Royal Weddings

With the highly anticipated royal wedding taking place in just over a week’s time between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, we thought we would look back on royal weddings through the years.

 

Royal weddings have always caused great excitement for the British public. People line the streets to watch the bridal vehicles drive by, waving flags and cheering. The feeling of patriotism is overwhelming, creating a nationwide party!

 

 

On February 10^th1840, Queen Victoria walked down the aisle to marry Prince Albert. She has been credited with starting the trend for white wedding dresses, this meant that she was much easier to spot as she paraded through London. She chose a cream silk satin gown trimmed with lace, a lace veil and an orange blossom headdress. The dress was designed and made by British designers and suppliers.

 

The first royal wedding to be captured on film was the marriage of Prince Albert to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (aka the Queen’s Mother) on April 26 1923. It was thought that making the wedding a more public affair would lift the gloomy post-war spirit. Their wedding broke the royal tradition by being held at Westminster Abbey, rather than a Royal chapel.

 

The wedding of Princess Elizabeth to Philip Mountbatten in 1947 was a hugely celebrated affair, and despite the wet November weather, people waited for up to 19 hours to watch the Princess make her way from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. The service was the first royal wedding to be broadcast on live radio. The Princess had to save up her clothing rations in order to pay for her wedding dress, and women all over the country sent their coupons to the Princess to help. The dress designer was a leading British fashion designer, Norman Hartnell, and the silk was woven at Lullingstone Castle in Kent.

 

 

 

 

The Prince of Wales wed Lady Diana Spencer on 29 July 1981 and it was the royal wedding to trump all royal weddings. Around 750 million people watched the marriage take place, making it the most viewed television broadcast of all time. Princess Diana wore a gown designed by David & Elizabeth Emanuel and was valued then at £9,000. With a 25ft train, made from ivory silk taffeta and antique lace, it became one of the most famous dresses in the world.

 

 

The wedding of Prince William to Catherine Middleton on 29 April 2011 was on a similar scale to that of his parents. The occasion was a national holiday in the UK and celebrations were held around the commonwealth. Over 5,000 street parties were hosted in the United Kingdom and around one million people lined the route between Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace.  The ceremony was viewed live by tens of millions around the world, including 72 million live streams on YouTube. Princess Catherine wore a bridal dress designed by London-based designers Sarah Burton and Alexander McQueen.