WEDDING FLOWERS: British Royalty
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Showing posts with label British Royalty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label British Royalty. Show all posts

The brides who came across the sea to marry into Windsor

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After a frenzy of excitement about a possible royal engagement on Friday, it's back to the waiting game this weekend. Any upcoming royal nuptials are still top secret but that doesn't change the fact that just about all of us have decided Prince Harry is going to marry Meghan Markle. And if when he does, his bride will be joining a rather select club. For the House of Windsor has brought mostly homeborn brides into its ranks. Despite that, some of those saying 'I do' have travelled across seas to marry into Windsor and Meghan will (probably) be the latest with that claim. So as we keep on waiting (it really only heightens the excitement more), here's a look back at some of the brides from other lands who have wed a Windsor....



The Duchess of Windsor


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Bride Bessie Wallis Warfield Simpson

Born Pennsylvania, United States of America on June 19th 1896
 
Married Edward, Duke of Windsor, formerly King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, Emperor of India

When June 3rd 1937

Where Chateau de Cande, south of Tours in France

Before the wedding Twice married Mrs Simpson caused a sensation when news of her relationship with the then King Edward VIII broke. When her lover demanded she become his wife, the Abdication Crisis ensued and Edward gave up his throne to ensure their marriage in December 1936.

After the wedding Wallis became the Duchess of Windsor but was never given the HRH title both she and her husband wanted. The couple lived in exile for their whole married life. Edward died in Paris in 1972 and Wallis passed away in the same city in 1986.


Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent
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Bride Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark

Born Athens, Greece on December 13th 1906

Married George, Duke of Kent, fourth son of George V and Queen Mary

When November 29th 1934

Where Westminster Abbey, London

Before the marriage Marina's grandparents included King George I of Greece and Tsar Alexander II of Russia. Along with her parents, Prince Nichoas of Greece and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia, she was forced into exile. Marina was just 11 and she spent the rest of her youth in Paris before meeting the handsome if rather racy fourth son of George V and Queen Mary in London in 1932.

After the marriage Marina became HRH The Duchess of Kent and took on a wide range of engagements for her new royal household as well as filling her regal nursery with two sons and a daughter. Marina was widowed on August 25th 1942 when the Duke of Kent was killed in a plane accident while on active service with the RAF. She continued to be a high profile member of the House of Windsor and died on August 27th 1968 at Kensington Palace, London.



The Duchess of Gloucester
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Bride Birgitte Eva van Deurs, born Birgitte Eva Henrikson
  
Born Odense, Denmark on June 20th 1946

Married Prince Richard of Gloucester, second son of Henry, Duke of Gloucester and a grandson of King Georeg V and Queen Mary

When July 8th 1972

Where St Andrew's Church, Barnwell, Northamptonshire

Before the marriage Birgitte van Deurs met Richard of Gloucester at Cambridge in the 1960s when they were both students there. She worked at the Danish Embassy in London in the years before her marriage.

After the marriage Six weeks after their wedding, Richard and Birgitte's lives changed forever when the groom's older brother, William, was killed in a plane accident. Richard was now heir to the Dukedom of Gloucester and inherited when his father, Henry, died in 1974. The new Duke and Duchess of Gloucester quickly took on a wide range of royal engagements as well as building a family of two daughters and a son. They continue to be active working royals today.


Princess Michael of Kent



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Bride Princess Michael of Kent
  
Born January 15th 1945, Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic (then called Carlsbad and part of the Sudetenland)

Married Prince Michael of Kent, grandson of King George V and Queen Mary

When June 30th 1978

Where Vienna, Austria

Before the wedding Marie Christine von Reibnitz was a rather controversial royal bride. She was divorced when she wed Prince Michael and for that reason their marriage took place overseas. Marie Christine had lived part of her early life in Australia following her own parents' divorce. She married Thomas Troubridge in London in 1971 but they separated in 1973 and were divorced in 1977. The marriage was annulled by the Pope in 1978.

After the wedding The couple set home in England and have carried out public engagements since. Marie Christine is also an author and has an interest in conservation work. Prince and Princess Michael of Kent have a son and daughter and two granddaughters.


