June 2005 Newsletter: The Princess Brides

[Alexandria]

I have dubbed the first half of 2005 as "The Year of the Wedding." I have been to no less than four weddings during the first five months of this year, which is almost a wedding a month, though two actually took place in April. And in between all those weddings, bridal showers, bachelorette parties and stag and does. I should be "weddinged out" by now -- but I'm not! So, when the idea for a wedding-related newsletter to celebrate two of the things I love in life -- royalty and weddings -- came up in discussions between Julia and I, I embraced it and ran with it. Thankfully, the other members of the TRF Team agreed with this idea and contributed to it with as much enthusiasm as I had for it.

It is with a great effort on the part of many members of the TRF Team that this letter was put together:

Mandy for her tireless contributions in sharing pictures, information and doing many of the write ups herself.

Anna R for doing the "leg work" of finding the links and supplying information, as well as for making a video to supplement this newsletter.

Elsa M. for providing information in the Spanish and Portuguese brides.

norwegianne for the more than 100 special wedding avatars found in this thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6041.

Of all the weddings I have attended this year, the one that took place last month on May 21 is the one dearest to my heart. It wasn't just that I was part of the bridal party so I had been part of all the planning and events that took place over the course of the 21 months from when the engagement was announced to the big day itself, but it was because the bride is someone very special in my life.

In my immediate circle of friends, there are six girls in our group, five of us who met on our first day of kindergarten and have been steadfast friends ever since. Through more than 21 years of friendship, we have weathered through some very difficult times, but also very many happy times, as well as the everyday, mundane moments that mark any relationship between those polarizing moments. None of us have sisters -- all of our parents graced us with brotherly love -- so we became sisters to each other. As such, this wedding wasn't just the wedding of a cherished friend, but the wedding of a cherished sister.

I don't know of many people who are still friends to this day with their childhood friends, but it has been for me, a most surreal experience to watch someone you used to finger paint with and make sand castles with become someone's wife. So, on a most sunny and glorious day -- thankfully since her bridal shower and bachelorette party had been marred by torrential rain -- my friend became a Mrs.

As we put this newsletter together, I realized that whether it's a royal bride or a celebrity bride, or a "regular" bride like my friend, everyone loves a wedding. I may have grumbled a bit along the way about how much time the wedding was taking out of my evenings and weekends, or about this and that, but in the end it was worth it to see my friend so happy -- and to have a new "brother-in-law." My friend may not have worn a diamond-saturated tiara or worn a centuries-old veil as many of the brides covered in this newsletter did, but the sentiments and well-wishes for a happy bride and groom, a joyous wedding day and a long, healthy marriage are all there, no matter what title you possess, or will get upon your marriage.

Weddings are ultimately less about titles and higher statuses gained, the yards of silk used for the train, too many bows or too much lace, or the size of the tiara, but about two individuals who have found each other somehow in the chaos of this world we live in and who are committed to spending their life together and building a foundation and family together. It is about finding happiness and love and embarking on a journey together.

For those who are engaged, getting married, newlyweds, and those who have been happily married for decades, I hope that this newsletter will bring you fond memories of your special day or your special day to come. And for those of you who would like to be married one day, I hope that this newsletter will inspire you for your own special day.

Alexandria
Royal Forums Administrator

An additional footnote: The tossing of the bouquet and garter is an ancient tradition, based on the belief that the bride's bouquet and garter possesses luck, and that the individuals who caught these items would be the next to be married. Whether or not you catch the bouquet or the garter, shouldn't discourage you. A wedding is a romantic enough of an occasion to inspire all lonely hearts. Just because you don't catch the bouquet doesn't mean that the seeds of love can't be sewn -- I didn't catch a single bouquet in any of the weddings I've attended, yet I left with something wonderful blooming in my life.

You know you are in love when you see the world in her eyes, and her eyes everywhere in the world.

[Alexandria]

The Duke of York of Great Britain & Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
April 26, 1923, Westminster Abbey, London

The Dress: Created by Mme. Handley Seymour, the design of the dress recalled the simplicity of medieval dress, with deep square neckline and bold embroidery. It had a fashionable drop waist and was made from ivory chiffon moire which had been specially dyed to match the color of the point de Flanders lace veil. The front of the dress was appliqued with a series of bars of silver lame which were arranged over the bodice to form the appearance of a stomacher. The dress had two trains. The one at the back, fastened at the hips and extended 10 inches beyond the hem and spread 80 inches wide. Over this was worn a second train of tulle which floated from the shoulders. The shoes worn by Lady Elizabeth were made of ivory silk moire and had silver roses embroidered on them.

