Like Margaret Elphinstone, bridesmaid Lady Caroline Montagu-Douglas-Scott had often accompanied Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret to the theater, to dinner parties, and to dances in fashionable West End clubs and restaurants. Lady Caroline, who was 20 at the time, was the younger daughter of the 8th Duke of Buccleuch.

Other bridesmaids were Lady Pamela Mountbatten, 18, daughter of the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, and a first cousin of the bridegroom; Lady Mary Cambridge, 23, daughter of the 2nd Marquess of Cambridge and a grandniece of Queen Mary; and 23-year-old Lady Elizabeth Lambart, daughter of the 10th Earl of Cavan.

Sources:
“Royal Sisters” by Anne Edwards
Royal Genealogies, http://ftp.cac.psu.edu/~saw/royal/royalgen.html
Directory of Royal Genealogical Data, http://www.dcs.hull.ac.uk/public/genealogy/royal/

The Wedding Attire

Princess Elizabeth was an all-white bride, with an all-white retinue of eight bridesmaids. Her dress, inspired by a Botticelli painting and created by Norman Hartnell, dressmaker to the bride’s mother, was made of 15 yards of rich ivory duchesse satin and was cut along classical lines, with a fitted bodice, long, tight sleeves, a full falling skirt, and a full-court train 15 feet long. The broad heart-shaped neckline of the bodice was delicately embroidered with seed pearls and crystal in a floral design. From the pointed waistline, formed by a girdle of pearl-embroidered star flowers, the swirling skirt was hand embroidered in an exquisite design representing garlands of white York roses. It was carried out in raised pearls entwined with ears of corn embroidered in crystals and oat-shaped pearls. Alternating between the garlands of roses and wheat, and forming a final border around the entire hem of the skirt, were bands of orange blossom and star flowers appliqué with transparent tulle bordered with seed pearls and crystal.

The train of transparent ivory silk tulle fell from the bride’s shoulders and was edged with graduated satin flowers, forming a border at the end of the fan-shaped train. A reverse type of embroidery, used on the wedding gown, was introduced on the train by appliqué satin starflowers, roses, and wheat, further encrusted with pearl and crystal embroideries.

Elizabeth also wore a voluminous bridal veil of white tulle, held by a tiara of pearls and diamonds, and ivory satin-draped sandals that had higher heels than she had ever worn before. The open-toe back and side effect was finished off with a silver buckle studded with small pearls.

There was a ban on the details of the wedding dress, imposed by the Princess herself. That was lifted for reporters, but only a few hours before the royal wedding.

The gowns for the eight bridesmaids were made of ivory silk tulle with a design inspired by pictures hanging in Buckingham Palace.

Five-year-old Prince Michael, son of the late Duke of Kent, and six-year-old Prince William, the elder son of the Duke of Gloucester, wore Royal Stuart tartan kilts. It was their duty to carry their cousin Elizabeth’s train.

Other royals wore eye-catching attire to the wedding. Queen Ingrid of Denmark selected a full-length gray silk dress with a short jacket of the same material trimmed with blue fox, and a small gray velvet hat with feathers. Former Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain wore a long, softly draped gown of chiffon velvet. A sable cape and a small gray hat trimmed with yellow osprey feathers finished off the outfit. Princess Juliana of the Netherlands chose a long, soft, silky moss green dress with a belt of golden sequins. Her hat was adorned with paradise feathers.

Sources:
“Royal Sisters” by Anne Edwards
“Elizabeth and Philip” by Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
“Majesty” by Robert Lacey
“Royal Silver Jubilee” by Patrick Montague-Smith
Two Centuries of Royal Weddings by Christopher Warwick
“Majesty” Magazine, November 1997 & February 1998

The Ceremony

The bride and her father enter Westminster Abbey as the bridesmaids adjust the wedding gown and veil

November 20, 1947, the wedding day, arrived. Philip had converted from Greek Orthodoxy to the Church of England in September. On the morning of the wedding, it was announced that the King had created Philip Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich with the style His Royal Highness. It was too late to change the wedding program where his name appeared as Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten.

The guests were all in their seats at Westminster Abbey anxiously awaiting the start of the wedding ceremony. The bride’s grandmother Queen Mary wearing an outfit that featured a hip-length cape of aquamarine velvet, led the Royal Procession into the Abbey. Next came the bride’s mother, Queen Elizabeth in a dress of gold and apricot lamé. They were followed by the foreign sovereigns. A drum roll and trumpet voluntary announced the arrival of the bride and her father King George VI. As Princess Elizabeth walked down the aisle, she felt a tug on her gown. Six-year-old page Prince William of Gloucester was so nervous that he stepped on her train but luckily had not torn it. The other page, five-year-old Prince Michael of Kent clutched the train so tightly that he committed the sin of walking right over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Abbey aisle.

At the altar, Philip waited with the best man, his cousin David Mountbatten, the 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven. The King put his daughter’s hand in Philip’s and took his place next to the Queen. The Dean of Westminster began the rite of solemnization and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, performed the normal wedding service from the Book of Common Prayer. In her vows, Elizabeth promised to “obey” Philip. Elizabeth’s gold wedding ring was made from the same Welsh nugget as her mother’s wedding ring.

As the couple moved to the high altar, the King bent down and helped Prince Michael with the train which had become too heavy for him. The Lord’s Prayer and the litany were followed by a favorite hymn of Elizabeth’s. Then the Archbishop of York gave his address to the couple. As The Lord Is My Shepherd was sung, Elizabeth, Philip, the King, the Queen, and several others disappeared into the Chapel of Edward the Confessor to sign the registry. As Mendelssohn’s Wedding March sounded for the recessional, Elizabeth paused to curtsey first to her father, then her mother, and finally to her grandmother Queen Mary, while Philip offered a bow to each. Once again, Prince Michael delayed the bride’s progress and Philip glanced back at him several times to make sure poor little Michael kept in step.

Sources:
“Royal Sisters” by Anne Edwards
“Majesty” by Robert Lacey
“Elizabeth and Philip” by Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
“Royal Silver Jubilee” by Patrick Montague-Smith

The Wedding Guests

About 2,500 guests attended the wedding. Notably absent from the wedding celebrations were Philip’s three surviving sisters: Princess Margarita married to Prince Gottfried of Hohenlohe-Lagenburg; Princess Theodora married to Berthold, Margrave of Baden; and Princess Sophie, the widow of Prince Christoph of Hesse, and married to Prince George William of Hanover. The presence of German royalty so soon after World War II would have been embarrassing, especially since Prince Christoph, who died in World War II, had been a high-ranking Nazi. The sisters were not invited.

Also not invited were the uncle of the bride, the Duke of Windsor (the former King Edward VIII), and his wife, the Duchess of Windsor. The Duke was instructed to avoid answering questions from the press regarding the wedding which infuriated the Duchess.  Also not attending was the bride’s paternal aunt Mary, Princess Royal, who said she was ill. Her husband, Henry Lascelles, 6th Earl of Harewood, had died six months before. Some claim that she did not attend in protest at the exclusion of her brother the Duke of Windsor.

British Royal Family and Relatives

  • King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the bride’s parents
  • The Princess Margaret, the bride’s sister
  • Queen Mary, the bride’s paternal grandmother
  • The Duke (Prince Henry) and Duchess of Gloucester (Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott), the bride’s paternal uncle and aunt
  • Prince William of Gloucester, the bride’s first cousin
  • Prince Richard of Gloucester, the bride’s first cousin
  • The Duchess of Kent (Princess Marina of Greece), widow of the bride’s paternal uncle and the groom’s paternal first cousin
  • The Duke of Kent (Prince Edward), the bride’s first cousin
  • Princess Alexandra of Kent, the bride’s first cousin
  • Prince Michael of Kent, the bride’s first cousin
  • George Lascelles, 7th Earl of Harewood, the bride’s first cousin
  • The Honourable Gerald Lascelles, the bride’s first cousin
  • Charles Carnegie, 11th Earl of Southesk, widower of Princess Maud of Fife, the bride’s first cousin once removed
  • Lord James Carnegie, the bride’s second cousin
  • King Haakon VII of Norway, widower of the bride’s paternal great-aunt and the groom’s first cousin once removed
  • The Lady Patricia Ramsay (Princess Patricia of Connaught) and Sir Alexander Ramsay, the bride’s first cousin twice removed and her husband
  • Alexander Ramsay, the bride’s second cousin once removed
  • Princess Helena Victoria, the bride’s first cousin twice removed
  • Princess Marie Louise, the bride’s first cousin twice removed
  • Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke and the Marchioness of Carisbrooke, the bride’s first cousin twice removed and the groom’s first cousin once removed, and his wife
  • Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, the bride’s paternal great-uncle and great-aunt
  • Lady May and Sir Henry Abel Smith, the bride’s first cousin once removed and her husband
  • Miss Anne Abel Smith, the bride’s second cousin
  • Miss Elizabeth Abel Smith, the bride’s second cousin
  • George Cambridge, 2nd Marquess of Cambridge and the Marchioness of Cambridge, the bride’s first cousin once removed and his wife
  • Lady Mary Cambridge, the bride’s second cousin
  • The Duchess of Beaufort (Lady Mary Cambridge) and Henry Somerset, 10th Duke of Beaufort, the bride’s first cousin once removed and her husband
  • Lady Helena Gibbs (Lady Helena Cambridge), the bride’s first cousin once removed

Bowes-Lyon Family

  • Patrick Bowes-Lyon, 15th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, the bride’s maternal uncle
  • Lady Elphinstone (Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon) and Sidney Elphinstone, 16th Lord Elphinstone, the bride’s maternal aunt and uncle
  • John Elphinstone, The Master of Elphinstone, the bride’s first cousin
  • The Honourable Mrs. Jean Wills (The Honourable Jean Elphinstone) and Mr. John Wills, the bride’s first cousin and her husband
  • The Honourable Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Elphinstone, the bride’s first cousin and his wife
  • The Honourable Miss Margaret Elphinstone, the bride’s first cousin
  • The Honourable Mrs. John Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s maternal aunt
  • Viscountess Anson (Anne Bowes-Lyon), the bride’s first cousin
  • Miss Diana Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cousin
  • Countess of Granville (Lady Rose Bowes-Lyon) and William Leveson-Gower, 4th Earl Granville, the bride’s maternal aunt and uncle
  • Lady Mary Leveson-Gower, the bride’s first cousin
  • Lord Granville Leveson-Gower, the bride’s first cousin
  • Mr. and Mrs. Michael Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s maternal uncle and aunt
  • Mr. and Mrs. David Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s maternal uncle and aunt

The Groom’s Family

  • Princess Andrew of Greece and Denmark (Princess Alice of Battenberg), the groom’s mother
  • Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven (Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine), the groom’s maternal grandmother and the bride’s first cousin twice removed
  • Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven (Countess Nadejda de Torby), widow of the groom’s maternal uncle George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven
  • Lady Tatiana Mountbatten, the groom’s first cousin
  • David Mountbatten, 3rd Marquess of Milford Haven, the groom’s first cousin
  • Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and Countess Mountbatten of Burma (Edwina Ashley), the groom’s uncle and aunt
  • Lady Brabourne (Patricia Mountbatten) and John Knatchbull, 7th Baron Brabourne, the groom’s first cousin and her husband
  • Lady Pamela Mountbatten, the groom’s first cousin
  • Crown Princess Louise (Louise Mountbatten) and Crown Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden, the groom’s maternal aunt and uncle
  • Queen Alexandra (Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark) and King Peter II of Yugoslavia, the groom’s first cousin once removed, and her husband
  • Queen Mother Helen of Romania (Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark), the groom’s first cousin
  • King Michael of Romania, the groom’s first cousin once removed
  • Queen Frederica of the Hellenes (Princess Frederica of Hanover), wife of the groom’s first cousin King Paul of the Hellenes
  • Duchess of Aosta (Princess Irene of Greece), the groom’s first cousin
  • Lady Katherine Brandram (formerly Princess Katherine of Greece and Denmark) and Major Sir Richard Brandram, the groom’s first cousin and her husband
  • Prince and Princess George (Princess Marie Bonaparte) of Greece and Denmark, the groom’s paternal uncle and aunt
  • Princess Dominic Radziwiłł, the groom’s first cousin
  • King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark (Princess Ingrid of Sweden), the groom’s second cousin and his wife
  • Princess Axel of Denmark, wife of the groom’s first cousin once removed
  • Prince George Valdemar of Denmark, the groom’s second cousin
  • Prince Flemming Valdemar of Denmark, the groom’s second cousin
  • Princess Margaret of Denmark and Prince René of Bourbon-Parma, the groom’s first cousin once removed and her husband
  • Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma, the groom’s second cousin
  • Prince Michel of Bourbon-Parma, the groom’s second cousin
  • Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain (Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg), the groom’s first cousin once removed and the bride’s first cousin twice removed
  • Infante Juan, Count of Barcelona and Countess of Barcelona (Princess María de las Mercedes of Bourbon-Two Sicilies), the groom’s second cousin and his wife
  • Prince Charles, Regent of Belgium, the groom’s and the bride’s third cousin twice removed
  • Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia, the groom’s and the bride’s third cousin
  • Prince Andrew of Yugoslavia, the groom’s and the bride’s third cousin

Other Foreign Royalty

  • King Faisal II of Iraq
  • Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
  • Jean, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg
  • Princess Elisabeth of Luxembourg

Sources:
“Royal Sisters” by Anne Edwards
“Majesty” by Robert Lacey
“Elizabeth and Philip” by Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
“Royal Silver Jubilee” by Patrick Montague-Smith
Wikipedia: Wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten

The Wedding Luncheon

A wedding luncheon for 150 was held in the State Dining Room at Buckingham Palace. The luncheon menu included Filet de Sole Mountbatten, Perdreau en Casserole, and Bombe Glace Princess Elizabeth served on gold plate. The speeches were short and the King rose with his champagne glass and said simply, “The bride!” Philip cut the cake with the sword of his grandfather Lord Louis Mountbatten.

Sources:
“Elizabeth and Philip” by Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
“Royal Sisters” by Anne Edwards

The Honeymoon

Photo taken three days after the wedding

After the luncheon, Elizabeth changed into a powder blue outfit and Philip into another uniform. It had started to rain, but Elizabeth insisted upon driving to Waterloo Station in an open carriage so the people could see the newly married couple. Hot water bottles were packed at her feet and Susan, her favorite Corgi, accompanying her mistress, sat beneath her lap robe. As the couple left Buckingham Palace, members of the Royal Family threw paper rose petals at them.

The first part of the honeymoon was spent at Broadlands, the home of Lord and Lady Mountbatten, Philip’s aunt and uncle. The newlyweds had little privacy there as the public and photographers continuously sought opportunities to see them. The last part of the honeymoon was spent at the secluded Birkhall near Balmoral in Scotland.

Sources:
“Elizabeth and Philip” by Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
“Royal Sisters” by Anne Edwards

Children

Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh with their family in 1979 at Balmoral Castle with two-year-old Peter Phillips in the background; Photo Credit – www.royal.gov.uk

Elizabeth and Philip had four children:

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.

Wedding of King Frederik IX of Denmark and Princess Ingrid of Sweden

by Emily McMahon  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

 

Crown Prince Frederik (the future King Frederik IX of Denmark) married Princess Ingrid of Sweden on May 24, 1935, at Stockholm Cathedral (Storkyrkan) in Stockholm, Sweden.

Frederik’s Family

Frederik standing on the chair surrounded by his great-grandfather King Christian IX, his father the future King Christian X, and his grandfather the future King Frederik VIII; Credit – Wikipedia

Frederik, born on March 11, 1899, at Sorgenfri Palace near Copenhagen, Denmark, was the eldest son of the future King Christian X of Denmark and Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. At the time of Frederik’s birth, his great-grandfather, Christian IX, was King of Denmark. Frederik was baptized the following month, also at Sorgenfri. Prince Knud, Frederik’s only sibling, was born the following year.

Frederik became Crown Prince of Denmark on May 14, 1912, upon the death of his grandfather, Frederik VIII. Most of the previous Danish princes served in the army, but Frederik entered the Royal Danish Naval Academy. After furthering his education at the University of Copenhagen, Frederik served in the navy, attaining the rank of rear admiral and performing as an able commander. Like many of his naval comrades, Frederik acquired several naval-themed tattoos.

Frederik grew into a tall (he was well over six feet in height), lean, dark-haired, and somewhat serious young man. He was notably quite shy. Frederik was specifically noted to dislike sports but had a love for music inherited from his mother. He was an excellent piano player, an able composer, and had a particular interest in conducting. As a young adult, he frequently served as a guest conductor of the royal orchestra. Like his future wife, Frederik enjoyed driving his own car.

Frederik also had an unusually gifted memory for railway schedules. He was quite proud of this odd talent, so much so that he welcomed telephone calls from the Copenhagen elite inquiring about distance, fares, travel time, departures, and arrivals of trains all over Europe.

Frederik’s father, King Christian X, spent his reign as an alternately popular (during both World Wars) and unpopular (following the Easter Crisis of 1920) monarch. Christian was known as a very strict father whose sons feared him. The marriage between Frederik’s parents appeared to be a happy one. His mother Alexandrine was described as a woman devoted both to her husband and children, and spent much of her time as a patron of various musical societies and gardening.

Ingrid’s Family

Princess Ingrid (far right) with her father, mother, and three eldest brothers in 1912; Credit – Wikipedia

Ingrid, the only daughter of the future King Gustav VI of Sweden (then Crown Prince) and Margaret of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, was born on March 28, 1910, in Stockholm, Sweden.

Margaret founded a school for Ingrid with a small circle of Swedish noble girls. As part of her education, Ingrid was also given some domestic instruction. She practiced cooking in her model cottage on the palace grounds and even washed the dishes after meals. The ability of a girl to cook, sew, and manage a household was seen as important at the time, even for royalty.

When Ingrid was ten years old, her mother died unexpectedly following an operation. Gustav married his second wife and distant cousin, Lady Louise Mountbatten, in 1913. After her mother’s death, Ingrid spent several months each year in the United Kingdom in the care of her grandfather, Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught.

Ingrid made her debut at the opening of the Swedish Riksdag in 1928 when she was noted to be “smartly dressed.” Ingrid was an accomplished linguist, an excellent horsewoman, a good skier and skater, and a talented dancer. She often played tennis matches against her tennis enthusiast grandfather Gustav V. During her young adulthood, Ingrid was often seen about Stockholm, driving her own two-seat car.

Besides gaining a reputation as a stylish young woman, Ingrid was quite attractive. She was tall, had light brown hair, hazel eyes, and a warm smile. Curiously, she was also described as having a “well-shaped head.”  After Ingrid visited the United States in 1939, Americans described her as “tall and very slender” with a “nicely modeled mouth and exquisite teeth.”

The Engagement

Ingrid and Frederik’s engagement photo;  Credit – Wikipedia

Despite an 11-year difference in age, Ingrid and Frederik were said to have been a couple for some time. The two were distant cousins on both sides. Their closest mutual relations were Leopold, Grand Duke of Baden and King Oscar I of Sweden.

Curiously, Frederik’s and Ingrid’s supposed engagement was rumored repeatedly years before it actually occurred. In 1918, word spread that Frederik and Ingrid were betrothed and an engagement announcement imminent, even though Ingrid was only 8 years old. In 1929, announcements were again made for Ingrid’s and Frederik’s engagement, possibly as a part of royal wedding fever surrounding the marriage of Märtha of Sweden and Olav of Norway, when Ingrid served as a bridesmaid. At least one source cited the reasons for the “false starts” to the fact that Ingrid was the only  King Gustav V’s granddaughter and that several of her brothers had pursued commoner spouses.

