Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones: 19 June 1999

[Claire]

I have actually asked the royal collection to display Sophie's dress - a while back now. The dress we saw or see in the pics is mostly of the dress coat . There was a lot of detail to the dress, that is difficult to make out on the pics.
I even took a look at the dress at Madam Tussauds, when they were there and the whole dress wasn't redone, just the dress coat with minimum detail.

 

[Claire]

There were pictures of the wedding... and the tiara etc... I dont remember much about the wedding as it wasn't all that big a thing, due to being at Windsor and consciously being a smaller affair than other royal weddings.

lol - I wonder how small it would have been if Windsor (the town) hadn't asked for it to be bigger and the BBC hadn't asked for it to be televised.

I have often wondered if the tiara wasn't an afterthought - I wonder if Sophie didn't want one at all?

 

[Denville]

lol - I wonder how small it would have been if Windsor (the town) hadn't asked for it to be bigger and the BBC hadn't asked for it to be televised.

I have often wondered if the tiara wasn't an afterthought - I wonder if Sophie didn't want one at all?

I dont imagine that the BBC had to ask for it to be televised. It was the wedding of the queen's youngest son, and was still of importance in that sense so I am sure it was always meant to be televised on the BBC
.I dont know that Windsor asked for it to be bigger, How do you mean "Windsor"? The local council? A deputation from the public? It wasn't up to them.. and while royal weddings do bring in business, they also cause disruption to the public, need for extra police etc.
Im sure that it was expected that Sophie would wear a tiara...

 

[Claire]

Nope - The TV request actually came after the Windsor community's request was approved.
I presume the Windsor Community wanted a tourism boost. There was concern that a crowd would gather regardless of it been a private wedding as well. They made the request which was reviewed and accepted, but only after the wedding venue was confirmed. That was already May I think.
It was only confirmed that the wedding would be televised a month before so May as well. Additional planning and such suddenly had to happen, so people in Windsor remember it.
Actually the interest in the wedding surprised the palace and Edward and Sophie.

 

[Denville]

I didn't pay much attention at the time as I'm not a fan.,.I don't think there was nearly as much interest as there had been in the earlier weddings and that's why it was in Windsor rather than London.. People felt that they had paid out for big weddings for Andrew Charles and Anne and they had all ended up divorced...
Still as the queen's third son, I expected that the wedding would be on TV..
and not a private wedding like Zara Phillipses for example...
I just thoguht at the time that as there wasn't as much interest and people were rather disillusioned wit the RF it was likley to be on a much smaller scale...

 

[Claire]

Yes - after Diana and the cost and the problems of the monarchy of the 1990's in general. There is generally no interest in Edward. He is hated by the press and that hasn't really changed over the years. As they were not working royals at the time - I don't think people would have worried if it remained a family wedding which is what was wanted. But as there was suddenly interest, I think the palace convinced them to up the scale a bit.
They were an older couple then the other weddings and that it didn't really capture the public imagination. I remember one broadcaster referring to it was the wedding of Baldly and Blondie and that was on air.

 

[Denville]

Yes - after Diana and the cost and the problems of the monarchy of the 1990's in general. There is generally no interest in Edward. He is hated by the press and that hasn't really changed over the years. As they were not working royals at the time - I don't think people would have worried if it remained a family wedding which is what was wanted. But as there was suddenly interest, I think the palace convinced them to up the scale a bit.
They were an older couple then the other weddings and that it didn't really capture the public imagination. I remember one broadcaster referring to it was the wedding of Baldly and Blondie and that was on air.

he's not HATED by the press. He's not all that popular but he has so often acted like an idiot, (and so has Sophie) that even several years of working as a royal hasn't made him that much better liked. and I doubt if the RF really needed persuasion to have a public wedding. I'm sure they were concerned that there was so little interest and wanted a public wedding, albeit they were careful to tailor it as a quiet modest wedding by royal standards. They can't afford to lose public interest...

 

[MsJulie]

Well, I don’t hate Sophie and Edward...never even thought of disliking them. In there own way and The Queens way, they support the Queen. I like them.

 

[EllieCat]

Still as the queen's third son, I expected that the wedding would be on TV..

I saw it on TV at the time it was happening, in New Zealand. It was on (as I recall) in the middle of the night on the BBC news channel.

Now anyone can watch it any where any time on youtube.

 

[AC21091968]

The outfits for the page boys and bridesmaids looks quite Medieval. I actually quite like it.
https://ta-images.condecdn.net/image/Zy7Y0X7eVvw/crop/1020/f/gettyimages-52114771.jpg

Compare to other royal weddings, the guest outfits looked less over-the-top and more minimalistic. But then Edward & Sophie's wedding was in the afternoon and required guest to wear formal evening gowns.
https://www.tatler.com/gallery/prince-edward-sophie-countess-of-wessex-wedding-day-gallery-1999

 

[Somebody]

The outfits for the page boys and bridesmaids looks quite Medieval. I actually quite like it.
https://ta-images.condecdn.net/image/Zy7Y0X7eVvw/crop/1020/f/gettyimages-52114771.jpg

I really liked the outfit of the page boys; it didn't work as well for the flower girls.

 

[Denville]

Well, I don’t hate Sophie and Edward...never even thought of disliking them. In there own way and The Queens way, they support the Queen. I like them.

I've never been a fan, but the Press have been cool on Edward because he has acted like an idiot at times... esp over his Its a Knockout Event.
But they've done ok since they became full time royals...
I dont beleive the press or anyone ever hated them...

 

[Blog Real]

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