by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

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Prince William, now The Prince of Wales and Catherine Middleton were married on April 29, 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London, England.

• Unofficial Royalty: Westminster Abbey in London, England
• YouTube: Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Middleton (BBC full coverage)
• YouTube: Wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Middleton (Royal Family YouTube Channel)

The Family of Prince William

HRH Prince William Arthur Philip Louis was born on June 21, 1982, at St. Mary’s Hospital in the Paddington section of London. William was the first child of Charles, The Prince of Wales and his wife of eleven months, the former Lady Diana Spencer. Charles was the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip of Greece. Upon his mother’s accession to the throne in 1952, Charles became her heir. He was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on July 26, 1958. At birth, William became the second in the line of succession and is expected to follow his grandmother and father as monarch.

Diana was the third of four surviving children of Edward John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer and The Honourable Frances Ruth Roche, younger daughter of the 4th Baron Fermoy. The Spencer family is an old English noble family. Althorp in Northamptonshire, England has been the ancestral home of the Spencer family since the early 16th century. The Spencer family has served the British monarchy for centuries. Most recently, Diana’s grandmother, Lady Fermoy, was a close friend and a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Diana’s father served as equerry to both King George VI and to Queen Elizabeth II. Among the Spencer family ancestors are the famous soldier and statesman John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough and his wife Sarah Jennings who was a close friend of Queen Anne, and King Charles II through four of his illegitimate children.

William’s brother Prince Harry was born on September 15, 1984. Unfortunately, the marriage of The Prince and Princess of Wales was not a happy one. The couple separated in December 1992 and divorced in August 1996. Exactly a year later, Diana, Princess of Wales tragically died in a car accident in Paris. Accompanied by their father, their grandfather Prince Philip, and their uncle the 9th Earl Spencer, William and his brother Harry walked behind their mother’s coffin during her funeral procession. In 2005, Prince Charles married Camilla Parker-Bowles with whom he had a romantic relationship before and during his marriage. It is understood that William and Harry have a good relationship with their stepmother.

• Unofficial Royalty: Prince William, The Prince of Wales

The Family of Catherine Middleton

Catherine Elizabeth “Kate” Middleton was born on January 9, 1982, at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading, Berkshire. Kate is the oldest of the three children of Michael Francis Middleton and Carole Elizabeth Goldsmith. Michael Middleton worked as a flight dispatcher for British Airways. Carole Goldsmith also worked for British Airways, but as a flight attendant. In addition to Kate, the Middletons also have another daughter Philippa (Pippa) born in 1983 and a son James born in 1987.

Kate was raised in the village of Bucklebury in Berkshire. Her ancestors are basically English with a few Scots and French Huguenots in the family background. Michael Middleton’s family comes from Leeds in West Yorkshire and Carole Goldsmith’s family is from County Durham where they were laborers and miners.

After the birth of James, Carole had the idea to create a business to help parents with their children’s birthday parties called Party Pieces. The business grew from a cottage industry into a business that made the family millionaires. Recent research by some journalists has revealed that apparently, Michael’s side of the family are descendants of a Victorian mill owner who left the equivalent of £33million in his will and that some of the Middleton family’s wealth may come from this source.

• Unofficial Royalty: Catherine, The Princess of Wales

The Engagement

In 2001, Prince William and Kate Middleton first met each other while they were both students at the University of St. Andrews in Fife, Scotland. During their first year, they both lived at St. Salvator’s Hall, a residence hall at the university. For their final two years, they shared housing in the town. They started dating in 2003 and remained together for eight years except for a brief separation in 2007. The couple became engaged in October 2010 while on a private vacation in Kenya.

The official engagement announcement came from Clarence House on November 16, 2010: “The Prince of Wales is delighted to announce the engagement of Prince William to Miss Catherine Middleton.”

The Engagement Ring

William presented Kate with his mother’s engagement ring, a platinum ring set with a large oval sapphire and fourteen diamonds. The ring, reported to have cost in the region of $55,000 in 1981, was made by the royal jewelers Garrard & Company in Regent Street, London. William’s mother herself selected the largest and most expensive ring from a tray of engagement rings. As in 1981, copies of the engagement ring went on sale soon after the engagement was announced.

Partial Guest List

Members of the British Royal Family

• The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh
• The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall
• Prince Henry of Wales
• The Duke of York
• Princess Beatrice of York
• Princess Eugenie of York
• The Earl and Countess of Wessex
• The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence
• Mr. and Mrs. Peter Phillips
• Miss Zara Phillips with Mr. Mike Tindall
• Viscount Linley and Viscountess Linley and The Hon. Charles Armstrong-Jones
• Lady Sarah and Mr. Daniel Chatto, Master Samuel Chatto, and Master Arthur Chatto
• The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
• Earl and Countess of Ulster
• Lady Davina and Mr. Gary Lewis
• Lady Rose and Mr. George Gilman
• The Duke and Duchess of Kent
• Earl and Countess of St. Andrews
• Lord Downpatrick
• Lady Marina-Charlotte Windsor
• Lady Amelia Windsor
• Lord and Lady Nicholas Windsor
• Lady Helen and Mr. Timothy Taylor
• Prince and Princess Michael of Kent
• Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor
• Lady Gabriella Windsor
• Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy
• Mr. and Mrs. James Ogilvy
• Miss Marina Ogilvy

Members of Foreign Royal Families

• Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium
• The Sultan of Brunei and Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha
• King Simeon II and Queen Margarita of Bulgaria
• Queen Margrethe II of Denmark
• King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes
• Crown Prince Pavlos, Crown Princess Marie-Chantal, and Prince Constantine of Greece
• Sheikh Ahmad Hmoud Al-Sabah of Kuwait
• Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso and Princess Mabereng Seeiso of Lesotho
• Grand Duke Henri and Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
• The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia
• Prince Albert II of Monaco and Miss Charlene Wittstock
• Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco
• Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange and Princess of Maxima of the Netherlands
• King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway
• Prince Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman
• Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani The Emir of The State of Qatar and Sheika Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned
• King Michael I of Romania and Crown Princess Margarita
• Prince Mohamed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and Princess Fadwa bint Khalid bin Abdullah bin Abdulrahman
• Queen Sofia of Spain
• The Prince and Princess of the Asturias
• King Mswati III of Swaziland
• Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel
• Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand
• King George Tupou V of Tonga
• Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of Abu Dhabi
• Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia
• Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia

Dignitaries

• The Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda
• The Governor-General of Australia and His Excellency Mr. Michael Bryce
• The Governor-General of The Bahamas and Lady Foulkes
• The Governor-General of Barbados
• The Governor-General of Belize and Lady Young
• The Governor-General of Canada and Mrs. David Jonhnston
• The Governor-General of Jamaica
• The Governor-General of New Zealand and Lady Satyanand
• The Governor-General of Papua New Guinea and Mrs. Michael Ogio
• The Governor-General of the Solomon Islands and Lady Kabui
• The Governor-General of St Christopher and Nevis
• The Governor-General of St Lucia
• The Governor-General of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Lady Ballantyne
• The Prime Minister of Australia and Mr. Tim Matheison
• The Prime Minister of The Bahamas and Ms. Delores Miller
• The Prime Minister of Barbados
• The Prime Minister of New Zealand and Mrs. John Key
• The Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea and Lade Somare
• The Prime Minister of Saint Lucia and Mrs. Rosalia Nestor King
• The Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and The Grenadines and Mrs. Ralph Gonsalves
• The Premier of Bermuda and Mr. Germain Nkeuleu
• The Premier of The British Virgin Islands and Mrs. Ralph O’Neal
• The Premier of the Cayman Islands and Mrs. Kerry Bush
• The Hon. Sharon and Mr. Rodney Halford (Falkland Islands)
• The Chief Minister of Gibraltar and Mrs. Peter Caruana
• The Chief Minister of Montserrat and the Reverend Doctor Joan Delsol Meade
• The Hon. John and Mrs. Vilma Cranfield (St. Helena)

Members of Government and Parliament

• The Prime Minister and Mrs. David Cameron
• The Deputy Prime Minister and Ms. Miriam Gonzalez Duantez
• First Secretary of State, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and Mrs. William Hague
• The Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Hon. Mrs. Osborne
• The Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor and Mrs. Kenneth Clarke
• The Secretary of State for the Home Department and Minister for Women and Equalities, and Mr. Philip May
• The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and Mrs. Jeremy Hunt
• The Rt. Hon Ed Miliband, M.P. and Ms. Justine Thornton
• The Speaker of the House of Commons and Mrs. John Bercow
• The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales and the Lady Elis-Thomas
• The Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament and Mrs. Alex Fergusson
• The Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Mrs. William Hay
• The Lord Speaker and Mr. Martin Hayman
• First Minister of Wales and Mrs. Carwyn Jones
• First Minister of Northern Ireland and Mrs. Peter Robinson
• First Minister of Scotland and Mrs. Alex Salmond
• The Mayor of London and Mrs. Boris Johnson
• The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor and The Lady Mayoress
• Sir Gus and Lady O’Donnell
• The Rt. Hon. The Lord Mayor of Westminster and Count Paolo Filo della Torre
• Mr. and Mrs. Simon Fraser

Representatives from the Church of England and other Faiths

• The Most Reverend Gregorious, Archbishop of the Greek Archdiocese of Thysteira and Great Britain
• The Archbishop of Canterbury and Mrs. Rowan Williams
• Rabbi Anthony Bayfield
• Mr. Anil Bhanot
• The Archbishop of Armagh, Cardinal Archbishop Sean Brady
• Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church, The Most Reverend David Chillingworth
• The Right Reverend John Christie, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
• Mr. Malcolm Deboo President, Zoroastrian Trust Funds of Europe
• The Rt. Reverend Doctor Norman Hamilton
• The Archbishop of Armagh, The Most Reverend Alan Edwin Harper
• Monsignor Philip Kerr, The Convener, Action of Churches Together in Scotland
• Commissioner Elizabeth Matear, Salvation Army
• The Archbishop of Wales, The Most Reverend Doctor Barry Morgan
• The Reverend Gareth Morgan Jones, President of the Free Church Council of Wales
• Cardinal Cormac Murphy-Connor
• The Archbishop of Westminster, The Most Reverend Vincent Nichols
• Cardinal Keith Patrick O’Brien, Archbishop of St. Andrews and Edinburgh
• Rabbi Alan Plancey
• Imam Mohammad Raza
• The Chief Rabbi (Lord Sacks)
• The Venerable Bogoda Seelawimala, Acting Head Monk, The London Buddhist Vihara
• Maulana Syed Raza Shabbarm, Muhammadi Trust
• Mr. Natubhai Shah, President, the Jain Academy
• Dr. Indarjit Singh, Director, Network Sikh Organisations (UK)
• Canon Christopher Tuckwell
• The Reverend Martin Turner
• The Archbishop of York and Mrs. John Sentamu

Senior Members of the Defense Services

• Major General and Mrs. William Cubitt, Major General Commanding Household Division and GOC London District
• Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen and Lady Dalton, Chief of the Air Staff
• General Sir Nicholas and Lady Houghton
• Air Vice-Marshal the Hon. David and Mrs. Murray, Defence Services Secretary
• General Sir David and Lady Richards, Chief of the Defence Staff
• Admiral Sir Mark and Lady Stanhope, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff
• General Sir Peter and Lady Wall, Chief of the General Staff

Also invited are ambassadors representing countries with which the United Kingdom has normal diplomatic relations and Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenants for the United Kingdom. These individuals will not be accompanied by their spouses or partners.

What follows is a list of other guests who have a relationship with the bride and/or groom and guests whom television viewers may recognize. These guests have been invited along with their spouses or civil relationship partners.