In 1934, rumors surfaced a third time about a soon-to-be-announced engagement between Frederik and Ingrid. The source of the rumors were unnamed members of the Swedish court who insisted that the announcement would be made when Ingrid and her father returned from a vacation in France. Ingrid denied the news of any engagement, but curiously, Frederik was noted to have been in France at the same time.

After a denial of an engagement by both Swedish and Danish court officials in January, the couple’s engagement was formally announced to the public on March 15, 1935, in Stockholm. When the engagement became a reality, Frederik requested that the presses of both countries say nothing about it until it was announced officially. This agreement was honored, but the news was eagerly awaited by both countries, excited at the prospect of a royal wedding. Frederik left for Stockholm on March 14 to be with his new fiancée.

Ingrid met her fiancé upon his arrival by train in Soedertelje (outside Stockholm), driving Frederik by herself back to the palace in Stockholm. As expected, the engagement was received very well in both countries and declared a “love match.”

A candlelight celebratory dinner was held on the evening of the announcement. The dinner included several toasts given to the happiness and good health of the new couple.

The engagement linked a number of European royal houses. Ingrid’s cousins Märtha and Astrid were Crown Princess of Norway and Queen of Belgium respectively, and Ingrid naturally had close ties to her British family.

Pre-Wedding Festivities

The festivities in Stockholm were said to be the most lavish seen since the civil wedding of Astrid of Sweden and Crown Prince Leopold of the Belgians in 1926. Frederik arrived in Sweden for the wedding week on the morning of May 19, 1935, drawing a large crowd at the Stockholm train station. During the week before the wedding, several festivities were held in honor of the couple. King Leopold III of Belgium and his wife Astrid (Ingrid’s cousin and a Princess of Sweden) hosted a reception at the Belgian Legation.

King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine arrived in Sweden on May 21, 1935, on the Danish royal yacht. The couple was greeted in the Stockholm harbor by the colorfully decorated 40-foot Swedish royal barge, which carried them to the royal landing area. Several thousand uniformed troops and ordinary Swedes watched and cheered as the Danish royals were led from the harbor to the royal palace.

King Gustav held a dinner and music concert for 800 guests (mostly royals and dignitaries) on May 22, 1935. Among the attendees were the Danish royals, the Belgian Crown Prince and Princess, and Wilhelm and Cecilie, the former Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Germany. Most of the royal guests attended a second reception on the evening of May 23, 1935, followed by a gala performance at the Royal Opera House.

Unlike several of their foreign guests, the Swedish and Danish royals had minimal security. However, with such a large group of royalty gathered for the events, there was concern for the possibility of kidnapping, assault, or assassination of one or more guests. The city of Stockholm posted detectives at every entrance of the Royal Palace, along with additional police officers on horseback patrolling the streets. Additional auxiliary officers were needed for escorts and guards. Messengers and delivery persons underwent careful inspection for possible weapons or bombs.

As with previous weddings, rumors of engagements between other European royals started to surface just before the Stockholm celebrations. The announcement of an engagement between Princess Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Carl of Sweden, a cousin of Ingrid’s and brother of Astrid, Crown Princess of Belgium and Märtha, Crown Princess of Norway, was said to be imminent. Although Queen Wilhelmina and the Dutch government considered Carl a prime candidate for the marriage, Juliana found him dull and unintellectual. She married Bernhard of Lippe-Bisterfeld in 1937.

Wedding Attire

Photo Credit – thecourtjeweller.com

Ingrid’s dress was a “simply cut” white gown, described alternately as silk or crepe satin. The gown featured a high neck, a draped bodice, and long sleeves with a 20-foot train, trimmed with point de venise lace worn by Ingrid’s mother, Margaret of Connaught, on her wedding day in 1906. The veil was made of the same lace and has since been worn by many descendants of Ingrid or their brides on their wedding day. Atop the veil, Ingrid wore the crown of myrtle, common for Swedish brides. She wore the Khedive of Egypt Cartier tiara that she had inherited from her mother and a strand of simple pearls.

Ingrid also wore a special gift commissioned by her new husband for their wedding day. Frederik ordered a brooch from Carlman of Sweden, made from Crown Princess Margaret’s diamonds, shaped into a namesake daisy. The brooch is now a much-loved piece of the Danish Royal Family. Ingrid’s daughter, Queen Margrethe II, wore the daisy brooch on her wedding day.

Ingrid carried a bouquet of long-stemmed lilies, plum roses, and myrtle tied with trailing ribbons.  She also carried a fan and a handkerchief, part of her mother’s wedding ensemble.

Frederik wore a black uniform with a blue sash and several orders. These orders included the Swedish Order of Seraphim, the Danish Order of the Elephant, and the Danish Order of the Dannebrog.

Wedding Guests

The wedding guests included 66 members of various European royal houses, ruling and defunct.  Royal attendees included three kings, two queens, several crown princes and princesses, and a former grand duke and duchess.

  • King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine of Denmark
  • Crown Prince Gustav Adolf and Crown Princess Louise of Sweden
  • Prince Gustav Adolf (Ingrid’s brother) and Princess Sibylla of Sweden
  • Prince Carl Johan of Sweden
  • Prince Wilhelm of Sweden
  • Prince Carl of Sweden
  • King Gustav V of Sweden
  • King Leopold III and Queen Astrid of the Belgians
  • Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Martha of Norway
  • Friedrich Franz IV and Alexandra, former Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg
  • Prince Valdemar of Denmark
  • Prince Harald of Denmark
  • Prince Gustaf of Denmark
  • Prince Axel of Denmark
  • Princess Thyra of Denmark
  • Princess Helene of Denmark
  • Princess Margaretha of Denmark
  • Princess Louise of Denmark
  • Princess Alexandrine of Denmark
  • Lady Patricia Ramsay (aunt of the bride and a British royal representative)
  • Prince George of Greece
  • Wilhelm and Cecilie, former German Crown Prince and Crown Princess
  • The Duke of Connaught (Ingrid’s maternal grandfather)
  • Prince Arthur and Princess Alexandra of Connaught (aunt and uncle of Ingrid and British royal representatives)

The Wedding Ceremony

Storkyrkan in Stockholm, Sweden; Credit – Wikipedia by Holger Ellgaard 

On May 24, 1935, 100,000 spectators gathered around the Royal Palace in Stockholm to watch the royal procession. Wilhelm, the former Crown Prince of Germany, led the procession, along with Arthur, Duke of Connaught, the bride’s maternal grandfather.

Ingrid chose to have no adult bridesmaids at the wedding, possibly as a show of austerity during the global Great Depression. Instead, Princess Astrid and Princess Ragnhild of Norway, daughters of Ingrid’s cousin Crown Princess Märtha, served as flower girls. Frederik’s supporter was Gustaf Bernadotte of Wisborg, the eldest son of Folke Bernadotte, Count of Wisborg, and his American wife, Estelle.

The ceremony began at 11:30 AM at Storkyrkan (also known as St. Nicholas) Cathedral, a 13th-century cathedral where the Swedish Bernadotte monarchs had been crowned.  Ironically, one of the main features of the church was a statue of St. George fighting a dragon – a symbol of Swedish defense against medieval aggression by Danish kings.

The cathedral was decorated with a great deal of larkspur, also known as delphinium, a favorite flower of Ingrid’s. So much larkspur was needed to fill the church that a special plane was flown from London filled with the flower.

The procession of royalty began with Ingrid’s cousin, Queen Astrid of the Belgians, and her husband, King Leopold III. Frederik was escorted into the church by his father. Crown Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden escorted Ingrid down the aisle, followed by the Norwegian flower girls.

Archbishop Erling Eidem of the Swedish Lutheran Church officiated at the ceremony. Both Frederik and Ingrid were noted as having pledged to love and care for one another happily and clearly. Frederik presented his bride with a plain gold band for a wedding ring. The two held the ring together as they recited their vows before Frederik slipped it onto Ingrid’s finger.

A mixed choir, conducted by Sven Lizell of the Stockholm Choral Society, sang Swedish and Danish wedding hymns throughout the service, some of which were composed specifically for the wedding. However, tragedy struck just after the service as Mr. Lizell suddenly died of heart failure.

The Grenadiers of the Guard stood at attention outside the cathedral during the service. The Grenadiers wore some of the original deerskin uniforms, boots, breastplates, and plumed hats presented by Catherine the Great of Russia nearly two centuries before. Swedish navy ships fired a salute in the harbor, signaling that the service had concluded.

After the Ceremony

A wedding breakfast was held at the Royal Palace, following the couple’s cavalry-escorted coach ride from the church through the streets of Stockholm. Several thousand spectators cheered along the Standvägen, a main street in Stockholm, to watch the procession and cheer for the new couple.

During the reception, a Danish choir serenaded Frederik and Ingrid outside the palace. Ingrid and Frederik then visited the grave of Ingrid’s mother, Crown Princess Margaret, where Ingrid laid her bridal wreath.

Following the reception, Frederik boarded the Swedish royal sloop. They were carried across the harbor to the Danish royal yacht, the Dannebrog, bound for Copenhagen. A crowd of 200,000 Swedish and Danish citizens packed the Stockholm harbor to bid goodbye to the princess and her new husband. The couple’s departure was saluted with a series of cannon fires. A carnival followed in the streets of Stockholm into the night and through the following morning.

The Honeymoon

Ingrid and Frederik in Copenhagen after their wedding; Credit – Wikipedia

A Swedish warship escorted the yacht carrying the new couple to Danish waters, arriving in Copenhagen the next day. Fireworks lit up the Copenhagen harbor to greet Frederik and Ingrid. The new crown princely couple was then welcomed with more waving and cheering Danes during their drive through the streets of Copenhagen. King Christian X was noted to be the first person to greet his son and new daughter-in-law as they stepped into the harbor.

Frederik and Ingrid attended a dinner for 150 guests on the evening of their arrival in Copenhagen. A ball was held at Christianborg Castle following the dinner for visiting dignitaries and nobility. After spending several days attending events in Copenhagen, the couple left for a short honeymoon on the French Riviera, the rumored location of their courtship.

Children

Embed from Getty Images 
Frederik, Ingrid, and their three daughters

Frederik and Ingrid had three daughters:

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.

Wedding of Albert II, King of the Belgians and Paola Ruffo di Calabria

by Scott Mehl    © Unofficial Royalty 2017

On July 2, 1959, Albert II, King of the Belgians, then the Prince of Liège, married Paola Ruffo di Calabria in Brussels, Belgium. The civil ceremony was held at the Town Hall, followed by the religious ceremony at the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula.

 

Albert’s Early Life

Albert on the right, with his elder brother King Baudouin in 1959; Credit – Wikipedia

Prince Albert Félix Humbert Théodore Christian Eugène Marie was born on June 6, 1934, at Stuyvenberg Castle, the youngest of three children of King Leopold III and Princess Astrid of Sweden. He was given the title Prince of Liège at birth. During World War II, Albert, his father, stepmother, older siblings, and three younger step-siblings were held under house arrest at the Castle of Laeken, where Albert and his siblings were educated privately. After the Allied landings in 1944, the family was moved to Germany, and then to Austria, before being freed by American forces in May 1945. Due to the uncertain political situation in Belgium, primarily King Leopold III’s actions during the war, the family settled in Switzerland, where Albert continued his education in Geneva. Finally, in July 1950, the family returned to Belgium. Within a year of their return, King Leopold III abdicated in favor of Albert’s older brother, Baudouin. Albert became the heir presumptive to the throne, as Baudouin was not married.

For more information about Albert, see:

 

Paola’s Early Life

Paola Ruffo di Calabria (second from the left), one month before her wedding, with her future husband Albert, Princess Beatrix, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, her future brother-in-law King Baudouin of the Belgians; Credit – Wikipedia

Dona Paola Ruffo di Calabria was born September 11, 1937, at Forte dei Marmi in Italy, the youngest of seven children of Fulco, Prince Ruffo di Calabria and Luisa Gazelli dei Conti di Rossana. Her father was a distinguished flying ace in World War I, and the family was very prominent in the Italian aristocracy. Through her mother’s family, Paola is a direct descendant of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French nobleman and military officer who joined the Continental Army, led by General George Washington, in the American Revolutionary War.

Paola was raised in Rome, where she completed her secondary education in Latin and Greek and became fluent in several languages.

For more information about Paola, see:

 

The Engagement

In November 1958, Albert and Paola were both in Rome to attend the coronation of Pope John XXIII. They first met at a reception held at the Belgian Embassy and were instantly smitten. Just a month later, on December 6, 1958, Albert proposed, and Paola accepted. Two months later, he introduced Paola to his family, and finally, the engagement was announced on April 13, 1959. Following the announcement, the couple met with the press at the Palace of Laeken.

“The King, and King Leopold have the joy to share with the nation the engagement of HRH Prince Albert, Prince of Belgium, Prince of Liège, with Dona Paola Ruffo di Calabria, daughter of the late Prince Fulco Ruffo di Calabria, Duke of Guardia Lombarda and Princess Luisa Gazelli.”

Over the next several weeks, the couple visited several of the provinces of Belgium, where Albert introduced his future bride to the Belgian people.

Plans for a Vatican Wedding

Several days after the engagement, it was announced that the couple planned to marry at the Vatican on July 1, 1959, and that Pope John XXIII would officiate. However, this was quickly met with resistance in Belgium from the government and the Belgian people. Many people felt that a royal wedding should take place in Belgium and be a celebration for all the people. There were also some legalities involved. The Vatican only recognizes religious marriage, while Belgium only recognizes civil marriage and requires a civil marriage before a religious service. Also, the groom’s aunt and uncle, the former King Umberto and Queen Marie-José of Italy, were banned from entering Italy. Due to the Vatican’s position within the city of Rome, it would require some almost clandestine efforts for them to be able to attend.

By the end of May, reports emerged that the wedding plans were changing. The Pope, wanting to avoid diplomatic or political issues, decided that the wedding should take place in Belgium. The Belgian government announced that the wedding, both civil and religious, would take place in Brussels, Belgium, on July 2, 1959:

“Anxious to see all the Belgians united around the throne on the occasion of the marriage of HRH Prince Albert with Donna Ruffo di Calabria, His Holiness, John the XXIII, in a gesture of especial solicitude toward Belgium, deemed it desirable that the wedding of the Prince take place in Brussels. In agreement with the Government, His Majesty The King and the two families have decided in unity that the marriage ceremonies be held in this country.”

On June 9, 1959, Paola arrived in Belgium, accompanied by her mother. A garden party was held at the Castle of Laeken, where Albert and Paola greeted hundreds of guests from around Belgium and members of the government.

Wedding Guests

The wedding was small by royal standards, with just 500 guests. Many guests were members of the government and diplomatic corps, along with Albert’s and Paola’s families, and several members of foreign royal and noble families. The guest list included:

The Groom’s Extended Family
King Baudouin of the Belgians – Albert’s brother
Dowager Queen Elisabeth of Belgium – Albert’s grandmother
King Leopold III of Belgium and Princess Lilian – Albert’s father and stepmother
Prince Alexandre of Belgium – Albert’s half-brother
Princess Marie Christine of Belgium – Albert’s half-sister
Princess Joséphine-Charlotte and Prince Jean of Luxembourg – Albert’s sister and brother-in-law
Queen Marie José and King Umberto II of Italy – Albert’s paternal aunt and uncle
Princess Maria Pia and Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia – Albert’s paternal first cousin and her husband
Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, Prince of Naples – Albert’s paternal first cousin
Princess Maria Gabriella of Savoy – Albert’s paternal first cousin
Princess Maria Beatrice of Savoy – Albert’s paternal first cousin

The Bride’s Immediate Family
Luisa Gazelli, Dowager Princess Ruffo di Calabria – Paola’s mother
Fabrizio, Prince Ruffo di Calabria, and Maria, Princess Ruffo di Calabria – Paola’s brother and sister-in-law
The Marquess and Marchioness of San Germano – Paola’s sister and brother-in-law
Baron and Baroness Ricasoli Firidolfi – Paola’s sister and brother-in-law
Antonello Ruffo di Calabria – Paola’s brother

Royal Guests
Royal guests included members of the Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish royal families, who were all closely related through Albert’s mother, the late Queen Astrid, who was born a Princess of Sweden.

The Witnesses and Wedding Attendants

For their witnesses, Albert chose his brother, Alexandre, and his brother-in-law, Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg. Paola chose her two brothers, Fabrizio and Antonello.

The bride’s attendants were two of her nieces, the daughters of her elder sister, the Marchioness of San Germano, and Albert’s sister, Princess Marie Christine of Belgium.

The Wedding Attire

The bride wore a dress of heavy white satin with a 5-meter train and a bow at the waist. Her veil of Brussels lace was a family heirloom. It was first worn in 1877 at the wedding of her Belgian paternal grandmother, Laure Mosselman du Chenoy, and then later by her mother. It has since been used by Paola’s daughter and two daughters-in-law at their weddings. Instead of a tiara, Paola wore a cluster of orange blossoms that held the veil in place.

The groom wore his Naval uniform with the sash and star of the Order of Leopold, Belgium’s most senior order of chivalry. He also wore the collar of the Order of Malta.

The Civil Ceremony

The civil ceremony was held on July 2, 1959, in the Empire Salon of the Royal Palace of Brussels. The bride and groom led the procession, which included their immediate families and several guests. The brief service was conducted by the Mayor of Brussels, Lucien Cooremans. The bride was notably nervous, and at one point, Dowager Queen Elisabeth stepped forward to comfort her with a kiss and some brief words. After the marriage register was signed, the couple emerged from the Royal Palace to begin the procession through the streets of Brussels to the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula for the religious ceremony. Albert and Paola traveled in an open car adorned with pink and white roses and were preceded by several regiments of hussars and other military guards. The bride and groom waved to the thousands who lined the route to cheer them on.

The Religious Ceremony

The couple arrived at the Cathedral of Saint Michael and Saint Gudula, where the guests were already seated. The bride and groom proceeded down the aisle, followed by their families and royal guests. Cardinal Jozef-Ernest van Rooey, Primate of Belgium, conducted the traditional Catholic wedding service. At Albert’s sister’s wedding several years earlier, there was reportedly an argument within the family about who would take precedence in the procession. Albert’s stepmother, the Princess de Rethy, insisted that she should come first. However, it was decided that Albert’s grandmother, the Dowager Queen, would take her place at the head of the procession, accompanying the reigning King Baudouin. The Princess de Rethy was escorted by King Umberto II of Italy.

The bride was notably nervous and overcome with emotion, but she was reassured by her new husband. After exchanging their vows and rings, the Cardinal gave an address that referred to Paola as “a lovely princess” and told her, “Italy sends you to Belgium as a ray of its beautiful sun and a reflection of its ardent soul.” The couple was read a message from the Pope before the final blessing. The couple then proceeded out of the cathedral and were met with tremendous cheers from the crowd.

Following a large banquet held that evening at the Castle of Laeken, the couple jetted off to Majorca, Spain for their honeymoon. Upon their return, they took up residence at the Château de Bélvèdere, on the grounds at Laeken.

Children

Embed from Getty Images 
Albert and Paola with their three children

Albert and Paola had two sons and one daughter:

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.

Wedding of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Claus von Amsberg

by Emily McMahon  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Photo Credit: Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor

Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, the future Queen Beatrix, and Claus von Amsberg were married on March 10, 1966, in a civil ceremony at the City Hall in Amsterdam in the Netherlands and a religious ceremony at the Westerkerk, also in Amsterdam.

Beatrix’s Family

Beatrix, on the right, with her family in 1948; Photo: Corbis

Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard was born at Soestdijk Palace in Baarn, Netherlands, on January 31, 1938. She was the first of four daughters of Princess Juliana, the heir to the throne of the Netherlands, and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. Her second and third names are in honor of both of her grandmothers. When asked about the significance of his daughter’s first name, Prince Bernhard stated that he and his wife had simply liked it.