The Countess of Snowdon



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Bride Serena Alleyne Stanhope

Born County Limerick, Republic of Ireland on March 1st 1970

Married David, Viscount Linley, only son of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, Earl of Snowdon and grandson of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother

When October 8th 1993

Where St. Margaret's Church, Westminster

Before the wedding Serena Stanhope is the daughter of the Earl of Harrington and spent the early part of her life in Ireland.

After the wedding David and Serena have two children together, Charles and Margarita. They became Earl and Countess of Snowdon in January 2017 on the death of Antony, Earl of Snowdon.


Mrs. Peter Phillips



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Bride Autumn Patricia Kelly

Born Montreal, Quebec, Canada on May 3rd 1978

Married Peter Phillips, only son of Princess Anne, the Princess Royal and her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips, and eldest grandson of Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh

When May 17th 2008

Where St. George's Chapel, Windsor

Before the wedding Autumn Kelly grew up in Canada and went on to work as a model and actress before getting a job with a technology firm in England. Before then she had already met Peter Phillips, eldest grandchild of the Queen and Prince Philip. Ahead of her marriage, Autumn converted from Catholicism to Anglicanism - without that decision, the couple's children would not have been eligible to succeed to the throne.

After the wedding The first of the Queen's grandchildren to marry, Peter Phillips attracted controversy when he and his new bride agreed a deal with Hello magazine for some of their wedding photos. Following their marriage, the couple lived briefly in Hong Kong before settling again in England. Autumn is the mother of the Queen's eldest great grandchild, Savannah Phillips, who was born in December 2010. She and her husband welcomed a second daughter, Isla, in March 2012.

Photo credit: Wiki Commons

Kate, the bump and another new dress: back to royal normality

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After a frenzied 24 hours in which speculation was ramped up over just about every royal scenario you can imagine, we end in a rather normal situation. The regal week comes to an end with an appearance from the Duchess of Cambridge and a return to the far less fevered world of bump spotting, gender guessing and new evening gowns. Welcome to royal reality.


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At one point today, whispers about a potential royal engagement being announced were so loud you couldn't shut them out if you tried. Reports in the Evening Standard that the BBC was on stand by for a major royal story on November 24th combined with bookies stopping taking bets on a betrothal between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Thursday led to orders for souvenir tea towels being finalised across the land. Make that world. No matter. The crucial moment that is 11am on the nose when royal engagements are made public came and went without so much as a hint of a diamond.


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Never worry, in the absence of a royal wedding let's get back to royal baby number three. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were always scheduled to attend the Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium so Harry doing the marry thing would always have been slightly awkward as it would have led to photos of the future king attending a royal staple being bounced by his brother.

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William and Kate arrived for a slightly delayed performance - the Palladium in Argyll Street in central London was briefly out of bounds after the Metropolitan Police responded to reports of gunshots being fired around nearby Oxford Circus. The Met later confirmed they had found no trace of ''any suspects, evidence of shots fired, or casualties''.




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The royal guests are following a very regal tradition. The Royal Variety Performance began in 1912 when King George V and Queen Mary attended the Royal Command Performance. The king had said he would attend an event provided all the proceeds went to the Variety Artistes' Benevolent Fund. Now well over 100 years old, the show is run by the Royal Variety Charity of which the Queen is patron. It will raise money that will help hundreds of entertainers throughout the UK in need of support.



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It really was back down to earth. This event is a regular in the royal calendar and really marks the final regal turn towards Christmas. It's attended by different members of the Royal Family every year and this was the Cambridges' second appearance at the event  - the first was in 2014. So after hours of wondering which big royal story was next, it all ended very predictably. A royal staple, Kate in Jenny Packham (new, too) and lots of photos of her bump which is truly making its presence felt. The speculation was left to whether Baby Cambridge Number Three is a boy or girl (she's in baby blue and that bump is all out front right now so let's go with boy for the next hour or so) and everyone in Kensington Palace can settle down to a proper giggle about how excited everyone got about something that didn't happen at all. This is the royal reality. As you were - until Monday, at least.

Photo Kensington Royal Twitter.

Harry and Meghan: how we knew it was love

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Is today the day? Engagement speculation is so high for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle that many a royal watcher has cancelled plans until at least 11am just in case Prince Charles has a small announcement to make. The bookies have stopped taking bets, the BBC has apparently lined up enough royal experts to sink a small punt and the bunting is being freshened up and pressed as we speak. There aren't really any clues to look for other than that royal press release. So as we wait and wonder, here's a look back to the hints Harry and Meghan gave us about their royal romance which began in the summer of 2016 and is making its way to the altar as we speak. This is how we knew it was love....



