Category Archives: People

A British Royal Wedding – Princess Victoria and Prince Frederick William

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This blog has featured several British Royal Brides in recent months and this post will be about Princess Victoria, the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.   I will briefly discuss the courtship, engagement and wedding of Princess Victoria and Prince Frederick William with details about her wedding dress and bridal accessories worn on her wedding day.

Princess Victoria Adelaide Mary Louisa was born on November 21, 1840 to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert at Buckingham Palace in London.  Although the Royal couple would have preferred their first born to be a boy, despite this fact Prince Albert was absolutely delighted with his daughter.  While she was still only one year old, the young Victoria was created the Princess Royal in 1841; the title is customarily given to the eldest daughter of the British sovereign.

Princess Victoria 1842 by Franz Winterhalter

Princess Victoria and her siblings received a proper education which was closely followed by their father and overseen by Baron Stockmar.  The Princess would prove to be an excellent student that thrived in her studies while her brother Prince Albert Edward, who was born a year after her, struggled with his lessons.  Throughout the years, Princess Victoria and her father shared a special bond enjoying common interests and later similar political views.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert had carefully planned that their children would be joined in marriage into some of the most prominent European Royal families in the hopes of forming political alliances that would greatly benefit England.  The Queen and her husband had a long standing friendship with Prince William (later William I the King of Prussia and German Emperor) and his wife, Princess Augusta.  So to further strengthen the bond between England, Prussia and eventually a unified Germany it was decided that a marriage would be arranged between Princess Victoria and Prince Frederick, the eldest son of Prince William.

Princess Victoria 1851 by Franz Winterhalter

Princess Victoria and Prince Frederick would meet in London for the first time during the Great Exhibition of 1851, she was only 11 years old and he was nineteen.  The Princess made a great impression on the Prince who found her to be very mature and intelligent despite her young age and after returning to his homeland he began regularly writing letters to her.  Back in Prussia the idea of the Prince marrying the daughter of the Queen of England was met with much resistance and also great apprehension.  Then, in 1855 Prince Frederick planned a trip to see Princess Victoria again to make a final decision about a marriage.  He visited her in Balmoral Castle in Scotland and within a few days he was asking the Queen’s approval and also her permission before proposing to the Princess.  Several conditions had been set by the Queen, the first being that the marriage would not take place until the Princess was 17 years old and that the wedding would be in England not in Prussia.  Special Note: This last stipulation was an unusual request because customarily the wedding of an heir (Prince Frederick) would take place in his country and not the bride’s homeland.

Lithograph showing Princess Victoria and Prince Frederick (center)
and their parents – Queen Victoria and Prince Albert (left) and
Princess Augusta and Prince William (later King of Prussia and German Emperor)

Once the engagement of Princess Victoria and Prince Frederick was officially announced on May 17, 1856 there was general disapproval not only in Prussia but also in England.  The public was very critical of the Prussian neutrality during the Crimean War and also disapproved of the Prussian government association with Russia.  Meanwhile Prince Albert took the opportunity between the engagement and the wedding to prepare his daughter for her future life in Prussia.  He spent many hours teaching her his liberal ideals promoting a unified Germany but unfortunately this would ultimately cause the Princess immense problems later with the conservative government of Prussia.

The Marriage of Princess Victoria and Prince Frederick painting by John Phillip
(Queen Victoria, Prince Albert and their family are shown on the right in the painting)

The Royal wedding of Princess Victoria and Prince Frederick took place on January 25, 1858 at the Chapel Royal in St. James Palace in London, England.  On the morning of the wedding thousands of people lined the procession route that led from Buckingham Palace to St James Palace to witness eighteen carriages which carried the Royal Family and other dignitaries plus hundreds of soldiers and horses.