At the time of her birth, Beatrix’s grandmother Wilhelmina had been Queen of the Netherlands for nearly 50 years. Beatrix’s birth was welcomed by the Dutch people as the House of Orange was on the brink of extinction, comprising only of Juliana and Wilhelmina. Beatrix’s younger sisters Irene, Margriet, and Christina followed in 1939, 1943, and 1947, respectively.

Beatrix spent her early life at Soestdijk with her family. World War II broke out in 1939; the German occupation of the Netherlands followed shortly after. Wilhelmina, Juliana, Bernhard, Beatrix, and infant Irene escaped to London for safety following the invasion. As London was frequently bombed at the time and in danger of possible German occupation, Juliana’s position as heir to the throne and the vulnerability of the children necessitated their move to a safer location.

Juliana, Beatrix, and Irene were moved to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, in 1940. The family lived in Stornoway House, a home owned by a prominent Ottawa family, later a property of the Canadian government. Margriet was born in Ottawa during the family’s exile. Beatrix and Irene attended Rockcliffe Park Public School and lived as peacefully as possible in difficult circumstances. Beatrix, her mother, and her sisters returned to the Netherlands in 1945. A gift of several thousand tulip bulbs was sent from Juliana to Canada in appreciation for the country’s wartime hospitality, a tradition that has continued to this day.

Beatrix continued her education in Bilthoven (a village near Baarn) as the first Dutch royal to attend school with other children. Free from the tight security and formality of other European courts, Beatrix rode her bicycle to school from Soestdijk. Remembered by her classmates as jovial and approachable with a touch of mischief, young Beatrix was once given a lash across her hands at school after being caught placing a firecracker underneath the desk of the school janitor. After her grandmother’s abdication and her mother’s accession in 1948, Beatrix became the heiress presumptive to the Dutch throne.

Beatrix then studied law and sociology at Leiden University, graduating in 1961. She had a romance of some seriousness during that time with a fellow Dutch student but allegedly broke off the union at Juliana’s insistence. Beatrix also became an avid sailor and greatly enjoyed piloting The Green Dragon, a yacht given to her by the Dutch people on her eighteenth birthday. Beatrix also became a great fan of the arts, dabbling in sculpting, and frequently attended theatrical productions and ballet in Amsterdam.

Throughout her childhood and young adulthood, Beatrix accompanied her mother (and later went on her own) touring the country she would one day rule. After her university graduation, Beatrix spent two years touring the Middle East, the United States, and various Dutch territories around the world.

Claus’ Family

Claus in 1936; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Claus Georg Wilhelm Otto Friedrich Gerd von Amsberg was born to Claus Felix von Amsberg and Baroness Gösta von dem Bussche-Haddenhausen at Haus Dotzingen (his uncle’s estate), near Hitzacker, Germany on September 6, 1926. The only son in the family, Claus had an older sister, Sigrid, and five younger sisters – Rixa, Margit, Barbara, Theda, and Christina. He spent part of his childhood in Tanganyika (now Rwanda), where his father operated a coffee plantation. At the age of 12, Claus returned to Germany and proceeded with his education at Baltenschule in Pomerania. He continued his studies until he was drafted into the German Army in 1942.

After joining the army, Claus served with the 90th Panzer Division, fighting in Italy during World War II. In May 1945, Claus was captured by Allied forces. At the time of his capture, Allied forces determined Claus had no Nazi sympathies despite his being a member of Hitler youth groups. During his time in prisoner of war camps in Italy and Britain, Claus served as a driver and an interpreter.

Following his release from Allied captivity, Claus studied political science and law at the University of Hamburg. In 1953, while Claus was a student, his father passed away. Following his graduation in 1956, Claus practiced law briefly in Hamburg before entering the West German foreign service. He held positions in the Dominican Republic and Côte d’Ivoire before returning to Bonn.

During his time in the foreign service, Claus became an expert on the economic development of third-world countries. Through his education and foreign service career, Claus became fluent in German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Swahili, and later Dutch. At the time he met Beatrix, Claus was working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, fostering relationships with several African countries.

The Engagement

 

Beatrix and Claus initially met at the wedding of Tatiana of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Moritz, Landgrave of Hesse in the summer of 1964. Tatiana’s brother Richard – also a friend of Claus – had long been mentioned as a possible suitor for Beatrix.

Claus and Beatrix met again in January 1965 at a ski resort in Gstaad, Switzerland, as guests of Prince Moritz of Hesse. In an amusing twist, Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg accompanied Claus on his trip, fueling the fire that Beatrix and Richard were romantically involved. However, an astute (and baffled) reporter following the story noticed Richard was often seen skiing alone. Richard is believed to have accompanied Claus as a “decoy” to allow the couple to get to know one another away from intrusions. Within a week of this second meeting, Prince Bernhard began making private inquiries about Claus’ history and character.

The release of a photograph of Claus and Beatrix together at Juliana’s birthday in April 1965 piqued public interest in the couple. However, when asked about his relationship with the princess, Claus confirmed that he was acquainted with Beatrix, but stated that the idea of marriage was “inconceivable” and that he had no plans to marry anyone at that point.

A second photo of the couple walking hand in hand at Drakensteyn was released in May and appeared in British and Dutch newspapers. Although Beatrix and Claus had hoped to keep their romance a secret for a bit longer, speculation about their relationship increased following the release of the photos.

Queen Juliana announced the engagement to the Dutch public via television on June 28, 1965, from the palace at Soestdijk. Beatrix said of the romance, “With us duty goes before sentimental considerations.” Juliana noted that the family understood that acceptance of the engagement may be difficult for Dutch citizens due to the war. Claus and Beatrix made additional radio and television appearances later in the day answering questions about the engagement and its political implications.

The announcement of the engagement was a surprise to most of the Dutch citizens who were unaware the two were so serious about one another. The couple noted several times that they had expected the engagement would draw criticism but were confident that their decision was a good one. When told of the engagement, Dutch Premier M. L. T. Cals reportedly uttered, “A German…what a pity.” However, after meeting Claus, Cals had a good opinion of him. Cals then spoke in support of the couple and expressed hope that their happiness with one another would win over the Dutch public.

Beatrix and Claus met with members of the Dutch Cabinet and Parliament the day after the engagement was announced. Premier Cals confirmed that a bill would be introduced for parliamentary approval or disapproval of the marriage. This was required by the Dutch constitution in order for Beatrix to retain her place in the line of succession.

Public Reaction

With memories of the horrible experiences of the World War II occupation still fresh in the minds of many Dutch citizens, there was a significant public protest over Beatrix’s choice of a husband. As Claus was a former soldier and nominal member of the Hitler Youth (a requirement at the time for attendance at Claus’ school), the association with the Nazi party was particularly painful. Orange swastikas were painted on walls around Amsterdam as an ugly association between the House of Orange and Germany’s Nazi past.

Still, other Dutch citizens believed Claus was an unimpressive candidate as a consort for their future queen. In addition to his World War II service, the Dutch were concerned that Claus was too old for Beatrix, had little personal fortune, and was not of royal blood. The more republican dissenters began to raise the question of whether the monarchy was beneficial to the country at all. At least three separate protests were made to the Dutch government by members of academia, former Resistance leaders, and the clergy urging for the marriage bill’s rejection.

In October 1965, several Dutch newspapers ran advertisements urging readers to sign the petition against the approval of the marriage. Several prominent Dutch academics and members of the artistic community signed the petition. A handful of Dutch Parliament members indicated their plan to vote against the bill.

Over 65,000 signatures were on the petition when it was submitted to the Dutch Parliament requesting the denial of a bill approving the marriage between Beatrix and Claus due to his military service and association with the Nazi party. Approval of the bill was required by the Dutch Constitution for Beatrix to remain in the line of succession.

The Family’s Response

Claus understood the Dutch objections to his membership in Nazi youth organizations as well as his service with the German Army during World War II. He explained that while he did not take an active stance against the Nazi Party, he also did not maintain active involvement in any organization with the group. In hindsight, Claus remarked, the Nazi rule had been incredibly harmful to the world. Similar regimes, he continued, should be avoided at all costs.

Claus also noted that he looked favorably on Prince Bernhard’s life as a consort to a queen regnant, indicating that he wished to assist Beatrix and the Dutch in much the same way as his prospective father-in-law had done for Queen Juliana. Claus’s military record was carefully examined by Dutch officials to identify any objectionable actions on his part. However, the investigation did not discover Claus’ participation in activities deemed unacceptable for his future role as Beatrix’s consort.

Beatrix noted that if her parents or the Dutch government had demanded she give up Claus, she would have done so. For her part, Juliana said that she gave her full support to Beatrix and her fiancé and that she was glad the couple followed their hearts despite any expected backlash from the public. Juliana also remarked that she had no intentions of abdicating the throne to Beatrix anytime soon.

Prince Bernhard, a German who had also initially been distrusted by the Dutch public, praised his future son-in-law, noting that in time the Dutch citizens would understand that Claus was an excellent person who would be an asset to his new country. Prince Bernhard further noted that he “could not think of a better husband for [his] daughter.”

In addition to his extensive knowledge of various languages, Claus began learning Dutch while dating Beatrix. He also began touring the Netherlands and meeting with the people, alone or accompanied by his fiancée. At the time of the wedding, he was reported to speak the language “…fairly well, and with a good accent.” Claus’ positive interactions with the Dutch people eventually made him a very popular member of the royal family.

Wedding Preparations

The bill for Beatrix’s permission to marry Claus passed the lower house of the Dutch Parliament in November 1965, with 132 yeas and 9 nays. The house also approved giving Claus Dutch citizenship on the day of the wedding. The bill passed the upper house the following month.

The wedding date was set for March 10, 1966, at the Westerkerk, a large church located not far from the building that hid Dutch Jewish teenager Anne Frank during World War II. The choice of Westerkerk was unique in that it had never hosted a royal wedding. Nieuwe Kerk, a church near the palace and a more obvious choice, was undergoing significant renovations that would not be completed before the wedding.

Beatrix herself reportedly oversaw many of the details of the wedding and related celebrations. Plans were made to televise the religious ceremony in the Netherlands, a first for Dutch royal weddings. Beatrix requested that a red light indicator be placed in Westerkerk as a sign of when the television cameras would be on her.

On February 17, 1966, Claus and Beatrix registered their upcoming marriage in Baarn. The couple received a gift of silver salt cellars made in Amsterdam upon registering their marriage. The gift was presented to Beatrix and Claus by Burgermaster F.J. van Beeck Calkoen on behalf of the city of The Hague. Schoolchildren in Amsterdam were released early for the day in celebration of the event and they flocked to the city hall to wave at the couple and the accompanying television cameras.

After the registration, Beatrix and Claus toured The Hague via horse-drawn carriage. Later that day, a gala celebrating the engagement was held in The Hague. The couple attended the gala with their families and about 700 dignitaries.

The wedding banns were published on the same weekend in The Hague’s Hall of Knights. In celebration of the event, small bags of candy attached to parachutes were released from the ceiling as part of a Dutch tradition. Claus himself took part in the fun diving for the falling candy. The couple then attended a special performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The Dutch government agreed to contribute 1.5 million guilders ($420,000 American) for wedding expenses. The city of Amsterdam provided approximately $220,000 American, while the rest of the cost was covered by Beatrix’s family and private donations.

The Dutch government did not release postage stamps commemorating the event (common for royal weddings), claiming that sufficient time had not been allowed to create the stamps. However, the Netherlands Antilles did release a single stamp in celebration of the event. The stamp featured a pair of lovebirds standing on a pair of wedding rings encircling the letters B and C.

Celebrations in Amsterdam

The 300 official guests of the royal family were treated to an Amsterdam canal cruise on the afternoon of March 9. Guests also enjoyed trips to Rijksmuseum and tours of the Netherlands diamond cutting and polishing factories. Beatrix and Claus attended a concert held by children from each of the eleven provinces of the Netherlands during this time.

A ball in honor of the couple was held at the Royal Palace that evening,  attended by over 400 guests and an uninvited reporter who snuck in intending to get clandestine shots of the couple. It was Beatrix herself who noticed the journalist, who was immediately escorted out of the party.

The Wedding Ceremonies

 The Civil Ceremony

 

On March 10, 1966, as required by Dutch law, Beatrix and Claus were married at a civil ceremony prior to the religious service. The couple traveled first to the Amsterdam City Hall in the 1898 golden coach used for the coronation of Beatrix’s grandmother, Queen Wilhelmina. The Westerkerk bells rang and cannons fired as the two made their way to the city hall.

Orange, blue, and red flowers representing the Dutch flag decorated the interior of the Amsterdam Town Hall. The brief ceremony, conducted by Mayor Dr. Gijsbert Van Hall, concluded with Beatrix, Claus, and their witnesses signing the marriage certificate in front of a group of personal guests.

The coach carrying Beatrix and Claus continued from the town hall to the religious wedding at the renovated Westerkerk. The procession was about a mile in length, shorter than most other royal weddings. This was due in part to the caution over possible unrest and concern for the safety of the couple, their guests, and spectators.

Queen Juliana, Prince Bernhard, and Mrs. von Amsberg traveled to the wedding in a glass coach, while eleven cars carried various royal guests. An estimated 80,000 to 100,000 spectators lined the streets to watch the processional. The crowd was unusually light for a royal wedding. People were kept home possibly due to the controversy surrounding Claus, the cool and rainy weather, and the television broadcast.

The religious ceremony; Photo Credit – By Unknown photographer ANEFO – GaHetNa (Nationaal Archief NL), CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38971959

Claus and Beatrix entered the church to the French hymn “A toi la glorie,” set to music by Handel. The signed marriage certificate from the civil wedding was presented to the clergy at the start of the religious service. The ceremony was conducted by Reverend Johannes Hendrik Sillevis Smitt, who urged the couple not to take the outcry over their wedding to heart. Reverend Hendrik Jan Kater conducted the closing prayer, calling for God to look after everyone, and for greater understanding between the Dutch Christian and Jewish populations.

Beatrix and Claus whispered and smiled at one another several times during the 75-minute religious service. The word “obey” was not used during the civil or the religious ceremony, possibly due to Beatrix’s prominent status or to the changing views on a woman’s role within marriage. When Beatrix had difficulty putting on Claus’ ring, he pushed it on the rest of the way himself and the two shared a chuckle.

There was also some interest in the wedding within Canada as Beatrix had lived there as a young child. Canada was also rumored to be a possible honeymoon destination for the couple. Rallies were held in some Canadian cities to celebrate the event.

After the religious wedding, the couple entered the 1898 coronation coach and headed back to the royal palace, waving to spectators along the way.

Wedding Day Protests

A smoke bomb is thrown on Dam Square a few days before Beatrix’s wedding; Photo Credit – https://fromhotelvwithlove.com

Given the mixed public opinions and the threat of violence on the wedding day, several additional security and safety precautions were established. Physicians in Amsterdam were requested to stand by in case protests escalated into violence. In addition, the blood types of the wedding guests were recorded to assure that supplies would be stocked accordingly.

An estimated seven smoke bombs were thrown by a group of 1,000 young protesters at the wedding. One of the bombs went off just before the golden coach passed, causing a horse to jerk. However, the horse recovered its gait quickly. The smoke was not said to be hazardous and dissipated almost immediately. Another bomb was set off just as the couple left the church.

An estimated 8,000 soldiers and police officers were brought in to control crowds and prevent wedding-related violence. These included plainclothes officers who mingled in the crowd looking for any signs of unrest. Before the wedding, the Dutch police requested the use of the Anne Frank House as a temporary police post due to its proximity to Westerkerk. The Anne Frank House refused.

Police had to remove a small barricade of bicycles across the road included in the route, a symbolic move made by the protesters at the German seizure of Dutch bicycles during World War II. 
There were also reports of protesters unsuccessfully attempting to rush at the royal procession. Nineteen arrests were also made in connection with the protests. No deaths or serious injuries were reported, but one of the protesters received non-life-threatening injuries in a skirmish with the police.

Wedding Attire

 

Beatrix had made a name for herself in the years before her wedding as one who generally ignored trendy French fashion houses. She made no exception to this in planning the design and assembly of her wedding dress, choosing largely unknown Dutch designer Caroline Berge-Farwick of Maison Linette. Berge-Farwick was known to be a favorite of Queen Juliana’s and was known for designing single pieces of clothing specific to her individual clients rather than offering seasonal collections.

Beatrix wore a square-necked gown of white silk and satin duchesse with a 16-foot train falling from the waist. The dress featured three-quarter length sleeves, a fitted waist, and a bell-shaped skirt with white velvet trim. Hints of the scrollwork from the Württemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara were incorporated into the embroidery on the dress, which Beatrix herself assisted in the design. All the cloth used was made especially for the dress in St. Etienne, France.

Beatrix’s mid-length white tulle veil was attached to the Württemberg Ornate Pearl Tiara, brought to the Dutch royal collection via Sophie of Württemberg (first wife of Willem III of the Netherlands). The tiara may have come with Sophie in its complete form, or as loose gems that were later used in its assembly. The tiara remains one of the grandest of the Dutch collection and features numerous large pearls set among diamond-studded spikes. It was also worn by Beatrix’s grandmother Wilhelmina at her enthronement.

On her left side, Beatrix wore a pearl and diamond brooch also created for Sophie. She also carried a bouquet of white eucharis and lilies of the valley, both common flowers for spring weddings. The floral creations for the wedding were designed by Dutch designer Abel Verheijen, who later became famous for his art all over Europe. The wedding marked the first of many occasions in which Mr. Verheijen would provide his floral designs for Dutch royal events, including Beatrix’s 1980 inauguration.

The six bridesmaids wore long satin dresses with straight skirts and matching lace jackets with half-length sleeves. The dresses were light blue, mint green, or lavender, with two bridesmaids wearing each color. Each bridesmaid also donned feathered headpieces and elbow-length white gloves during the service. The two flower girls wore short-sleeved white satin dresses with circlets of white flowers in their hair. The pages wore black trousers, ruffled white shirts, and wrist-length white gloves.

Claus, wisely forgoing his military uniform, wore a morning coat with striped trousers, a gray vest, and gray trousers.

The Wedding Attendants

 

For her six bridesmaids, Beatrix chose a mix of relatives, fellow royals, and close friends. Four bridesmaids carried and arranged Beatrix’s train, while the two remaining bridesmaids took charge of the pages and flower girls. The six bridesmaids were:

  • Christina of the Netherlands, Beatrix’s youngest sister.
  • Christina of Sweden, a granddaughter of Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden.
  • Christina von Amsberg, Claus’ sister.
  • Lady Elizabeth Anson, a stepdaughter of Prince George Valdemar of Denmark and a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.
  • Joanna Roell, a friend of Beatrix and daughter of a former lady-in-waiting to Queen Juliana.
  • Eugenie Loudon, a Dutch noble and friend of Beatrix.

The page boys were Joachim Jencquel and Markus von Oeynhausen-Sierstorpff. The flower girls were Daphne Stewart Clark and Carolijn Alting von Geusau.

The couple also had several prominent witnesses to the signing of the marriage certificate at the civil ceremony. These witnesses were:

  • Prince Ernst Aschwin of Lippe-Biesterfeld, the bride’s uncle.
  • Willem Drees, a former Dutch premier and leader of the Dutch Resistance movement during WWII.
  • Princess Alexandra of Kent
  • Count Ferdinand von Bismarck
  • Julius von dem Bassche Haddenhausen

Wedding Guests

 

Approximately 1600 guests attended the religious ceremony at Westerkerk, with a small portion present at the civil service. About 20 of the 45-member Amsterdam City Council did not attend the wedding out of protest for Beatrix marrying a German. In addition, two Amsterdam rabbis invited to the wedding refused to attend due to the treatment of Dutch Jews by Nazi occupiers.