• Mr. David Allan, Chairman of Mountain Rescue, England, and Wales. Prince William has been Patron of the organization since 2007.
• Major Tom Archer-Burton, was Prince William and Prince Harry’s Commanding Officer in the Household Cavalry.
• Mr. Charlie Mayhew, Chief Executive of the Conservation Charity, Tusk Trust. Prince William and Prince Harry visited Tusk-funded projects in Botswana in 2010.
• Mrs. Alison Moore-Gwyn, Chief Executive of Fields in Trust. Prince William is Patron of The Queen Elizabeth II Fields, an initiative to protect and create hundreds of playing fields throughout the UK in honor of The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. The project is run by Fields in Trust.
• Mr. Seyi Obakin, Chief Executive of Centrepoint. Centrepoint became Prince William’s first Patronage in 2005. His mother, Diana, Princess of Wales was also Patron of the Charity.
• Mr. Peter Cross, Chief Executive of the charity SkillForce, of which Prince William has been Patron since 2009.
• Miss Amanda Berry, Chief Executive of BAFTA. Prince William has been President of BAFTA since 2010.
• Mrs. Ann Chalmers, Chief Executive of the Child Bereavement Charity. Prince William has been Patron of the Charity since 2009.
• Mrs. Julia Samuel, Chair of the Child Bereavement Charity and also a family friend of Prince William. Prince William has been Patron of the Charity since 2009.
• Mrs. Tessa Green, former Chairman of The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. Prince William became President of The Royal Marsden in May.
• Mr. Simon Johnson, worked closely with Prince William as Chief Operating Officer of the FA’s 2018 World Cup bid.
• Sir Trevor Brooking, the Football Association’s Director of Football Development and is responsible for youth-coaching standards in England. Prince William has been President of the FA since 2006.
• Sir Clive Woodward, a former Coach of the England Rugby Team and the British and Irish Lions. Prince William was invited by Sir Clive to join the British and Irish Lions rugby team on their tour to New Zealand in 2005.
• Mr. Gareth Thomas, Welsh Rugby player. Gareth Thomas several times in his role as Vice Patron of the Welsh Rugby Union.
• Mr. Ian Thorpe, Australian Olympic swimmer. Prince William met the Olympic swimmer, Ian Thorpe, on a visit to Australia in 2010 and has since supported Mr. Thorpe’s charitable organization Fountain for Youth, which focuses on improving health and education for children.
• Mr. Barty Pleydell-Bouverie led the Cycle of Life charity bike ride across Africa in 2008, which raised money for the Tusk Trust.
• Rear Admiral Ian Corder, Rear Admiral of Submarines. Prince William was appointed Commodore-in-Chief of Submarines by The Queen in 2006.
• Brigadier Ed Smyth-Osbourne, Brigadier Smyth-Osbourne was Prince William and Prince Harry’s Commanding Officer in the Household Regiment and acted as their military mentor.
• Major William Bartle-Jones, Prince William’s Squadron Leader in the Household Cavalry Regiment based at Windsor.
• Wing Commander Steven Bentley, Prince William’s Search and Rescue Force Squadron Leader at RAF Valley, Anglesey.
• Sergeant Keith Best, a colleague of Prince William’s at RAF Valley, in Anglesey, North Wales.
• Squadron Leader Paul Bolton, a colleague of Prince William’s at RAF Valley in Anglesey, North Wales.
• Wing Commander Kevin Marsh met Prince William through his service in the RAF. He will be one of the Path Liners outside Westminster Abbey on the wedding day.
• Lance-Corporal Martyn Compton, Lance-Corporal in the Household Cavalry. He was injured in an ambush in Afghanistan in 2006, which put him in a coma for three months and left him with 75 per cent burns.
• Miss Holly Dyer, sister to 2nd Lieutenant Joanna Dyer, who was killed by a bomb in Iraq in 2007. Joanna was a close friend of Prince William’s at Sandhurst.
• Mrs. Susie Roberts, widow of Major Alexis Roberts, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2007. Major Alexis Roberts was Prince William’s Platoon Commander at Sandhurst.
• Mr. and Mrs. Bryn Parry, founded the charity Help for Heroes to assist wounded service men and women. Both Prince William and Prince Harry are supporters of the charity.
• Mr. Edward Gould, Master of Marlborough College when Miss Middleton was a student.
• Dr. Andrew Gailey, Vice-Provost of Eaton College and was Prince William’s Housemaster.
• The Hon. Edward Dawson-Damer, ex-Irish Guards officer, who was Equerry to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in the 1980’s.
• Mr. Sam Stevenson, New Zealander Sam Stevenson was Prince William’s New Zealand equerry during his visit to the country in July 2005.
• Sir John Major, former Prime Minister, was appointed a Guardian to Prince William and Prince Harry with responsibility for legal and administrative matters after the death of their mother.
• Mr. Rowan Atkinson, actor and close friend of The Prince of Wales.
• Mr. Tom Bradby, journalist and news reporter. He has known both Prince William and Miss Middleton for some time and conducted their first joint interview together.
• Mr. Ben Fogle, travel writer, television presenter and adventurer and has met Prince William on a number of occasions.
• Sir Elton John, singer-songwriter, composer, and pianist. He performed at the funeral of the late Diana, Princess of Wales.
• Mr. and Mrs. David Beckham, footballer (soccer player). Beckham and Prince William worked together as Ambassadors of England’s 2018 World Cup Bid.
• Mr. Guy Ritchie, film-maker and friend of Prince William and Miss Middleton.
• Miss Joss Stone, English Soul singer and songwriter, performed at the Concert for Diana at Wembley in 2007 and at City Salute in 2008.
• Mr. Mario Testino, photographer, took Prince William and Miss Middleton’s official engagement photographs.
• Miss Tara Palmer-Tomkinson, friend of The Prince of Wales and his family.
• Mr. Sam Waley-Cohen, amateur jockey and friend of Prince William and Miss Middleton.
• Mr. Galen Weston, friend of The Prince of Wales and his family.

The Wedding Attendants

Bridesmaids:

• The Honorable Margarita Armstrong-Jones, age 8, daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Linley
• Lady Louise Windsor, age 7, daughter of the Earl and Countess of Wessex
• Grace van Cutsem, age 3, daughter of bride and groom’s friend Hugh van Cutsem
• Eliza Lopes, age 3, granddaughter of the Duchess of Cornwall

Page Boys:

• William Lowther-Pinkerton, age 10, son of Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the groom’s Private Secretary
• Tom Pettifer, age 8, son of Tiggy Pettifer, the former nanny of the groom and his brother

Best Man: Prince Harry, brother of the groom

Maid of Honor: Philippa Charlotte “Pippa” Middleton, sister of the bride

The Wedding Attire

The Ceremony

Announcement from Clarence House on November 23, 2010:

“The marriage of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton will take place at Westminster Abbey on Friday 29th April 2011. The Royal Family will pay for the wedding, following the precedents set by the marriages of The Prince and Princess of Wales in 1981 and Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947. “

The Lunchtime Wedding Reception

Prior to the reception, there was a private photo session for the wedding party and family with photographer Hugo Burnand and then the bride and groom greeted the 650 guests.

Next, the bride and groom appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace where they pleased the crowd with the now obligatory kiss.

Finally, Queen Elizabeth II hosted the lunchtime wedding reception for 650 guests at Buckingham Palace. Claire Jones, the official harpist of The Prince of Wales, entertained at the reception. The guests were served an assortment of canapés prepared by a team of 21 chefs, led by Royal Chef Mark Flanagan. The chefs prepared approximately 10,000 canapés. Along with the canapés, guests were served Pol Roger NV Brut Réserve Champagne and soft and alcoholic drinks. The selection of canapés included:

• Cornish Crab Salad on Lemon Blini
• Pressed Duck Terrine with Fruit Chutney
• Roulade of Goats Cheese with Caramelised Walnuts
• Assortment of Palmiers and Cheese Straws
• Scottish Smoked Salmon Rose on Beetroot Blini
• Miniature Watercress and Asparagus Tart
• Poached Asparagus spears with Hollandaise Sauce for Dipping
• Quails Eggs with Celery Salt
• Scottish Langoustines with Lemon Mayonnaise Pressed Confit of Pork Belly with Crayfish and Crackling
• Wild Mushroom and Celeriac Chausson
• Bubble and Squeak with Confit Shoulder of Lamb
• Grain Mustard and honey-glazed Chipolatas
• Smoked Haddock Fishcake with Pea Guacamole
• Miniature Yorkshire Pudding with Roast Fillet of Beef and Horseradish Mousse
• Gateau Opera
• Blood Orange Pate de Fruit
• Raspberry Financier
• Rhubarb Crème Brulee Tartlet
• Passion Fruit Praline
• White Chocolate Ganache Truffle
• Milk Chocolate Praline with Nuts
• Dark Chocolate Ganache Truffle

Two cakes were served, a wedding cake and a chocolate biscuit cake specially requested by Prince William and made by McVitie’s Cake Company using a Royal Family recipe. The wedding cake was designed by Fiona Cairns and was made from 17 individual fruit cakes and had eight tiers. A garland design around the middle of the wedding cake matched the architectural garlands around the top of the Picture Gallery in Buckingham Palace where the cake was displayed. The wedding cake was decorated with 900 individually iced flowers and leaves of 17 different varieties. The flowers and the leaves on the wedding cake symbolized the following:

• White Rose – National symbol of England
• Daffodil – National symbol of Wales, new beginnings
• Shamrock – National symbol of Ireland
• Thistle – National symbol of Scotland
• Acorns, Oak Leaf – Strength, endurance
• Myrtle – Love
• Ivy – Wedded Love, Marriage
• Lily-of-the-Valley – Sweetness, Humility
• Rose (Bridal) – Happiness, Love.
• Sweet William – Grant me one smile
• Honeysuckle – The Bond of Love
• Apple Blossom – Preference, Good Fortune
• White Heather – Protection, Wishes will come true
• Jasmine (White) – Amiability
• Daisy – Innocence, Beauty, Simplicity
• Orange Blossom – Marriage, Eternal Love, Fruitfulness
• Lavender – ardent attachment, devotion, success, and luck

The Evening Wedding Reception

300 of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s closest friends and family attended the evening wedding reception hosted by Prince Charles at Buckingham Palace. The Queen and Prince Philip were not in attendance, having left the Palace for the younger crowd. The new Duchess of Cambridge had changed into a floor-length ivory satin gazar gown with a diamante-embroidered waistband and a cream-colored angora bolero jacket which was also designed by her wedding dress designer Sarah Burton. William looked handsome in a black tie and dinner jacket. As the guests arrived, a military band played. Swiss chef Anton Mosimann, who owns a restaurant in the Knightsbridge section of London, was responsible for the dinner. The menu included:

• Terrine of dressed crab and tiger prawns
• Aberdeen Angus beef fillet from Longoe Farm, the Castle of Mey, Scotland
• Welsh lamb from the Highgrove estate
• Spring vegetables grilled and blanched (and not cooked in butter or cream)
• Trio of chocolate puddings
• Seasonal fruits
• Ice cream with a brandy snap

When dinner was done, Prince Harry gave the best man’s speech and Michael Middleton gave the father of the bride speech. After the speeches, William and Catherine had their first dance to Elton John’s “Your Song” sung by Ellie Goulding. The music continued until 2 AM and most guests had departed by 3 AM after a long and memorable day.

The Honeymoon

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spent their wedding night at Buckingham Palace. The next day, they left the Palace via helicopter for an undisclosed location in the United Kingdom. Prince William returned to work the next week as a Search and Rescue pilot on the island of Anglesey in Wales. On Tuesday, May 10, 2011, palace officials said that the couple had left for a honeymoon at an undisclosed location and declined to comment on the length of the honeymoon. At a later date, it was revealed that the couple spent a 10-day honeymoon in the island nation of Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. The location of their honeymoon was the private North Island in one of the 11 secluded, exclusive villas there. To learn more about North Island, see its official website.

Children

Embed from Getty Images
The Prince and Princess of Wales with their three children

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, now The Prince and Princess of Wales, have three children. The British Royal Family will descend from this marriage. Princess Charlotte became the first British princess not to be overtaken in the line of succession by her younger brother.  The Succession to The Crown Act 2013, which formally went into effect on March 26, 2015, put in place absolute primogeniture, which means that for those born after October 28, 2011, the eldest child born becomes the heir to his or her parent, regardless of gender.

