June 2005 Newsletter: The Princess Brides

[Alexandria]

Prince Bertil of Sweden & Lilian Davies
December 7, 1976, Palace Church of Drottningholm Palace, Sweden

The Dress: A silvery-blue satin full-length structured coat dress with bell sleeves. A matching hat completed the outfit.

The Bouquet: Lilies of the valley in an overflowing bouquet.

Memorable Detail: The long-awaited marriage of Prince Bertil and his World War II sweetheart Lilian Davies was put off originally due to political reasons and strict rules related to the monarchy. When the monarchy was deemed secure with King Carl Gustaf XVI married and Queen Silvia pregnant, Prince Bertil's nephew approved of Prince Bertil's marriage to the Welsh-born bride.

[Alexandria]

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark & Princess Ingrid of Sweden
May 24, 1935, Storkyrkan, Stockholm

The Dress: A floor-length, unstructured satin gown that fell in gentle layers with a high round neckline.

The Veil: An Irish lace veil that was originally a gift to Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden in 1905 that was passed down to her daughter, Princess Ingrid. The veil would later be worn by all the Danish-descended brides of the royal family, including Queen Margrethe II, Princess Benedikte, Queen Anne Marie, Princesses Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg , Alexia and Crown Princess Mary.

The Bouquet: A long-stemmed bouquet of assorted flowers cradled in the bride's arms, tied with thick, long flowing ribbons.

Memorable Detail: Two days after their Stockholm wedding, the bride and groom travelled to the Danish capital of Copenhagen via the royal yacht, the Dannebrog. Her new father-in-law, King Christian X, was the first person to greet the new bride upon her arrival in Denmark as thousands of Danes lined the streets all the way to Amalienborg Palace to gree the future King and Queen of Denmark.

[Alexandria]

Princess Margrethe of Denmark & Henri de Laborde de Montpezat
June 10, 1967, Holmens Kirke, Copenhagen

The Dress: Designed by Jørgen Bender, the Danish Princess’ full-length wedding gown was made of silk and lace with wrist-length sleeves, a low square neckline and fitted waist. The front of the dress was made of lace, with the silk meeting at the sides forming two seems. The flared skirt ended in a short train. A six-plus meter-long train made of silk and squared off at the end was attached at the shoulders. The bride also wore a large daisy --the bride's nickname -- brooch, a wedding gift from her mother.

The Diademe: The tiara was a gift trom the Khedive of Egypt to the grandchild of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, Princess Margaret of Connaught, mother of Queen Ingrid. Princess Margaret recieved this gift upon her wedding to Gustaf Adolf, later the King of Sweden. The Khedive bestowed the gift because the couple became engaged in Egypt. Queen Ingrid, the bride's mother, inherited the tiara from her mother and she wore it regularly.

The Veil: An Irish lace veil that has been worn by all of the Danish-descended brides of the royal family since 1905. Originally a gift to Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, it was eventually passed down to her daughter, Princess Ingrid, upon her 1935 marriage to the future King of Denmark.

The Bouquet: A bouquet of daisies, her namesake.

Memorable Detail: Comte Henri de Laborde de Montpezat took the name of Prince Henrik upon his marriage to Princess Margrethe, making his name more Danish.

TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...hp?t=726&page=1

--Information provided by Mandy

[Alexandria]

Prince Joachim of Denmark & Alexandra Manley
November 18, 1995, Chapel of Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød, Copenhagen

The Dress: Designed by Jørgen Bender, Alexandra’s full length gown was made of white winter Italian silk. It had full length sleeves, a high waistband and it opened front and back to reveal a silk underskirt. The dress was finished with 8,000 pearls, hand-sewn onto the edgings and cuffs. A four-meter long train completed the dress.

The Diademe: The Diamond Drop Tiara, which was a wedding gift from Queen Margrethe to her new daughter-in-law. The tiara originally belonged to Queen Alexandrine, who received this tiara as an 18th birthday present from her parents. After her death, the tiara went to King Frederik IX and given to the then Princess Margrethe, also as an 18th birthday present.

The Bouquet: The bouquet was made up of jasmine, roses, lillies and bauhenia, Hong Kong's official flower, a homage to the bride's place of birth. It also contained leaves from the lime trees at Schackenborg (the couple's new home), myrtle from Queen Margrethe II and rosemary from Queen Ingrid (Queen Mother).

TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...thread.php?t=53

--Information courtesy of Mandy

[Alexandria]

Crown Prince Frederik & Mary Donaldson
May 14, 2004, Copenhagen Cathedral, Denmark

The Dress: Designed by Uffe Frank, and incorporating lace that was almost 100 years old, which originated from nuns in Connaught, Ireland. Ten long panels of white duchess satin formed the skirt of the dress, with 31 metres of tulle finished with 100 metres of French chantilly lace used to hold the skirt’s form at the back, and cala sleeves folded around the arm.

The Veil: An Irish lace veil that has been worn by all the Danish-descended brides of the royal family since 1905. Originally a gift to Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, it was eventually passed down to her daughter, Princess Ingrid, upon her 1935 marriage to the future King of Denmark. The veil has been worn by the groom’s mother, Queen Margrethe II, as well as his aunts, Princess Benedikte and Queen Anne-Marie, and his cousins, Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Princess Alexia.