In a somewhat unusual circumstance, few crowned heads of Europe attended the wedding celebrations. Of those who did, the majority were younger monarchs. Additionally, several of the missing monarchs were represented by their children or other younger members of their families.

The presence of Carlos Hugo of Bourbon-Parma was initially doubted due to the controversy over his marriage with Beatrix’s sister Irene several years before. Additionally, it was rumored that Juan Carlos and Sophia of Spain would not attend either. The word had been that Juan Carlos was angry over the Dutch response to the Bourbon-Parma/Netherlands wedding, although other reports indicated that Juan Carlos had fallen ill with the flu just before the start of the celebrations. In any event, all of the Spanish royals in question did attend with no further reports of trouble.

The following royal and family guests attended the religious wedding:

  • Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
  • Mrs. Gosta von Amsberg
  • Princess Marina, Dowager Duchess of Kent and Prince Michael of Kent (representing Elizabeth II)
  • Crown Prince Harald of Norway
  • Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte of Luxembourg
  • Prince Charles of Luxembourg
  • King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of the Belgians
  • King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes
  • Princes Carlos Hugo and Princess Irene of Bourbon-Parma
  • Princess Christina of the Netherlands
  • Princess Benedikte of Denmark
  • Princess Christina of Sweden
  • Infante Juan Carlos and Infanta Sofia of Spain
  • Princess Alexandra of Kent and Sir Angus Ogilvy
  • Prince Albert and Princess Paola of Liege
  • Infanta Pilar of Spain
  • Christina von Amsberg
  • Prince Karim Aga Khan
  • Princess Armgard of Lippe-Biesterfeld
  • Princess Margaretha of Sweden and Mr. John Ambler
  • Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and fiancé Pieter van Vollenhoven
  • Prince Aschwin and Princess Simone of Lippe-Biesterfeld
  • Princess Irene of Greece
  • Prince Richard of Sayn- Wittgenstein-Berleburg
  • Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Bull, the Canadian ambassador to the Netherlands and his wife

Pamela’s Story

Pamela at the wedding with her chaperone, Gerda Mus

(The photo of Pamela Sue Smith and Gerda Mus as the wedding appears courtesy of Koninklijke Bibliotheek/The Memory of the Netherlands. The original photograph can be found here.)

Pamela Sue Smith, a 12-year-old girl from Patchogue, New York, chose Queen Juliana when assigned to prepare a school report on a famous person. Pamela wrote to Juliana as a requirement for the project and received a standard reply from a Dutch lady-in-waiting. Pamela
then sent additional letters, which also received replies.

An overexcited Pamela then started a rumor at her school that she would be attending the upcoming Dutch royal wedding. The rumor gained strength among her classmates and their families, and within a day Pamela had received congratulations from all over town. The local chamber of commerce even proposed sending with Pamela a bottle of locally-made perfume to give to Beatrix as a gift.

When the mayor of Patchogue contacted Washington to inquire about a passport for the “wedding guest,” a horrified Pamela confessed that she had not been invited to the wedding. By this time, Onno Leebaert, director of the Netherlands Tourist Association, caught wind of the story and decided to make it a reality for Pamela. Mr. Leebaert was able to provide a complimentary airline ticket and secure an official invitation to the wedding for a very excited girl. He praised Pamela for her honesty in coming clean about the original rumor.

On March 8, Pamela left for Amsterdam in the company of Gerda Mus, an employee of the tourist association. Upon her return, Pamela lamented her height, noting that while she was able to see the processional quite well, it was difficult to watch the actual ceremony with so many adults in front of her. Pamela said that she liked the windmills and canals in Amsterdam, and even learned a few Dutch words on her trip. She was especially surprised to see her own picture in the office window of a Dutch news association. Pamela returned home to Patchogue, tired and happy, with several souvenirs, including a Dutch lace cap.

After the Wedding

 

The completion of the wedding ceremonies made Claus a Prince of the Netherlands, excluding any rights of succession to the throne. A personal allowance of $80,000 was also awarded to him. Castle Drakensteyn was undergoing remodeling at the time to accommodate the new couple.

After arriving at the palace, Beatrix and Claus stepped onto the balcony to wave to a crowd of about 200,000 spectators. The balcony was decorated with bunches of white tulips in celebration of the occasion.

Following the wedding, Beatrix released a statement thanking those who had sent gifts and well-wishes. She also acknowledged those who were opposed to the union with the following words: “That not all can rejoice in this marriage is a fact we recognize and understand. [We know] that many of you had to bear fathomless sorrow in the past and suffered irreparable losses. It is this background that deepens our feeling of gratitude.”

In a happy epilogue to the story of Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg acting as a decoy during Beatrix’s and Claus’ courtship, Richard met Princess Benedikte of Denmark for the first time at the wedding. After dancing and chatting during the wedding festivities, the couple began dating. Their engagement was announced in 1967, and the couple married the following year.

Honeymoon

Early projected honeymoon destinations were Tanzania (the area where Claus spent part of his childhood), Canada, or the Dutch West Indies. Before the wedding, an anonymous royal source claimed that while the couple was not planning to vacation in the United States, they would be heading “westward” from the Netherlands.

The couple honeymooned in Mexico, dividing their time between Acapulco and the island of Cozumel. While in Cozumel, Beatrix and Claus stayed in a villa owned by former Mexican President Adolfo Lopez Mateos. While visiting Acapulco, the couple stayed at the estate of Jorge Mendes, a Mexican financier. Both Lopez Mateos and Mendes were friends of the Dutch royal family.

In a statement later released by the US State Department, Beatrix and Claus were flown first to the United States via a KC-135 military jet. The jet was said to be returning to the US from Germany when it made a stop in Frankfurt, West Germany, allowing the couple to board. The statement also noted that Beatrix and Claus were only able to fly on the military jet as space was already available. Queen Juliana requested transport through diplomatic channels.  After landing at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, the couple boarded a second military plane to Laredo, Texas, and onto Mexico.

Due to guidelines at the time, passengers were required to pay $1 more per person for a flight in a military plane if commercial flights were available. After Dutch airlines KLM totaled the cost of service for two passengers on the Frankfurt/District of Columbia/Laredo route, it was discovered that the couple had been overcharged by $7.88 for the service. There were no reports of the family demanding reimbursement.

Children

Beatrix and Claus with their three sons; source: Hello

Beatrix and Claus had three sons:

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.

Wedding of Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg and Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium

by Emily McMahon  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte on their wedding day; Credit – http://orderofsplendor.blogspot.com

Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg (the future Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg) married Princess Joséphine-Charlotte of Belgium on April 9, 1953, in a civil ceremony in the Hall of Ceremonies at the Grand Ducal Palace in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg and then a religious ceremony was held at the Cathedral of Notre Dame also in Luxembourg City, Luxembourg.

Jean’s Early Life

Embed from Getty Images 

Jean was the eldest child of Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, and her consort, Felix of Bourbon-Parma. The heir apparent of the Luxembourgish grand ducal throne from birth, Jean was born at Berg Castle on January 5, 1921. He began using the title of Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg after his eighteenth birthday in 1939.

Jean was educated in Luxembourg through his early years, continuing at Ampleforth College in the United Kingdom. After fleeing Europe with his family at the outbreak of World War II, Jean continued his studies at the French-speaking Laval University in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Jean joined several of his Imperial cousins as a student at the university, rooming for a short time with Archdukes Carl Ludwig and Rudolph of Bourbon-Parma.

Jean left Laval by choice, opting to join the British Army in the Irish Guards in 1942. Serving under the name “John Luxembourg,” Jean eventually rose through the ranks to captain. He continued with his military training at the Royal Military College of Sandhurst. Jean landed in Normandy a few days after the June 1944 invasion. He later fought in the Battle of Caen, a campaign intended to strengthen the Allied position in France and to cut off German mobility within the northern part of the country.

With his father, Jean took an active role in the liberation of Brussels and later his home country of Luxembourg in September 1944, riding into Luxembourg City in one of General George S. Patton’s tanks. Jean then continued fighting with Allied troops in Germany through the end of World War II.

The prince earned numerous military decorations during his service, including French, Belgian, and Luxembourg Croix de Guerre, a Dutch Commemorative War Cross, and an American Silver Star. Following the war, Jean was named a Colonel of the Luxembourg Army.

Several decades after the end of World War II, Jean was recognized for his British military service by Queen Elizabeth II, who named him a Colonel of the Irish Guards and later an Honorary General of the British Army.

After the war, Jean represented the interests of Luxembourg within Europe and overseas. He served as a member of the International Olympic Committee from the close of World War II until the 1990s.

An athletic young man, Jean practiced fencing, tennis, swimming, and skiing, later patronizing several Luxembourgish organizations devoted to sports. Like his Belgian father-in-law, Jean also had a keen interest in the environment, particularly in the preservation of native vegetation and animal life. Jean also developed an interest in the American West, spending considerable time in Arizona and Wyoming.

Joséphine-Charlotte’s Early Life

Embed from Getty Images
Joséphine-Charlotte with her two brothers, the future King Albert II and the future King Baudouin

Joséphine-Charlotte was baptized a month after her birth at the Royal Palace in Brussels. Ironically, the baby’s godmother was her future mother-in-law, Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg. Joséphine-Charlotte’s godfather was her uncle Charles, Count of Flanders. The baby’s Belgian and Swedish grandparents were also in attendance.

As agreed before the marriage of Lutheran Astrid and Catholic Leopold, Joséphine-Charlotte was raised with her father’s faith. (Astrid later converted to Catholicism a few years after her daughter’s birth.) Joséphine-Charlotte had a happy early childhood with her younger brothers Baudouin and Albert. She was affectionately called “Little Jo” within her family. Like her parents, Joséphine-Charlotte enjoyed the outdoors throughout her life, spending her free time fishing, hunting, or gardening.

Joséphine-Charlotte lost her mother in 1935 following a car accident in Switzerland. The Belgian public extended their enormous sympathies to the grieving family. Leopold remained a devoted father to his children and kept close ties with his late wife’s family. Many photographs from this time show the children with their Swedish grandparents and Norwegian cousins.

Leopold married a second time in 1941 to Lilian Baels, later known as Lilian, Princess of Réthy. Although the marriage was initially kept from the Belgian public and was later very unpopular, Joséphine-Charlotte had a close relationship with her stepmother.

Joséphine-Charlotte was educated privately in Belgium until the outbreak of World War II, after which Joséphine-Charlotte and her family were held under house arrest in Belgium, Germany, and finally Austria. The conditions were harsh in captivity, where the Belgian royals lived with very little food and were under constant threat of execution by the Nazis.

After the war, Leopold was accused of collaborating with the Nazis and prevented from returning to Belgium. Joséphine-Charlotte and her family temporarily settled in Prégny, Switzerland. Joséphine-Charlotte studied child psychology in nearby Geneva; one of her professors was the well-known developmental psychologist Jean Piaget.

Joséphine-Charlotte was eventually allowed to return to Belgium in 1949. She spent this time working toward the restoration of her father as King of the Belgians. The following year, Joséphine-Charlotte voted in the referendum held to decide Leopold’s fate as king or commoner. Joséphine-Charlotte was prevented from leaving her plane for 45 minutes as the airport was mobbed with her father’s supporters. Although Leopold briefly returned to Belgium as king, he abdicated to Baudouin the following year after a violent strike in Wallonia.

Engagement

Embed from Getty Images

Rumors of a Belgian-Luxembourg engagement began appearing in the press in November 1952. While Joséphine-Charlotte and Jean were indeed officially engaged the previous month, the engagement was not made official to the public until December 26, 1952. April 9, 1953 was announced as the wedding date the following day. A ball was held in Brussels to celebrate the event.

Speculation began early on that the match had been arranged for political reasons. The promoters of the union were believed to be Dowager Queen Elisabeth and Grand Duchess Charlotte. The press seemed to conclude somewhat harshly that if the pairing was indeed arranged, the marriage would, therefore, be unhappy and loveless. At various times, both Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte were said to have fallen in love and wanted to marry commoners but were prevented from doing so by their disapproving families.

Still, other news reports portrayed Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte as long-time sweethearts, as a surprising love match that bloomed after a lifetime of casual friendship, or as each other’s best options in a limited royal dating pool. Whatever the background of their engagement, Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte gave the impression of a happy couple during their engagement.

Wedding Preparations

Embed from Getty Images

St. Michael and St. Gudula’s Cathedral in Brussels, Belgium was discussed early on as the probable location for the ceremony. The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Luxembourg City was eventually secured for the religious wedding.

Seats in stands along the wedding parade route sold for $4 while standing tickets went for half the price. With 70,000 visitors from Belgium and elsewhere expected for the wedding festivities, hotels in Luxembourg were booked months before the event. This prompted the government to call upon Luxembourgish citizens to open their homes to guests.

The Belgian government offered troops to guard the royal guests. The Luxembourgers politely declined, insisting that their own troops, police force, and firefighters could adequately ensure the safety of the visitors.

Postponement of the wedding was briefly considered following the death of Queen Mary, grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, on March 24, 1953. Although preparations went ahead as planned, Princess Margaret, the intended British representative, did not attend. Geoffrey C. Allchin, the British ambassador to Luxembourg, attended the wedding in place of Princess Margaret.

The mass influx of visitors into the tiny country was called by one newspaper as “Luxembourg’s greatest-ever peaceful invasion,” making a somewhat morbid reference to Luxembourg’s frequent military occupations.

A set of six stamps featuring a picture of the new couple and the Luxembourg coat of arms was released by the government of Luxembourg to commemorate the big event.

Joséphine-Charlotte’s Arrival in Luxembourg

Joséphine-Charlotte left Brussels amid great fanfare on April 7, 1953. Around 70,000 Belgians showed up at the Royal Palace to bid their princess goodbye and good luck before her wedding.

She traveled with her father, stepmother, and siblings from Belgium to Luxembourg by train, arriving on the afternoon of April 7. Upon their arrival in Luxembourg City, Joséphine-Charlotte stepped out smiling, dressed in a mauve velvet dress and hat.

Several thousand people had gone to the train station to watch the couple make their entrance. Jean met the royal train at the Belgian-Luxembourgish border. After welcoming his fiancée with a kiss, he joined her on the train into the city. Jean escorted Joséphine-Charlotte along a red carpet to a limousine.

King Baudouin later realized he had forgotten to pack his sword for the ceremony. A courier was hurriedly dispatched back to Belgium, retrieving the sword just in time for the wedding.

Wedding Ceremonies

Embed from Getty Images

On April 9, 1953, as required by law in Luxembourg, Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte were first married in a civil ceremony. The civil wedding was held in the Hall of Ceremonies in the Grand Ducal Palace in the morning before the religious wedding. The mayor of Luxembourg City, Emile Hamilius, officiated. The parents of both couples ceremonially handed consent documents to Mr. Hamilius before the event.

Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte traveled by open carriage along the two-mile route to the cathedral despite light rain falling that morning. Asked by her fiancé if she minded getting wet on the way to the wedding, Joséphine-Charlotte said with a smile that she did not.

The wedding was one of the first major royal events in Europe following the devastation of World War II. The décor and happy nature of the event matched the public’s enthusiasm for a little fun following a very rough preceding decade.

A crowd of 100,000 -140,000 (far more than the projected 70,000) packed the damp streets to watch the couple’s journey to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, 100,000 of which were said to be visitors from Belgium. The street lamps along the parade route were decorated with flowers and flags of both Luxembourg and Belgium. Spectators demonstrated respect toward one another by refusing to hold umbrellas in the rain so as not to block anyone else’s view of the events.

The recently abdicated King Leopold III of Belgium, the bride’s father, and Grand Duchess Charlotte, the groom’s mother, led Joséphine-Charlotte and Jean to the altar respectively. Alexandre of Belgium, Joséphine-Charlotte’s younger half-brother and godson, carried her train. The couple had no additional attendants.

The joint Belgian and Luxembourgish Papal Nuncio Monsignor Fernando Cento officiated in a golden miter and cape, giving the wedding an additional touch of majesty. During the ceremony, the couple knelt on silk cushions surrounded by white carnations and candles.

The nave of the church was covered in banners of red, white, and blue along with red, yellow, and black for the couple’s respective countries. In addition, the hall was decked in a sumptuous cream fabric.

Wedding Attire

Embed from Getty Images

Jean wore an olive green uniform, indicating his status as a colonel of the Luxembourg Army. Like many royal grooms, Jean wore several of his many orders, including the Order of the Gold Lion of House of Nassau, the Order of Leopold, and several of his military medals from service during World War II.

Joséphine-Charlotte wore a dress of white organza (silk), with a high neckline, a ruffled collar, and billowing sleeves with similarly ruffled cuffs. The two layers of the dress were separated by white tulle. The dress featured a long train of Bruges lace. The sleeves and body of the dress featured numerous covered buttons.

Joséphine-Charlotte’s fourteen-foot-long train was made of handmade needlepoint and pillow lace, with flowers on an organza backing. Her tulle veil featured handmade Belgian lace attached to a diamond-encrusted platinum diadem. She wore matching handmade lace gloves gathered at the wrists and carried a bouquet of stephanotis trimmed with tulle.

Joséphine-Charlotte wore two different tiaras during the festivities. The Congo Diamond Necklace Tiara was worn during the ceremony, while the Belgian Scroll Tiara was worn during most of the official wedding pictures.

Royal Pains

News of tension among the Belgian royals later emerged, evidently centering around Princess Liliane’s right of precedence. It was customary for newly married royal couples to be followed down the aisle by their respective parents. Dowager Queen Elisabeth took the place of her deceased daughter-in-law Queen Astrid beside Prince Felix. Liliane was placed eighth.

The precedence issue was noted to be a problem as early as February 1953. Liliane, in her first official appearance since her own marriage to Leopold, was reportedly insistent upon taking the place of the bride’s mother, but in the end, she lost out to Dowager Queen Elisabeth. The discomfort among the Belgian royals was evident on their faces in wedding photographs.

Elisabeth was angered enough by the incident to opt out of traveling with the family from Belgium to Luxembourg by train, deciding instead to make the trip by car. Josephine-Charlotte’s apparent shakiness, distraught behavior, and eventual collapse during the ceremony were said to be the result of the fight over precedence. An “unofficial” source said that the ceremony was almost delayed by Joséphine-Charlotte’s apparent distress over the fight.

The bride was said to have appeared pale and nervous during the processional. She initially stood on the wrong side at the altar (to Jean’s right), causing both sets of families to switch sides of the church. Concerned over his bride’s behavior, Jean was reported to have repeatedly asked her if she was all right during the religious ceremony. Joséphine-Charlotte confused the order of responses to her vows, began crying, and eventually collapsed at either the end of or shortly after the ceremony. During the recessional, the still-upset bride stepped on her train three times in an effort to avoid some overeager wedding guests crowding the couple.

For her part, Liliane was observed as having “rose to her feet rather early” after Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte passed her during the recessional and may have attempted to take Elisabeth’s designated place on Felix’s arm.

Back to the Palace

Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte exited the cathedral to the street via a tunnel of swords raised by Luxembourg military officers.

The new couple rode back to the palace in heavier rain via an open Chrysler convertible. Joséphine-Charlotte was said to appear somewhat revived and was smiling during the ride. Grand Duchess Charlotte and ex-King Leopold followed behind Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte in an open Cadillac convertible. Baudouin escorted his grandmother, Ingeborg of Sweden, in a third car. Other European royalty followed in a series of additional cars behind the family.