• Prince George of Wales (born 2013)
• Princess Charlotte of Wales (born 2015)
• Prince Louis of Wales (born 2018)

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.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

The Prince of Wales (the future King Charles III) and Lady Diana Spencer were married on July 29, 1981, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England. The Prince and Princess of Wales, separated in December 1992 and divorced in August 1996. Exactly a year later, Diana, Princess of Wales tragically died in a car accident in Paris, France.

• YouTube: Wedding of Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer

The Family of Prince Charles

HRH Prince Charles Philip Arthur George of Edinburgh was born on November 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace, London. Charles was the first child of HRH Princess Elizabeth and her husband of one year, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, born HRH Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. Elizabeth was the elder daughter and the first of two children of King George VI and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who was the youngest daughter and the ninth of ten children of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. Philip’s 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. His mother was Her Serene Highness Princess Alice of Battenberg. Alice was 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, Charles’ parents are both great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Charles’ parents added another child to the family, Princess Anne, born on August 15, 1950. Ill with lung cancer, King George VI died on February 6, 1952, and the 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II. Her duties as Queen postponed additions to the family. Prince Andrew was born eight years later on February 19, 1960, and Prince Edward was born on March 10, 1964.

As soon as his mother became Queen, Charles was the heir apparent to the throne, and as the monarch’s eldest son became Duke of Cornwall. In the Scottish peerage, he became Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. Charles was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on July 26, 1958. He was invested as Prince of Wales on July 1, 1969, at Caernarvon Castle in Wales.

Queen Elizabeth’s children have been unlucky in marriage. Charles and Diana, The Prince and Princess of Wales, separated in December 1992 and divorced in August 1996. Exactly a year later, Diana, Princess of Wales tragically died in a car accident in Paris. In 1974, Princess Anne married Mark Phillips, a Lieutenant in the 1st Queen’s Dragoon Guards, but the couple separated in 1989 and divorced in 1992. Princess Anne married again in 1992 to Timothy Laurence, then a Commander in the Royal Navy. Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson in 1986. The couple separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996. Prince Edward has been the most stable of the Queen’s children as far as marriage is concerned. In 1999, he married Sophie Rhys-Jones, then a public relations manager with her own firm and that marriage still continues as does Princess Anne’s marriage to Timothy Laurence. In 2005, Prince Charles married Camilla Parker-Bowles with whom he had a romantic relationship before and during his marriage.

• Unofficial Royalty: King Charles III of the United Kingdom

The Family of Lady Diana Spencer

The Honourable Diana Frances Spencer was born on July 1, 1961, at Park House on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, England. Her father was John Spencer, Viscount Althorp, son and heir of Albert Spencer, 7th Earl Spencer, and Lady Cynthia Hamilton, daughter of James Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn and Lady Rosalind Bingham who was a daughter of Charles Bingham, 4th Earl of Lucan. Her mother was The Honourable Frances Burke Roche, daughter of Edmund Roche, 4th Baron Fermoy and Ruth Gill. In 1975, when Diana’s father succeeded his father as 8th Earl Spencer, her courtesy title became Lady Diana Spencer. Diana’s parents had three other children: Sarah born in 1955, Jane born in 1957, and Charles, 9th Earl Spencer, born in 1964. The children’s parents divorced in 1969 and both remarried.

The Spencer family is an old English noble family. Althorp in Northamptonshire, England has been the ancestral home of the Spencer family since the early 16th century. The Spencer family has served the British monarchy for centuries. More recently, Diana’s grandmother, Lady Fermoy, was a close friend and friend and a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Diana’s father served as equerry to both King George VI and to Queen Elizabeth II. Among the Spencer family ancestors are the famous soldier and statesman John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, and his wife Sarah Jennings who was a close friend of Queen Anne, and King Charles II through four of his illegitimate children.

• Unofficial Royalty: Diana, Princess of Wales
• Unofficial Royalty: Death of Diana, Princess of Wales

The Engagement

 

“It is with the greatest pleasure that The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh announce the betrothal of their beloved son, The Prince of Wales, to the Lady Diana Spencer, daughter of the Earl Spencer and the Honourable Mrs. Shand Kydd.”

This official engagement announcement, issued by Buckingham Palace at 11 AM on February 24, 1981, ended years of speculation over who the world’s most eligible bachelor would marry. The couple had first met in 1977 when Prince Charles was dating Diana’s older sister Sarah. Their romance began when Lady Diana went to Balmoral with Prince Charles in July 1980. Prince Charles proposed to Lady Diana just before she left for a trip to Australia to visit her mother. Diana’s father, Earl Spencer, along with his second wife Raine Spencer, mingled with the crowd outside Buckingham Palace on the day of the announcement. Following tradition, the couple posed for their first official appearance on the terrace at the rear of the palace. Diana was wearing an off-the-rack outfit of a sapphire blue scalloped-edged suit with a white silk blouse with a blue swallow motif. Charles wore a gray, single-breasted suit.

Charles had presented Diana with a platinum engagement ring set with a large oval sapphire and fourteen diamonds. The ring, reported to have cost in the region of $55,000, was made by the royal jewelers Garrard & Company in Regent Street, London. Lady Diana herself selected the largest and most expensive ring from a tray of engagement rings. Copies of the engagement ring went on sale in nearly every British gift and jewelry shop within days of the engagement announcement.

Sources:
“Invitation to a Royal Wedding” by Kathryn Spink
“A Souvenir of the Royal Wedding” by Lornie Leete-Hodge
“Royal Wedding Day”, The Daily Mail
“Diana, Princess of Wales” by Penny Junor

The Trousseau

Soon after the engagement was announced, Diana began visiting dress designers, dress shops, and milliners, to extend her wardrobe and choose her trousseau. However, she found it increasingly difficult to go shopping as she had before the engagement announcement. Diana’s sister Jane had worked at Vogue magazine before she married. Jane still had connections at the magazine and used them to help Diana. As a top fashion magazine, Vogue knew all the designers, knew what was available in stores, and regularly received dozens of outfits and accessories for possible use in the magazine. Diana was able to go to the Vogue offices two or three times a week and try on exclusive designs. She also developed friendships with the Vogue editors, who gave her much fashion advice. Beatrice Miller, editor in chief; Grace Coddington, fashion editor, and a former model; and Anna Harvey, the deputy fashion editor were able to help Diana decide what suited her, what would be appropriate for which occasion, and what accessories would match. The Vogue editors helped her choose her pre-wedding wardrobe and her trousseau.

Sources:
“Invitation to a Royal Wedding” by Kathryn Spink
“A Souvenir of the Royal Wedding” by Lornie Leete-Hodge
“Royal Wedding Day”, The Daily Mail
“Diana, Princess of Wales” by Penny Junor

The Wedding Attire

Prince Charles wore the Navy’s No. 1 ceremonial dress uniform with a blue Garter sash. The seven attendants’ outfits cost more than the bride’s dress, which was made of ivory pure silk taffeta with embroidered lace panels at the front and back of the bodice, lace-flounced sleeves, and a neckline decorated with taffeta bows. The train was twenty-five feet long and made of silk taffeta trimmed with sparkling old lace. Designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel created the wedding dress in strict secrecy. Both the dress and the tulle veil were hand-embroidered with mother-of-pearl sequins and pearls, as were the matching silk slippers. A little blue bow and a tiny gold horseshoe were sewn at the waist for good luck. Diana’s wedding attire cost well over £2,000, but she was never charged for it. The publicity the Emanuels received was worth much more.

The Spencer family tiara held the veil in place. The “something old” was the Carrickmacross lace on the bodice which had belonged to Queen Mary; the “something borrowed” was diamond earrings from Diana’s mother. Diana carried a bouquet of gardenias, golden roses, orchids, stephanotis, lilies of the valley, freesias, myrtle (taken from a bush grown from a sprig originally taken from Queen Victoria’s wedding bouquet), and veronica. After the ceremony, the bouquet was placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey.

The bridesmaids also wore dresses designed by the Emanuels and the page boys were dressed in Royal Navy cadet summer uniforms dating from 1863, the date of the last State Wedding of a Prince of Wales (later Edward VII). The women in the family looked resplendent: Queen Elizabeth in aquamarine silk crepe-de-Chine, the Queen Mother in green silk georgette, Princess Margaret in coral, and Mrs. Shand Kydd, Diana’s mother, in hyacinth blue. Princess Anne wore an outfit of yellow and white, which a French newspaper called an omellette Norvegienne (a Norwegian omelet: a scoop of ice cream placed on hot beaten eggs).

Sources:
“Invitation to a Royal Wedding” by Kathryn Spink
“A Souvenir of the Royal Wedding” by Lornie Leete-Hodge
“Royal Wedding Day”, The Daily Mail
“Diana, Princess of Wales” by Penny Junor
“Princess” by Robert Lacey

The Wedding Attendants

The bridesmaids and pages were sons and daughters of Prince Charles’ relatives and friends. Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, age seventeen, Charles’ first cousin and daughter of Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon, was the maid of honor.

The other bridesmaids were:

• India Hicks, age fourteen, Charles’ goddaughter and daughter of David Hicks and Lady Pamela Hicks, younger daughter of Lord Mountbatten
• Sarah Jane Gaselee, age ten, daughter of Charles’ horse trainer
• Catherine Cameron, age six, Charles’ goddaughter and daughter of Donald Cameron and Lady Cecil Cameron
• Clementine Hambro, age five, one of Diana’s charges at the Young England Kindergarten and the great-granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill

The pages were:

• Lord Nicholas Windsor, age eleven, Charles’ godson and son of The Duke and Duchess of Kent
• Edward van Cutsem, age eight, son of Charles’ racehorse training friends Hugh and Emilie van Cutsem

Sources:
“Invitation to a Royal Wedding” by Kathryn Spink
“A Souvenir of the Royal Wedding” by Lornie Leete-Hodge
“Royal Wedding Day”, The Daily Mail
“Diana, Princess of Wales” by Penny Junor

The Ceremony

Guests started arriving at St. Paul’s Cathedral as soon as the doors were opened at 9 AM on July 29, 1981, and were greeted with cheers from the assembled crowd. There had been only one other royal wedding held at St. Paul’s: the wedding of Arthur, Prince of Wales, the son of Henry VII and Catherine of Aragon, in 1501.

Charles arrived at the cathedral with his brothers Andrew and Edward, who were his “supporters.” Andrew was the principal supporter and performed the tasks usually assigned to the best man. Charles and his brothers walked down the aisle to Henry Purcell’s “Trumpet Tune.” As he reached the aisle’s end, there was a great roar from the crowd outside, signaling the arrival of Diana in the Glass Coach.

As Diana entered the cathedral, the State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry sounded a fanfare. Diana made her three-and-a-half-minute walk up the aisle to the dramatic “Trumpet Voluntary” by Jeremiah Clark. In one arm, Diana carried a bouquet of orchids, stephanotis, gardenias, lilies of the valley, freesias, myrtle, and gold Mountbatten roses. With her other arm, she supported her father, Earl Spencer, who had never completely recovered from a stroke suffered in 1978.

The service began with a hymn. Charles chose “Christ Is Made the Sure Foundation.” Diana’s choice of hymn was “I Vow to Thee My Country,” a favorite hymn from her school days. The same hymn was to be sung at her funeral sixteen years later. The Dean of St. Paul’s introduced the service, but Robert Runcie, the Archbishop of Canterbury, performed the actual marriage ceremony. Diana did not promise “to obey” as royal brides of the past had done.

During the ceremony, both the bride and groom made mistakes. Diana got Charles’ names in the wrong order, while Charles vowed to share all her worldly goods. After reciting their vows, Charles placed the wedding ring on Diana’s finger. The ring, made of 22-karat gold, was fashioned from a nugget found more than fifty years earlier at a mine in North Wales. The same nugget had also been used for the wedding rings of the Queen Mother, the Queen, Princess Margaret, and Princess Anne. The little that was left was used to make the ring for Diana.

Near the end of the seventy-five-minute ceremony, the Archbishop of Canterbury announced to the congregation that “Here is the stuff of which fairy tales are made: the Prince and Princess on their wedding day. Those who are married live happily ever after the wedding day if they persevere in the real adventure which is the royal task of creating each other and creating a more loving world.”