The Veil: Made of antique lace was secured by a simple bandeau of myrtle leaves, with a knot of white roses of York and white heather at each ear. The veil was lent to her by her mother-in-law, Queen Mary.

The Bouquet: Created by Edward Goodyear, included white heather and lillies-of-the-valley, with a white rose (emblem of the county of York) on either side. The bride laid the bouquet on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (every royal bride has since done so), in memory of her brother and the men killed in the war.

The Rings: Made from a gold nugget mined in the village of Bontddu, North Wales.

The Attendants: Lady May Cambridge, Lady Mary Thynne, Miss Betty Cator, Lady Katherine Hamilton, and the Hon. Diamond Hardinge. The two 11 year old trainbearers were her nieces, the Hon. Elizabeth Elphinstone and the Hon. Cecilia Bowes Lyon.


Memorable Detail: McVitie & Prince of Edinburgh furnished a nine-foot, 800-pound cake, gold-charm-filled at the couple’s request.


TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...read.php?t=4430

--With additional notes courtesy of pdas1201

[Alexandria]

Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain & Philip Mountbatten
November 20, 1947, Westminster Abbey, London


The Dress: A full length gown made of ivory duchesse satin by Norman Hartnell, it had a 15-foot train, which was attached at the shoulders. The dress was embroidered at the neckline, as well as along the sleeve edges, the front bodice and throughout the skirt and train with garlands of orange blossoms, syringas, jasmin, the white rose of York and shafts of wheat. Ten thousand (10,000!) seed pearls were used for the embroidery. (Norman Hartnell also designed the bride's going away outfit.)

The Diademe: The Hanover Fringe tiara, the diamonds of which were originally used in 1830 by court jewellers Rundell, Bridge & Rundell to form a necklace from the diamonds. It was later mounted on a frame for Queen Victoria so that it could be worn as a tiara.

The Veil: The veil contained more than 100 miles of gassamer silk thread.

The Gifts: Ranged from a Thoroughbred filly (courtesy of the Aga Khan) to a woven-cotton tray cloth made by Mahatma Gandhi.

The Cake: The nine-foot, 500-pound, four-tier confection took three people five weeks to decorate and was trimmed with sugar plaques depicting the royal residences­—and the future Prince Philip’s hobbies.

The Attendants: Princess Margaret Rose, sister of the bride; Margaret Elphinstone; Diana Bowes-Lyon; Lady Caroline Montague Douglas-Scott; Lady Elzabeth Lambert; the Marquis of Milford-Haven; Lady Mary Cambridge; Lady Pamela Mountbatten.

Memorable Detail: Allegedly, the fragile frame of the diadame broke right before the wedding ceremony, but was repaired just in time.

TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...p?t=3577&page=1

--With files from Mandy

[Alexandria]

Princess Anne of Great Britain & Captain Mark Phillips
November 14, 1973, Westminster Abbey, London

The Dress: British designer Maureen Baker made the white silk princess-style gown with pearl-edged Elizabethan sleeves.

The Reception: The 120 guests feasted on a wedding breakfast of scrabled eggs, partridge, fresh peas and peppermint ice cream.

The Honeymoon: The day after the wedding, the couple flew to Barbados to board the royal yacht Britannia, which Queen Elizabeth II had placed at their disposal.

Memorable Detail: The bride’s headpiece was the same diamond tiara the Queen, her mother, had worn at her wedding.


Princess Anne of Great Britain & Commodore Timothy Laurence
December 12, 1992, Crathie Church, Scotland

[Alexandria]

Prince Charles of Great Britain and Lady Diana Spencer

July 29, 1981, St. Paul’s Cathedral, London

The Dress: Designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, it was made of silk from Britain’s only silk farm, in Dorset, and decorated with lace that had belonged to the groom’s great-grandmother. Other features: a tight bodice, huge puffed sleeves, a 25-foot cathedral train, and—tucked in the petticoats—a small 18 karat-gold horseshoe for luck.


The Flowers: The bride walked down the aisle to Jermiah Clarke’s The Prince of Denmark’s March, chosen by Charles, while carrying a bouquet that included white freesia, myrtle and veronica grown from the same stock that went into Queen Victoria’s bouquet.