Thirty-two Belgian Air Force jets flew through the air during the motor recessional amid a 101-gun salute to the newly married couple. The Belgian naval band played for the couple and crowds during the parade, their instruments protected against the rain by waterproof covers.

A reception attended by 750 guests followed at the palace. The reception hall had been altered to accommodate additional guests by the removal of a stone wall that originally separated the hall into two rooms.

Both the bride and groom were smiling as they appeared on the balcony of the Grand Ducal Palace. The two waved to a very excited, noisy, and wet crowd below. Due to the constant cheering below, the couple appeared multiple times on the balcony to wave to the well-wishers.

Joséphine-Charlotte’s Jewels

Both of the tiaras Joséphine-Charlotte wore as a part of the wedding celebrations were gifts. The Congo Diamond Necklace Tiara (aptly named as it could be worn in either fashion) was designed by Van Cleef & Arpels and given to the bride by the people of the Congo.

The second tiara was presented as a gift by the national bank of Belgium, the Société Générale. Now commonly known as the Belgian Scroll Tiara, Joséphine-Charlotte liked the piece very much and wore it for dozens of events during her marriage.

Joséphine-Charlotte was given several new and heirloom jewels by her family. Leopold gave his daughter a Van Cleef & Arpels earring and brooch set, as well as an emerald and diamond bracelet and tiara set that had originally been given to Queen Astrid.

Wedding Guests

A few weeks before the wedding, Queen Elizabeth II announced that her sister, Princess Margaret, would represent her at the wedding. However, due to the death of Queen Mary on March 24, Margaret did not attend. Geoffrey C. Allchin, the ambassador to Luxembourg, instead represented Britain.

Umberto, the former King of Italy and a brother-in-law of the couple, arrived by train from his exile in Portugal. His estranged wife, the former Marie-Jose of Belgium, arrived by car. Juliana of the Netherlands arrived by a plane piloted by her husband Bernhard.

The wedding was attended by 2500 guests, including three kings, three queens, 40 princes and princesses, all from ruling and former houses of European royalty.

Notable guests:

  • Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
  • Grand Duchess Charlotte of Luxembourg and Prince Felix
  • King Baudouin of Belgium
  • Umberto and Marie-Jose, former King and Queen of Italy
  • Geoffrey C. Allchin, British Ambassador to Luxembourg (the British did not send a royal representative as the country was still in mourning for Queen Mary)
  • Prince Carl of Sweden (uncle of Josephine-Charlotte)
  • Princess Ingeborg of Sweden
  • Crown Prince Olav and Crown Princess Martha of Norway
  • Princess Ragnhild of Norway
  • Princess Astrid of Norway
  • Zita of Bourbon-Parma, former Empress Consort of Austria
  • Prince Axel and Princess Ingeborg of Denmark
  • Prince George of Denmark
  • Prince Charles of Luxembourg
  • Perle Mesta, the American ambassador to Luxembourg
  • Princess Elisabeth of Luxembourg
  • Princess Marie-Gabrielle of Luxembourg
  • Prince Antoine and Princess Alix of Ligne
  • Princess Marie-Adelaide of Luxembourg
  • Princess Maria-Pia of Savoy
  • Prince Eberhard of Urach
  • Prince Franz Josef II and Princess Georgina of Liechtenstein
  • Albert, Count of Liege
  • Andre of Bourbon-Parma
  • Rene of Bourbon-Parma
  • Carlos Hugo of Bourbon-Parma
  • Princess Diane of Bourbon-Parma
  • Prince Jacques and Princess Bridgette of Bourbon-Parma
  • Prince Louis and Princess Maria Francisca of Bourbon-Parma
  • Michel of Bourbon-Parma
  • Heinrich of Bavaria

Honeymoon

A Mediterranean cruise aboard the Royal Belgian yacht was initially planned as a honeymoon for the new couple. This was delayed and later canceled due to Josephine-Charlotte’s stress over the wedding.  Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte spent time relaxing quietly in Luxembourg City.

Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte later toured Africa for over two months.

Children

Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte with their children in 1971; Credit – Wikipedia

Jean and Joséphine-Charlotte had five children

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.

Wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

photo: Janerik Henriksson/Scanpix, source: Swedish Royal Court

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden married Daniel Westling on June 19, 2010, at the Stockholm Cathedral (Storkyrkan) in Stockholm, Sweden.

Crown Princess Victoria’s Family

 

HRH Princess Victoria Ingrid Alice Désirée was born on July 14, 1977, at the Karolinska Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. Victoria is the eldest child of King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia (neé Silvia Sommerlath). King Carl XVI Gustaf is the son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten and Princess Sybilla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The King’s father died in a plane crash when the young prince was just 6 months old. This made Carl Gustaf the heir-apparent to his grandfather, King Gustaf VI.

Queen Silvia was born Silvia Sommerlath, of German and Brazilian descent. She is also a descendant of King Afonso III of Portugal. She met the then-Crown Prince while working at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich. They married in 1976, marking the first time a Swedish sovereign had married a ‘commoner’.

Victoria was followed by two younger siblings, Prince Carl Philip (born 1979) and Princess Madeleine (born 1982). Although born as heiress-presumptive, Victoria was replaced briefly upon the birth of her younger brother. However, in 1980, a constitutional reform was enacted, changing the line of succession to follow equal primogeniture, making Victoria the Crown Princess and heiress-apparent to the throne of Sweden.

For more information about Victoria, see:

Daniel Westling’s Family

 

Olof Daniel Westling was born on September 15, 1973, at Örebro University Hospital in Örebro, Sweden. He is the only son of Olle Gunnar Westling and his wife, the former Ewa Kristina Westring, and has an older sister, Anna Westling Blom.

Daniel started his own business in 1997, consulting in the fitness industry, prior to opening his own gym a few years later. That business has grown to include several gyms in Sweden as well as some other business ventures. It was at his first gym, in 2001, when he met The Crown Princess while serving as her personal trainer.

An indication of the seriousness of their relationship was Daniel’s move to a rental apartment in Drottningholm Palace in mid-2008. Just over 6 months later, the engagement of Crown Princess Victoria to Daniel Westling was announced.

For more information about Daniel, see:

 

The Engagement

 

Crown Princess Victoria first met Daniel Westling in 2001 when he became her personal trainer at the gym he owned in Stockholm. It was at a friend’s birthday party in 2002 where photographers caught a kiss between the two, fueling the interest in the Princess’ personal life. Despite some public opinion against Daniel as a potential spouse for the princess due to his ‘common’ background, Victoria made it clear that one’s background was not the deciding factor in marriage, but rather the happiness shared by the couple.

Speculation increased in July 2008 when Daniel moved to a rental apartment in a wing of Drottningholm Palace. Many believed this was to allow him to be ‘groomed’ for the role of consort to the Crown Princess.

The engagement of Crown Princess Victoria to Mr. Daniel Westling was announced by the Royal Palace on February 24, 2009.  At the time, it was stated that the wedding would take place sometime in the Spring of 2010. It was later announced that the wedding will take place on June 19, 2010, the King and Queen’s 34th wedding anniversary, at Stockholm Cathedral.

Pre-Wedding Festivities

 

There were celebrations all over Sweden in the days and weeks leading up to the wedding, with ‘Love Stockholm 2010’ the theme for the festivities. In the final few days before the wedding, the ‘official’ celebrations began:

June 16th – A dinner, hosted by the County Governors on the East Indiaman “Götheborg”
June 17th – A private dinner hosted by the King and Queen at Drottningholm Palace
June 18th – A private luncheon hosted by the King and Queen at Sturehof Castle
– A reception at Stockholm City Hall, followed by a dinner at Eric Ericson Hall, both hosted by the Government
– A gala concert at the Stockholm Concert Hall, hosted by the Riksdag (Swedish parliament)

Wedding Guests

 

Guests at the wedding included members of many royal families, foreign heads of state, the Swedish government, the diplomatic corps, and many others. Below is a list of the families, heads of state, and foreign royal families.

HM The King
HM. The Queen
HRH The Crown Princess Victoria
Mr Daniel Westling
HRH Prince Carl Philip
HRH Princess Madeleine

HM The King’s Family
Princess Margaretha, Mrs Ambler
Baroness Sybilla von Dincklage
Baroness Madeleine von Dincklage (Bridesmaid)
Mr James Ambler and Mrs Ursula Ambler
Mr C. Edward Ambler and Mrs Helen Ambler
HRH Princess Birgitta and HSH Dr Johann Georg, Prince von Hohenzollern
HSH Prince Carl Christian von Hohenzollern and HSH Princess Nicole von Hohenzollern
Mrs Désirée von Bohlen und Halbach and Mr Eckbert von Bohlen und Halbach
HSH Prince Hubertus von Hohenzollern and HSH Princess Ute Maria von Hohenzollern
Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld and Baron Niclas Silfverschiöld
Baron Carl Silfverschiöld and Baroness Maria Silfverschiöld
Baron Hans De Geer and Baroness Christina Louise De Geer
Baron Ian De Geer (Page Boy)
Civil economist Hélène Silfverschiöld
Princess Christina, Mrs Magnuson and Consul General Tord Magnuson
Civil Economist Gustaf Magnuson
Industrial designer Oscar Magnuson and Miss Emma Ledent
Mr Victor Magnuson and Miss Frida Bergström
Countess Marianne Bernadotte af Wisborg
Count Michael Bernadotte af Wisborg and Countess Christine Bernadotte af Wisborg
Countess Kajsa Bernadotte af Wisborg
Count Carl Johan Bernadotte af Wisborg and Countess Gunnila Bernadotte af Wisborg
Countess Bettina Bernadotte af Wisborg and Philipp Haug, DI
Count Björn Bernadotte af Wisborg and Countess Sandra Bernadotte af Wisborg
Mrs Madeleine Kogevinas
Count Bertil Bernadotte af Wisborg and Countess Jill Bernadotte af Wisborg
Mrs Dagmar von Arbin

HM The Queen’s Family
Mr Ralf de Toledo Sommerlath and Mrs Charlotte de Toledo Sommerlath
Mrs Carmita Sommerlath Baudinet and Monsieur Pierre Baudinet
Mr Thibault Radigues de Chennevière
Miss Chloé Radigues de Chennevière
Mr Thomas de Toledo Sommerlath and Ms Bettina Aussems
Mr Tim de Toledo Sommerlath
Mr Philip de Toledo Sommerlath
Mrs Susanne de Toledo Sommerlath
Miss Giulia de Toledo Sommerlath (Bridesmaid)
Mr Walther L. Sommerlath and Mrs Ingrid Sommerlath
Mrs Sophie Pihut-Sommerlath
Mr Patrick Sommerlath and Mrs Maline Luengo
Master Leopold Lundén Sommerlath (Page Boy)
Mrs Camilla Lundén
Miss Helena Christina Sommerlath
Miss Vivien Nadine Sommerlath (Bridesmaid)
Mr Carlos Augusto de Toledo Ferreira and Senhora Anna Luiza de Toledo Ferreira
Exma Senhora Maria Virginia Braga Leardi and Exmo Senhor Eduardo Longo
Senhor Luiz Machado de Melo and Senhora Maria Fernanda Machado de Melo
Exma Senhora Vera Quagliato
Senhor Carlos M. Quagliato
Senhor Pedro Ferreira

Daniel Westling’s Family
Mr Olle Westling and Mrs Ewa Westling
Anna Westling Blom, BS in Soc, and Assistant Master Mikael Söderström
Miss Hedvig Blom (Bridesmaid)
Miss Vera Blom (Bridesmaid)
Mr Olle Henriksson and Mrs Anita Henriksson
Agriculturalist Tommy Henriksson
Mapping Technician Hans Henriksson
Mr Nils Westling and Mrs Ann-Catrin Westling
Mr Andreas Westling and Mrs Amanda Tegnér
Miss Frida Westling
Miss Sara Westling
Mr Hasse Åström and Mrs Anna-Britta Åström
Insurance Official Hans Åström and Entrepreneur Helena Olsson
Mr Anders Åström and Mrs Kety Lund
Nursery Teacher Anna-Karin Åström and Assistant Christer Wigren
Mr Erik Westling and Mrs Birgitta Westling
Mr Ove Westling and Mrs Yvonne Westling
Mr Bo Westling and Mrs Carina Westling
Mr Per Westling and Mrs Rose-Marie Westling

Belgium
TM King Albert II and Queen Paola
TRH Crown Prince Philippe and Crown Princess Mathilde
TRH Princess Astrid and Prince Lorenz
TRH Prince Laurent and Princess Marie Claire

Bulgaria
TM King Simeon and Queen Margarita
HRH Prince Kyril
HRH Princess Rosario

Denmark
HM Queen Margrethe II and HRH Prince Henrik
TRH Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary
HRH Prince Christian (Page Boy)
Captain of HM The Queen’s Naval Household Lars Rosendahl Christothersen, Commander of Dannebrog

Finland
HE Republic of Finland’s President Mrs Tarja Halonen and Doctor Pentti Arajärvi, LL D

Greece
TM King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie
HRH Princess Alexia, Mrs Morales and Mr Carlos Morales Quintana
HRH Prince Nikolaos and Ms Tatiana Blatnik
HRH Prince Philipos

Iceland
HE Iceland’s President Dr Ólafur Ragnar Grimsson and Mrs Dorrit Moussaieff

Japan
HIH Crown Prince Naruhito

Jordan
TM King Abdullah II Bin Al Hussein and Queen Rania al Abdullah
TRH Prince Ali bin Al Hussein and Princess Rym Ali
TRH Prince El Hassan bin Talal and Princess Sarvath El Hassan
HRH Prince Rashid bin El Hassan
HRH Princess Noor bint Asem
HRH Princess Iman

Former Yugoslavia
TRH Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine

Liechtenstein
HSH Hereditary Prince Alois and HRH Hereditary Princess Sophie

Luxembourg
TRH The Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria-Teresa
HRH The Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume
HRH Prince Félix

Monaco
HSH Prince Albert II
Ms. Charlene Wittstock

The Netherlands
HM Queen Beatrix
TRH The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima
HRH Princess Catharina-Amalia (Bridesmaid)
TRH Prince Friso and Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau
TRH Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien

Norway
TM King Harald V and Queen Sonja
TRH Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit
HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra (Bridesmaid)
Princess Märtha Louise and Mr Ari Behn
Captain Frank Bondø, the Royal Ship Norge

Romania
TRH Crown Princess Margarita and Prince Radu

Spain
HM Queen Sofia
TRH The Prince and Princess of Asturias
HRH The Infanta Doña Elena
HRH The Infanta Doña Cristina and HE Don Iñaki Urdangarin

United Kingdom
TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex
Commander Nick Cooke-Priest, Commander of HMS Kent

Germany
HRH Princess Benedikte and HH Prince Richard zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
HSH Hereditary Prince Gustav zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Ms. Carina Axelsson
HSH Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Count Jefferson von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth
HSH Princess Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Mr Alexander Johannsmann
TRH Prince Manuel and Princess Anna of Bavaria
TH Hereditary Prince Hubertus and Hereditary Princess Kelly of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

The Wedding Attendants

 

Bridesmaids
HRH Princess Catharina-Amalia of the Netherlands (Victoria’s goddaughter)
HRH Princess Ingrid Alexandra of Norway (Victoria’s goddaughter)
Madeleine von Dincklage (a granddaughter of Victoria’s aunt Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler)
Vivienne Sommerlath (Victoria’s cousin)
Giulia Sommerlath (daughter of Victoria’s cousin)
Hedvig Blom (Daniel’s niece)
Vera Blom (Daniel’s niece)

Page Boys
HRH Prince Christian of Denmark (Victoria’s godson)
Ian De Geer (a grandson of Victoria’s aunt Princess Désirée, Baroness Silfverschiöld)
Léopold Sommerlath (son of Victoria’s cousin)

The Wedding Attire

 

Princess Victoria chose a Swedish designer for her dress, Pär Engsheden. The dress was made of cream-colored duchess silk with short sleeves and a turned-out collar, with a train nearly 5 meters long.

Keeping with tradition, she wore the Cameo Tiara, believed to be a gift from Napoleon I, Emperor of the French to his wife Empress Josephine. It was passed down to her granddaughter, who married into the Swedish Royal Family in 1823. It was eventually passed on to the King’s mother, Princess Sybilla, who left it to the King. Queen Silvia wore it at her wedding in 1976, as did two of the King’s sisters.

Victoria wore her mother’s lace veil, worn at her own wedding in 1976. It had been passed down, eventually to the King’s mother, who also wore it at her wedding in 1932. Three of the King’s sisters also wore the lace veil at their weddings.

The bridal bouquet was a mixture of traditional Swedish flowers with other, more exotic blooms, all in shades of white. Included were: lily of the valley, rose, phalaenopsis orchid, peony, clematis, cosmos, waxflower, sweet pea, dicentra formosa, Mårbacka pelargonium, Amazon lily, gardenia, azalea, bleeding heart, and the traditional myrtle from Sofiero.

The bridesmaids wore full-length pearl white dresses of silk organza, with short sleeves and rolled collars. They carried bouquets of lilies of the valley.

The pageboys, in keeping with the Bernadotte family tradition, wore sailor suits.

The Ceremony

With about 1,100 guests, the wedding ceremony took place on June 19, 2010, at 3:30 pm in the Stockholm Cathedral. The ceremony was performed by the Archbishop of Uppsala, Anders Wejryd, with assistance from The Royal Court Chief Chaplain, Lars-Göran Lönnermark, the Bishop of Lund, Dr. Antje Jackelén, and the Dean of the Cathedral, and Royal Court Chaplain, Åke Bonnier.

Music played whilst the guests assembled
Herald trumpeters from the Armed Forces Music Centre
played from the tower of the Cathedral

Adolf Fredrik’s Girls Choir
-Conductor Bo Johansson
“Äppelbo March”
“Husby bridal march”
“In this sweet summertime”, by A. Öhrwall
“The flowers that bloom on the ground”, by E. von Koch

The Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra
-Conductor Gustaf Sjökvist
From Drottningholm Music, by J. H. Roman
Allegro — Allegro — Vivace

National Folk Musicians Hugo and Tomas Westling with accordionist Britt-Marie Jonsson
“Spring Ice”, by Britt-Marie Jonsson, “Tribute” by Hugo Westling (First performance)
Wedding March for Victoria and Daniel by Hugo Westling (First performance)

The Ceremony
Crown Princess Victoria’s Fanfare
– by Ingvar Lidholm (1921-), originally performed at the Opening of Parliament 1995
Processional Music
– The Duke of Gloucester’s/Gloster’s March, by Jeremiah Clarke (1674-1707); arr Mattias Wager
Hymn
– by Karin Rehnqvist (1957-) (First performance)
– A gift to the Bridal Couple from The Royal Academy of Music.
Psalm 57:8-11
Hymn 201
– by C.D. af Wirsén (1842-1912); music: W. Åhlén (1894-1982); translation: Carolyn and Kenneth Jennings
Act of Praise
Words of Introduction
Bible Readings
– Matthew 19:4-6
– Romans 12:9-10, 15
– First letter of John 4:7
– Galatians 6:2
– Ephesians 3:16-17
The Questions
Blessing of the Rings
The Exchange of Vows and Rings
The Announcement
In the presence of God and before this congregation
you have made your vows to one another.
I therefore proclaim that you are husband and wife.
May the Lord be with you and lead you
in his truth now and always.
“Resting Blissfully In Your Arms”
– Music Benny Andersson (1946-); text: Kristina Lugn (1948-) (First performance)
Intercession
The Lord’s Prayer
The Blessing
Hymn 84b
– by E. A. Welch (1860-1932); adapted by A. Frostenson (1906-2006); music: M. Teschner (1584-1635)
The Address to the Bridal Couple by the Archbishop
“When You Tell the World You´re Mine”
– by Jörgen Elofsson (1962-); music: Jörgen Elofsson, John Lundvik (1983-) (First performance)
Bridal Recession to: Praise the Lord with Drums and Cymbals
– by Siegfried Karg-Elert (1877-1933); arr Thomas Brantigan

At the back of the cathedral, the King invested his new son-in-law – now HRH Prince Daniel, Duke of Västergötland – with the Order of the Seraphim before the couple emerged, under crossed swords, to the cheers of well-wishers. The couple rode through the streets of Stockholm in an open horse-drawn carriage to greet the millions of people who lined the route to cheer their Crown Princess and her new Prince.