The Bouquet: The bride’s native homeland of Australia was honoured in her bouquet, with Australian eucalyptus woven into the rest of the bouquet, which included, azaleas from Fredensborg Palace, antique roses, gloriosa lilies, and sweet peas.

The Pageboys: The groom’s nephew, 4-year-old Prince Nikolai and the son of his cousin Princess Alexandra, 4-year-old Count Jefferson von Pfeil wore suits with buttons similar to those of the Danish naval uniforms. Silver cufflinks given to the boys by the bridal couple had the couple’s monogram engraved into it.

Memorable Details: The bride carried a handkerchief specially-made for her on this occasion by lace-making teacher Astrid Hansen in a pattern known as “The Great Heart of Denmark.” Work on the handkerchief started on the day of the announcement, October 8, 2004 and six hours a day until Easter Monday 2005, when the handkerchief was completed.

[Alexandria]

Princess Benedikte of Denmark & Prince Richard Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
February 3, 1968, Chapel of Fredensborg Palace, Copenhagen

The Dress: Designed by Jørgen Bender, Princess Benedikte’s gown was made of white silk with wrist length sleeves and high neckline. The A-line dress flared slightly from the waist with two bows at the waist line. A silk train was attached at the shoulders.

The Diademe: The tiara was a gift trom the Khedive of Egypt to the grandchild of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, Princess Margaret of Connaught, mother of Queen Ingrid. Princess Margaret recieved this gift upon her wedding to Gustaf Adolf, later the King of Sweden. The Khedive bestowed the gift because the couple became engaged in Egypt. Queen Ingrid, the bride's mother, inherited the tiara from her mother and she wore it regularly.

The Veil: An Irish lace veil that has been worn by all of the Danish-descended brides of the royal family since 1905. Originally a gift to Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, it was eventually passed down to her daughter, Princess Ingrid, upon her 1935 marriage to the future King of Denmark.

TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...read.php?t=2341

--Information provided by Mandy

[Alexandria]

Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg & Count Jefferson Friedrich Greve von Pfeil
June 6, 1998


The Dress: Silk gown with double-bell skirt and double-bell sleeves. A swirl motif was embroidered on the top, shorter layer of the sleeves and the skirt.

The Diademe: The tiara was a gift trom the Khedive of Egypt to the grandchild of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, Princess Margaret of Connaught, mother of Queen Ingrid. Princess Margaret recieved this gift upon her wedding to Gustaf Adolf, later the King of Sweden. The Khedive bestowed the gift because the couple became engaged in Egypt. Queen Ingrid, the bride's grandmother, inherited the tiara from her mother and she wore it regularly.

The Veil: An Irish lace veil that has been worn by all the Danish-descended brides of the royal family since 1905. Originally a gift to Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, it was eventually passed down to her daughter, Princess Ingrid, upon her 1935 marriage to the future King of Denmark. The veil has been worn by her mother, Princess Benedikte, as well as her aunts, Queen Margrethe II and Queen Anne-Marie.

The Bouquet: Peach and champagne roses with lilies of the valley.


TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...read.php?t=5573

--Information courtesy of Mandy

[Alexandria]

King Constantine of Greece & Princess Anne Marie of Denmark
September 18, 1964, Athens

The Dress: Danish designer Holgar Blom created a high-waisted, boat neckline white silk gown for the young bride. Panels of lace hung from the ribboned waist.

The Veil: An Irish lace veil that has been worn by all the Danish-descended brides of the royal family since 1905. Originally a gift to Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, it was eventually passed down to her daughter, Princess Ingrid, upon her 1935 marriage to the future King of Denmark. The veil has been worn by the bride’s sisters Queen Margrethe II and Princess Benedikte, as well as her daughter Princess Alexia and her niece, Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.

The Diademe:This tiara was a gift trom the Khedive of Egypt to the grandchild of Queen Victoria of Great-Britain, princess Margaret of Connaught, mother of Queen Ingrid. Princess Margaret recieved this gift because upon her wedding to Gustaf Adolf, later the King of Sweden. The Khedive gave this jewel because the Couple became engaged in Egypt. Queen Ingrid inherited the tiara from her mother and she wore it regularly. This tiara had been used for the weddings of all her daughters: Princess Anne Marie (1964), Princess Margrethe (1967) and Princess Benedikte (1968). Her granddaughters also wore it, including Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Princess Alexia.

The Bouquet: A semi-cascading bouquet of lilies of the valley.

TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...read.php?t=4560

[Alexandria]

Princess Alexia of Greece & Carlos Morales
July 9, 1999, Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sophia, London


The Dress: Designed by by Inge Sprawson, Princess Alexia’s gown was made of heavy off-white satin with a V-neckline, long sleeves with embroidered and beaded buttons at the wrists and a train attached at the waist.