A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on

Social media has played a big part in the unfolding royal romance of Harry and Meghan and the way it's been told. William and Kate saw their betrothal pinged across Twitter as Clarence House set up its account the day before their big anno but Hazza and Megs have seen every stage of their relationship shared on social media. Meghan dropped a pretty big clue back in October 2016 when she posted a photo of herself at Soho House wearing a bracelet which turned out to match one that Harry had been spotted wearing too. Clue number one was out there.....

A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on

Just before Prince Harry issued a statement confirming their relationship, we got another huge great big hint from Meghan on her Instagram. At the start of November 2016, she shared a photo of a teapot and lots of people got very exicted indeed. It is a very lovely teapot, that's true, but the fact it was shaped as an elephant was seen as a nod to Harry's conservation work (he's taken part in projects to help preserve populations). And drinking tea is about as British as it gets. Meghan made her mark with this one.



Several days later came the news that the couple were a pair. Harry issued an unprecedented statement calling for the media to leave Meghan alone. He called her his girlfriend and criticised those who had levelled abusive comments at her. It was a declaration of love that set everyone talking.


Meghan then went on to post a pictre of two banans spooning with a message ''Sleep tight''. Quite possibly the most modern confirmation of a royal romance ever. What's not to love?


 
A post shared by Meghan Markle (@meghanmarkle) on

Megs clearly likes love and food to go together because this appeared on her Instagram around the time we all knew about her royal romance. Let's face it, there can only be one recipient for this herby hand out of hearts and that's Harry. Since then we've seen the couple out together informally, kissing at a polo match and then making their first offical appearance together at the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games. Meghan also gave an interview to Vanity Fair confirming the couple were in love. But while we all wait for the official announcement, let's just take a moment to remember how sweet it really was to see this royal romance unfold. All those cryptic pictures that made it clear it really was love.

Photo credit: BBC Still

Royal Wedding Rumours: is Harry about to marry Meghan

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Stand by, this is your royal engagement warning. Social media is abuzz, and I mean ayyyy-buzzzzzzzz, about Harry and Meghan showing off the sparkler soon. As in tomorrow. As in less than 24 hours away. And there are some reasons why this really might be it. Stand by for the latest royal wedding rumours, quite possibly the last instalment before we turn into Royal Wedding Countdown....




You want to know something is about to happen? Check the bookies. They have stopped taking bets now on whether Harry and Meghan will get married next year, rumours are so fierce. Just about every paper is reporting tonight that some bookies have closed their books on the wedding happening. The Evening Standard also reported that an engagement might be ''just hours away'' ....






It's Londoner's Diary column whispered that the BBC is clearing the decks for a major royal story on Friday 24th November. And LaineyGossip reported that along with other media outlets in the States, they had received an epic amount of requests about availability for comments on a royal story for this Friday.  In other news, we know that Meghan has quit Suits and earlier this week her body double in the show posted a photo of the two with a message wishing her well in her new life.





The duchess in waiting, sorry, lady in question was giving nothing away as she stepped out in London. Yes, Meghan is here. She apparently landed on Saturday but was first seen on Monday. She also had a facial which could possibly be a perfectly timed piece of preparation for an engagement photocall...or a way to recover after a hectic few days whcih has seen you quit your job, move home and take a transatlantic flight. Time will tell....

Photo: Invictus Twitter.

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

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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

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 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. 
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Seventy 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.

Remembering the happy tears of Jana Novotna and a duchess

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Jana Novotna, Tennis Player, Wimbledon Champion 1998
1968 - 2017

It was the ultimate tennis fairytale and the happy tears shared with a royal friend that we all wanted to see. When Jana Novotna won Wimbledon in 1998, it was the joyful ending to a sporting story with a duchess at its heart. As we mourn the passing of a tennis great, let's remember those happy tears.


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Jana Novotna's win at Wimbledon was one of the all time great moments on that famous Centre Court. Just five years earlier, she had broken down at the same spot after losing the 1993 Women's Singles Final to Steffi Graf after taking a seemingly unassailable lead. She couldn't hold back her tears and the Duchess of Kent, who at that time always presented the trophies on the final Saturday, threw an arm round her and let her weep on her shoulder. It was a moving sight and one that went down in sporting legend. The duchess told Novotna that she would win it. When she lost again in 1997, to Martina Hingis, there were no tears but more advice from the duchess who this time said another final appearance would be ''third time lucky''.  And she was right.