Following the carriage ride, the couple boarded the Royal Barge Vasaorden, which carried them back to the Royal Palace. There, they were greeted by a choral tribute from the Swedish Choral Society. Following the tribute and the official photographs, the couple joined their guests for the Wedding Banquet.

The Wedding Banquet

Nearly 560 guests were invited to the Wedding Banquet, held in the Hall of State at the Royal Palace of Stockholm. Guests were seated at a large T-shaped table, as well as smaller round tables scattered through the room and three adjoining halls. At the head of the table, the bride and groom were seated with their parents, the Princess’ aunts Désirée and Margaretha, Count Carl Johan Bernadotte of Wisborg, the Queens of Denmark and the Netherlands, the Kings of Norway and Belgium, the President of Finland and Archbishop Anders Wejryd, who performed the marriage ceremony. The rest of the families and members of foreign royal families were seated at large tables which extended the length of the room. Speeches were given by The King, Olle Westling (the groom’s father), and the new Prince Daniel.

The Menu
Norway lobster from the west coast, served with summer truffles and truffle caviar, citrus marinated farmed cod on a bed of flowers with cucumber jelly and chilled green pea soup with Kalix whitefish roe

Landö char with herb coating, poached quail egg, green asparagus and beetroot from Gotland, served with a nettle and ramsons sauce

Sirloin of veal from Stenhammar with roasted shallot crisps, potato gratin with Allerum cheese, tomato terrine, carrots cooked with thyme in a white cabbage and tarragon gravy

Strawberry mousse with rhubarb centre and vanilla ice cream in white chocolate

Wines
Champagne Pommery 2000 Grand Cru
Sancerre Les Pierris 2008 Domaine Roger Champault
Pommard 1:er Cru Epenots 2002 Louis Jadot
Château Simon 2007 Sauternes

Following the dinner, the magnificent wedding cake was served. The 11-tiered four-leaf clover-shaped cake featured almond meringue, chocolate crisp, champagne mousse with wild strawberry curd, and wild strawberry compote, all finished off with champagne mousse. The sides of the cake were decorated with handmade caramel roses and lilies, and four-leaf clovers. The top of the cake is decorated with triangular spirals in transparent gold and blue, made from spun sugar, and the couple’s monogram made of cast caramel.

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.

Wedding of King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and Silvia Sommerlath

by Emily Mc Mahon  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

 

King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden married Silvia Sommerlath on June 19, 1976, at the Stockholm Cathedral (Storkyrkan) in Stockholm, Sweden.

Carl Gustaf’s Early Life

Carl Gustaf with his sister Christina in 1952; Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus was born during the reign of his great-grandfather, Gustaf V of Sweden, at Haga Palace on April 30, 1946. Carl Gustaf was the fifth child of Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten and Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. His birth following four older sisters (Margaretha, Birgitta, Desiree, and Christina) was greeted with relief because at that time, females were excluded from the succession. Carl Gustaf was third in line to the Swedish throne at birth.

Prince Gustaf Adolf was the eldest son of the future King Gustaf VI Adolf, while Sibylla was the eldest daughter of Charles Edward, the last Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The two were great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria through her sons Arthur and Leopold. The family had made their home at Haga Palace, a 19th-century residence that had long served as a summer home for the Swedish royal family.

But the young family’s happiness was soon cut short. The Duke of Västerbotten died in a plane crash in Denmark in January 1947, when his son was only seven months old. Carl Gustaf and his sisters later said that the adults in their lives rarely spoke of the tragedy with them and that Carl Gustaf himself did not know how his father died until he was seven years old.

Sibylla and her father-in-law, King Gustaf VI Adolf, supervised young Carl Gustaf’s schooling. Carl Gustaf was educated entirely in Sweden, first at the Broms School and later at the Sigtuna School, where he graduated in 1966. He was a somewhat indifferent student who had a difficult time with his studies due to dyslexia, a learning disorder not well understood at the time.

Carl Gustaf served in all three branches of the Swedish military between 1966 and 1968. He was treated as an ordinary soldier during his service, where he gained praise from his superiors for his hard work and adaptability. Carl Gustaf also sailed around the world during his training, doing everything from scrubbing decks to washing dishes. The prince flourished during his time in the military, particularly during his naval training, passing the officer’s examination in 1968.

After completing his military service, Carl Gustaf studied a variety of subjects at Stockholm University and Uppsala University. He also interned with numerous welfare organizations, factories, schools, and governmental offices. Carl Gustaf spent time abroad working with the United Nations, various embassies, banks, and organizations dedicated to developing nations. He also began representing his grandfather, King Gustaf VI Adolf, in a limited number of official duties. This work was meant to give Carl Gustaf a broad range of knowledge in Swedish and international affairs in preparation for his future role as monarch. Carl Gustaf succeeded his grandfather as King of Sweden upon the latter’s death in 1973.

Carl Gustaf often said he thought of himself as an ordinary man. He drove his own car, rode by regular passenger train whenever possible, and rarely traveled with an official entourage. Had he not been born in line for the Swedish throne, he claimed he would probably have had, “an earthy job, perhaps as a farmer.”

For more information about Carl Gustaf, see:

Silvia’s Early Life

Silvia as a child with her mother, Credit – vivanepotista.com

Silvia Renate Sommerlath was born on December 23, 1943, in Heidelburg, Germany, to Brazilian Alice Soares de Toledo and German Walther Sommerlath. Silvia joined her older brothers Ralf, Walther, and Jörg and remained the family’s only daughter. Although her father was a businessman, many of Silvia’s male relatives were members of the clergy.

From the ages of 4 to 14, Silvia lived in her mother’s hometown of São Paulo, Brazil. Silvia’s father worked as the head of the Brazilian branch of the Swedish Uddeholm steel company. While living in Brazil, the future Queen attended Colégio Visconde de Porto Seguro, a German-Portuguese school in Morumbi area of Sao Paulo. Silvia had a fondness for classical music since her youth, playing the piano and organ.

Walther was long suspected of having ties to the Nazi Party before and during World War II. There is some evidence that he joined the party in 1934 while living in Brazil, but there is no clear record of any specific activities Walther may have participated in. An examination of German state records revealed that Walther became the head of a company that produced equipment for tanks, a company that had recently been seized from Jewish ownership. Walther’s association with the party later became a point of concern when his daughter announced her engagement but was later dismissed due to a lack of evidence tying Walther to any known Nazi activities.

Upon the family’s return to Germany, Silvia was sent to school near Heidelberg. She completed secondary school in Düsseldorf in 1963. Silvia continued her education at the Munich School of Interpreting (Sprachen and Dolmetscher Institut München), studying the Spanish language. Silvia eventually learned to speak an impressive six languages – French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, English, and Swedish. Carl Gustaf is said to have been intrigued by Silvia’s linguistic ability from the very start of their relationship.

After her graduation from the Munich School of Interpreting in 1969, Silvia worked as a Spanish interpreter at the Argentine consulate in Munich. She was hired onto the staff of the Munich Olympic Games in 1971, serving as the senior hostess and interpreter. She also trained 1,500 other hosts and interpreters in preparation for the 1972 Summer Games. Silvia followed her stint at the Munich Games with a job as the assistant chief of protocol for the 1976 Innsbruck Winter Games.

For more information about Silvia, see:

The King In Love

Carl Gustaf was the first modern Swedish king to truly date. Although the Swedish monarch was not prohibited from marrying a commoner, it was expected that Carl Gustaf would marry a  royal. In fact, at the time Carl Gustaf came of age, any Swedish royal other than the monarch would lose his or her royal status through marriage to a commoner.

Periodic visits to relatives in the United Kingdom in the 1960s caused gossip to flourish that Carl Gustaf was courting Princess Anne. During his visits, gossip flew about a possible (or ideal, by some observers) romance between Carl Gustaf and Princess Anne – that the two had made several outings together, or they were secretly engaged. Talk of the so-called royal romance continued into the 1970s until Anne’s marriage to Mark Phillips.

Carl Gustaf was attached at one point to Charlotte Klingspor, a wealthy Swedish heiress, and was occasionally seen in the company of Margarita of Romania. None of Carl Gustaf’s relationships with women appeared to be serious, and the King seemed very happy frequenting clubs with a tight circle of noble and royal friends. The Swedish Royal Court suggested that Carl Gustaf, being at the beginning of his reign, was concentrating on his duties rather than finding a wife.

When interviewed about the type of woman he wanted to marry, Carl Gustaf stated that he wanted someone he loved, but her rank was unimportant. “She may be a secretary or a government official. That does not matter. The important thing is love.” The King was somewhat traditional when thinking of a role for his future wife, noting that he would prefer her to take care of the home and children.

As part of her job duties, Silvia was assigned as hostess and guide to several high-profile attendees at the Games. One of Silvia’s assigned guests was Carl Gustaf. Carl Gustaf asked Silvia for a date on the day they met, and the couple had dinner just a few hours later. Carl Gustaf noted several years afterward that he and Silvia “clicked” upon their first meeting and had done so ever since that day.

At the time of her first meeting with Carl Gustaf, Silvia was living in a simple studio apartment in Munich and was unaccustomed to fanfare regarding her personal life. On one of her earliest trips to Stockholm to visit Carl Gustaf, Silvia allegedly disguised herself in a blonde wig to throw the tail off of curious journalists. During her subsequent visits to the Swedish capital, Silvia would stay at an apartment owned by an unnamed friend of Carl Gustaf’s.

In the spirit of keeping their relationship private, Silvia told very few of her friends that she was dating a king. When questioned by a friend about why she moved so frequently (she moved from Munich to Heidelburg to Innsbruck in 1973), Silvia hinted that she was dating someone famous, but did not mention Carl Gustaf’s name. She lamented to her friend that she moved and switched cars frequently to keep reporters away.

In early 1973, a Swedish journalist photographed Silvia and Carl Gustaf driving together. As Silvia was unknown at the time, much speculation was given as to whom Carl Gustaf was seeing. Because Carl Gustaf had previously been linked to Margarita of Romania, the press speculated that she was King’s passenger.

When they wished to escape from the eager Swedish press, Carl Gustaf and Silvia spent time skiing in Switzerland and sunning on the French and Italian Mediterranean. The two were also photographed in Munich nightclubs and on the estate of Prince Otto von Bismarck. In 1974, the couple reportedly hunted at the British royal hunting grounds on the Sandringham estate.

A newspaper report in January 1974 claimed Carl Gustaf and Silvia would marry on April 30 of that year. The report noted that Silvia and Carl Gustaf had become engaged during a visit a few weeks prior. The Swedish royal court declared that talk of an engagement was “a bit premature,” and said that the couple needed some time before deciding something so serious. Later that year, however, Silvia moved into a Stockholm apartment owned by the King’s sister Christina, giving some credence to the rumors of an engagement. However, the world would have to wait a while for the official word.

The Engagement

Together with Silvia’s parents (Carl Gustaf’s mother Sibylla had died four years earlier), Carl Gustaf and Silvia announced their engagement on March 12, 1976. Carl Gustaf and Silvia alluded to being “unofficially” engaged several months prior but had decided to wait until Silvia had completed her duties at the Olympic Winter Games in Innsbruck before making it public.

A news conference was held the next day in the King’s official apartment at the palace. Carl Gustaf said that he and Silvia had a date in mind to marry and that the ceremony would definitely take place in the early summer. When asked during the press conference what attracted Carl Gustaf to Silvia, he simply answered, “She is Silvia. You can see for yourself.”

Carl Gustaf said he recognized his future wife already had an established career. Although he did not object to her working on principle, he doubted Silvia could hold a regular job as a translator while married to him. Besides, Silvia would be Queen as soon as she married Carl Gustaf, a job that was not only full-time but would incorporate Silvia’s linguistic skills. The press also asked the couple about their plans for children, to which Carl Gustaf asked to be allowed to get married first.

When asked what type of life she’d like to lead as Sweden’s queen, Silvia said she would like to live as normally as possible given her position. But the country and her new job did interest her a great deal, Silvia added. “I may have to give [up] some things after I marry, but on the other hand, I will get a sort of new job which I am very interested in,” Silvia explained. “I would like to take part in all affairs in Sweden, being a very curious person myself,” she added.

Carl Gustaf gave his fiancée a single solitaire ring set with a 2-carat diamond. The ring once belonged to his mother, Sibylla. Silvia was said to have been touched at receiving a ring with such a history. Carl Gustaf also wore a traditional and customary plain gold engagement ring.

Wedding Preparations

Silvia during a fitting for her wedding dress. Credit: hereliesthekingdom.com

The wedding was planned for June 19, 1976, the date of several other Swedish royal weddings. The future King Oscar I and Josephine of Leuchtenberg married on June 19, 1823. King Carl XV married Louise of the Netherlands on the same date in 1850, while he was still heir to the throne. In 2010, Crown Princess Victoria married Daniel Westling on June 19 as well.

To prepare for the couple’s tour of Stockholm following the religious service, workers created a temporary park beside the palace. This park would serve as an entryway for Silvia and Carl Gustaf to board the royal barge for a tour of the harbor. More than 1,000 police officers from all over Sweden were brought to Stockholm to provide crowd control and security for the couple and their guests.

The wedding would also be the first Swedish royal wedding broadcast on television. The event was televised in accordance with Carl Gustaf’s wish that the wedding celebrations be as open and accessible to as many people as possible. While royal weddings had been televised in other countries for several years, this had yet to be done in Sweden, as none of Carl Gustaf’s sisters had had a televised ceremony. The Swedish wedding was also unique in that as soon as the couple was declared married, the country would automatically have a new Queen.

The wedding costs were estimated at $1.1 million, but the wedding itself was expected to be a moneymaker in terms of broadcasting rights and potential tourism dollars spent in and around the city of Stockholm.

Celebrations in Stockholm

ABBA performed the first live and the first Swedish performance of “Dancing Queen” at the Royal Swedish Opera Gala in honor of King Carl Gustaf and his soon-to-be Queen

The wedding celebrations got off to a rough start when, about two weeks before the wedding, Silvia became ill with the flu and was unable to make a planned appearance with the King on June 6 (Sweden’s National Day). Silvia was still feeling under the weather the following day when the banns were read in the palace’s chapel. Although reportedly appearing “pale and tired,” Silvia attended the event with a smile.

When asked if she was nervous about her upcoming wedding, Silvia said she was not. “[I have] no butterflies in my stomach because of the tremendous reception I have received in Sweden.” On June 17, Silvia received the Order of the Seraphim and officially became a Swedish citizen the following day. On June 18, the King and the soon-to-be-Queen attended a gala performance at the Royal Swedish Opera. The gala was especially notable for the performance of Swedish band ABBA, at the peak of their fame, of the first live and the first Swedish performance of “Dancing Queen,” one of ABBA’s most famous songs. Despite the title, members of ABBA noted that the song had not been written specifically for the event or for Silvia.

The pre-wedding concert at the Royal Opera marked the first time Silvia publicly wore a tiara (the Connaught Diamond Tiara), a favorite of Carl Gustaf’s mother, Sibylla. The event was also the first occasion of Silvia’s wearing of her new Order of the Seraphim. A reception and dance for 200 guests at Drottningholm Palace followed the performance at the Royal Opera.

Wedding Ceremony

Carl Gustaf and Silvia during the recessional at their wedding. Photo credit: svspb.net

The ceremony was held on June 19, 1976, at Stockholm’s Storkyrkan (Great Church) with the Archbishop of Uppsala Olof Sundby presiding. Sundby was assisted by Hans Akerhelm, the first chaplain to the court, and the Reverend Ernst Sommerlath, Silvia’s uncle and a former professor of theology at Leipzig University.

The church was decorated with a new breed of red roses named “Queen Silvia”, in honor of the bride and her new role. The roses were held in two silver vases chosen by Silvia that had belonged to Louise, a previous Swedish queen. Two historic crowns were also brought from the Swedish national treasury to be displayed during the wedding. The two crowns displayed were those of King Erik XIV and 18th-century monarch Queen Louisa Ulrika. The crowns rested on blue cushions on either side of the altar. Other decorations included a seventeenth-century crucifix in oak, gold, and silver that had been made for Queen Christina’s coronation. Guests listened to the Swedish Radio symphony orchestra’s performance of various traditional Swedish music.

Mr. and Mrs. Sommerlath took their seats just before noon, not long before the processional began. The couple entered the cathedral to the strain of J. H. Roman’s “Sinfonia de Chiesa.” Carl Gustaf “beamed” as he made his way to the altar holding Silvia’s hand.

Silvia and Carl Gustaf had six children serve as their attendants:

  • Prince Hubertus of Hohenzollern (son of Carl Gustaf’s sister Princess Birgitta)
  • Baroness Hélène Silfverschiöld (daughter of Carl Gustaf’s sister Princess Desiree)
  • Carmita Sommerlath (daughter of Silvia’s brother Ralf Sommerlath; carried the wedding ring)
  • James Ambler (son of Carl Gustaf’s sister Princess Margaretha)
  • Sophie Sommerlath (daughter of Silvia’s brother Walther Sommerlath)
  • Amelie Middelschulte (daughter of Silvia’s close friend Beate Middelschulte)

The religious ceremony lasted approximately 40 minutes and included several Swedish hymns. Silvia and Carl Gustaf elected to have a single ring ceremony according to German tradition; thus Carl Gustaf placed a ring on his wife’s finger, but Silvia did not do the same for her husband. Silvia delivered her vows in nearly perfect Swedish, impressing the guests and the Swedish public watching on television. Neither the bride nor groom was asked to obey the other, a somewhat new practice in the church and a sign of changing times.

At the conclusion of the religious service, Silvia and Carl Gustaf made their way down the aisle to J. S. Bach’s “Sinfonia in D Major.” Television broadcasters noted when announcing that at precisely 12:21 PM, Sweden had its first queen in eleven years, since the death of Carl Gustaf’s step-grandmother Louise.

Wedding Attire

Carl Gustaf, Silvia, and their wedding party. Photo credit: royalty online.blogspot.com

Silvia chose Marc Bohan of Dior to design her wedding dress, a floor-length white duchesse silk gown. The dress was very simple in its design as it featured no lace, trim, embroidery, or decorative buttons. The structure of the dress included a very gentle A-line skirt, long bell sleeves, a jewel neckline, and a 12-foot train that fell from Silvia’s shoulders. Carl Gustaf’s sisters Birgitta and Desiree also wore the train as part of their own wedding ensembles.

The dress’s starkness was meant to showcase the other elements in Silvia’s ensemble, particularly the tiara and veil. Silvia wore one of the oldest, most well-known, and arguably most unique tiaras in the Swedish royal collection. The Cameo Tiara was a gift given by French Emperor Napoleon I to his then-wife, Josephine, in the early 19th century. It came into the hands of the Swedish royal family through the marriage of Josephine’s granddaughter (another Josephine) to Oscar I of Sweden. The diadem features cameos of various portraits and scenes from Greek mythology, adorned with yellow gold and numerous pearls of various sizes. Although cameo tiaras were once quite commonly worn, the Swedish Cameo Tiara is thought to be one of the only cameo tiaras of its kind still in use. Carl Gustaf’s sisters Birgitta and Desiree had previously worn the Cameo Tiara on their wedding days; Silvia and Carl Gustaf’s daughter Victoria continued the tradition when she wore it for her wedding in 2010.

