Happy 70th Anniversary to the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, who were married at Westminster Abbey on this day in 1947! In honour of the couple’s Platinum Anniversary, we are taking a look at the post-war wedding of the then Princess Elizabeth to then then Lt. Philip Mountbatten (formerly Prince Philip of Greece)-
Wedding | Wedding Ball | Silver Wedding Anniversary | Golden Wedding Anniversary | Diamond Wedding Anniversary | 70th Wedding Anniversary
On the evening of November 17th, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth hosted a Ball at Buckingham Palace for friends of the couple and royal guests. While the event was private, some guests were pictured leaving their hotel, including King Peter and Queen Alexandra of Yugoslavia (wearing the Yugoslavian Emerald Parure), Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain (in the Fleur de Lys Tiara), the Count and Countess of Barcelona (wearing the Mellerio Shell Tiara), King Michael and Queen Helen of Romania (in the Romanian Greek Key Tiara), Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta (wearing her Diamond Tiara), and members of the Greek Royal Family. Bridesmaid Lady Pamela Hicks noted in her autobiography that Crown Princess Juliana of the Netherlands “caused a stir” by bemoaning that “everyone’s jewellery is so dirty”, but she (Lady Pamela) was amazed that they (the jewels) had survived the Second World War. At the end of the evening, the King is said to have led a conga line through the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace.
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Princess Elisabeth rode in the Irish State Coach from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. She was accompanied by her father, King George VI. The new Duke of Edinburgh, created just that morning, was accompanied by his Best Man, the Marquess of Milford Haven, as he rode by car from Kensington Palace to the Abbey.
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The wedding ceremony, officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, and the Archbishop of York, Cyril Garbett, was recorded and broadcast by BBC Radio to 200 million people around the world. After the ceremony, the couple processed down the aisle to the tune of Felix Mendelssohn’s “Wedding March”. followed by members of their families and royal guests.
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The couple rode back to Buckingham Palace in the Irish State Coach, waving to the thousands of crowds that lined the route.
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After a wedding breakfast in the Ball Supper Room of the Palace, the couple went out onto the balcony, to wave to the crowds that had lined below.
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One of the first royal gatherings after the Second World War, guests included the King Haakon of Norway, Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, Queen Frederica of Greece, King Frederik and Queen Ingrid of Denmark, Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Crown Princess Louise of Sweden, Queen Alexandra and King Peter II of Yugoslavia, Queen Helen and King Michael of Romania, the Duchess of Aosta, Prince Axel and Princess Margretha of Denmark, Prince and Princess George of Greece and Denmark, Princess Dominic Radziwiłł, Princess Axel of Denmark, Prince George Valdemar of Denmark, Prince René and Princess René of Bourbon-Parma, Princess Anne of Bourbon-Parma, Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, the Count and Countess of Barcelona, the Prince Regent of Belgium, and Prince Tomislav and Prince Andrew of Yugoslavia.
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The Bridal Party comprised of the Best Man, the Marquess of Milford Haven, and eight bridesmaids; Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Lady Caroline Montagu-Douglas-Scott, Lady Mary Cambridge, Lady Elizabeth Lambart, Lady Pamela Mountbatten, The Hon. Margaret Elphinstone, and Diana Bowes-Lyon. Prince William of Gloucester and Prince Michael of Kent served as page boys
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The Princess Elizabeth wore an ivory duchesse satin Norman Hartnell gown (inspired by Botticelli’s Primavera and paid for with clothing ration coupons) with a silk tulle veil, Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara (which snapped that morning and was hurriedly fixed by the Court Jeweller), the Queen Anne and Queen Caroline Pearls (which were on display with other presents at St James’ Palace and had to be brought by an aide, who commandeered the King of Norway’s limo through the crowds outside, and then fought with the guards at St. James’ to allow him to take the valuable jewels), and the Duchess of Teck Earrings. The bouquet was lost sometime during the day, and the couple posed for photographs without it. However, after the missing bouquet was discovered, the bride and groom were called back to Buckingham Palace from their honeymoon, donned their outfits and posed with the bouquet. The Duke of Edinburgh wore Naval Uniform (which he can still fit into) with the Star of the Order of the Garter and the Star of the Greek Order of the Redeemer.
Wedding | Wedding Ball | Silver Wedding Anniversary | Golden Wedding Anniversary | Diamond Wedding Anniversary | 70th Wedding Anniversary
The Queen wore the Sapphire Chrysanthemum Brooch worn on her honeymoon and her 60th Anniversary! https://t.co/2nzdtAGC71 pic.twitter.com/scmk53LaYV
— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) November 20, 2020
The Queen wore the Sapphire Chrysanthemum Brooch worn on her honeymoon and her 60th Anniversary! https://t.co/2nzdtAGC71 pic.twitter.com/scmk53LaYV
— The Royal Watcher (@saadsalman719) November 20, 2020
Hi there. I know you posted this 3 years ago, and I didn’t see your post till today, but I have a question for you. In the photo where Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are gathering together with their entire wedding party, there is a toddler (or maybe a preschooler?) in the far right lower corner. I don’t know if it is he or she. Looks more like a little boy in my opinion. The young child is wearing something that looks like shortalls and Mary Jane shoes. Who is that exactly? I have no idea who that toddler is. Obviously was a toddler in 1947, so must be old now.
I am well aware of the fact that little boys can wear Mary Janes (and T strap shoes, also called T bar shoes in England). Prince William and Harry both wore Start Rite Mary Janes / T straps as preschoolers in England in the mid 1980s, and Prince William’s kids still do. I’m also totally aware that in the Deep South (Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee) that little boys can and do wear T strap Mary Janes, usually along with longalls (a dressier type of overalls sort of like a jumper) or jon jons (a short version of longalls; basically, dressy or fancy shortalls). And peter pan collar shirts and kneesocks. Sometimes button on shirt pants that button into peter pan collar shirts. I’m from Northern California, but I have lots of friends from Facebook and eBay who live in the Deep South and they dress their little boys like that. I belong to several Facebook groups that resell higher end boys clothes. You won’t find little boys wearing this type of clothing on the West Coast though. It is very, very rare in California, almost unheard of.
So my question is who is that toddler? And is that a little boy or a little girl?
Thank you,
Codi Preston D. from California
Email me at preston 1632@yahoo.com
The toddler you are referencing is in front of The Queen’s uncle, The Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester. My guess is that it is Prince Richard, who is the current Duke of Gloucester. He was born in 1944, so he would have been around 3 years old in 1947. Prince Richard’s elder brother, Prince William of Gloucester was one of the page boys (the kids in kilts). Prince William predeceased his father and brother, so the title now belongs to Prince Richard.
That (my email address) was meant to say and be preston1632@yahoo.com. There are NO spaces between Preston and 1632. Just wanted to let you know.
Codi Preston D