The bride’s brothers rode in one carriage wearing Highland kilts while in another carriage her sisters were wearing pink satin and white lace dresses. In the final carriage Princess Victoria rode with her mother, Queen Victoria.  Arriving at St James Palace to a fanfare of trumpets and drums they were joined by the bride’s father, Prince Albert.  Then the wedding procession entered the Palace it included the bride’s brothers and sisters, the young bridesmaids, the bride’s grandmother and lastly the Queen.   The groom, Prince Frederick, stood at the railing near the front of the Chapel dressed in the dark blue tunic and white trousers of the Prussian Guard uniform; he also held a silver helmet in his hand. Finally, Princess Victoria walked into the Chapel accompanied by her father and her Great Uncle Leopold positioned on either side. (Special Note: Leopold, the King of Belgium, was the uncle to both the bride’s parents since the Queen and Prince Albert were first cousins).

Lithograph showing Queen Victoria and Princess Victoria
arriving at St James Palace for the wedding ceremony

After the wedding ceremony concluded the bride and groom walked out of the Chapel to a song which had been written in 1842 by the German composer, Felix Mendelssohn.  It was originally written to accompany the Shakespeare play, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.  Referred in the commemorative souvenir printed material at the time as the “Bride’s Song” it would be the first time that the song would be performed at a Royal Wedding.  (Special Note: As with most customs set during the Victorian Era, it proved to be very popular with the public for wedding ceremonies as a recessional song, it later became known as the “Wedding March”)

Shown above is a page from a special Royal Wedding printing
referring the Mendelssohn composition as “A Bride’s Song”

As tradition dictates, following the ceremony the wedding register was signed and a reception was held later at Buckingham Palace where a large and ornate wedding cake was cut and served to the invited guests.

Lithograph showing Princess Victoria and Prince Frederick
signing the marriage register after the wedding

Lithograph showing the wedding cake of Princess Victoria and Prince Frederick

Princess Victoria’s wedding dress and accessories

When Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840, she popularized the style of the white wedding dress and her daughter, Princess Victoria followed this new tradition.  A dress was specially created for the Royal Princess and was made of white silk moiré accented with three layers of Honiton lace; the lace featured a design incorporating roses, shamrocks and thistles which were symbols of England, Ireland and Scotland.   The dress had a rather long train that measured more than three yards and was trimmed with lace and satin ribbon.  Orange blossoms and sprigs of myrtle were used to decorate the bodice and the various tiers of the dress.  (Special Note: in the “language of flowers”, the orange blossom was used to represent purity and fertility while the myrtle was commonly used as a bridal flower in Germany, a sweet gesture to honor the groom)

A photograph of Princess Victoria’s wedding dress,
from www.royalcollection.org.uk

To complete Princess Victoria’s wedding ensemble a long Honiton lace veil was attached to her head with a wreath made of orange blossoms and myrtle.  She also wore a diamond necklace, earrings and a brooch.  (Special Note:  Queen Victoria was regally dressed for her daughter’s wedding and she wore a lilac silk moiré dress with a velvet train and she also wore a diamond crown with a royal diadem of diamonds and pearls)

A photograph of Princess Victoria’s wedding veil,
from www.royalcollection.org.uk

Princess Victoria’s wedding gifts

On the occasion of Princess Victoria’s wedding to Prince Frederick many wedding gifts were received and displayed in one of the State rooms at Buckingham Palace.  The items were labeled with a brief description and the name of the person presenting the wedding gift.  From the groom, Prince Frederick, the Princess Royal received a lovely diamond and turquoise necklace.  Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the bride’s parents, had given their daughter a necklace made of 36 large pearls and an opal and Diamond demi-parure which included a necklace, earrings and brooch.  The Queen also gave her a diamond brooch which could also be worn as a necklace pendant and Prince Albert gave her an emerald and diamond bracelet.  The groom’s parents, Prince William and Princess Augusta, gave her a wonderful diamond diadem (a coronet often worn as a symbol of sovereignty)

The lithograph shown above depicts the diamond and opal demi-parure which was a gift from the Princess Royal’s parents and also the diamond brooch from the Queen and emerald and diamond bracelet which was a gift from Prince Albert.