The Cakes: Sixteen in all. The Royal Navy made the official marzipan-covered fruit cake, which weighed 255 pounds and stood five feet tall.


Memorable Detail: More than half a million people jammed into London’s Hyde Park to watch pre-wedding fireworks set to Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks, while an estimated 500 million worldwide watched a live telecast of the wedding itself.


TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...read.php?t=4327

[Alexandria]

Prince Charles of Great Britain & Camilla Parker-Bowles
April 9, 2005, Windsor Guidhall and St. George’s Chapel, London

The Dress: For the civil ceremony at Windsor Guidhall, an oyster silk basket-weave coat with herringbone stitch embroidery and a chiffon dress with appliqué woven lacquered disc detail—the discs were made in Switzerland—by British designers Robinson Valentine. The outfit was paired with a natural straw hat overlaid with ivory French lace and trimmed with a graphic fountain of feathers designed by Philip Treacy. For the church blessing, Robinson Valentine designed a dress coat inspired by a brooch given to the bride by her late mother. The porcelain blue silk coat dress was embroidered with gold thread, cinched at the waist with a matching dress underneath, and paired with a feather head dress by Philip Treacy.

The Rings: Court-style rings made of Welsh gold from the Clogau St. David’s mine in the Kings Forest in North Wales.

The Flowers: In the Guidhall, flowers were cut from the gardens at Highgrove and Raymill House (the groom and bride’s personal residences respectively). Lilies of the Valley—the bride’s favourite—were also used to decorate the Guidhall.

The Guests: Only family attended the civil service at Windsor Guildhall, where the groom’s eldest son, Prince William, and the bride’s son Tom Parker Bowles, handed their parents their wedding rings and signed the registry as witnesses. Nearly 800 guests attended the blessing at St. George’s Chapel, including the bride’s ex-husband Andrew Parker Bowles with his wife (Suzanne???), politicians from Great Britain and the Commonwealth (Prime Minister Tony Blaire and his wife Cherie, Adrienne Clarkson and her husband John Ralston Saul) foreign royals (King Constantine and Queen Anne Marie of Greece, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway, Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands), and British celebrities (Rowan Atkinson, Joanna Lumley, Kenneth Branagh, Stephen Fry, David Frost, and Sting and his wife Trudi Styler).

TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...read.php?t=5607

[Alexandria]

Prince Andrew of Great Britain & Sarah Ferguson
July 23, 1986, Westminster Abbey, London

The Dress: Embroidered ivory silk grown, with 17 ½-foot train, was by London designer Lindka Cierach.

The Guests: 1,800, including U.S. First Lady Nancy Reagan, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Michael Caine, Elton John and Estee Lauder.

The Photographer: Instead of an officially sanctioned one, Srah and Andrew, an avid amateur shutterbug, tapped rising Scots ssuperstar Albert Watson, who built a world-renowned reputation shooting the likes of Uma Thurman, Drew Barrymore and Jack Nicholson.

The Pages: The page boys attending Sarah, including the groom’s 4-year-old nephew Prince William, wore straw boaters and outfits modeled on 1782 navy midshipmen’s uniforms.

Memorable Detail: The couple left Buckingham Palace in a carriage decorated with a paper-mache satellite dish bearing the message PHONE HOME, courtesy of the groom’s brother Prince Edward.

TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...read.php?t=4335

[Alexandria]

Prince Edward of Great Britain & Sophie Rhys-Jones
June 19, 1999, Windsor Castle, London

The Dress: Designer Samantha Shaw, herself a new bride, designed a simple ivory organza silk coat dress. The long, fitted panels contained 325,000 pearls and crystals sewn along the edges of the back and front of the dress.

The Jewellery: A diamond tiara from Queen Elizabeth II’s private collection held the cathedral-length veil in place. A black and white pearl cross necklace and matching earrings were designed by Prince Edward as a wedding day gift to his bride.

The Guests: About 550 people attended the nuptials of Queen Elizabeth II’s youngest son. The royal guests included the Sultan of Brunei with two of his wives, Queen Anne Marie of Greece with her son Prince Nikolaos, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Prince Felipe of Spain and Prince Georg of Hannover.

The Music: The Edinburgh Choir, of which the groom is a patron of, performed at the service during which the bride and groom could be singing along to each hymn.