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 In 1998 her moment came. She beat Natalie Tauziat of France to claim the trophy she wanted more than any other while millions got to see the fairytale ending they had dreamed of ever since the tears of 1993. She walked forward to accept the famous Venus Rosewater Dish from the Duchess of Kent and this time the tears were of pure joy.



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Jana Novotna died on November 19th 2017 at the age of 49 from cancer. The Chief Executive of the WTA, Steve Simon, described her as ''an inspiration both on and off court to anyone who had the opportunity to know her....her star will always shine brightly in the history of the WTA''. The magic that she brought, both on and off court, will always be remembered at Wimbledon where her love of the game and her passion for the tournament produced tears, both sad and happy, that turned into a royal legend.

Photo credit: WTA Twitter

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

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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.

Royal Platinum Wedding: Congratulations to the Queen and Prince Philip on 70 Years of Marriage

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''In all essentials, exactly the same as it would have been for any cottager who might be married this afternoon''.. That's what the Archbishop of York said to Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten about their marriage as they wed on November 20th 1947 at Westminster Abbey. Plenty raised an eyebrow at that sentiment then and since. But in many ways, Cyril Garbet was right. For any marriage will always come down to the two people who enter into it. It might start in splendour but it relies on the hard work and unending hope of those saying 'I do' if it is to continue in glory. The Queen and Prince Philip, seven decades on, have proved that love really does conquer all.



Today, Elizabeth II, the longest reigning monarch in British history, and Prince Philip, the longest serving consort, will celebrate and be celebrated for what is a pretty phenomenal achievement. Few couples get to the milestone that is 70 years of marriage. Yes, good health and good care have helped a lot but so has this couple's determination to make their marriage work. They are clearly just as happy in one another's company as they were on that cold November day when they became husband and wife. Their affection for one another and rock solid bond is a huge part of the modern Monarchy's success. It has been a constant in the evolution of the House of Windsor and a solid foundation that has kept it stable even when crises began to threaten it.




Royal marriages don't have to succeed. It's perhaps the greatest irony of Elizabeth and Philip's long and successful marriage that their children have, sometimes, struggled so hard to find matrimonial happiness themselves. There is an assumption that once a monarch or sovereign in waiting has said 'I do' they are bound to their spouse for all time. We know that isn't true, Regal marriages fall apart. For one to succeed in the way that this one has is a true achievement.


The marriage that began on November 20th 1947 has allowed both partners to follow the paths they believe to be right. The Queen has made no secret of the support she takes from her husband, calling him famously ''quite simply my strength and my stay all these years''. Philip, in turn, has been a perfect consort, always one step behind but with enough ideas and energy to make a difference in the areas that matter. Elizabeth and Philip haven't just smiled and waved all these years. The Duke of Edinburgh has become renowned for work that has supported young people, helped the environment and promoted arts and culture. The Queen has transformed herself from an unexpected heiress to the very model of a modern monarch. Neither could have been what they are without the other.


Their marriage also clearly brings them great personal joy. The delight they take in each other, the pride they feel for one another is clear for all to see. Despite their sometimes frosty reputations, they also clearly adore their children, grand children and great grandchildren. They have shaped a royal family for the 21st century and continue to be its mainstay even now.



Their marriage has clearly brought joy to them and to those that they love. It has provided inspiration to many who only watch from afar. And, despite being a dynastic necessity and a public property in some ways, it is still clearly first and foremost the promise made between two people in Westminster Abbey all those years ago. Cottagers is a word from another time. The world has moved on - it is bound to, seven decades have passed. But the reality of life remains the same. Like every other couple marrying that day they have faced joy and sadness and learned to support one another through it all. For marriage is growing comfortable with one another, learning to walk away from the annoyances, loving when it is the hardest thing to do.  The Archbishop of York was right about this one and the couple he said it to have shown that and then some. Congratulations to them, now and always. Their marriage is a celebration we should all treasure. 

Photo credit: Royal Family Twitter and Matt Holyoak/ Camera Press.

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