Many years after the wedding, in 1875 the Royal Princess Victoria now known as the Crown Princess of Germany, commissioned a special painting as a gift for her mother, Queen Victoria.  Shown below is the formal portrait by Heinrich von Angeli which is significant because she is wearing the Indian necklace that Queen Victoria had originally received from Queen Oude and then given to her daughter as a wedding gift.  (Special Note:The Crown Princess is also shown wearing the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert badge and the Order of Louise badge pinned to the left sleeve of her dress)

Formal portrait of the Crown Princess of Germany by Heinrich von Angeli
from www.royalcollection.org.uk

Despite the fact that the marriage of Princess Victoria and Prince Frederick was basically an arranged marriage it had turned into a true love.  The Royal couple had eight children: Wilhelm (1859-1941), Charlotte (1860-1919), Heinrich (1862-1929), Sigismund (1864-1866), Viktoria (1866-1929), Waldemar (1868-1879), Sophia (1870-1932), Margaret (1872-1954).

Prince Frederick and Princess Victoria with five of their eight children

Frederick became the King of Prussia and German Emperor upon the death of his father in March 1888.  Sadly, Frederick III died on June 15 from cancer of the larynx only 99 days after his accession and was succeeded by his son, Wilhelm II.

After the death of her husband the Dowager Empress relocated to Friedrichshof, a castle she had built in Kronberg im Taunus located in Hesse, Germany.  There she lived a very isolated life until she died of breast cancer on August 5, 1901 only a few months after the death of her mother, Queen Victoria.  The Empress Dowager Victoria was laid to rest alongside her husband at Friedenskirche, the Royal mausoleum located in Postsdam, Germany.

Princess Elizabeth as a Royal Bridesmaid

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Princess Elizabeth (now known as Queen Elizabeth II) married Prince Philip on November 20, 1947 in a grand wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London, England. But before she was a British Royal Bride marrying her prince charming she was a bridesmaid at four different British Royal weddings.  In this post I will discuss those weddings in more detail and also show photos of Princess Elizabeth as an adorable young bridesmaid and then as a women of twenty years old the year before she herself was married.

The wedding of Lady May Cambridge to Henry Abel Smith – 1931

Princess Elizabeth was a very young bridesmaid at the wedding of Lady May Cambridge (formerly Princess May of Teck) to Henry Abel Smith on October 24, 1931 in Balcombe, Sussex.  Lady May’s parents were Prince Alexander of Teck and Prince Alice of Albany, Lady May was also the niece of Queen Mary who was the sister of her father.  The groom was a Captain in the Royal Horse Guards. 

The wedding of Lady May Cambridge to Henry Abel Smith
(Princess Elizabeth is the one holding the hand of the bride)
photo credit to the National Portrait Gallery

Lady May’s simple wedding dress was made of ivory satin; a slight train fell from her shoulders.  She wore a Honiton wedding veil which Queen Mary had loaned to her niece.  The veil had previously been worn by the Queen when she was Princess May of Teck and married Prince George, Duke of York (later to become King George V), in London on July 6, 1893 at the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace. For more information about their wedding, please click on the link

Lady May Cambridge with Princess Elizabeth
photo credit to the National Portrait Gallery

Princess Elizabeth was only five years old at the time of the wedding of Lady May and was one of several young bridesmaids, she wore a light blue long dress with puff sleeves.  This event was one of her first public official duties as a British Royal.     

Princess Elizabeth
photo credit to the National Portrait Gallery

Special Note:  Two things regarding Lady May, first during World War I there were strong anti-German feelings in England and many families with German surnames changed them to something more English sounding, thus Prince Alexander changed their name from Teck to Cambridge.  Secondly, Princess May broke with a century old tradition and had the word “obey” omitted from her wedding vows.   