The Diademe: The tiara was a gift trom the Khedive of Egypt to the grandchild of Queen Victoria of Great Britain, Princess Margaret of Connaught, mother of Queen Ingrid. Princess Margaret recieved this gift upon her wedding to Gustaf Adolf, later the King of Sweden. The Khedive bestowed the gift because the couple became engaged in Egypt. Queen Ingrid, the bride's grandmother, inherited the tiara from her mother and she wore it regularly. Princess Alexia's mother wore it at her 1964 wedding. Upon Queen Ingrid's passing, it is believed that Queen Anne Marie has inherited the tiara.

The Veil: An Irish lace veil that has been worn by all the Danish-descended brides of the royal family since 1905. Originally a gift to Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, it was eventually passed down to her daughter, Princess Ingrid, upon her 1935 marriage to the future King of Denmark. The veil has been worn by her mother, Queen Anne-Marie as well as her aunts, Princess (later Queen) Margrethe, Princess Benedikte and her cousin Princess Alexandra Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg in 1998.

The Bouquet: White lilies, lilies of the valley, myrtle taken from a plant started by Queen Ingrid, and olive leaves flown in from Tatoi, Greece, the royal family's former home.

The Attendants: Princess Theodora, Alexia’s sister; Princess Maria-Olympia, daughter of Prince Pavlos & Marie Chantal; Princess Mafalda, daughter of Prince Kyril & Rosario Nadal.

The Decorations: The bride's maternal aunt, Queen Margrethe, designed a monogram of four interwining A's and C's shaped like a bell, which adorned the exterior wall of the cathedral.

Memorable Detail: After the wedding, three tiny wreaths (that were included in the bouquet) were placed, one at each grave site of King Frederik IX of Denmark at Roskilde, of King Paul and Queen Frederika of Greece at Tatoi, and of the groom's maternal grandparents on the Canary Island of Lanzarote.


TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...read.php?t=4561

--Information courtesy of Mandy

[Alexandria]

Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece & Marie-Chantal Miller
July 1, 1995, Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Sophia, London


The Dress: Heavy silk with a tulip-shaped bodice, it took 25 dressmakers four months to sew. It was designed for the bride—daughter of American mogul Robert W. Miller—by Valentino, who created 62 outfits for the wedding, including those of the bride’s sisters Pia and Alexandra.

The Bouquet: Champage roses.

The Ceremony: The service was attended by a capacity crowd of 450, with another 800 watching via satellite at Hampton Court Palace.

The Ring: Set with a heart-shaped diamond and a sapphire that had belonged to the groom’s grandfather.

The Attendants: The groom's youngest sister Princess Theodora and youngest brother Prince Phillippos. The dresses of the female attendants were in light blue with short, puff sleeves in an embroidered floral pattern that matched the top overlay of the bride's dress.

The Decorations: The groom's maternal aunt, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, designed a monogram for the couple, which was realized in roses on the exterior wall of the cathedral.

Memorable Detail: At the conclusion of the ceremony, thousands of rose petals cascaded onto the newlyweds from the ceiling of the church.

TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...read.php?t=4559

[Alexandria]

Princess Sophia of Greece & Don Juan Carlos de Borbon
May 14, 1962, the Roman Catholic Church of St. Denis, Athens


The Dress: A Jean Dessés designed white-silver lame gown encrusted with Brussels lace amd ancient brocade. The veil was 15-feet long, and used 25 years earlier by Princess Frederika of Hanover when she married Prince Paul of Greece, the bride’s parents.

The Attendants: Princess Irene of Greece (the bride’s sister), Infanta Pilar of Spain (the groom’s sister), Princess Irene of the Netherlands, Princess Alexandra of Kent, and Princesses Beneditke and Anne Marie of Denmark—the latter Danish princess who would eventually become the bride’s sister-in-law, Princess Anne of France, and Princess Tatiana Radziwill, acted on behalf of the bride. Prince Michael of Greece, the Duke of Aosta, and Infante Alfonso de Orleans acted on behalf of the groom.


The Procession: The couple traveled from the first ceremony to a second, at the Orthodox Cathedral, in a carriage drawn by six white horses.


The Flowers: The Orthodox Cathedral was decorated with 35,000 roses, Sophia’s favourite flower; carnations of red and yellow, the colours of Spain—whose throne Juan Carlos ascended in 1975, on the death of longtime dictator Francisco Franco—filled the Roman Catholic Church.

The Guests: The biggest gathering of royals in Europe since before 1914. More than 150 members of Europe’s royal families had been invited, including representatives from the royal houses of Greece, Spain, Great Britain, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Hanover, Portugual France, Monaco, Luxembourg, Parma, Württemberg and Romania. Thousands of Spaniards also made the trek from Spain to Greece to witness the wedding of their future King and Queen. Prince Juan Carlos and Princess Sophia hosted a large garden party at the Hellenic Tennis Club to acknowledge their Spanish guests’ support and enthusiasm for the union.

Memorable Detail: Memorable Detail: The emotion of the day got to the bride when she reached the altar to her awaiting groom. Tears fell down her cheek and with much affection, her groom offered his handkerchief and held her arm to comfort her.


TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...hread.php?t=155