Queen's 70th Wedding Anniversary: the wedding breakfast

Queen's 70th Wedding Anniversary: the wedding breakfast

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Let's talk cake. The 70th wedding anniversary of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh is being celebrated with a private dinner for family and friends at Windsor Castle tonight but while they feast, we'll just get happy with a look back at what the rather substantial guest list tucked into at the royal wedding breakfast all those decades ago. We've got fish, game, fruit and a cake that is beyond legend. Hope you're hungry, here comes the royal wedding food list...


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The House of Windsor does like to add a personal touch to the wedding breakfast menu. The Queen's parents had enjoyed Prince Albert lamb and Duchess Elizabeth strawberries after their nuptials and their first born followed in their footsteps. Her wedding breakfast, served in the Ballroom at Buckingham Palace, was a three course menu named after her and her new hubby. Appropriately for seafaring man, the starter was a fish dish named after the groom. Quite what Filet de Sole Mountbatten actually is remains lost to the mists of time but there's only so much you can do with a sole fillet and being as rationing was still in place, the guests no doubt hoovered the delicacy up without worrying too much about whether the recipe suited the namesake.

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The main course was partridge (plentiful on royal estates) cooked in a casserole which was no doubt more sophisticated than it sounds but perfect for warming everyone up on a cold November day. The dessert was Bombe Glacee Princesse Elizabeth, a strawberry pud, just to keep the family tradition really going. After all that, the newlyweds needed some fresh air and hopped out on to the balcony for a spot of waving (no kissing, this is the 1940s, thank you).

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After that brief respite, there was also the mighty wedding cake to contend with. Made by McVitie and Price, it was nine feet tall and consisted of four tiers. Four very big tiers. Ingredients were sent from around the world  - after all, rationing was still in place - and the finished product was nicknamed the 10,000 mile cake. It was covered in intricate royal icing and featured the couple's respective coats of arms as well as representations of their interests. King George VI had given his new son-in-law a sword as a wedding present and Philip wasted no time putting it to good use - the couple sliced into the cake with it.

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So there you go. Fish, partridge, strawberries and cake. In post war Britain it was a treat of a meal and then some. Seventy years on, it still sounds delicious. And a glass of champagne to toast the anniversary wouldn't hurt either. Here's to more happy years to come.

Queen's 70th Wedding Anniversary: the bridal party

Queen's 70th Wedding Anniversary: the bridal party

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The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary today. They are marking the event privately, with a dinner at Windsor Castle, and one of the reasons for the lack of public celebration hinted at is that the couple feel it would remind them too much of all those they have lost. The passing of time and the fading of friends is perhaps best seen in the official photo with their wedding party. For of the eight bridesmaids who attended the Queen, just two are still alive while only one of her two cheeky pageboys is still here to celebrate with the couple he attended seventy years ago. The Duke of Edinburgh's best man, David, Marquess of Milford Haven, has also sadly passed away. The official photo of the wedding party is a reminder of those who were so loved and so important. On this special anniversary, here's a look back at the bridal party of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh....

The bridesmaids

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The eight bridesmaids who attended the Queen at her royal wedding all had a special place in her life. All brides want their sister at their side and heading the list of attendants was seventeen year old Princess Margaret, then second in line to the throne.

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The Queen also chose several cousins as bridesmaids. Ten year old Princess Alexandra of Kent was the daughter of George VI's brother, the late Duke of Kent, and his wife, Princess Marina of Greece. Another cousin, Diana Bowes Lyon, then 24, was also in attendance - her father, John, was a brother of the bride's mother. Margaret Elphinstone was the 22 year old daughter of Mary, a sister of Queen Elizabeth, later Queen Mother, and another bridesmaid. In later years, she was better known as Margaret Rhodes.

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One of the bride's second cousins was also included as a bridesmaid. Lady Mary Cambridge was 23 years old at the time of the wedding and related to Princess Elizabeth through Queen Mary. Another more distant relation to perform the role of attendant was Lady Caroline Montagu-Douglas-Scott. The 20 year old was the daughter of Walter Montagu-Douglas-Scott whose sister, Alice, was married to the bride's paternal uncle, Henry, Duke of Gloucester.

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The groom's first cousin, Pamela Mountbatten, was also in the bridal party. The eighteen year old had been living in India with her parents, the Earl and Countess of Mountbatten. The final bridesmaid was 23 year old Lady Elizabeth Lambart whose father, the Earl of Cavan, had been Chief of the Imperial Staff.