After signing the register, the couple returned to the altar as Dame Kiri Te Kanawa sang Handel’s “Let the Bright Seraphim.” Diana gave a deep curtsey to the Queen before walking back down the aisle to the strain of “Pomp and Circumstance March No. 4 in G” and ‘Crown Imperial.” As the newlyweds left the cathedral, the bells of St. Paul’s rang in jubilation. Soon church bells from all over London joined in the celebration. Charles and Diana, smiling and waving, drove in the 1902 State Postillion Landau down Ludgate Hill, along Fleet Street, past the Law Courts, into the Strand, through Trafalgar Square, into The Mall, and back to Buckingham Palace.

Wedding Guests

2,650 wedding invitations were sent out from the office of The Lord Chamberlain. Most of the invitations went to those who served crown and country: senior armed forces officers, diplomats, politicians, civil servants, local government officials, industrial leaders, and over 200 members of the Queen’s staff from Sandringham, Balmoral, and Windsor. Approximately 3,500 guests attended the wedding.

Most of Europe’s reigning monarchs were present, with the exception of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain. They boycotted because, on their honeymoon, Charles and Diana were boarding the royal yacht at Gibraltar, whose possession is disputed by Spain and the United Kingdom. There were over 160 foreign presidents, prime ministers, and their spouses in attendance.

Diana was given 500 invitations and her parents were given 50 invitations. Diana used her invitations to invite old school friends, the staff at Althorp, her current set of friends, the entire staff she had worked with at the Young England Kindergarten, and the helpful editors of the fashion magazines who helped her choose her trousseau.

Below is a partial guest list.

British Royal Family

• The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, the groom’s parents
• The Prince Andrew, the groom’s brother
• The Prince Edward, the groom’s brother
• The Princess Anne, Mrs. Phillips and Captain Mark Phillips, the groom’s sister and brother-in-law
• Peter Phillips, the groom’s nephew
• Zara Phillips, the groom’s niece
• Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, the groom’s maternal grandmother
• The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, the groom’s aunt
• Viscount Linley, the groom’s first cousin
• Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, the groom’s first cousin
• Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, the groom’s grandaunt
• The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the groom’s cousin once removed and his wife
• Earl of Ulster, the groom’s second cousin
• The Duke and Duchess of Kent, the groom’s cousin once removed and his wife
• Earl of St Andrews, the groom’s second cousin
• Lady Helen Windsor, the groom’s second cousin
• Lord Nicholas Windsor, the groom’s second cousin
• Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, the groom’s cousin once removed and his wife
• Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Mrs. Ogilvy and The Hon. Mr. Angus Ogilvy, the groom’s cousin once removed and husband
• James Ogilvy, the groom’s second cousin
• Marina Ogilvy, the groom’s second cousin

Other Relatives of the British Royal Family

• The Earl and Countess of Harewood, the groom’s first cousin once removed and his wife
• The Hon. Gerald Lascelles and Mrs. Lascelles, the groom’s first cousin once removed and his wife
• The Duke of Fife, the groom’s second cousin once removed
• Captain Alexander Ramsay of Mar and The Lady Saltoun, the groom’s second cousin twice removed and his wife
• The Marchioness of Cambridge, widow of the groom’s first cousin twice removed
• Lady Mary and Mr. Peter Whitley, the groom’s second cousin once removed and her husband
• The Duchess and Duke of Beaufort, the groom’s first cousin twice removed and her husband
• Lady May and Sir Henry Abel Smith, the groom’s first cousin twice removed and her husband

Mountbatten Family

• The Countess Mountbatten of Burma and The Lord Brabourne, the groom’s first cousin once removed and her husband
• Lord and Lady Romsey, the groom’s second cousin and his wife
• The Hon. Michael-John Knatchbull, the groom’s second cousin
• Lady Joanna Knatchbull, the groom’s second cousin
• Lady Amanda Knatchbull, the groom’s second cousin
• The Hon. Philip Knatchbull, the groom’s second cousin
• The Hon. Timothy Knatchbull, the groom’s second cousin
• Lady Pamela and Mr. David Hicks, the groom’s first cousin once removed and her husband
• Miss Edwina Hicks, the groom’s second cousin
• Ashley Hicks, the groom’s second cousin
• India Hicks, the groom’s second cousin

Bowes-Lyon Family

• The Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, the groom’s first cousin once removed and his wife
• The Hon. Margaret and Mr. Denys Rhodes, the groom’s first cousin once removed and her husband

Spencer Family

• The Earl and Countess Spencer, the bride’s father and stepmother
• Lady Sarah and Mr. Neil McCorquodale, the bride’s sister and brother-in-law
• Lady Jane and Mr. Robert Fellowes, the bride’s sister and brother-in-law
• Viscount Althorp, the bride’s brother
• Lady Anne and Captain Christopher Wake-Walker, the bride’s paternal aunt and uncle
• Mrs. and Mr. Anthony Duckworth-Chad, the bride’s first cousin and her husband
• Mr. and Mrs. David Wake-Walker, the bride’s first cousin and his wife
• Mr. and Mr.s Richard Wake-Walker, the bride’s first cousin and his wife
• The Major Michael Wake-Walker, the bride’s first cousin
• Mrs. and Major Charles MacFarlane, the bride’s first cousin and her husband
• Captain the Hon. George Spencer, the bride’s paternal great-uncle
• Robert Spencer, the bride’s first cousin, once removed
• Lady Margaret Douglas-Home, the bride’s paternal great-aunt

Roche Family

• The Hon. Frances and Mr. Peter Shand Kydd, the bride’s mother and stepfather
• The Dowager Lady Fermoy, the bride’s maternal grandmother
• The Lord and the Lady Fermoy, the bride’s maternal uncle and aunt
• The Hon. Frances Roche, the bride’s first cousin
• The Hon. Maurice Roche, the bride’s first cousin
• The Hon. Hugh Roche, the bride’s first cousin
• The Hon. Mary and Mr. Michael Gunningham, the bride’s maternal aunt and uncle
• Alexandra Berry, the bride’s first cousin
• Antonia Berry, the bride’s first cousin
• Edward Berry, the bride’s first cousin

Hamilton Family

• The Dowager Duchess of Abercorn, the bride’s paternal great-aunt by marriage
• The Duke and The Duchess of Abercorn, the bride’s paternal first cousin, once removed, and his wife

Foreign Royalty

• The Aga Khan and Princess Salimah Aga Khan
• Prince and Princess Ludwig of Baden (the groom’s first cousin and his wife)
• King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola of the Belgians
• Tsar Simeon II and Tsaritsa Margarita of Bulgaria
• Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik of Denmark
• Prince George Valdemar of Denmark
• King Constantine II of the Hellenes (the groom’s second cousin)
• Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece
• Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark
• Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark
• Prince and Princess George William of Hanover (the groom’s aunt and uncle)
• Prince Georg of Hanover (the groom’s first cousin)
• Prince and Princess Karl of Hesse (the groom’s first cousin and his wife)
• Princess Christina Margarethe of Hesse and Robert van Eyck (the groom’s first cousin and her husband)
• Princess Dorothea and Prince Friedrich Karl of Windisch-Grätz (the groom’s first cousin and her husband)
• Princess Marina of Windisch-Grätz
• Prince and Princess Kraft of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (the groom’s first cousin and his wife)
• Prince and Princess Andreas of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (the groom’s first cousin and his wife)
• Prince and Princess Albrecht of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (the groom’s first cousin and his wife)
• Princess Beatrix of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (the groom’s first cousin)
• Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko of Japan
• Crown Prince Hassan and Crown Princess Sarvath of Jordan
• Queen ‘Mamohato Bereng Seeiso of Lesotho
• Prince Franz Josef II and Princess Gina of Liechtenstein
• Prince Hans-Adam and Princess Marie of Liechtenstein
• Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine-Charlotte of Luxembourg
• Princess Grace of Monaco
• Albert, Hereditary Prince of Monaco
• Prince Gyanendra and Princess Komal of Nepal
• Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus of the Netherlands
• King Olav V of Norway
• Crown Prince Harald and Crown Princess Sonja of Norway
• King Michael and Queen Anne of Romania
• King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden
• Princess Margaretha, Mrs. Ambler and Mr. John Ambler
• Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand
• King Tāufaʻāhau Tupou and Queen Halaevalu Mataʻaho ʻAhomeʻe of Tonga
• Malietoa Tanumafil of Western Samoa
• Prince Gabieni and Princess Lindiow of Swaziland
• Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia
• Prince and Princess Tomislav of Yugoslavia (the groom’s first cousin and her husband)
• Prince Nikola of Yugoslavia
• Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia (the groom’s first cousin once removed)
• Prince Christopher of Yugoslavia
• Princess Maria Tatiana of Yugoslavia
• Princess Olga of Yugoslavia
• Prince and Princess Alexander of Yugoslavia (the groom’s second cousin and his wife)
• Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia (the groom’s second cousin)

Representatives of Governments

• Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
• François Mitterrand, President of the French Republic
• Karl Carstens, President of the Federal Republic of Germany
• Bülend Ulusu, Prime Minister of Turkey, and his wife
• Mrs. Nancy Reagan, First Lady of the United States
• Sir Zelman Cowen, Governor-General of Australia, and Lady Cowen
• Sir Gerald Cash, Governor-General of the Bahamas, and Lady Cash
• Sir Deighton Lisle Ward, Governor-General of Barbados, and Lady Ward
• Edward Schreyer, Governor-General of Canada, and Mrs. Schreyer
• Ratu Sir George Cakobau, Governor-General of Fiji, and Lady Lelea Seruwaia Balekiwai
• Sir Paul Scoon, Governor-General of Grenada, and Lady Scoon
• Sir Florizel Glasspole, Governor-General of Jamaica, and Lady Glasspole
• Sir Dayendranath Burrenchobay, Governor-General of Mauritius, and Lady Burenchobay
• Sir David Beattie, Governor-General of New Zealand, and Lady Beattie
• Sir Tore Lokoloko, Governor-General of Papua New Guinea, and Lady Lokoloko
• Sir Baddeley Devesi, Governor-General of the Solomon Islands, and Lady Devesi
• Sir Sydney Gun-Munro, Governor-General of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Spyros Kyprianou, President of Cyprus
• Aurelius Marie, President of Dominica
• Sir Dawda Jawara, President of Gambia
• Forbes Burnham, President of Guyana
• Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, President of Iceland
• Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, President of India
• Ieremia Tabai, President of Kiribati
• Hastings Banda, President of Malawi
• Hammer DeRoburt, President of Nauru
• António Ramalho Eanes, President of Portugal
• France-Albert René, President of Seychelles
• Junius Richard Jayewardene, President of Sri Lanka
• Sir Ellis Clarke, President of Trinidad and Tobago
• Canaan Banana, President of Zimbabwe
• Ati George Sokomanu, President of Vanuatu
• Mrs. Fulera Limann, wife of the President of Ghana
• Mrs. Miria Obote, wife of the President of Uganda
• Mrs. Betty Kaunda, wife of the President of Zambia
• Mwai Kibaki, Vice President of Kenya
• Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, Vice President of Nigeria

Sources:
“Invitation to a Royal Wedding” by Kathryn Spink
“A Souvenir of the Royal Wedding” by Lornie Leete-Hodge
“Royal Wedding Day”, The Daily Mail
“Diana, Princess of Wales” by Penny Junor
“The British Royal Family: Great Front Pages” by Anthony Holden
Wikipedia: List of wedding guests of Charles, Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer

The Wedding Luncheon

After the ceremony, the couple returned to Buckingham Palace for their wedding breakfast. Following five balcony appearances and one royal kiss, they attended a three-course luncheon held for 118 of their closest friends and relatives. The luncheon, prepared in the Buckingham Palace kitchens, was served in the Ball Supper Room. The meal consisted of brill coated in lobster sauce, supreme de volaille Princesse de Galles, strawberries and cream, served with 3 different wines. The five-tiered, 225-pound hexagonal wedding cake was cut by Prince Charles, using his ceremonial sword. The cake was made by the Royal Navy Cookery School in Chatham. It took four men two days to sort the fruit and check each currant, raisin, and cherry. Master baker, Chief Petty Officer David Avery, spent eleven weeks creating the cake, etching the couple’s coats of arms, family crests, and pictures of their homes, in color on the white icing.

