Prince Juan Carlos of Spain & Princess Sofia of Greece 1962

[ZUBIAUR]

She looks beautiful in this last photo.

[emmeleia]

the couple posing with the officiating clergy
ANP Beeldbank

an earlier photo from the engagement
ANP Beeldbank

[emmeleia]

the couple among the guests

http://www.papermag.com/blogs/juan%2...%20wedding.jpg

[maria-olivia]

Do you know the royals on the row before them?
Partly hidden Princess Olga of Yougoslavia , her sister Princess Marina of Kent, daughters of Prince Nicolas of Greece , Princess George of Greece born Marie Bonaparte with the star-tiara, Princess Irene of Aosta and he sister Katharina both sisters of King Paul Ier of Greece.

[snowflower]

Their wedding was indeed very beautiful. Unfortunately behind all the beauty there were incidents not so beautiful. You see when Sofia and Juan Carlos were betrothed the families agreed that a dowry was to be given to sofia. Instead of the King paying it, Q Frederica pressed the government to have them pay the nation. A special fee was established for " the provision of princess Sofia's dowry" and when the people learned about it they became furious. The students especially when they got into demnostrations were shouting as a slogan " give the dowry to education and not to Sofia". It was quite a costly marriage for Greece's standars, but I guess you can't cut the budget when you invite half the Gotha to your daughter's marriage

[captainmooreway]

Originally Posted by Katrianna

Thanks for the pictures Marengo! I had seen them on GREMB, but not as enlarged. Sofia was truly a beautiful bride and the other royal bride that I think was most beautiful was Sofia's sister-in-law, Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark.

I must say i agree with you anne-marie was a stunning bride. Her dress too was quite simple and very pretty! as was her long veil.

[Lady Felicity M]

How old was Sofia

[Paty]

Originally Posted by Lady Felicity M

How old was Sofia

She was 24 years old

[christinacg]

I need guest ID help. At GREMB, someone posted this picture from their pre-wedding ball
Glittering Royal Events Message Board: Death of Princess Tereza of Brazil
I've seen it before and its been said that the two lovely ladies on the left were princesses of Bavaria. Supposedly one was named Maria Christina of Bavaria. But I can't find any proof that she ever existed. Anyone know about this?

[snowflower]

I wonder why none of the Spanish ladies in the wedding wore mantillas - not even the Countess of Barcelona. It would be fitting since the groom was supposed to be the next King of Spain to follow a Spanish tradition eve if the weddin was in Greece IMO

[IloveCP]

I loved her dress.It's very underrated.

[jonc93]

Originally Posted by IloveCP

I loved her dress.It's very underrated.

I have to agree of all the current Queens, Sofia surely had the most beautiful, IMO, wedding dress.

[Rascal]

ITA, jonc93. Of the 60's brides, while most of them were beautiful and appropriate, Sofia just stood out. Some were too similar to others (Margrethe II, Beatrix, Sonja, Marie of Liechtenstein), some were too much lace (Paola), but I think Sofia got it just right. A great transition from the 50's style to the 60's without being "mod", traditional without being dated, and different from other large-skirted gowns (like Princess Margaret Rose) with the long sleeves and BIG HAIR and BIG TIARA that just made it over the top and just too much. Princess Margaret Rose's gown or Queen Fabiola's are mentioned most often as "the" iconic royal wedding gown of 60s, but I believe this one stands the test of time from that era better than any other.

[PrincessApple]

Although not a personal favorite, I agree that this is another underrated wedding dress, and certainly unique (for its era of royal weddings). Does anyone have pictures that show the details of the dress well/clearly? I have never seen any that do it justice.

[AnaC]

Originally Posted by Zonk

OMG...I didn't realize that Princess Alexandra of Kent was a bridesmaid! Who else was in the bridal party?

From the opening post of the thread

"Four cars transported the maids of honor: Irene of Greece, Irene of The Netherlands, Alexandra of Kent, Benedikte and Anne-Marie of Denmark, Anne of France, Pilar of Spain and Princess Tatiana Radziwill. The best men chosen by the couple were Prince Michael of Greece, the Duke of Aosta, don Alfonso de Bourbon and Infante Alfonso of Orleans.
"

[XeniaCasaraghi]

This is a wedding gown I have never seen before; it really is a pretty dress despite the fact that I can't see much details. If she got married in the 60's I would put her dress in the top 3, behind Margaret and Margrethe.

[IloveCP]

The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor: Wedding Wednesday: Queen Sofia's Gown

Like I said before, I think this dress is underrated. I think the details are exquisite. I think this is a timeless, beautiful gown that I personally would wear.

[PrincessApple]

I share your thought that this is one of the most underrated royal wedding gowns; it is not a favorite, but one that I really appreciate!

This was a wedding dress fit for a born-princess - who would one day become queen - with its luxurious fabric and exquisite lace and fine craftsmanship. It was clearly a gown of its time, yet had an historic flair to it.

The designer struck a perfect harmony between grandeur (opulence of materials, abundance of lace) and restraint (simplicity of the streamlined/tailored silhouette, controlled volume) - the dress stopped just short of being overwhelming and too much. It is timeless, classic, elegant, regal and feminine. The fit, the construction, the bodice, the neckline, the silhouette were all lovely. And the beautiful lace was clearly visible.

For me, the greatest flaw in the dress was its two trains. While I favor a long train on a royal wedding gown, two substantial trains is unnecessary and excessive. I personally think the undertrain of the dress was all that it required. But, perhaps, she wanted to not only protect the veil but to also display it--in which case, I think the watteau train should have been shorter and the undertrain not included.

I have mixed feelings about the veil. On one hand I feel that it overwhelmed the bride and almost pushes the dress into the 'too much' lace category (like Tatiana of Greece). On the other hand it somehow worked well with the dress (like Alexandra of Kent). I think the problem lies in the positioning of the veil--if it were placed further back it would have looked fine (like Margrethe of Denmark). Or, perhaps a less substantial lace veil would have looked better (like Marie of Denmark, who perfected the lacey look - at least I think so!).

I think that the tiara was too small...it simply disappeared! A more complicated tiara would have probably been too much with the dress, but a softer and more substantial tiara would have, I think, been a better match.

It is a shame that there are not higher quality photos available. As I think this gown would be stunning in real life - something of a work of art!

[An Ard Ri]

Originally Posted by IloveCP

The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor: Wedding Wednesday: Queen Sofia's Gown

Like I said before, I think this dress is underrated. I think the details are exquisite. I think this is a timeless, beautiful gown that I personally would wear.

I agree with you,Sofia looked beautiful!

[Artemisia]

Queen Sofia's gown has always been one of my favourites.
It has a very simple silhouette with exquisite details - perfect for a Princess.