Royal Guests and Relatives from around Europe joined the British Royal Family for the spectacular Wedding Ball of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips at Buckingham Palace on this day in 1973, 50 years ago, on the eve of their Wedding at Westminster Abbey.
The Queen (likely wearing the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland Tiara or the Vladimir Tiara) hosted a Banquet for 100 close Friends and Relatives followed by a spectacular Ball for 1500 Dignitaries and Guests at Buckingham Palace, which was described:
Buckingham Palace reverberated to the noise of a hard rock band last night as 1500 guests danced in a lavish pre-wedding ball for Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips.
Cavalcades of limousines queued in the palace yard in the early hours today to take the party-goers, including. 26 members of foreign royalty, home to bed after a champagne breakfast served by uniformed footmen. The ball was the formal beginning of royal festivities for tomorrow’s wedding and was the last social occasion the 23-year-old princess will attend as a single woman: The Queen held a banquet for 100 guests in the glittering throne room” of the palace last night before joining the 1500 other guests to dance to the music of two bands, a traditional ballroom orchestra and rock group, against a background of chandeliers and ancient tapestries
Though she could have also worn her Meander Tiara or Aquamarine Pine Flower Tiara, Princess Anne was more likely wearing her Diamond Festoon Tiara, that had been given earlier that year, with her Festoon Necklace and a Diamond Bow Brooch, which was a wedding gift from her brother, the Prince of Wales. There are no images from inside the Reception, but this portrait appeared on the Wedding Program.
The only two Guests pictured arriving at the Ball were Prince Juan Carlos (third cousin) and Princess Sofia of Spain (second cousin), who was wearing the Prussian Diamond Tiara and her Niarchos Ruby Parure.
From now on any Images and Tiaras are guesses rather than confirmation!
The British Royal Family no doubt included the Queen Mother (wearing the Greville Tiara and Queen Alexandra’s Wedding Necklace) and Princess Margaret (in the Poltimore Tiara)
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester (wearing the Teck Turquoise Tiara)
Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester (wearing the Gloucester Honeysuckle Tiara) with Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (in her Diamond Palmette Tiara)
The Duke and Duchess of Kent (wearing the Kent Pearl and Diamond Fringe Tiara and Princess Marina’s Diamond Girandole Earrings)
Princess Alexandra of Kent (in the Ogilvy Tiara) and Sir Angus Ogilvy
The bride’s paternal family were led by Princess Margarita of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, who likely wore her Bolin Ruby Tiara.
The bride’s other surviving aunt, Princess Sophie of Greece, was joined by her husband Prince George William of Hanover and several of her children, and was no doubt wearing the Emerald Laurel Wreath Tiara and the Hesse Emerald Brooch.
The family of the bride’s late aunt, Princess Theodora, Margravine of Baden, was represented by the Margrave of Baden (cousin) and Archduchess Valerie (wearing the Baden Sunburst Tiara) with Prince Ludwig (cousin) and Princess Marianne (in the Meander Kokoshnik Tiara) as well as Princess Margarita of Yugoslavia (cousin, wearing her Diamond Tiara)
Other Royal Guests included King Constantine II (second cousin) and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece (third cousin), who wore either the Greek Emerald Parure or the Greek Ruby Parure.
Prince Rainier III (fifth cousin) and Princess Grace of Monaco were also present, with the latter likely wearing her Bains de Mer Tiara or her Diamond Tiara, which she wore just days later for National Day.
Among the Royal Relatives were Crown Prince Harald (second cousin) and Crown Princess Sonja of Norway, who possibly wore Queen Josefina’s Diamond Tiara.
Princess Beatrix (fifth cousin) and Prince Claus of the Netherlands represented Queen Juliana, and the Princess possibly wore the Dutch Sapphire Tiara, which she had previously worn in Britain just few years earlier.
The bride’s other late aunt, Princess Cecilie, Grand Duchess of Hesse, was represented by Margaret, Princess of Hesse and by Rhine, wore possibly wore either the Hesse Star Tiara or the Hesse Turquoise and Moonstone Tiara.
We can imagine that Crown Prince Alexander II of Yugoslavia (second cousin) and Crown Princess Maria da Glória were also present, along with Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia
Royal Guests and Relatives from Greece, Norway, The Netherlands, Spain, Monaco and Germany joined the British Royal Family to celebrate the Wedding of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips at Westminster Abbey, following the spectacular Ball at Buckingham Palace.
Princess Anne wore a Tudor-inspired high-necked and dramatic-sleeved gown by Maureen Baker of Susan Small with Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara, borrowed from the Queen Mother, and her Diamond Cluster Earrings. Captain Mark Phillips wore the full dress uniform of the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, his regiment.
Princess Anne was led up the aisle by the Duke of Edinburgh, where the ceremony and service was officiated by Donald Coggan, the Archbishop of Canterbury. After signing the register, and curtsying to the Queen, the Princess and Captain Mark Phillips walked down the aisle, to return to Buckingham Palace, where they appeared on the Palace Balcony.
Princess Anne wore a Tudor-inspired high-necked and dramatic-sleeved gown by Maureen Baker of Susan Small with Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara, borrowed from the Queen Mother, and her Diamond Cluster Earrings. Captain Mark Phillips wore the full dress uniform of the Queen’s Dragoon Guards, his regiment.
The British Royal Family were led by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh, along with the Queen Mother (grandmother), Prince of Wales, Prince Andrew, Princess Margaret (aunt), Lord Snowdon, and Lord Linley.
The extended Royal Family included the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent, Princess Alexandra of Kent and Sir Angus Ogilvy and Prince Michael of Kent as well as Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (wearing her Pearl and Diamond Corsage Brooch) and Lord Mountbatten.
The bride’s paternal family were led by Princess Margarita of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and some of her children, alongside the bride’s other surviving aunt, Princess Sophie of Greece, who was joined by her husband Prince George William of Hanover and several of her children.
The family of the bride’s late aunt, Princess Theodora, Margravine of Baden, was represented by the Margrave of Baden (cousin) and Archduchess Valerie with Prince Ludwig (cousin) and Princess Marianne as well as Princess Margarita of Baden (cousin)
King Constantine II (second cousin) and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece (third cousin, wearing her Diamond Swan Brooch )
Prince Rainier III (fifth cousin) and Princess Grace of Monaco
Princess Beatrix (fifth cousin) and Prince Claus of the Netherlands
Crown Prince Harald (second cousin) and Crown Princess Sonja of Norway (in the Drapers’ Company Brooch and later Queen Alexandra’s Diamond and Pearl Brooch)
Prince Juan Carlos (third cousin) and Princess Sofia of Spain (second cousin)
Crown Prince Alexander II of Yugoslavia (second cousin) and Crown Princess Maria da Glória with Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia
Margaret, Princess of Hesse and by Rhine