Sources:
“Invitation to a Royal Wedding” by Kathryn Spink
“A Souvenir of the Royal Wedding” by Lornie Leete-Hodge
“Royal Wedding Day”, The Daily Mail
“Diana, Princess of Wales” by Penny Junor

The Honeymoon

After the wedding breakfast, Charles and Diana left Buckingham Palace in an open carriage decorated with heart-shaped balloons sporting imprints of the Prince of Wales’ feathers, and a “Just Married” sign scrawled in lipstick borrowed from a lady-in-waiting, placed there by supporters Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. Charles had changed into a gray suit and Diana into a melon-colored silk suit designed by Belville Sasson and a matching hat by Knightsbridge milliner John Boyd. She was also wearing the same six-strand pearl choker that her sister Sarah had worn to the wedding. Sarah went home bare-necked.

They departed Waterloo Station for Broadlands, the family home of the Mountbattens, where Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip spent their wedding night in 1947. Lord and Lady Romsey, the current residents, had moved out to give Charles and Diana the entire run of the estate. There they spent two days in peace, away from crowds, and three nights in a large four-poster bed in the Portico Room.

After Broadlands, Charles and Diana flew from Eastleigh Airport to Gibraltar, where the couple boarded the royal yacht Britannia for a Mediterranean cruise. The cruise included stops in Tunisia, Sicily, Egypt, and the Greek Islands. The course of the Britannia was kept a secret to ensure the couple’s privacy. Twelve days later, Britannia docked at Port Said, Egypt, where Charles and Diana entertained Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and his wife Jihan. After sailing through the Suez Canal and into the northern Red Sea, the couple flew to Scotland to join the rest of the Royal Family at Balmoral.

Sources:
“Invitation to a Royal Wedding” by Kathryn Spink
“A Souvenir of the Royal Wedding” by Lornie Leete-Hodge
“Royal Wedding Day”, The Daily Mail
“Diana, Princess of Wales” by Penny Junor
“Princess” by Robert Lacey

Children

 

Charles and Diana had two sons:

• Prince William, The Prince of Wales (born 1982), married Catherine Middleton, had two sons and one daughter, British Royal Family will descend through this marriage
• Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (born 1984), married Meghan Markle, had one son 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.

by Susan Flantzer  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Prince George, Duke of York (the future King George VI of the United Kingdom) and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon were married on April 26, 1923, at Westminster Abbey in London, England.

• Unofficial Royalty: Westminster Abbey in London, England
• YouTube: Wedding Of The Duke Of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon

Prince Albert’s Family

HRH Prince Albert Frederick Arthur George was born on December 14, 1895, the anniversary of the death in 1861 of his great-grandfather Prince Albert. The baby’s father was George, Duke of York (later George V) and his mother was Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (later Queen Mary). In his family, the new baby was always known as Bertie, but he was formally known as Prince Albert.

Queen Victoria received the news with mixed feelings. Her son, the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) wrote to his son, the new baby’s father: “Grandmama was rather distressed that this happy event should have taken place on a darkly sad anniversary for us, but I think – as well as most of us in the family here – that it will break the spell of this unlucky date.”

Bertie had four brothers and one sister: Edward (1894) succeeded his father as Edward VIII, abdicated and was then styled HRH The Duke of Windsor; Mary (1897), later Princess Royal, married the 6th Earl of Harewood; Henry (1900), the Duke of Gloucester, married Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas-Scott; George (1902), the Duke of Kent, married Princess Marina of Greece; John (1905) died of epilepsy complications in 1919.

In 1901, Bertie’s great-grandmother Queen Victoria died and his grandfather succeeded her as Edward VII. Bertie’s father George was created Prince of Wales in 1901. When his grandfather died in 1910, Bertie’s father ascended the throne as George V. Bertie’s elder brother Edward (known in the family as David) was created Prince of Wales in 1911.

Bertie, as a second son, grew up without any specific training for the throne. Following the tradition for second sons in the Royal Family, he entered the Royal Navy in 1913 and saw action during World War I. In 1916 Bertie was created a Knight of the Garter and in 1920 he was created Baron Killarney, Earl of Inverness and Duke of York, the same titles his father had received in 1892. In 1936, Bertie ascended the throne as King George VI upon the abdication of his brother.

• Unofficial Royalty: King George VI of the United Kingdom

Source:
“Brewer’s British Royalty” by David Williamson

Lady Elizabeth’s Family

Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was born on August 4, 1900, in London. She was the fourth daughter and the ninth of ten children of Claude Bowes-Lyon, Lord Glamis (who succeeded his father as 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne in 1904) and Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck, a descendant of a number of noble families including the Dukes of Portland, the Dukes of Devonshire, the Earls of Oxford and the Kings of Ireland. Little Elizabeth bore the courtesy title of “Honorable” until her father became Earl when she exchanged it for “Lady.”

Elizabeth had three sisters and six brothers: Violet (1882) died in childhood; Mary (1883) married Baron Elphinstone; Patrick (1884), the future Earl of Strathmore, married Lady Dorothy Osborne, the daughter of the Duke of Leeds; John Herbert (1886) married Fenella Hepburn-Stuart-Forbes-Trefuss; Alexander (1887) died unmarried; Fergus (1889) was killed in World War I; Rose (1890) married the Earl of Granville; Michael (1893) married Elizabeth Cator; David (1902) married Rachel Spender-Clay.

Elizabeth was brought up at Glamis Castle and educated privately. She was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Bertie’s sister Princess Mary to Viscount Lascelles in 1922.

The Bowes-Lyon family is an old Scottish family. Robert II of Scotland granted Sir John Lyon the Thaneage of Glamis in 1372 as a reward for service. In 1376, Sir John married Joanna, a daughter of Robert II of Scotland. Their grandson Patrick was created Lord Glamis in 1445. The 9th Lord Glamis, also a Patrick, was created Earl of Kinghorne in 1606. His grandson, the 3rd Earl, obtained a charter in 1677 stating that he and his heirs “should in all future ages be styled Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne, Viscounts Lyon, Barons Glamis, Tannadyce, Sidlaw and Strathdichtie.” The 9th Earl married a Durham heiress, Mary Eleanor Bowes, and, as a condition of the marriage settlement, assumed the surname Bowes. Their sons, the 10th and 11th Earls and their grandson the 12th Earl adopted the surname Lyon-Bowes, but the 13th Earl reversed the order to the current Bowes-Lyon.

• Unofficial Royalty: Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, Queen of the United Kingdom

Sources:
Glamis Castle, http://www.great-houses-scotland.co.uk/glamis
Bowes Family of Brompton, Northallerton Yorkshire, http://www.bowe.demon.co.uk/Ancientbowes.html
“The Queen” by Elizabeth Longford
“Thirty Years A Queen” by Geoffrey Wakeford

The Engagement

Although they had met at a tea party in 1916, Bertie and Elizabeth had their first significant meeting on July 8, 1920, at the Royal Air Force Ball at the Ritz in London. Bertie had come to the ball with his equerry James Stuart, the youngest son of the Earl of Moray. Elizabeth and James were old friends from Scotland and shared a dance. Bertie questioned James about his dance partner and asked to be introduced. Although the meeting did not make much of an impression upon Elizabeth, Bertie fell in love that evening and started courting Elizabeth. He first proposed to her in 1921 and was rejected because Elizabeth feared the changes in her life being a member of the Royal Family would require. Elizabeth served as a bridesmaid in the wedding of Bertie’s sister Mary in February 1922. The following month, Bertie again proposed to her and was turned down once more. On January 2, 1923, after taking Elizabeth to dinner at Claridge’s and the theater, Bertie proposed a third time. After talking to friends and relatives and expressing her feelings in the diary, Elizabeth agreed to marry Bertie on January 14, 1923, although she still had misgivings.

Sources:
“Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother: The Official Biography” by William Shawcross
“The Queen Mother” by Elizabeth Longford

The Trousseau

Designers from New York, Paris, London, Rome and Australia contributed to Lady Elizabeth’s trousseau, which included 65 formal gowns, over a hundred morning, tea and evening dresses and 72 fur coats and hats.

The bride-to-be received some spectacular jewels. As an engagement ring, Bertie had given her a large dark oval sapphire from Kashmir surrounded by diamonds. Her father, the Earl of Strathmore, gave her a platinum and diamond tiara with five large roses of gems separated by sprays of diamonds. From King George V, she received a diamond ribbon bow brooch. Her godmother presented her with a diamond and emerald arrow. Bertie also gave her a diamond replica of the badge of his naval cap and a diamond cluster corsage brooch designed as a spray of flowers with three diamond pendants suspended from a chain of platinum.

Sources:
“Thirty Years A Queen”, Geoffrey Wakeford
“Elizabeth and Philip” by Charles Higham and Roy Moseley

The Wedding Attire

The bride’s dress was designed by Madame Handley-Seymour of New Bond Street, London. It was a pearl embroidered gown of ivory tinted chiffon moiré. The veil was an old “point de Flandres” veil loaned by Queen Mary. The train was made of machine-made lace from Nottingham in support of industry instead of the traditional handmade lace. Lady Elizabeth wore a double strand of matched pearls around her neck. The bridesmaids’ dresses were made of white chiffon lace also from Nottingham. In their hair, they wore myrtle green leaves and a white rose with a sprig of white heather.

Sources:
“Royal Weddings” by Dulcie M. Ashdown
“Thirty Years A Queen” by Geoffrey Wakeford

The Bridesmaids

Lady Elizabeth had an escort of eight bridesmaids.

• Lady Mary Cambridge, age 26, daughter of Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge and Lady Margaret Grosvenor, niece of Queen Mary and first cousin of the groom
• Lady May Cambridge, age 17, daughter of Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone and Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone, niece of Queen Mary and first cousin of the groom
• Lady Mary Thynne, age 20, daughter of Thomas Thynne, 5th Marquess of Bath and Violet Mordaunt
• Lady Katharine Hamilton, age 23, daughter of James Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn and Lady Rosalind Bingham
• The Honourable Diamond Hardinge, age 22, daughter of Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst and Winifred Selina Sturt
• The Honourable Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, age 11, daughter of Patrick Bowes-Lyon, the future 15th of Strathmore and Kinghorne, and Lady Dorothy Godolphin-Osborne, niece of the bride
• The Honorable Mary Elizabeth Elphinstone, age 11, Sidney Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone, 16th Lord Elphinstone and Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon, niece of the bride
• Miss Elizabeth Cator, age 24, daughter of John Cator and Maud Adeane, later sister-in-law to the bride as The Honourable Mrs. Michael Bowes-Lyon

Sources:
“Thirty Years A Queen” by Geoffrey Wakeford
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/
Wikipedia: Wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon

The Ceremony

The wedding of HRH The Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was held on April 26, 1923, at Westminster Abbey, London. Before the ceremony, at Buckingham Palace, King George V bestowed upon Bertie the Most Ancient Order of the Thistle, the Scottish counterpart of the Garter, which he had received six years earlier.

The wedding procession started with the Archbishop of Canterbury, followed by the Archbishop of York, the Bishop of London, and the Primate of Scotland. The National Anthem was played followed by Elgar’s Imperial March. As the Royal Family entered the Abbey, the congregation rose. Princess Mary and her husband Viscount Lascelles appeared first followed by Prince George in midshipman’s uniform flanked by Queen Alexandra, the Queen Mother, and her sister Marie, the Dowager Empress of Russia. King George and Queen Mary followed. The King was wearing the full-dress uniform of an admiral. The Queen wore a silver and aquamarine gown with the sash of the Order of the Garter.

Bertie arrived at the Abbey with his brothers the Prince of Wales and Prince Henry. Bertie wore his Royal Air Force Group Captain’s uniform. The Prince of Wales wore a Welsh Guard uniform and Prince Henry wore a Hussar’s uniform. Their grandmother, Queen Alexandra, rose from her seat and embraced all three of her grandsons.