Silvia’s lace veil was originally owned by Sofia of Nassau, the wife of King Oscar II of Sweden. Carl Gustaf’s mother Sibylla wore it at her 1932 wedding. Sibylla’s daughters Desiree, Margaretha, and Christina subsequently wore the veil as well. Although the veil was originally intended to cover the length of Silvia’s train, a miscalculation was made in the construction of the train. As a result, Silvia folded part of the lace veil over the tiara to compensate for the shorter train and prevent the lace from being damaged. As with the Cameo Tiara, Victoria also wore the heirloom veil on her wedding day.

Sprigs of myrtle from a plant belonging to Carl Gustaf’s grandmother Margaret trimmed the veil and tiara; the wearing of myrtle in the wedding is thought to bring a Swedish bride good luck. Silvia wore very little jewelry, forgoing a necklace and bracelets, and wearing only a pair of tiny pearl earrings. She carried a bouquet of orchids and jasmine complemented by lilies of the valley and stephanotis, completing the ensemble.

On a somewhat more comical note, Silvia’s simple dress had no pockets or anywhere to discreetly place a handkerchief. Alice Sommerlath insisted her daughter carry one in case she became tearful during the ceremony (she never did). Silvia had little choice but to hastily fasten the handkerchief to her right wrist with a rubber band. Although the handkerchief was not visible during the ceremony due to the long sleeves of the dress, it was very visible whenever Silvia waved.

Carl Gustaf wore his Swedish naval admiral’s uniform. He wore the insignia of all four Swedish orders – the Order of the Seraphim, Order of the Sword, Order of the Polar Star, and Order of Vasa. According to some sources, Carl Gustaf also wore the Order of Merit of the German Federal Republic in honor of his bride’s origins.

The Tour Through Stockholm

Embed from Getty Images
Carl Gustaf and Silvia on their carriage ride through Stockholm

The royal couple rode in an open horse-drawn landau through the streets of Stockholm, waving to the crowds of between 150,000 and 180,000 lining the streets, many of whom had been there since the early morning hours. Carl Gustaf and Silvia were greeted by cheers from the spectators, most of whom were waving miniature Swedish flags or holding balloons printed with the couple’s pictures.

On Skeppsholmen Island opposite the palace, the King and his new Queen boarded the royal barge Vasaorden to review Swedish naval ships parked in the harbor. As Carl Gustaf and Silvia toured by barge, three divisions of Swedish Air Force jets drew a large white heart in the sky during a 21-gun salute by the Swedish Navy.

The couple then disembarked the Vasaorden and walked into the palace serenaded by over 200 folk musicians from Dalarna playing a Swedish bridal march. The two were greeted by the Governor of the Royal Palace, Sixten Wohlfahrt, who formally welcomed the King and new Queen to the palace for the first time. Carl Gustaf and Silvia then appeared on the balcony of the Royal Palace to greet the crowds. Carl Gustaf lifted Silvia’s hand and declared their happiness to a cheering crowd.

Reception

After the harbor tour, the royal couple remained at the Royal Palace for a luncheon with 300 guests in the Vita Havet (White Sea) stateroom. Strolling fiddlers and pipers during the meal serenaded the diners. Carl Gustaf’s uncle Bertil served as the formal host and gave a speech welcoming Silvia into the family and her new role as Queen.

Royal head chef and renowned restaurateur Werner Vögeli prepared the wedding buffet. The menu included salmon mousse baked in puff pastry, jellied consommé with caviar, Scottish forest pigeon, foie gras, and wild strawberries and ice cream. Croquembouche decorated with pink marzipan flowers served as a wedding cake.

Silvia had previously complimented the salmon mousse when she sampled it prior to the wedding. Wanting to do something special for the new Queen, Vögeli copied the recipe for the mousse on a special card and placed it at Silvia’s seat before the banquet as a keepsake. Vögeli, originally a Swiss citizen, catered many of the official dinners and banquets during the early years of Carl Gustaf’s reign.

Wedding Guests

Although Carl Gustaf’s and Silvia’s wedding was attended by fewer royals than some ceremonies before and since, the ceremony still had about 1200 guests.

Among the most notable guests at the wedding were:

  • Prince Bertil of Sweden, Duke of Halland
  • Lillian Craig (Lillian became Duchess of Halland later that year)
  • Walther and Alice Sommerlath
  • Ralf and Charlotte Sommerlath
  • Jörg Sommerlath
  • Walther (Silvia’s brother) and Michele Sommerlath
  • Princess Margaretha of Sweden and John Ambler
  • Princess Birgitta (of Sweden) and Prince Johann Georg of Hohenzollern
  • Princess Désirée of Sweden and Baron Nils-August Otto Carl Niclas Silfverschiöld
  • Princess Christina of Sweden and Tord Magnuson
  • Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
  • Richard and Birgitte, Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (official representatives of the British monarchy)
  • Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus of the Netherlands
  • Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Josephine-Charlotte of Luxembourg
  • Queen Ingrid of Denmark
  • King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece (former)
  • King Olav V of Norway
  • Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik of Denmark
  • Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (formerly of Denmark)
  • King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of the Belgians
  • Urho Kaleva Kekkonen, President of Finland
  • Dr. Kristján Eldjárn, President of Iceland, and Halldora Eldjárn
  • Walter Scheel, President of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany), and Mildred Scheel

Honeymoon and Afterward

Six hours after the wedding, the bride and groom left Stockholm to begin their month-long honeymoon. Before leaving, Carl Gustaf expressed his belief that the press would likely not follow them. “There’s a good chance,” he said happily, “that we will be left alone.”

The couple first headed to the US state of Hawaii, where they hoped to begin their honeymoon “just like any married couple.” The two were met with a security entourage so vast that Rick Larsen, the Swedish Consul in Hawaii, had a tough time finding the couple to welcome them. Larsen managed to reach Silvia first, who received a traditional lei around her neck. While in Hawaii, Carl Gustaf and Silvia stayed at a private estate owned by Lurline Roth, a shipping heiress.

Carl Gustaf and Silvia then headed to Botswana, where the two stayed in a tent near the Linyanti River. The area where they stayed was later renamed Kingspool in honor of its royal guests. The couple followed their Hawaiian and African honeymoon with a short stay at the Solliden Palace in Öland, where they were first pictured together three years prior.

The wedding did a great deal to bolster the popularity of Carl Gustaf and the Swedish monarchy itself. Both had met with considerable criticism from the start of Carl Gustaf’s reign for the usual reasons. Detractors questioned the necessity of the institution and believed Carl Gustaf was too irresponsible for the position. The marriage of Carl Gustaf to Silvia brought stability to the monarchy, and their romance warmed the hearts of even the most virulent critics.

Children

Embed from Getty Images
Carl Gustaf and Silvia with their three children in 1983

Carl Gustaf and Silvia had two daughters and one son:

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.

Wedding of King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

source: Zimbio

King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark were married on September 18, 1964, in the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation in Athens.

Constantine’s Early Life

Constantine was born on June 2, 1940, at Villa Psychiko in Athens to Crown Prince Paul of Greece and Princess Friederike of Hanover. He has one older sister – Queen Sofia of Spain, and one younger sister – Princess Irene of Greece. During World War II, the Greek Royal Family was forced to flee Greece, settling in Alexandria, Egypt, and then Cape Town, South Africa. They returned to Greece in 1946, and the following year, his uncle, King George II died. Constantine’s father became King, and Constantine became Crown Prince.

He attended school in Athens from 1949-1955, followed by all three Greek military academies. He then went to the National University of Athens to study law. An avid athlete, Tino (as he was known in the family) participated in the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, winning a gold medal in sailing (Dragon Glass). This was Greece’s first gold medal in 48 years. He became a member of the International Olympic Committee in 1963.

He became King of the Hellenes following his father’s death in March 1964. Just three years after the wedding, following a coup in 1967, the Greek royal family went into exile, living in Rome for several years before moving to Denmark and then finally settling in the United Kingdom. While in exile, King Constantine was deposed and the monarchy was formally abolished in 1974.

For more information about Constantine see:

Anne-Marie’s Early Life

Embed from Getty Images 

Princess Anne-Marie Dagmar Ingrid of Denmark was born on August 30, 1946, at Amalienborg in Copenhagen. She is the third and youngest daughter of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Princess Ingrid of Sweden. Her two older sisters are Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. A year after her birth, her grandfather died, and her father became King Frederik IX. Several years later, the King had the succession laws changed to allow for female succession, putting Anne-Marie third in line to succeed her father.

After attending a private school in Copenhagen from 1952-1961, Anne-Marie was enrolled at the Chatelard School for Girls, a boarding school in Switzerland, from 1961-1963. She then attended the Institut Le Mesnil, a Swiss finishing school.

For more information about Anne-Marie see:

The Engagement

Constantine and Anne-Marie are third cousins, several times over, through their mutual descent from both King Christian IX of Denmark and Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. They first met in 1959, when Constantine accompanied his parents on a State Visit to Denmark. Constantine was 19, and Anne-Marie was just 13. They met again in Denmark in 1961, but it was in 1962 that the romance truly began to blossom. Anne-Marie was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Constantine’s sister, Sophia, to Juan Carlos of Spain. By that time, Tino was clearly smitten and the two spent much of the night dancing together. After that, Tino made many visits to Denmark to see Anne-Marie, and the media began to speculate about a romance with Anne-Marie’s older sister Benedikte. In the summer of 1962, Anne-Marie was on holiday in Norway with her governess, and Tino was also there competing in yacht racing. They spent a lot of time together, and soon he proposed, and Anne-Marie accepted. His parents were delighted with the news, but the Danish King was hesitant to give his blessing. Soon, however, he realized that the two were in love and he relented, giving his consent. However, several conditions had to be met. He insisted that the wedding could not take place until Anne-Marie had finished her education and reached her eighteenth birthday and that the engagement could not be made public until the beginning of the next year.

For the next six months, the couple kept their engagement a secret, while Constantine made many trips to Denmark, often using sailing events as an excuse for his visits. Finally, on January 23, 1963, the Danish Royal Court announced the couple’s engagement. Several days later, Constantine, Anne-Marie, and their parents appeared at a press conference and then greeted the crowds from the balcony at Amalienborg.

Once the excitement had died down, Anne-Marie returned to School in Switzerland and Tino returned to his official duties in Greece. The wedding was planned for January 1965. However, this would soon change due to the death of King Paul. In early 1964, King Paul was diagnosed with cancer. After undergoing surgery, he suffered from a pulmonary embolism and died on March 6, 1964. Tino assumed the Greek throne as King Constantine II. The wedding plans were moved forward and scheduled for September 18, 1964. This would be just weeks after Anne-Marie’s eighteenth birthday, and days after the end of the official court mourning.

Pre-Wedding Festivities

The celebrations began on September 7, 1964, when Constantine arrived in Denmark. That evening, a private dinner and dance were held at Fredensborg Castle, and the following day they returned to Amalienborg for the official display of the wedding gifts. That evening, they attended a gala performance at the Royal Theatre, followed by a lavish banquet held at Christiansborg Palace, with over 1,000 guests. The next morning, Anne-Marie and Tino were guests at a reception held by the City of Copenhagen and rode in a carriage procession through the streets to greet the thousands of Danes who had come out to wish them well.

The festivities then moved to Greece. Constantine, Anne-Marie, and her family sailed to Greece aboard the Danish Royal Yacht, Dannebrog, where they were greeted by Queen Frederica, Princess Irene, and Prince Michael.

King Constantine hosted three large receptions at Tatoi Palace, with more than 6,000 guests invited. A special committee had been formed in Athens to select people from around the country to come – at the Government’s expense – to meet the King and his future Queen. A reception was also held at the Hotel Grande Bretagne, in Athens, in honor of the Danish royal family.

On September 16, most of the royal guests began to arrive, and King Constantine personally greeted most of them as their planes landed in Athens. That evening, a gala ball was held in the gardens of the Royal Palace of Athens, with 1,600 invited guests. The royal guests were resplendent in their gowns and uniforms, with their best jewels on show. The bride wore a light blue gown with the Greek Emerald Parure, which was among the jewels given to her by Queen Frederica.

Wedding Guests

More than 1,200 guests attended the wedding, including many members of royal and noble families from around the world. According to the New York Times, the guest list included “eight reigning monarchs and their consorts, two former kings, more than 55 princes and princesses, and heads of state and representatives from more than 87 countries”. The royal guests included:

Constantine’s Immediate Family

  • Dowager Queen Frederica
  • Princess Sofia and Prince Juan Carlos of Spain
  • Princess Irene
  • Princess Viktoria Luise, Dowager Duchess of Brunswick

Anne-Marie’s Immediate Family

  • King Frederik and Queen Ingrid
  • Princess Margrethe
  • Princess Benedikte

Royal Guests

  • King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of Belgium
  • Prince Ingolf of Denmark
  • Prince Michael of Greece
  • Princess Eugenie of Greece, Duchess of Castel Duino
  • Princess Tatiana Radziwill
  • Prince George Radziwill
  • Princess Irene of Greece, Dowager Duchess of Aosta
  • The Duke and Duchess of Aosta
  • Princess Katherine of Greece, Lady Brandram and Sir Richard Brandram
  • Princess Alice of Greece
  • King Hussein and Princess Muna of Jordan
  • Hereditary Grand Duke Jean and Hereditary Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg
  • Prince Rainier of Monaco
  • Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
  • Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands
  • King Olav of Norway
  • Crown Prince Harald of Norway
  • The Count and Countess of Barcelona
  • King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden
  • Crown Prince Carl Gustaf of Sweden
  • Princess Christina of Sweden
  • King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit of Thailand
  • The Duke of Edinburgh
  • The Prince of Wales
  • Princess Anne of the United Kingdom
  • Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
  • Prince Michael of Kent
  • Earl Mountbatten of Burma
  • Tsar Simeon and Tsaritsa Margarita of Bulgaria
  • Prince Georg Wilhelm and Princess Sophie of Hanover
  • Prince Karl of Hesse
  • Princess Clarissa of Hesse
  • King Umberto and Queen Marie-José of Italy
  • King Mihai and Queen Anne of Romania
  • Queen Mother Helen of Romania
  • Princess Margareta of Romania
  • Count Michael Bernadotte
  • Princess Olga of Yugoslavia
  • Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia

Wedding Attire

The bride wore a gown made by a Danish designer, Jørgen Bender. The simple, yet elegant dress featured a wide neckline, empire waist, and three-quarter sleeves, with a split-front skirt with a detailed edge, extending out into a 20-foot train.

Her veil of Irish lace was a family heirloom. It was originally a gift to her grandmother, Princess Margaret of Connaught, for her wedding to the future King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden in 1905. Holding the veil in place, Anne-Marie wore the Khedive of Egypt Tiara, another piece that goes back to her grandmother’s wedding, having been a wedding gift from the Khedive of Egypt. You can read more about the tiara here. Keeping with tradition, both the veil and the tiara have been worn by all of Queen Ingrid’s female descendants.

The groom wore his white Field Marshal’s uniform, adorned with several Greek and Danish orders and medals.

The bride’s attendants (listed below) wore simple gowns of white organza, with white flowers in their hair.

  • Princess Anne of the United Kingdom
  • Princess Christina of Sweden
  • Princess Irene of Greece
  • Princess Margareta of Romania
  • Princess Tatiana Radziwill
  • Princess Clarissa of Hesse

Wedding Ceremony

On the morning of September 18, 1964, with all of the guests already assembled at the Cathedral, King Constantine, accompanied by his mother, left the Royal Palace in an open carriage. Soon, he was followed by Princess Anne-Marie and her father. The bride’s attendants were waiting outside the cathedral to help her with her gown and train, and then the procession began.

The traditional Greek Orthodox ceremony was conducted by Archbishop Chrysostomos, the Primate of Greece. After hearing the sacraments of marriage, the two exchanged rings and took communion. Part of the service involved crowns being held over their heads. This was done first by Queen Frederica, and then by a succession of princes – Crown Prince Harald of Norway, Crown Prince Carl Gustaf of Sweden, The Prince of Wales, Prince Michael of Greece, Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, Prince Ingolf of Denmark, Prince Michael of Kent, Prince Karl of Hesse and Count Michael Bernadotte.

At the end of the service, red and white rose petals fluttered down into the cathedral, as the couple embraced her parents, and the Dowager Queen Frederica curtsied to Greece’s new Queen.

Following the ceremony, the King and his new Queen led a carriage procession back to the Royal Palace where a wedding breakfast was held for 80 guests. Constantine and Anne-Marie then left for Corfu to begin their honeymoon.

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.

Wedding of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld

by Emily McMahon  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Juliana and Berhard at their wedding; Credit – Wikipedia

Princess Juliana, the future Queen Juliana, and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld were married on January 7, 1937, in a civil ceremony at The Hague Town Hall in the Netherlands and in a religious ceremony at the Great Church (St. Jacobskerk), also in The Hague.

 

Juliana’s Family

Princess Juliana with her mother Queen Wilhelmina in 1914; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Juliana was born on April 30, 1909, in The Hague, the daughter of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and her consort Prince Hendrik, formerly Duke Henry of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. Juliana was born to the couple after eight years of marriage. Wilhelmina was the only surviving child of her father, Willem III of the Netherlands, so she needed to provide herself with an heir. Wilhelmina experienced several miscarriages and a stillbirth before the birth of Juliana who was, incidentally, her only surviving child. Although Juliana’s parents were not happily married, Wilhelmina and Hendrik doted on their daughter. Juliana was named for Juliana von Stolberg, the mother of Willem I of Orange, the liberator of the Dutch Netherlands from Spanish rule. Juliana spent her childhood at the palaces of Het Loo, Huis ten Bosch, and Noordeinde.

Juliana was educated with a small group of similarly aged girls of the Dutch nobility. Wilhelmina had selected Juliana’s “class” upon advice that she would learn best among children her own age. After her initial education was complete, Juliana enrolled in the University of Leiden. The intellectually curious Juliana spent four years at Leiden and received an honorary degree in literature and philosophy.

Juliana’s beloved grandmother, the former Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont (known as the Queen Mother) passed away in 1935. A few months later, Prince Hendrik died suddenly of a heart attack. This meant that Queen Wilhelmina and Princess Juliana now made up the entire House of Orange. As it had been with her mother, it was necessary for Juliana to marry and produce her own heir to ensure the survival of the Dutch monarchy. While possible contenders for the future role of Juliana’s consort had been bantered about since the mid-1920s, 1935 signaled the year when full-fledged marriage preparations began.

For more information about Juliana see:

Bernhard’s Family

Bernhard with his father in 1914; Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Bernhard Friedrich Eberhard Leopold Julius Kurt Carl Gottfried Peter, Graf von Biesterfeld was born on June 29, 1911, in Jena in the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach now in Germany. He was the elder son of Prince Bernhard of Lippe (younger brother of Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe) and his wife Armgard von Cramm. Bernhard and Armgard’s marriage was considered morganatic, so the younger Bernhard was styled Graf von Biesterfeld (Count of Biesterfeld) at birth. Bernhard had one younger brother Prince Aschwin of Lippe-Biesterfeld (1914 –1988). In 1916, Bernhard’s uncle, the reigning Prince of Lippe, created Armgard Princess of Lippe-Biesterfeld with the style Serene Highness and this title and style also was extended to her two sons.