The bridesmaids' outfits

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Like the bride, her mother and grandmother, the bridesmaids were dressed by Norman Hartnell. The British designer took inspiration from some of the paintings on display at Buckingham Palace by Winterhalter, Sit George Hayter and Tuxen. They were made of ivory silk tulle with fitted waists and skirts embroidered with a star design similar to that on the bride's dress. The eight bridesmaids wore wreaths in their hair but these were fake rather than real flowers. The creation of Jac Ltd, they consister of silver lame and white satin lilies, white sheaves and London Pride. Their bouquets contained flowers including white orchids, lily of the valley and white roses and they were made by Moyses Stevens.

The pageboys

Embed from Getty Images  There were two pageboys, both cousins of the bride. Prince William of Gloucester, the elder son of the Duke of Gloucester, was approaching his sixth birthday when he took on the role of pageboy and train bearer. He was accompanied by Prince Michael of Kent who had just turned five. Big cousin Lillibet did what all relations should do to the cute kids they ask to be pageboy - she stuck them in outfits they clearly didn't want to wear. Enter young princes in frilly shirts and Royal Stewart tartan kilts. That's a bride on form.

The best man

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Forget all that talk about the Duke of Cambridge breaking with royal tradition and naming brother, Prince Harry, as his best man rather than supporter. The Duke of Edinburgh had a best man and he picked him in the way many a groom does, falling back on the help of an old friend who had already seen him through thick and thin. There was a family connection, too. David Mountbatten, Marquess of Milford Haven was also Philip's cousin and the two men attended Dartmouth Naval College together.  Embed from Getty ImagesSeventy years on, those bright and beautiful faces stare back at us from history but most of them are gone. Two had died before the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's Silver Wedding Anniversary. Best man David, Marquess of Milford Haven, died in 1970 at the age of just 50. Pageboy Prince William of Gloucester died in August 1972 in a plane crash. He was 30 years old. Bridesmaid Diana Bowes-Lyon died in 1986 aged 62 while Lady Mary Cambridge passed away in 1999 at the age of 75. The Queen lost her sister, Princess Margaret, in 2002. In 2004, Caroline Montagu Douglas Scott died aged 76. Last year, the Queen lost two of her bridesmaids with Margaret Rhodes passing away at the age of 91, Lady Elizabeth Lambart died at the end of 2016 aged 92.Just three of the wedding party remain. Princess Alexandra will be 81 on Christmas Day this year while her little brother, Prince Michael of Kent, turned 75 this summer. Pamela Mountbatten is the last of her glamourous family remaining. She was 88 earlier this year. The three may well be among those invited to celebrate the 70th wedding anniversary at Windsor today. After all, being part of a wedding party is a special honour and a bond that lasts forever.

Queen's 70th Wedding Anniversary: the Queen's wedding dress

Queen's 70th Wedding Anniversary: the Queen's wedding dress

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What happens when you put together ration books, a row about silk worms and a 15th century Italian masterpiece? Why, one of the most famous royal wedding dresses of all, that's what. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary today. Seven decades may have passed since the world first got a glimpse of that gown but it still retains its power to wow. On this special day, here's a look back at the Queen's wedding dress....


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It was, of course, designed by Norman Hartnell, the British couturier who has been mentioned so often in recent weeks he might just be the most talked about fashionista of 2017 despite passing away almost forty years ago. The Streatham boy made good was already a firm royal favourite when he got the commission everyone wanted in 1947 but if you think this frock was an easy win for him then think again.

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First of all, Hartnell had to submit several designs to the Palace for approval. We all know that brides, particularly royal brides, want a big say in how they look but despite all his confidence, his royal warrant and his reputation as one of the designers of the day, Hartnell had a queen consort, a queen dowager and a queen regnant in waiting all casting their eye over his ideas. The one the Royal Family picked was inspired by Boticelli's Primavera, the rebirth of spring. Remember, those great PR brains, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth, were involved in this. They knew how much this wedding meant to a country trying to get back on its feet after the long, hard years of war. Their bride, Princess Elizabeth, wasn't just to look regal. She was a symbol of hope and the frock had to fit.

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Having got that box ticked, Hartnell then had to make the dress and being as his royal clients only gave him the go ahead in August 1947 for the November 20th wedding, there was no time to lose. So far, so nerve wracking. But then the famous row broke out about where the silk had come from. Just two years after the end of World War Two there was much anxiety and a paper furore when it was suggested that the worms making the material might have links to Japan, an enemy in the conflict. A public announcement that Chinese silkworms based at Lullingstone Castle in Kent were busy doing whatever it is they need to do to make the fabric led to widespread relief. Meanwhile, the weavers at Winterthur Silks near Dunfermiline were turning it into the material that would shimmer into the Abbey.