The wedding of the Prince George, Duke of Kent to Princess Marina – 1934

The next time Princess Elizabeth was a bridesmaid it was for the wedding of Prince George, the Duke of Kent to Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark that took place on November 29, 1934 at Westminster Abbey in London.  Prince George was the fourth son of King George V and Queen Mary. Princess Marina was the youngest daughter of Prince Nicholas of Greece and Denmark and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna of Russia.   

the wedding of Prince George, the Duke of Kent to
Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark
(Princess Elizabeth is seen on the bottom left of the photo)

There were actually two wedding ceremonies, the first was the one held at Westminster Abbey and a second smaller Greek Orthodox service took place in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace.  Princess Marina wore a white silk and silver lame brocade dress designed by Edward Molyneux and a tulle veil held in place with a diamond fringe tiara that belong to her mother.    

Princess Elizabeth was a niece to Prince George and as a bridesmaid she wore a rather whimsical short satin dress with an organdy overlay and layered ruffled sleeves    

Princess Elizabeth

Special Note:  The wedding of Prince George, the Duke of Kent to Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark was the first British Royal wedding to be broadcast live on the radio. 

The wedding of Prince Henry, the Duke of Gloucester to Lady Alice Scott – 1935

The wedding of Prince Henry, the Duke of Gloucester and Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott took place on November 6, 1935 in the Private Chapel of Buckingham Palace.  Prince Henry was the third son of King George V and Queen Mary. Lady Alice was the third daughter of the John Montagu Douglas Scott, the 7th Duke of Buccleuch and Lady Margaret Bridgeman.  Originally the wedding had been scheduled to take place at Westminster Abbey but the bride’s father died shortly before the wedding date and the venue was moved to accommodate a smaller private wedding at Buckingham Palace.   

the wedding of Prince Henry and Lady Alice
(Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret are the two bridesmaids sitting)

Lady Alice’s wedding dress was designed by Norman Hartnell and it was an unusual color choice of a lovely shade of pale pink satin; this was per her request because she was an older bride at the age of 34.  The dress featured a high neckline accented with artificial orange blossoms, long sleeves and a cathedral length train.

For the young bridesmaids, which included Princess Elizabeth and her sister Princess Margaret who were the nieces of Prince Henry, Hartnell designed short dresses of pale pink stain trimmed with tiers of ruffled tulle (as shown in the photo below).

Princess Elizabeth waiting for the bride and groom to depart on their honeymoon
(I love her facial expression of pure joy!)

Special Note:  Lady Elizabeth, the Duchess of York (later to become Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother) was so delighted with the bridesmaid dresses Norman Hartnell designed for her two small daughters that she became his steadfast client.  Hartnell went on to become her primary dress designer and when her husband became King George VI, he designed the famous White Wardrobe for a state visit to France in 1938.  Hartnell went on to design the wedding dress for Princess Elizabeth when she married Prince Philip in 1947 and also her coronation dress when she was crowned Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.  For his work with the British Royal Family, Hartnell received the Royal Warrant as dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in 1940 and later the Royal Warrant as dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II in 1957.   (Please click on the links for more information regarding the White Wardrobe, Princess Elizabeth’s wedding dress and Queen Elizabeth II coronation dress)  

The wedding of Patricia Mountbatten to John Knatchbull – 1946

The wedding of Patricia Mountbatten to John Knatchbull the 7th Baron Brabourn took place on October 26, 1946 at Romsey Abbey in Hampshire, England.  Patricia was the eldest daughter of Louis Mountbatten, the 1st Earl of Burma and Admiral of the Fleet and Edwina Ashley.  John was the second son of Michael Knatchbull, the 5th Baron Brabourne and Lady Doreen Browne, his father had been the Governor of Bombay, Governor of Bengal and then later the Viceroy of India. 

the wedding of Patricia Mountbatten to John Knatchbull
(Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret are the two bridesmaids on the bottom right)

Patrica’s wedding gown was made of Indian silver-gold brocade and she wore the diamond and pearl Mountbatten Star tiara, the tiara had previously been worn by Edwina, the bride’s mother, when she married in 1922.  The four bridesmaids, which included Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, wore blue satin long dresses with puff sleeves with floral wreaths on their heads.