Cheers soon were heard announcing the bride’s arrival. Lady Elizabeth and her father entered the Abbey through the Great West Door. As Lady Elizabeth passed the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, whose remains had been brought from France and buried in the Abbey floor three years earlier, she laid her bouquet of white roses on it. No doubt she was thinking of her brother Fergus and all the other British soldiers who died in World War I.

As Elizabeth proceeded down the aisle, the boys’ choir sang Lead Us, Heavenly Father. Randall Thomas Davidson, Archbishop of Canterbury and Cosmo Lang, Archbishop of York waited at the altar to perform the marriage ceremony. After the vows were exchanged, the Archbishop of York addressed the couple: “The warm and generous heart of this people takes you today unto itself. Will you not, in response, take that heart, with all its joys and sorrows, unto your own?”

The choir sang Beloved, Let Us Love One Another, which had been composed by the Westminster Abbey organist Sir Sydney Hugo Nicholson for the wedding of Princess Mary the previous year. The newly-married couple proceeded up the Abbey aisle to Mendelssohn’s Wedding March.

Sources:
“Royal Weddings” by Dulcie M. Ashdown
“Thirty Years A Queen” by Geoffrey Wakeford;
“Elizabeth and Philip” by Charles Higham and Roy Moseley

The Wedding Guests

British Royal Family and Relatives

• King George V and Queen Mary, the groom’s parents
• The Prince of Wales, the groom’s brother
• The Prince Henry, the groom’s brother
• The Prince George, the groom’s brother
• The Princess Mary, Viscountess Lascelles and Henry Lascelles, Viscount Lascelles, the groom’s sister and her husband
• The Honourable George Lascelles, the groom’s nephew
• Queen Alexandra, the groom’s paternal grandmother
• Louise, The Princess Royal, the groom’s paternal aunt
• Princess Alexandra, Duchess of Fife and Prince Arthur of Connaught, the groom’s first cousin and her husband, the groom’s second cousin
• Alastair Windsor, Earl of Macduff, the groom’s second cousin
• Princess Maud of Fife, the groom’s first cousin
• The Princess Victoria, the groom’s paternal aunt
• The Prince Arthur, The Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, the groom’s paternal great-uncle, son of Queen Victoria
• The Lady Patricia Ramsay (Princess Patricia of Connaught) and Captain Sir Alexander Ramsay, the groom’s first cousin once removed and her husband
• Mr. Alexander Ramsay of Mar, the groom’s second cousin
• Princess Christian (The Princess Helena), the groom’s paternal great-aunt, daughter of Queen Victoria
• Princess Helena Victoria, the groom’s first cousin once removed
• Princess Marie Louise, the groom’s first cousin once removed
• The Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll, the groom’s paternal great-aunt, daughter of Queen Victoria
• The Princess Beatrice, the groom’s paternal great-aunt, daughter of Queen Victoria
• Alexander Mountbatten, 1st Marquess of Carisbrooke and Marchioness of Carisbrooke, the groom’s first cousin once removed and his wife
• Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven (Princess Victoria of Hesse and by Rhine), the groom’s first cousin once removed
• George Mountbatten, 2nd Marquess of Milford Haven and Marchioness of Milford Haven, the groom’s second cousin and his wife
• Lord Louis Mountbatten and Lady Mountbatten (Edwina Ashley), the groom’s second cousin and his wife
• Adolphus Cambridge, 1st Marquess of Cambridge and Marchioness of Cambridge, the groom’s maternal uncle and aunt
• George Cambridge, Earl of Eltham and Countess of Eltham, the groom’s first cousin and his wife
• Lord Frederick Cambridge, the groom’s first cousin
• Lady Mary Cambridge, the groom’s first cousin
• Lady Helena Gibbs (Lady Helena Cambridge) and Mr. John Gibbs, the groom’s first cousin and her husband
• Alexander Cambridge, 1st Earl of Athlone and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, the groom’s maternal uncle and aunt
• Rupert Cambridge, Viscount Trematon, the groom’s first cousin
• Lady May Cambridge, the groom’s first cousin

Foreign Royalty Related to the Groom

• King Haakon VII and Queen Maud of Norway, the groom’s paternal aunt and her husband
• Crown Olav Prince of Norway, the groom’s first cousin
• Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, widower of Princess Margaret of Connaught, the groom’s late first cousin once removed
• Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Västerbotten, the groom’s second cousin
• Princess Ingrid of Sweden, the groom’s second cousin
• Queen Marie of Romania (Princess Marie of Edinburgh), the groom’s first cousin once removed
• Crown Prince Carol and Crown Princess Helen of Romania, the groom’s second cousin and his second wife, also the groom’s second cousin
• Prince Michael of Romania, the groom’s third cousin
• Albert, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein, the groom’s first cousin once removed
• Queen Victoria Eugenie (Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg) and King Alfonso XIII of Spain, the groom’s first cousin once removed and her husband
• Alfonso, Prince of Asturias, the groom’s second cousin
• Infante Jaime of Spain, the groom’s second cousin
• Infante Juan of Spain, the groom’s second cousin
• Infante Gonzalo of Spain, the groom’s second cousin
• Infanta Beatriz of Spain, the groom’s second cousin
• Infanta Maria Cristina of Spain, the groom’s second cousin
• Bernard III, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, widower of Princess Charlotte of Prussia, the groom’s first cousin once removed
• Princess Heinrich XXX Reuss of Köstritz (Feodora of Saxe-Meiningen), the groom’s second cousin
• Prince and Princess Henry of Prussia (Princess Irene of Hesse and by Rhine), the groom’s first cousin once removed and his wife, also the groom’s first cousin once removed
• Prince and Princess Waldemar of Prussia (Princess Calixta of Lippe-Biesterfeld), the groom’s second cousin and his wife
• Queen Mother Sophie of the Hellenes (Princess Sophie of Prussia), the groom’s first cousin, once removed
• King George II and Queen Elisabeth of the Hellenes (Princess Elisabeth of Romania), the groom’s second cousin and his wife, also the groom’s second cousin
• Princess Alexander of Greece and Denmark (Aspasia Manos), widow of the groom’s second cousin King Alexander I of the Hellenes
• Princess Alexandra of Greece and Denmark, the groom’s third cousin
• The Hereditary Princess of Hesse (Princess Margaret of Prussia), the groom’s first cousin once removed
• Prince Wolfgang of Hesse, the groom’s second cousin
• Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig II and Grand Duchess Eleonore of Hesse and by Rhine (Eleonore of Solms-Hohensolms-Lich), the groom’s first cousin once removed and his wife
• Queen Dowager Louise of Denmark, widow of the groom’s paternal great-uncle King Frederik VIII of Denmark
• King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine of Denmark (Princess Alexandrine of Mecklenburg-Schwerin), the groom’s second cousin and his wife
• The Duchess of Västergötland  (Princess Ingeborg of Denmark) and Prince Carl of Sweden, Duke of Västergötland, the groom’s second cousin and her husband
• Queen Dowager Olga of the Hellenes (Grand Duchess Olga Constantinovna of Russia), the groom’s great-aunt
• Empress Dowager Maria Feodorovna of All the Russias (Princess Dagmar of Denmark), the groom’s great-aunt
• The Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Princess Thyra of Denmark) and Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg (Ernst August, formerly Crown Prince of Hanover, 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale), the groom’s great-aunt and her husband
• Prince Valdemar of Denmark, the groom’s great-uncle
• Prince and Princess Axel of Denmark, the groom’s second cousin and his wife
• Princess René of Bourbon-Parma (Princess Margaret of Denmark), the groom’s second cousin
• The Dowager Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (Elizabeth of Anhalt), widow of the groom’s first cousin once removed Adolphus Friedrich V, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz,
• Princess Julius Ernst of Lippe (Marie of Mecklenburg-Strelitz), second cousin of the groom
• The Crown Princess (Jutta of Mecklenburg-Strelitz) and Crown Prince Danilo of Montenegro, second cousin of the groom and her husband

The Bride’s Family

• Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne and Countess of Strathmore
• and Kinghorne (Cecilia Cavendish-Bentinck), the bride’s parents
• Patrick Bowes-Lyon, Lord Glamis and Lady Glamis (Lady Dorothy Godolphin-Osborne), the bride’s brother and sister-in-law
• John Bowes-Lyon, Master of Glamis, the bride’s nephew
• Mr. Timothy Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s nephew
• Miss Cecilia Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s niece
• Miss Nancy Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s niece
• The Honorable Mr. and Mrs John Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s brother and sister-in-law
• Miss Anne Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s niece
• Miss Nerissa Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s niece
• Mr. Michael Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s brother
• Mr. David Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s brother
• Lady Elphinstone (Lady Mary Bowes-Lyon) and Sidney Buller-Fullerton-Elphinstone, 16th
• Lord Elphinstone, the bride’s sister and brother-law
• John Elphinstone, Master of Elphinstone, the bride’s nephew
• The Honorable Andrew Elphinstone, the bride’s nephew
• The Honorable Jean Constance Elphinstone, the bride’s niece
• Lady Rose Leveson-Gower (Rose Bowes-Lyon) and William Leveson-Gower Esq, the bride’s sister and brother-in-law
• Mr Granville James Leveson-Gower, the bride’s nephew
• Miss Mary Cecilia Leveson-Gower, the bride’s niece
• Mr and Mrs Francis Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s paternal uncle and aunt
• Miss Muriel Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cousin
• Mr Charles Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cousin
• Mr Geoffrey Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cousin
• Miss Winnifred Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cousin
• Mr Ronald Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cousin
• Miss Doris Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cousin
• Miss Lillian Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cousin
• Mrs Ernest Bowes-Lyon, widow of the bride’s late paternal uncle
• Mr Hubert Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cousin
• Miss Susan Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cousin
• Miss Dorothea Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cousin
• Miss Joan Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cousin
• Miss Marjorie Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cousin
• Miss Ernestine Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cousin
• Mr and Mrs Patrick Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s paternal uncle and aunt
• Mr Jean Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cosuin
• Miss Margaret Ann Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cousin
• Mr and Mrs Malcolm Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s paternal uncle and aunt
• Miss Clodagh Pamela Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s first cousin
• Lady Constance Blackburn and Mr Robert Francis Blackburn, the bride’s paternal aunt and uncle
• Mr Phyllis Blackburn, the bride’s first cousin
• Miss Claudia Blackburn, the bride’s first cousin
• Lady Maud Agness Bowes-Lyon, the bride’s paternal aunt
• Miss Ann Violet Cavendish-Bentinck, the bride’s maternal aunt

Sources:
Wikipedia: Wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon

The Wedding Breakfast

The wedding breakfast was held at Buckingham Palace with the following menu: Consomme a la Windsor, Supremes de Saumon Reine Mary, Cotelettes d’Agneau Prince Albert, Chapons a la Strathmore, Jambon et Langue Decoupes a l’Aspic, Salade Royale, Asperges, Sauce Creme Mousseuse, Fraises Duchesse Elizabeth, Panier de Friandises, Dessert, Cafe.

Fourteen wedding cakes were made for the wedding breakfast. The most elaborate weighed 300 pounds and had nine tiers with a replica of the couple on top. On the first tier were reproductions of Windsor Castle and St. George’s Chapel. Glamis Castle appeared on the second tier and on the third tier were Masonic emblems in honor of Bertie and the Earl of Strathmore who were both Masons. Cupids ringing tiny silver wedding bells moved up and down ladders leading to the top of the cake. After the breakfast, the couple appeared on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Sources:
“English Royal Cookbook” by Elizabeth Craig
“Thirty Years A Queen” by Geoffrey Wakeford
“Elizabeth and Philip” by Charles Higham and Roy Moseley

The Honeymoon

The couple took the train from Waterloo Station, London to Dorking, Surrey where they stayed at Polesden Lacey, the home of society hostess Mrs. Ronald Greville. They continued their honeymoon with a visit to Glamis Castle where Elizabeth came down with whooping cough. When she recovered, the couple concluded their honeymoon at Frogmore House, Windsor.