Memorable Detail: The original network airing the wedding dubbed Six Pence None the Richer’s “Kiss Me” at the end of the wedding, making it seem as if Edward and Sophie had pre-chosen the song themselves. The song became their unofficial wedding song.

TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...p?t=4336&page=1

[Alexandria]

Princess Margaret of Great Britain & Antony Armstrong-Jones
May 6, 1960, Westminster Abbey, London

The Dress: Norman Hartnell made the simple gown, with fanlike skirt, from yards of white silk organza with organza rouleau piping. Breaking tradition, Margaret bought her own diamond tiara.

The Guests: Included Winston Churchill, Leslie Caron, and the groom’s dad’s three wives (two ex-) and cleaning lady.

Memorable Details: The Nielsen rating: 17, twice that of the competition, Rawhide. Count Basie’s gift: a melody he composed for the wedding.

TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...read.php?t=4340

[Alexandria]

David Armstong-Jones, Viscount Linley and the Honorable Serena Stanhope
October 8, 1993, St. Margaret's Church, Westminster, London


The Dress: Serena’s dress consisted of a coat and a skirt. The silk coat had long pointed sleeves with several fabric buttons at the wrists, low V-shaped front and a high collar. The jacket buttoned from the V-front to the waist then flared open towards the back where it was gathered into a huge bow. The full skirt made of layers of tulle extended into a short train.

The Diademe: Serena wore the Papyrus Motive Tiara. This tiara was bought by Queen Mary from Garrard's. She later gave it to Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Mother), Duchess of York. She in turn gave it to her daughter Princess Margaret. Serena borrowed the tiara for her wedding day.

The Veil: The veil was made of tulle and was a long as the train.

The Bouquet: Lilies of the valley and Queen Anne's lace.

Memorable Detail: The bride's dress was inspired by her mother-in-law Princess Margaret's 1960 wedding gown.


TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...hread.php?t=759

[Alexandria]

Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones & Daniel Chatto
July 14 1994, St. Stephen's Church, London, England

The Dress: Lady Sarah wore a white silk dress with long sleeves, low square neckline, crushed bodice, full skirt and a 3 meter (approx) long train.

The Diademe: Lady Sarah wears the Snowdon Floral Tiara which is a diamond floral tiara that can be broken up and used as brooches. Lord Snowdon gave this tiara to Prinrcess Margaret, Sarah's mother as a wedding gift in 1960.

The Bouquet: Yellow roses.

The Attendants: Lady Frances Armstrong-Jones, Zara Phillips and Tara Noble.

TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...read.php?t=5354

[Alexandria]

Lady Helen Windsor & Tim Taylor
July 18, 1992, St. George's Chapel, London

The Dress: French-born, British-based designer Catherine Walker designed the Duke and Duchess of Kent's only daughter's wedding gown. The off-the-shoulder, off-white silk dress had short sleeves with a heavy V-neckline, which was bordered with embroidery. The full-length, bell-shaped skirt was pleated with a three-metre long train attached at the wasit.

The Diademe: The bride wore a tiara which originally belonged to her mother, the Duchess of Kent's (nee Katherine Worsley) family, the Worsley Fringe tiara, which is made of a bandeau base and topped with pearl-tipped fringes.

The Bouquet: A heavy bouquet of white and peach roses, violets, lillies of the valleys, as well as other cuts in soft pink and lavendar.

TRF Thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5302&highlight=helen+taylor

[Alexandria]

Lady Davina Windsor & Gary Lewis
July 31, 2004, Kensington Palace, London


The Dress: A cream satin bustier dress adorned with buttons down her back, with a lace overlay blouse.


The Bouquet: A bright blue bouquet tied with green ribbons along the stem. The bride wore the same flowers in her hair and the groom wore the flowers as a butionniere.


The Guests: Only the bride’s parents, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, her sister, Lady Rose Windsor (who was also a bridesmaid), her brother, the Earl of Ulster (???) and his wife TK TK TK TK TK, the groom’s 12-year-old son Ari from a previous relationship, the groom’s parents Larry Lewis and Viki Carr, and the best man Nick Harvey were the only ones present at the religious service. One hundred and twenty guests were invited to the reception following the service at the palace.


Memorable Detail: The bride’s 101-year-old grandmother, Princess Alice, was too frail to attend, so the newly married couple paid a private visit to her following the ceremony and preceding the rececption.

[Alexandria]