Today marks the 75th Anniversary of the Wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip of Greece, the Duke of Edinburgh, who got married on this day in 1947! The British Heiress marrying the Greek Prince, Royal Guests and Relatives from around the world joined the British Royal Family for the nuptials which were the first gathering of Royalty following the Second World War, so we are featuring a guide to the Royal Guests at the Wedding!
Wedding | Wedding Ball | Silver Wedding Anniversary | Golden Wedding Anniversary | Diamond Wedding Anniversary | 70th Wedding Anniversary | Wedding Gifts
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
Six Kings and Eight Queens were among the Royal Guests and Relatives at the Wedding of the British Heiress (wearing Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara [which snapped that morning and had to be hastily fixed], the Queen Anne and Queen Caroline Pearl Necklaces [that had to be fetched from St James’ Palace], and the Duchess of Teck’s Pearl Earrings) to the Greek Prince (in the Order of the Garter and the Greek Order of the Redeemer), which were the first gathering of Royalty following the Second World War, and followed two Balls at Buckingham Palace. This was the largest gathering of Royalty in London until the Wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981.
Embed from Getty Images
The Princess’ Family were led by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (wearing Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Necklace) along with Princess Margaret and her grandmother, Queen Mary (in the Cullinan Diamonds) . Her uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, and aunts, the Duchess of Gloucester (in her Diamond Knot Brooch) and Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent (wearing her Diamond Bow Brooch), were present, while the Duke of Windsor was not invited and Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood had been recently widowed.
Cousins included the Duke of Kent, Prince William (pageboy) and Prince Richard of Gloucester, Princess Alexandra (bridesmaid) and Prince Michael of Kent (pageboy), and the Earl of Harewood, while extended members of the Royal Family were represented by the Earl and Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone, Lady Patricia Ramsay (in the Connaught Diamond Bow Brooch), Princess Helena Victoria, Princess Marie Louise, Duchess and Duke of Beaufort, the Marquess and Marchioness of Cambridge, and the Earl of Southesk. The Bowes-Lyon Family was represented by the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, The Countess and Earl Granville, Lady and Lord Elphinstone, The Hon. Margaret Elphinstone (bridesmaid), Viscountess Anson, The Hon. Mr. and Mrs. David Bowes-Lyon, The Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Michael Bowes-Lyon, and the The Hon. Mrs. John Bowes-Lyon.
Embed from Getty Images
Prince Philip’s Family was led by his mother Princess Alice of Greece (wearing the Order of Saints Olga and Sophia and the Royal Red Cross), though his three surviving sisters: Princess Margarita of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, Princess Theodora, Margravine of Baden, and Princess Sophie of Greece and Hanover were not invited due to their German Princely husbands.
The maternal side of his family were led by his grandmother Princess Victoria, Marchioness of Milford Haven, along with Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf and Crown Princess Louise of Sweden, the Marquess (the Best Man) and the Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven, Governor General Earl Mountbatten and Countess Mountbatten, Baron and Baroness Brabourne, and Lady Pamela Mountbatten (bridesmaid).
The Greek Royal Family was led by Queen Frederica of Greece (wearing the Greek Emerald Parure and Queen Olga’s Diamond Rivière), along with the groom’s uncle, Prince George, his wife, Princess Marie Bonaparte (in Queen Olga’s Pearl Corsage Brooch), and their daughter, Princess Eugenie. Also present was the groom’s cousin, Princess Katherine of Greece.
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
King Haakon VII of Norway was the bride’s great-uncle and the first cousin of the groom’s father, so took a leading role, along with his nephew, King Frederik IX, and Queen Ingrid of Denmark (wearing the Antique Diamond Earrings) who were also related to both the Princess and the groom.
King Michael of Romania was present along with Queen Mother Helen of Romania and her sister Princess Irene, Duchess of Aosta (wearing Queen Helen’s Russian Sapphire Brooch), both of whom were first cousins of Prince Philip and also related to the Princess.
Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain (in the Joyas de Pasar Pearls, the Order of Queen Maria Luisa, and the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert) was a first cousin of the groom’s mother and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, present with the Count and Countess of Barcelona.
King Peter II of Yugoslavia was a godson of King George VI, while his wife, Queen Alexandra (wearing the Royal Order of the Star of Karađorđe) was a cousin of Prince Phillip. The King’s brothers, Prince Tomislav and Prince Andrej were also in attendance.
Embed from Getty Images
Crown Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands were not closely related to the bride nor the groom, but close friends of the Royal Family. Hereditary Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg attended with his sister, Princess Elisabeth. King Faisal II of Iraq was also present along with the Prince Regent of Belgium.
Princess Margaretha of Sweden and Denmark, closely related to Prince Phillip, was present along with her sons; Prince George of Denmark and Prince Flemming Valdemar.
Prince René of Bourbon-Parma was present along with his wife, Princess Margaret of Denmark, their son Prince Michel, and daughter, Princess Anne, who met and fell in love with King Michael of Romania at a reception given by her cousin, Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, while in London. The two got married the following year.
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
Embed from Getty Images
Wedding | Wedding Ball | Silver Wedding Anniversary | Golden Wedding Anniversary | Diamond Wedding Anniversary | 70th Wedding Anniversary