Sources:
“Elizabeth and Philip” by Charles Higham and Roy Moseley
“Thirty Years A Queen” by Geoffrey Wakeford
“The Queen” by Elizabeth Longford

Children

Embed from Getty Images 

Bertie and Elizabeth had two children:

• Queen Elizabeth II (1926 – 2022), married Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, created Duke of Edinburgh, had three sons and one daughter including King Charles III, the British Royal Family descends from this marriage
• Princess Margaret (1930 – 2002), married and divorced Antony Armstrong-Jones, created 1st Earl of Snowdon, had one son 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.

by Susan Flantzer and Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

Embed from Getty Images 

Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones were married on June 19, 1999, at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England.

• Unofficial Royalty: St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, England

Family of Prince Edward

HRH The Prince Edward Antony Richard Louis was born March 10, 1964, at Buckingham Palace, London. Edward was the fourth, and last, child of Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh.

Edward’s older siblings are Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, born in 1948; Princess Anne, The Princess Royal, born in 1950; and Prince Andrew, The Duke of York, born in 1960.

On his wedding day, June 19, 1999, Edward was created Earl of Wessex and Viscount Severn, breaking with the tradition of a dukedom granted to the son of the Sovereign upon marriage.  However, it was announced that Prince Edward would eventually be granted the Dukedom of Edinburgh, currently his father’s title, at such time when it has reverted back to the Crown. The title Duke of Edinburgh automatically passed to Edward’s eldest brother Charles when their father died in April 2021, and it merged into the Crown in September 2022 when Charles acceded to the throne. King Charles III granted his younger brother Prince Edward the title Duke of Edinburgh on his 59th birthday, March 10, 2023.

To learn more about Edward see:

• Unofficial Royalty: Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex

Family of Sophie Rhys-Jones

Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones was born on January 20, 1965, in Oxford, England.  She was the second child of Christopher Rhys-Jones and his wife Mary (née O’Sullivan) and has an older brother, David.  Sophie was named in honor of her paternal aunt, Helen, who had been killed in an accident some years before Sophie was born.

To learn more about Sophie see:

• Unofficial Royalty: Sophie Rhys Jones, Countess of Wessex

Engagement and Ring

On January 6, 1999, Prince Edward held a press conference to announce he and Sophie Rhys-Jones were engaged to be married. It was the culmination of a long courtship, beginning in 1993 when the two renewed a casual acquaintance at a Real Tennis Challenge, hosted by the Prince. Ms. Rhys-Jones, the public relations executive handling the event, was reportedly “charmed” by the youngest of the Queen’s sons, and he with her.

While the two publicly maintained they were merely good friends, it became apparent they were spending considerable time together when Ms. Rhys-Jones was photographed at various Windsor family occasions. Several times, Prince Edward took the press to task for badgering Sophie, leading many royal watchers to believe there might be more to the relationship than met the eye.

Finally, after seeking permission from her father, the Prince asked Ms. Rhys-Jones to marry him over the 1998 Christmas holidays. In accepting the Prince’s proposal, Sophie also accepted an exquisite engagement ring. Because Diana and Sarah Ferguson had colored gemstones in their engagement rings, the superstitious Sophie insisted upon diamonds only. A cluster of three diamonds was set in white gold; a creation of royal jewelers Asprey and Garrard and estimated at $170,000.

Rumors abounded that Sophie gave Prince Edward a marriage ultimatum and that they lived together before the wedding. The rumors were denied by both bride and groom. The Prince said that while the love affair was not a sudden strike of lightning, he and Ms. Rhys-Jones are the best of friends and very much in love.

Sources: BBC News; London Telegraph; MSNBC

The Attendants

As with many European weddings, Sophie’s attendants were young children.  Sophie and Edward carefully chose the four bridesmaids and pages, who were each special in some way.

Eight-year-old bridesmaid Camilla Hadden was the oldest of the children.  She is Edward’s goddaughter and the daughter of his friends Abel and Belinda Hadden.  Mr. Hadden was, at one time, the press officer for Margaret Thatcher.

Next in age, at seven, was page Felix Sowerbutts, the son of Julian and Lucinda Sowerbutts, who are friends of Sophie’s from well before the beginning of her public relations career.

Six-year-old page Harry Warburton, the son of Sarah Warburton, who was Prince Edward’s Assistant Private Secretary, and also happens to be the Prince’s godson.  Ms. Warburton was instrumental in many of the wedding preparations.

Five-year-old Olivia Taylor was the second bridesmaid.  She is the daughter of Ian and Lindy Taylor, some of Sophie’s oldest friends.

Prince Edward also had two individuals who stood with him at the ceremony:  Prince Charles and Prince Andrew.  At most weddings, their roles would be considered that of Best Man.  However, in royal circles, they are termed “Supporters”.

Sources: BBC News; London Telegraph; British Royal Website; MSNBC; The Guardian

Wedding Attire

Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones had already decided their wedding would be different than most royal events, and their wedding clothes, while traditional, also carried their own stamps of individuality.

It had been speculated that Sophie’s gown would be relatively simple, given the style of her chosen designer, Samantha Shaw. While the cut of the dress was simple: a hand-dyed ivory silk crepe corseted coat over a hand-dyed ivory silk organza skirt, it had the sparkle of 325,000 handsewn cut-glass and pearl beads, as well. The beads decorated the deep V-neckline, which extended both in front and in back; as well as the slightly flared sleeves. Beads also cascaded down the cleverly designed train, which was sewn in panels so it would pleat out behind the bride as she walked down the aisle. Ms. Rhys-Jones also wore a hand-dyed silk tulle veil one inch longer than her train, which was dotted with occasional hand-sewn crystal beads, and supported by a diamond tiara borrowed from the Queen’s private collection. Her shoes were also ivory silk crepe, and her bouquet consisted of ivory garden roses, stephanotis, lily of the valley, and freesia. Her most remarkable accessory, however, was the beautiful black and white pearl necklace and matching earrings designed by Prince Edward as a personal wedding gift.

The Prince looked dashing in formal morning dress, with a lively yellow waistcoat made especially for the wedding by John Kent. He also wore a blue shirt with a white collar and a patterned blue and yellow tie. He, too, wore a special accessory: an 18-carat yellow gold Hunter pocket watch and chain given to him as a wedding gift by Sophie.

The young attendants were dressed in the Plantagenet style. The bridesmaids wore ivory silk taffeta dresses with navy silk velvet tunics decorated with gold braid, and feather-trimmed velvet hats. They each carried a small bouquet of heavily scented flowers tied informally with ivory ribbon. The pages were dressed in navy velvet knickers and tunics with brass buttons over ivory taffeta shirts and accented with taffeta cummerbunds. They, too, wore velvet berets with feathers.

The mother of the groom, remembering the day over fifty years before when she pledged her troth to Prince Philip, wore the pearl necklace, the dainty pearl and diamond earrings, and diamond brooch she wore on her own wedding day. Lovely in a lilac lace and chiffon gown by Sir Hardy Amies, a feathered hat in a similar hue completed the ensemble.

Sources: BBC News; London Telegraph; MSNBC; SkyNews

Wedding Guests

The wedding was attended by 550 guests. What follows is a partial guest list.

Groom’s Family

• The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, the groom’s parents
• The Prince of Wales, the groom’s brother
• Prince William of Wales, the groom’s nephew
• Prince Henry of Wales, the groom’s nephew
• The Duke of York, the groom’s brother
• Princess Beatrice of York, the groom’s niece
• Princess Eugenie of York, the groom’s niece
• The Princess Royal and Commander Timothy Laurence, the groom’s sister and her second husband
• Mr. Peter Phillips, the groom’s nephew
• Miss Zara Phillips, the groom’s niece
• Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, the maternal groom’s grandmother
• The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon and The Earl of Snowdon, the groom’s aunt and her ex-husband
• Lady Sarah and Daniel Chatto, the groom’s first cousin and her husband
• Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, the groom’s great-aunt
• The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the groom’s cousin once removed and his wife
• Lady Rose Windsor, the groom’s second cousin
• Lady Davina Windsor, the groom’s second cousin
• The Duke and Duchess of Kent, the groom’s cousin once removed and his wife
• Earl and Countess of St Andrews, the groom’s second cousin and his wife
• Lord Nicholas Windsor, the groom’s second cousin
• Lady Helen Taylor and Timothy Taylor, the groom’s second cousin and her husband
• Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, the groom’s cousin once removed and his wife
• Lord Frederick Windsor, the groom’s second cousin
• Lady Gabriella Windsor, the groom’s second cousin
• Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Lady Ogilvy, the groom’s cousin once removed
• James and Julia Ogilvy, the groom’s second cousin and his wife
• Mrs. Marina Ogilvy, the groom’s second cousin

Bride’s Family

• Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Rhys-Jones, the bride’s parents

Royal Guests

• The Sultan of Brunei
• Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes
• The Prince of Asturias
• Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra of Denmark

Other Notable Guests

• Anthony Andrews
• Robin Bextor
• John Cleese
• Billy Connolly
• Sir David Frost
• Stephen Fry
• Ruthie Henshall
• Andrew Lloyd Webber
• Nigel Mansell

Sources: BBC; CNN; British Monarchy Website

The Ceremony

As a televised audience of 200 million looked on, a throng of eight thousand locals fortunate enough to have been chosen to represent the residents of Windsor lined the drive leading up to Windsor Castle, witnessing the bride’s arrival in a vintage black Rolls Royce. The bride acknowledged the cheering crowd before entering the house of worship, where a new phase of her life as the Countess of Wessex would begin.

As the clock struck 5 P.M. the passionate strains of “The Marche Heroique” echoed through the chapel as the bride made her way past such illustrious witnesses as Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and David Frost to stand at the altar by her intended. A forty-five-minute ceremony followed, in which the bride was presented with a wedding band which, in the royal tradition, was fashioned from Welsh gold. At the conclusion of the nuptials, the Toccata from the 5th Symphony and The Coronation March– Crown Imperial escorted the newly betrothed up the aisle.

Following the ceremony, the new Earl and Countess of Wessex rode in an open carriage to the reception at Windsor Castle, greeting thousands of well-wishers who had come out to celebrate their marriage.

The Wedding Reception

Five hundred fifty guests gathered in the State Apartments of Windsor Castle for a feast fit for a king, complete with smoked haddock with rice and mushrooms in pastry, beef stroganoff, and fresh raspberries for dessert. Attendees also nibbled on a seven-tier wedding cake adorned with sugar roses and fruit by Upper Crusts Country Kitchen before taking to the dance floor, where it was reported that the Queen danced along with her grandchildren to The Village People’s “YMCA.”

The Honeymoon

The couple chose Birkhall Lodge, located five miles from Balmoral, for their four-day honeymoon. The venue’s romantic past (Prince Philip, the groom’s father, proposed to the future Queen of the United Kingdom at the locale) makes the lodge a sentimental favorite among members of the royal family.

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.

by Susan Flantzer and Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2017

The Prince of Wales (later King Charles III) and Camilla Parker Bowles (later Queen Consort Camilla) were married in a civil ceremony on April 9, 2005, at the Windsor Guildhall in Windsor, England followed by a Service of Prayer and Dedication at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in Windsor, England.

• Unofficial Royalty: St. George’s Chapel in Windsor, England
• YouTube: Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles: Civil Wedding
• YouTube: Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles: Service of Prayer and Dedication, Part 1
• YouTube: Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles: Service of Prayer and Dedication, Part 2

The Family of Prince Charles

HRH Prince Charles Philip Arthur George was born on November 14, 1948, at Buckingham Palace, London. Charles was the first child of HRH Princess Elizabeth and her husband of one year, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, born HRH Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. Elizabeth was the elder daughter and the first of two children of King George VI and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, who was the youngest daughter and the ninth of ten children of Claude Bowes-Lyon, 14th Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne. Philip’s 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. His mother was Her Serene Highness Princess Alice of Battenberg. Alice was 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, Charles’ parents are both great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Charles’ parents added another child to the family, Princess Anne, born on August 15, 1950. Ill with lung cancer, King George VI died on February 6, 1952, and the 25-year-old Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II. Her duties as Queen postponed additions to the family. Prince Andrew was born eight years later on February 19, 1960, and Prince Edward was born on March 10, 1964.