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 As all that was going on, women around Britain were trying to do their bit to help the princess who had to contend with rationing. At the time, fabric was still limited and Elizabeth had to save up her coupons like everyone else. However, she received a flood of ration coupons to help her obtain the fabric she needed from generous women who wanted to help her look her best. The only problem was that giving someone your ration coupons was against the law. They all had to be returned to sender although the government intervened and gave the future queen a few extra clothing coupons to help make a fitting frock.

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She needed them. The gown itself featured a heart shaped neckline, fitted waist with a dropped V shape and panelled skirt. Attached to the shoulders was a fifteen foot court train made of tulle and embroidered with flowers. There was also a tulle veil. Hartnell had it decorated with crystals and 10,000 seed pearls which were imported from the USA.

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The result was kept under lock and key at his design studio until the day before the wedding when it was taken to Buckingham Palace. Rumour has it that Hartnell even had a member of staff sleep at his offices to stop anyone breaking in and getting so much as a glimpse of the design. It was worth the wait. The dress was an instant hit and credited with inspiring a change in bridal fashions. It was displayed around the UK and has been on exhibition several times since. The Queen has worn many outfits in her record breaking reign but her wedding dress remains one of the most special. As she celebrates her Platinum Wedding Anniversary, it still appears as magical as it did on November 20th 1947.

Queen's 70th Wedding Anniversary: the Queen as a bride

Queen's 70th Wedding Anniversary: the Queen as a bride

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All brides are beautiful but some linger in the memory forever. The Queen is in that category. OK, it helps that she's the Queen and millions watched her wedding while billions have no doubt seen the photos since. And we're all getting wedding excitement again as the Platinum anniversary of her marriage to the Duke of Edinburgh arrives this November 20th. So to celebrate that very special moment, here's a look back at the Queen as a bride.....

The Veil

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For simplicity's sake, let's start at the top and work our way down. The Queen's wedding veil was tulle and worn back from her face. It gave way to a fifteen foot court train, attached at the bride's shoulders, made from silk tulle and with embroidery including pearls and crystals.

The Tiara

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There was plenty of family and lots of drama about the tiara that the Queen wore to her wedding. The diamond fringe diadem was made for her granny, Queen Mary, and had started as a wedding present itself. When Mary married the future George V in 1893 she received a diamond necklace from her new hubby's granny - who just happened to be Queen Victoria. She later had Garrards turn that into the tiara. She passed the piece on to her own daughter-in-law, Elizabeth, when she became queen consort in 1936. The then Princess Elizabeth chose it for her wedding but may have had second thoughts after it famously broke on the morning of her marriage and had to be hastily repaired.

The Dress

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Created by Norman Hartnell, this is about as famous a royal wedding gown as you will find. It was made of ivory silk, spun by worms at Lullingstone Castle in Kent and woven by Winterthur in Dunfermline. Hartnell said he was inspired by the painting Primavera by Botticelli - the return of spring, rather apt for a gown worn by a future monarch marrying in front of a nation still recovering from the harsh times of war. The gown has full length sleeves, fitted bodice and heart shaped neckline. After the wedding it was displayed in cities across the UK.

Jewellery

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When you're a royal bride, you don't just stop at a tiara. Oh no. There are all kinds of expectations and family heirlooms to contend with and the Queen managed it all marvellously. We know she loves pearls and for her wedding she wore a double strand necklace with enough historical punch for three royal nuptials. One strand of the pearls is believed to have belonged to Queen Anne, the last Stuart monarch of Britain, while the other belonged to Caroline of Ansbach, consort to King George II. The pearls were passed down from Queen Victoria and given to Princess Elizabeth by her father on her wedding day. The earrings are made of pearls and diamonds and once belonged to George III's daughter, Mary, who ended up as Duchess of Edinburgh - the title waiting for the new royal bride after her marriage. Of course, Princess Elizabeth wore her diamond engagement ring, made by Antrobus using a stone from a tiara belonging to Prince Philip's mother, Alice. And she left the Abbey with perhaps her most precious piece of jewellery - a wedding ring fashioned from Welsh gold, continuing a tradition of the House of Windsor.

The Flowers

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The Queen carried a bouquet of white orchids, three varieties in total, all grown in the UK. Amongst those exotic blooms was a sprig of myrtle, continuing a tradition started by Queen Victoria who carried some in her own wedding bouquet who had received a cutting from Prince Albert's grandmother and planted it at Osborne House where it flourished. The bouquet, created by Martin Longman, went missing before the official photos were taken hence the bloomless bride in some of the snaps.

The Shoes

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How forties are these? The satin crossover sandals were made by Edward Rayne and if the rest of the  outfit is all about a future queen getting married, these are all about a young bride enjoying the biggest day of her life. The company originally made theatre shoes and went on to be a royal favourite with Margaret and Diana also using them.