Bernhard started his education with tutors at home and at the age of 12 began to attend a boarding school for boys in Züllichau in the Prussian province of Brandenburg, now Sulechów, Poland. In 1929, he completed his secondary education and then studied law at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland and at the Friedrich-Wilhelm University in Berlin, Germany, now Humboldt University. Bernhard then obtained a job at the Parisian subsidiary of the German chemical company IG Farben, where he continued to work until his engagement to Juliana.

For more information about Bernhard see:

The Engagement

Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard celebrate their engagement in Amsterdam on September 8, 1936

In early 1936, Wilhelmina and Juliana attended the Winter Olympics in Bavaria. The Olympic Games had long since had significant royal connections (the Greek royals had been instrumental in their revival in the late 19th century), and several royals were known to be in attendance. Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld was one of these princes at the Winter Games. Bernhard’s father, also named Bernhard, had been acquainted with Prince Hendrik, but the younger Bernhard had never been considered as a husband for Juliana. Bernhard had suffered from ill-health as a child, was the product of a morganatic marriage, had a bit of a wild side, and was not even officially a prince until after his fifth birthday, but Wilhelmina was growing desperate and consented to Bernhard’s request to meet Juliana. The two took skiing lessons together under Wilhelmina’s watchful eye.

Juliana was finally impressed with a prince – in Bernhard’s case, his intelligence, education (he had studied law in Switzerland for a time), and charisma. For his part, Bernhard found Juliana thoughtful, good-natured, and likewise intelligent. Bernhard asked Wilhelmina if he could visit Juliana in the Netherlands, which Wilhelmina granted. When these visits went well, Bernhard asked if he could accompany mother and daughter on their summer vacation in Switzerland.

Wilhelmina could see the writing on the wall. Bernhard had obviously caught Juliana’s attention and seemed sincere in his interest in her. Wilhelmina was advised of Bernhard’s previous health issues, but those had seemed to disappear after childhood. Bernhard’s family was unimpressive, but perhaps limited family interference would be a good thing. Bernhard’s mother Armgard was divorced prior to his birth and somewhat of a woman about town in her past. However, her second marriage seemed to have had a calming effect on Armgard and she was quite devoted to her family. There were rumors of Bernhard’s involvement with alcohol, women, and fast cars, but Wilhelmina dismissed these to youth.

Of more concern was Bernhard’s association with Nazism. Bernhard was a member of the honorary motorized SS corps, but this was almost standard for young German men interested in motorcycles at the time. Bernhard’s brother Aschwin was also a follower of Nazism and later became an officer in the German army. After gaining attention as a candidate for Juliana’s hand, Bernhard met briefly with Adolf Hitler. Hitler disliked Bernhard immediately – and the feeling was mutual for Bernhard. Bernhard’s dismissal of Hitler – and Juliana’s growing attachment to him – convinced Wilhelmina to allow Bernhard to propose.

And so Juliana and Bernhard became engaged in Weissenburg, Switzerland, during the summer of 1936. The engagement was announced to the Dutch public on September 8 of that year, with a wedding scheduled for January 7, 1937 – the anniversary of Juliana’s maternal grandparents. Bernhard visited his fiancée at Noordeinde Palace as an accompaniment to the announcement. Bernhard became a Dutch citizen on November 24.

In preparation for her wedding, Juliana followed a German diet plan that allowed her to lose some weight. Her dress had to be fitted multiple times to accommodate her weight loss.

The Wedding

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Juliana and Bernhard registered their marriage (known in Dutch at the “ondertrouw” or “under-marriage”) on December 19, 1936, a few weeks before the wedding. The couple attended an orchestral performance in their honor the night before the wedding. The Nazi and British national anthems were both played, with many guests on both sides visibly uncomfortable.

Dutch cafes and restaurants stayed open all night before the wedding to accommodate many curious visitors to The Hague. Oranges hung from trees in The Hague to celebrate the marriage of the heir of the House of Orange.

On January 7, 1937, Juliana and Bernhard had a civil ceremony in The Hague Town Hall. The couple traveled to the civil ceremony in the State Coach presented to Queen Wilhelmina at the time of her marriage in 1901. A second, religious service took place in the Great Church (St. Jacobskerk). Bernhard received the title of Prince of the Netherlands on the day of the wedding. Given Juliana’s position as heir to the Dutch throne, the usual bride’s vow to obey her husband was eliminated from the wedding ceremony.

Juliana and Bernhard rode to their religious wedding in a coach of glass and gold; Queen Wilhelmina followed behind the couple in a crystal coach. The bridesmaids and groomsmen traveled in three four-horsed coaches escorted by eight Hussar officers.

Juliana’s bridesmaids and child attendants included Princess Thyra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Princess Anastasia of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Duchess Woislawa of Mecklenburg, Grand Duchess Kira Kirillovna of Russia, Princess Helena of Erbach-Schonberg, Princess Sieglinde of Lippe-Detmold, Princess Elizabeth of Lippe-Detmold, Duchess Eilika of Oldenburg, and Countess Svea of Oeynhausen-Sieperstorff.

Sophie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Juliana’s second cousin, was originally chosen as a bridesmaid but could not attend as the Nazi government refused to issue her a visa. Though her visa was issued at the last moment, Sophie did not attend the wedding. Baroness von Heeckeren van Kall, a lady-in-waiting to Juliana, served as a bridesmaid in her place.

Bernhard’s supporters included four Dutch nobles, four German counts, two German barons, a French cavalry officer, the Prince von Windishgraetz. Professor Huizenga of the University of Leyden took the place of the Prince of Wied who, like Sophie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach was denied a visa from Germany. His child attendants were Prince Armin of Lippe and Kaspar of Oeynhausen-Sieperstorff.

Wedding Guests

The wedding guests were made up mostly of family members of the couple, the majority of whom were German nobles and royalty. More guests were expected but many German royals and nobles did not get their expected visas from the Nazi government.

  • Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands
  • Princess Armgard zur Lippe-Biesterfeld
  • Prince Viktor Adolf & Princess Rosa, Prince & Princess zu Bentheim und Steinfurt
  • Princess Elisabeth, Princess zu Erbach-Schönberg
  • Prince George, Duke of Kent (representing HM George VI)
  • Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone & HSH the Earl of Athlone
  • Major Henry & Lady May Abel Smith
  • Prince Leopold & Princess Anna, Prince & Princess of Lippe
  • Prince Armin of Lippe
  • Prince Aschwin zur Lippe-Biesterfield
  • Prince Julius & Princess Marie of Lippe
  • Prince Ernst August of Lippe
  • Princess Karola of Lippe
  • Grand Duke Friedrich Franz & Grand Duchess Alexandra of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
  • Hereditary Grand Duke Friedrich Franz of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
  • Duke Adolf Friedrich & Duchess Elisabeth of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
  • Grand Duchess Elisabeth of Oldenburg
  • Hereditary Grand Duke Nikolaus & Hereditary Grand Duchess Helena of Oldenburg
  • Duchess Eilika of Oldenburg
  • Prince Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
  • Count Paul & Countess Allene Kotzebue
  • Count Rabe & Countess Margarethe von Oeynhausen-Sierstorpff
  • Count Caspar von Oeynhausen-Sierstorpff
  • Countess Svea von Oeynhausen-Sierstorpff
  • Count & Countess von der Goltz

Wedding Attire

Photo Credit – Wikipedia

Juliana wore five diamond rose brooches connected with small pearls. The rose is in the family coat of arms of the House of Lippe. The brooches were bought at Mellerio and had been a gift from King Willem III to Queen Emma. Juliana wore an ivory satin draped dress designed by Masion Kühne of The Hague. The dress was inspired by the clothing of ancient Greece. Juliana’s veil was of white tulle with silver embroidery. The veil hung from a diadem of diamonds in the shape of a rose in honor of the House of Lippe, a gift to Juliana from Bernhard’s mother Armgard. Roses and orange blossoms also adorned her veil.

Bernhard wore the uniform of the Royal Dutch Hussars, as an honorary captaincy had been bestowed upon him when he renounced his German citizenship. Bernhard also wore a cluster of Dutch military orders on the uniform. Bernhard long wore his medals in the English style, while most Dutch wore theirs in Prussian style. The twelve bridesmaids wore satin dresses of differing pastel colors (blue, lilac, green, yellow, pink, and orange) to form the appearance of a rainbow.

Juliana and Bernhard appeared on the balcony of Noordeinde Palace after the wedding. Following a mock departure from the wedding banquet, Juliana and Bernhard left for the honeymoon the day after the wedding.

The Honeymoon

Wawel Castle; Photo Credit – By Kriskros – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21142368

Juliana and Bernhard embarked on a 3-month tour of Europe immediately after the wedding. They spent much time in Poland, skiing in Krynica Zdroj in the southern part of the country. The newly-married couple also visited Wawel Castle in Krakow. Juliana and Bernhard also visited Vienna, Budapest, Nice, Monaco, Paris, and Rome.

Children

Embed from Getty Images 
Juliana, Bernhard and their four daughters

Juliana and Bernhard had four daughters:

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.

Wedding of King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden and Princess Margaret of Connaught

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

On Thursday, June 15, 1905, Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden, the future King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden, and Princess Margaret of Connaught were married at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor.

Gustaf Adolf’s Early Life

Gustaf Adolf (left) with his brother Wilhelm, c1885

Gustaf Adolf of Sweden (Oscar Fredrik Wilhelm Olaf Gustaf Adolf) was born on November 11, 1882, at the Royal Palace in Stockholm. At birth, he was created Duke of Skåne by his grandfather King Oscar II. He was the eldest of three sons of the future King Gustav V and Victoria of Baden. Along with his two brothers – Prince Wilhelm and Prince Erik – Gustaf Adolf began his education at home, with a governess and then with tutors. In 1901, he began his formal education, studying history, economics, political science, and archeology at Uppsala University. He also received military training at the Military Academy Karlberg, becoming an officer in the Swedish Army. He would eventually rise to the rank of Lieutenant-General.

In 1907, Gustaf Adolf became Crown Prince upon his father’s accession to the Swedish throne. He would hold this title for nearly 43 years before becoming King of Sweden in 1950.

For more information about Gustaf Adolf see:

Margaret’s Early Life

Margaret (standing) with her parents and younger siblings, 1893. source: Wikipedia

Princess Margaret Victoria Charlotte Augusta Norah of Connaught (known in the family as Daisy) was born at Bagshot Park, Windsor, on January 15, 1882, the eldest of three children of Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn and Princess Luise Margarete of Prussia. Her godparents included her grandmother, Queen Victoria and the German Emperor Wilhelm I.

Margaret and her siblings were raised at Bagshot Park and Clarence House, her family’s home in London, and were educated privately at home. As a member of the British Royal Family, she often took part in family functions and events and served as a bridesmaid (along with her sister) at the wedding of the future King George V and Queen Mary in 1893.

Sadly, Margaret died before her husband became King of Sweden. She was eight months pregnant with her sixth child in 1920 when she underwent mastoid surgery. An infection set in, killing Margaret, at the age of 38, and her unborn child.

For more information about Margaret see:

The Engagement

source: Wikipedia

Margaret and her sister, Patricia, were considered two of the most eligible princesses in Europe, and their parents set out to find suitable royal husbands. After visiting the court of King Carlos of Portugal, the family traveled to Cairo to attend a birthday banquet for Khedive Abbas Hilmi Pasha of Egypt in January 1905. Also invited was Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, who had been visiting his mother, Queen Victoria of Sweden, at her home in Capri. The couple met and were instantly smitten. Ironically, it was Margaret’s sister Patricia who had been rumored as a possible bride for Gustaf Adolf, but he quickly determined that he only had an interest in Margaret. Fully supported by Margaret’s parents, the Prince proposed on February 25, 1905, at a dinner at the British Consulate, and Margaret quickly accepted. The news came as a great surprise to the people of Sweden and was received with great joy by the Prince’s grandfather, King Oscar II.

On their way back to the United Kingdom at the end of March, the newly engaged couple and Margaret’s parents stopped in Rome. There, they were invited to a grand dinner at the Quirinale Palace, hosted by King Vittorio Emanuele III and Queen Elena, in honor of their visit.

Pre-Wedding Festivities

Clarence House. photo: CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=735793

On June 9, 1905, the Duke and Duchess of Connaught hosted a Garden Party at Clarence House, where the wedding gifts were all displayed. The following day, the groom left Stockholm to travel to London, while his father and uncle, Prince Eugen, traveled on June 11, 1905.

The festivities began with two large dinner parties held at Windsor Castle on June 12 and June 13, 1905. On June 14, 1905, with all of the royal guests having arrived, a Garden Party was held at Windsor Castle, followed by a State Banquet that evening in St. George’s Hall, Windsor Castle.

Wedding Guests

Abbas II Hilmi Bey, The Khedive of Egypt, one of the wedding guests. source: Wikipedia

The wedding was attended by many of the British and Swedish Royal Families, and numerous foreign royal guests. Below is a partial listing of the guests.

The Groom’s Family
The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Sweden – the groom’s parents
Prince Wilhelm of Sweden – the groom’s brother
Prince Erik of Sweden – the groom’s brother
Prince Eugen of Sweden – the groom’s paternal uncle
Prince Carl and Princess Ingeborg of Sweden – the groom’s paternal uncle and aunt

The Bride’s Family
The Duke and Duchess of Connaught – the bride’s parents
Prince Arthur of Connaught – the bride’s brother
Princess Patricia of Connaught – the bride’s sister

The British Royal Family
King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom
The Prince of Wales (future King George V)
The Princess Victoria
The Duchess of Albany
Princess Alice and Prince Alexander of Teck
The Princess Helena and Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
The Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll and the Duke of Argyll
The Princess Beatrice, Princess Henry of Battenberg
Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg

Royal Guests
Prince and Princess Christian of Denmark (future King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine)
The Hereditary Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Baden
Prince and Princess Maximilian of Baden
Prince Georg of Brunswick-Luneburg
The Khedive of Egypt
Prince and Princess Friedrich Karl of Hesse
Prince and Princess Heinrich of Prussia
The Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Duke and Duchess of Sparta
Prince and Princess of Waldeck and Pyrmont
Hereditary Prince and Princess of Wied

The Wedding Attendants

(l-r) Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg, Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, Princess Mary of Wales (in front), Gustav Adolf, Margaret, and Patricia of Connaught

The bride’s attendants were:

  • Princess Patricia of Connaught – the bride’s sister
  • Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg – the bride’s first cousin
  • Princess Beatrice of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha – the bride’s first cousin
  • Princess Mary of Wales – the bride’s first cousin once removed

The Wedding Attire

Princess Margaret’s gown, made in France, was white satin with orange blossoms and myrtle, covered with white Irish lace. Instead of a tiara, she wore a floral crown that held her veil in place. The veil was a gift from the Ladies of Ireland and was later worn by her daughter, Ingrid, and all of Ingrid’s female descendants.

The flowers in her hair and the bridal bouquet featured daisies – a nod to her name (Margaret comes from Marguerite, the French word for daisy).

Gustaf Adolf wore full military uniform with several orders of chivalry:

  • The Star and Collar of the Order of the Seraphim (Swedish)
  • The Sash and Star of the Order of the Sword (Swedish)
  • The Necklet of the Order of the Polar Star (Swedish)
  • The Star and Collar of the Order of the Bath (British)

Wedding Gifts

An illustrated depiction of some of the wedding gifts

Included in the wedding gifts were some prominent pieces of jewelry, including three tiaras that are still in use today.

Princess Madeleine of Sweden wearing the Connaught Tiara. source: Zimbio

The Connaught Tiara was a gift from The Duke and Duchess of Connaught.  The all-diamond tiara features a looped garland of diamonds with several large diamonds suspended. The tiara remains part of the Swedish collection today.

 Queen Silvia of Sweden wearing the Edward VII Ruby Tiara

The Edward VII Ruby Tiara was a gift from King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of the United Kingdom. The tiara of diamonds and rubies was later left to Margaret’s second son Sigvard and then bought back by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden and remains part of the Swedish collection today.

Queen Anne-Marie of Greece wearing the Khedive Tiara. source: Zimbio

The Khedive of Egypt Tiara was a gift from the Khedive of Egypt, recognizing that the couple had first met while in Cairo. The diamond tiara was left to Margaret’s daughter Ingrid, who became Queen of Denmark. Since then, it has been used as a wedding tiara by all of Ingrid’s female descendants. Upon Ingrid’s death, it passed to her youngest daughter Queen Anne-Marie of Greece.

Sofiero Castle, photo by Abelson at English Wikipedia, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12847343

In addition to the jewelry and other gifts, the couple also received Sofiero Castle, in Helsingborg, Sweden, as a gift from the groom’s grandfather  King Oscar II of Sweden. Oscar had the castle built in the 1860s and later expanded in the 1870s.

The Ceremony

St. George’s Chapel, Windsor. photo by Aurelien Guichard from London, United Kingdom – Windsor Uploaded by BaldBoris, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15203080

The wedding at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, assisted by the Bishop of Winchester, the Bishop of Oxford, and the Dean of Windsor. The bride was escorted by her father, The Duke of Connaught, while the groom was supported by his brother Wilhelm and his uncle Eugen.

Following the ceremony, the bride and groom and their guests processed back to Windsor Castle where the marriage register was signed in the White Drawing Room. King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra led their guests through the Red and Green Drawing Rooms, en route to the wedding luncheon.

The Wedding Luncheon

St. George’s Hall, Windsor Castle. photo by Joshua Barnett – http://www.flickr.com/photos/angel_malachite/3478010368/sizes/o/in/photostream/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=12061979

Following the wedding, King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra hosted the wedding luncheon at Windsor Castle. The newly married couple, their families, and royal guests were seated in the State Dining Room, while other invited guests were in St. George’s Hall. The menu consisted of:

Zéphires de Crabes à la Suédoise
(soufflé of crabmeat, cheese, mushrooms and herbs)
—–
Côtelettes d’Agneau à la Clamart
(lamb cutlets with peas, lettuce and onions)

Chaufroix de Cailles à la Bernadotte
(breast of quail in aspic)
—–
Les Buffets de Viandes Froides
(buffet of cold meats)
—–
Poussins Rôtis sur Canapés
(roasted baby chicken with a Madeira sauce with truffles)

Salade à la Française
(cold roast beef with a dressing of parsley, onion, anchovy and mustard)
—–
Asperges d’Argenteuil, Sauce Mousseline
(white asparagus in a mousseline sauce)
—–
Flumeries aux Fraises
(chilled mousse on an oatmeal porridge with stewed strawberries)

Macédoine de Fruits au Champagne
(diced fruit in a champagne syrup)
—–
Pâtisseries Parisienne
(variety of small pastries)
Corbeilles aux Bouquets de la Mariée
(baskets made of sugar icing filled with flowers made of sugar and marzipan,
representing flowers from the bridal bouquet)

The wedding cake, as described in the New York Times, was:

“… five feet in height, consisting of three tiers, the lower tier being three feet in diameter. Overhanging each tier were four balconies, beneath which were figures, modeled in sugar, bearing wheat, the symbol of plenty. The tiers were borne by four silver Grecian columns, and on the top of the cake was a draped female figure supporting a porcelain vase, from which hung garlands of natural flowers.”

Following the luncheon, Gustav Adolf and Margareta (having taken on the Swedish version of her name) traveled to Saighton Grange in Cheshire, the home of the Earl and Countess Grosvenor, where they spent the night before traveling to Ireland for the rest of their honeymoon. The couple then returned to Sweden, arriving on July 8, 1905.

Children

Margaret and Gustaf Adolf with their four eldest children; Photo Credit – Wikipedia, United States Library of Congress’s Prints and Photographs Division

Gustav Adolf and Margaret had five children:

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.