As soon as his mother became Queen, Charles was the heir apparent to the throne and as the monarch’s eldest son became Duke of Cornwall. In the Scottish peerage, he became Duke of Rothesay, Earl of Carrick, Baron of Renfrew, Lord of the Isles, and Prince and Great Steward of Scotland. Charles was created Prince of Wales and Earl of Chester on July 26, 1958. He was invested as Prince of Wales on July 1, 1969, at Caernarvon Castle in Wales.

On July 29, 1981, Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in a lavish wedding held at St Paul’s Cathedral, London.  The couple had two sons – Prince William, born 1982, and Prince Henry (Harry), born 1984.  Charles and Diana divorced in 1996, and she was tragically killed the following year in a car accident in Paris.

• Unofficial Royalty: King Charles III of the United Kingdom

The Family of Camilla Parker Bowles

Camilla Rosemary Shand was born July 17, 1947, at King’s College Hospital in London.  She is the daughter of Major Bruce Shand and the Honourable Rosalind Cubitt, daughter of the 3rd Baron Ashcombe.  Camilla has a sister, Annabel Shand Elliot, and a brother Mark Shand.  In 1973, Camilla Shand married Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles, and the couple had two children – a son Tom, born in 1974, and a daughter Laura, born in 1978.  Camilla and Andrew divorced in 1995.

• Unofficial Royalty: Queen Consort Camilla of the United Kingdom

The Engagement

After many years of speculation, the engagement of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles was announced by Clarence House on February 10, 2005.  At this point, it was also announced that when Charles becomes King, “it is intended” that Camilla will use the title of Princess Consort instead of Queen.  It was announced that a civil marriage would take place on April 8th, followed by a Service of Prayer and Dedication at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor.  This was later postponed until the 9th, allowing The Prince of Wales to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II in Rome.

Upon marriage, Mrs. Parker Bowles took on all of Prince Charles’ titles, including Princess of Wales.  However, out of respect for the late Diana, Princess of Wales, it was decided that she would be styled HRH The Duchess of Cornwall.

The Ring

Prince Charles presented Camilla with a ring that had belonged to his beloved grandmother, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother.  The 1930s Art Deco style ring, set in platinum, has an emerald cut diamond with three diamond baguettes on each side.  It is believed to have been part of the large collection of jewels inherited by The Queen Mother from Mrs. Ronald Greville.  At the time of the engagement, it was estimated to have a value of about £100,000.

The Wedding Attire

For the civil ceremony, Camilla wore a cream-colored silk chiffon dress, hemmed with vertical rows of appliqued woven disks.  This was topped with an oyster silk basket-weave coat with herringbone stitch embroidery.  Her hat, designed by Philip Treacy, was a straw hat overlaid with ivory French lace and trimmed with feathers.  The dress was designed by Robinson Valentine, London.

For the Service of Prayer and Dedication, she wore a floor-length pale blue and gold coat over a matching chiffon gown, designed by Robinson Valentine.  Her hat, again designed by Philip Treacy, was a headdress of gold-leafed feathers, tipped with Swarovski crystals, in her hair.

The Prince of Wales wore a traditional morning suit with gray pinstripe trousers.  He finished off his outfit with a heliborne from his gardens at Highgrove.

Mrs. Parker Bowles’ carried a small bouquet of flowers in shades of gray and cream, mixed with Lily of the Vally, all bound with the same silk as her dress.  Tucked in the bouquet was a small spring of myrtle, the traditional symbol of a happy marriage.

The Civil Marriage

The civil wedding ceremony took place on April 9, 2005, in the Guildhall, Windsor. Prince William and Tom Parker Bowles (Camilla’s son)  served as witnesses to the civil wedding ceremony, which was conducted by the Royal Borough’s Superintendent Registrar, Clair Williams.  The couple arrived in a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI from the Queen’s fleet, while the rest of the guests arrived by a small bus.  The ceremony took place in the Ascot Room within the Guildhall and lasted approximately 20 minutes.  Throughout the room were flowers cut from the Highgrove estate, as well as Raymill House, Camilla’s home nearby.  At the couple’s request, the flowers were donated to local hospices after the ceremony.  The couple exchanged rings, made of gold from the Clogau St David’s mine in Bontddu, North Wales, and designed by Wartski of London.  The Civil Ceremony was attended by members of both Charles’ and Camilla’s families.  The Queen did not attend, due to her position as Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and the church’s rules regarding the marriage of divorced people.  The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh did, however, attend the Service of Prayer and Dedication.

Guests at the civil ceremony included:

Family of Prince Charles

• Prince William of Wales, the groom’s son
• Prince Harry of Wales, the groom’s son
• The Duke of York, the groom’s brother
• Princess Beatrice of York, the groom’s niece
• Princess Eugenie of York, the groom’s niece
• The Earl and Countess of Wessex, the groom’s brother and his wife
• The Princess Royal and Rear Admiral Timothy Laurence, the groom’s sister and her second husband
• Mr. Peter Phillips, the groom’s nephew
• Miss Zara Phillips, the groom’s niece
• Viscount and Viscountess Linley, the groom’s first cousin and his wife
• Lady Sarah Chatto and Mr. Daniel Chatto, the groom’s first cousin and her husband
• Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, the groom’s first cousin once removed

Family of Camilla Parker Bowles

• Major Bruce Shand, the bride’s father
• Mr. Tom Parker Bowles and Miss Sara Buys, the bride’s son and his partner
• Miss Laura Parker Bowles and Mr. Harry Lopes, the bride’s daughter and her partner
• Mr. Mark Shand, the bride’s brother
• Mr. and Mrs. Simon (Annabel) Elliot, the bride’s sister and her husband
• Mr. Ben Elliot, the bride’s nephew
• Miss Katie Elliot, the bride’s niece
• Mr. and Mrs. Luke (Alice) Irwin, the bride’s niece and her husband
• Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Parker Bowles, the bride’s first husband and his second wife

Sources: BBC; Telegraph

The Service of Prayer and Dedication

At 2:30 that afternoon, a Service of Prayer and Dedication was held at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor, presided over by The Archbishop of Canterbury.  Nearly 800 guests were in attendance.  Following the service, the couple posed for photographs on the steps of the chapel, before greeting some of the public who had gathered outside the chapel. These included representatives from some of the couple’s charities and organizations. They were then driven back to Windsor Castle for a reception in the State Apartments.

Guest at the Service of Prayer and Dedication included:

British Royal Family and Relatives

• The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, the groom’s parents
• Prince William of Wales, the groom’s son
• Prince Henry of Wales, the groom’s son
• The Duke of York, the groom’s brother
• Princess Beatrice of York, the groom’s niece
• Princess Eugenie of York, the groom’s niece
• The Earl and Countess of Wessex, the groom’s brother and his wife
• The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, the groom’s sister and her second husband
• Mr. Peter Phillips, the groom’s nephew
• Miss Zara Phillips, the groom’s niece
• Viscount and Viscountess Linley, the groom’s first cousin and his wife
• Lady Sarah Chatto and Mr. Daniel Chatto, the groom’s first cousin and her husband
• The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the groom’s first cousin once removed and his wife
• The Duke and Duchess of Kent, the groom’s first cousin once removed, and his wife
• The Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, the groom’s first cousin once removed and his wife
• Princess Alexandra, Lady Ogilvy, the groom’s first cousin once removed
• Lord and Lady Romsey, the groom’s second cousin and his wife

Family of Camilla Parker Bowles

• Major Bruce Shand, the bride’s father
• Mr. Tom Parker Bowles and Miss Sara Buys, the bride’s son and his partner
• Miss Laura Parker Bowles and Mr. Harry Lopes, the bride’s daughter and her partner
• Mr. Mark Shand, the bride’s brother
• Mr. and Mrs. Simon (Annabel) Elliot, the bride’s sister and her husband
• Mr. Ben Elliot, the bride’s nephew
• Miss Katie Elliot, the bride’s niece
• Mr. and Mrs. Luke (Alice) Irwin, the bride’s niece and her husband
• Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Parker Bowles, the bride’s first husband and his second wife

Foreign Royalty

• King Hamad bin Isa bin Salman Al-Khalif of Bahrain
• King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes
• Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
• Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia
• Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands
• Princess Margarita and Prince Radu of Romania
• Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud and Princess Nouf of Saudi Arabia
• Prince Bandar bin Sultan of Saudi Arabia

Viceroys

• The Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda and Lady Carlisle
• The Governor-General of Australia and Mrs. Jeffery
• The Governor-General of Barbados and Mrs. Husbands
• The Governor-General of Canada and John Ralston Saul
• The Queen’s Representative in the Cook Islands and Lady Goodwin
• The Governor-General of Grenada and Lady Williams
• The Commonwealth Secretary-General and Clare de Lore
• The Governor-General of New Zealand and Peter Cartwright
• The Governor-General of Papua New Guinea and Lady Matane
• The Governor-General of St. Christopher and Nevis

British Politicians

• The Rt. Hon. Tony Blair, Prime Minister and Mrs. Blain
• The Rt. Hon. Michael Howard, Conservative Party leader and Mrs. Howard
• The Rt. Hon. Charles Kennedy, Liberal Democrat leader and Mrs. Kennedy
• The Rt. Hon. Jack McConnell, First Minister of Scotland and Mrs. McConnell
• The Rt. Hon. Rhodri Morgan, First Minister for Wales and Mrs. Morgan
• The Rt. Hon. Paul Murphy, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
• The Honourable Nicholas Soames, Shadow Defence Secretary

Religious Representatives

• Rowan Williams, The Archbishop of Canterbury and Mrs. Williams
• The Rt, Rev. and Rt. Hon The Lord and Lady Carey of Clifton
• The Rt. Rev. Dean of Windsor and wife
• The Rev. Canon Doctor Hueston Finlay and Mrs. Finlay
• The Rev. Canon Laurence Gunner and Mrs. Gunner
• The Rev. Canon John Ovenden and Mrs. Ovenden
• The Rev, Canon John White

Other Notable Guests

• Rowan Atkinson, actor
• Sanjeev Bhaskar, actor
• Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg, broadcaster and author
• Paddy Campbell, fashion designer
• Phil Collins, singer
• Jilly Cooper, novelist
• Jonathan Dimbleby, British presenter
• Edward Fox, actor and Joanna David
• David Frost, broadcaster
• Stephen Fry, actor
• Valentino Garavani, fashion designer
• Lady Annabel Goldsmith, socialite
• Richard E. Grant, actor
• Robert Harris, author
• Ronald Harwood, playwright
• Sir Stephen Lamport, former private secretary to the prince
• Joanna Lumley, actress and ambassador for Prince’s Trust
• Martina Milburn, chief executive of the Prince’s Trust
• Simon Sebag Montefiore, biographer, novelist and journalist
• William Rees-Mogg, former editor of The Times
• Joan Rivers, comic
• Prunella Scales, actress
• William Shawcross, writer and broadcaster
• Trudie Styler, actor and producer
• Philip Treacy, milliner
• Christopher Warren-Green, conductor
• Timothy West, actor
• Staff from Clarence House, Highgrove House, Birkhall, and Sandringham

Sources: BBC; Telegraph

The Reception

Following the service, the Queen hosted a reception in the State Apartments at Windsor Castle.  Items on the menu included smoked salmon, roast venison with Balmoral redcurrant and port jelly, egg and cress sandwiches, potted shrimp rolls, and mini Cornish pastries.  Mrs. Ethel Richardson, of Wales, provided 20 fruit cakes at the request of the Prince of Wales.  After a toast of Duchy champagne, the couple left to begin their honeymoon.  The wedding cake was made by Dawn Blunden, owner of a cake shop in Lincolnshire.

Source: BBC; Netty’s Royalty Page

The Honeymoon

Following the reception, the newlywed couple departed for Birkhall, Prince Charles’ home on the Balmoral Estate in Scotland.  Princes William and Harry had decorated the car which was taking them from the castle.  The words “Prince” and “Duchess” were written on the windshield, with “Just Married” written on the back.  Bunches of red, white, and yellow metallic balloons had also been tied to the car. The Prince and Duchess boarded a plane at RAF Northolt for their flight to Aberdeen.

Source: BBC; Netty’s Royalty Page

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