Many members of the British Royal family attended the wedding including King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, notice in the photo below that the Queen is wearing a silver grey dress and a silver fox fur trimmed with ostrich feathers.  Patricia’s godfather, the Duke of Windsor, was not in attendance due to his estrangement from the British Royal family caused by his abdication in 1936. 

the Royal Family arriving at the wedding
King George VI, Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth

Prince Philip, a first cousin to the bride, was noticeably present at the wedding and his romance with Princess Elizabeth was revealed to the public when they supposedly exchange amorous glances which were caught by the photographers and newsmen covering the wedding as shown in the photo below.  Special Note: Their official engagement was announced on July 9, 1947 and the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip would take place on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey.  For more detailed information about their wedding please click on the link.   

I hope you enjoyed this post about Princess Elizabeth as a bridesmaid throughout the years.  If you are interested in information about the origin and history behind the role of the flower girl and what their purpose is in today’s modern weddings, please click on the link.

Buckingham Palace balcony

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One of the most iconic moments in a British Royal wedding, and the one that the public and the press patiently waits for in anticipation, is the scene on the Buckingham Palace balcony.  In 2011 Prince William and Kate Middleton (now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) were seen on the balcony after their wedding ceremony kissing not once but twice!!

Throughout the centuries many British Kings and Queens have appeared on the Buckingham balcony for special events such as Coronations, Jubilees, Royal weddings,  State occasions and sometimes even in the celebration of the end of war, such as World War I and World War II.  In this post I will discuss some of those events in chronological order.

The first recorded balcony appearance was by Queen Victoria in 1851 shortly after the opening of the Great Exhibition.  She took to the balcony to acknowledge the crowds that had gathered for the international event being held in the Crystal Palace.  The successful exhibition had been organized by Prince Albert to promote British manufacturing and goods.

The earliest photograph showing a Buckingham Palace balcony appearance was taken in 1893 on the occasion of the wedding of Prince George to Princess May (later King George V and Queen Mary).  The grainy photograph shows Queen Victoria standing in the center of the balcony with other wedding guests as below a carriage is seen with the bridal couple leaving for their honeymoon.

The photograph above shows Queen Victoria on the Buckingham Palace balcony on the occasion of the wedding of Prince George and Princess Mary in 1858

With the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 followed by the death of King Edward VII in 1910 the next in line to the British throne was King George V.  With his accession, the planning of his Coronation took almost a year and the event took place at Westminster Abbey on June 22, 1911.  Upon their return to Buckingham Palace King George and Queen Mary appeared on the balcony to acknowledge the good wishes of the public waiting below at the gates.

The photograph above shows King George and Queen Mary making an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony after the coronation in 1911

After the British and their Allies defeated Germany in World War I and when the Armistice was made official on November 11, 1918 crowds gathered at Buckingham Palace calling for the King to make an appearance.  King George came out on the Buckingham Palace balcony with Queen Mary and, with thunderous cheers, the crowds joyfully acknowledged their Sovereign and the end of the war.  This was the first time that a Royal appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony was recorded on film and the event was shown later in movie theaters across the country.

The photograph above shows the crowds greeting King George V and Queen Mary after the end of World War I in 1918

Following the Great War, England underwent many political and social changes.  The role of the monarchy changed with the Sovereign still the Head of State but now the elected Parliament would have the ability to determine legislation.  The Constitutional monarchy would developed with more ceremonial duties, such as Royal tours and State dinners for visiting dignitaries.  Now the once private Royal weddings would become grand public events with the famous British pomp and ceremony.

When the King and Queen’s only daughter Princess Mary married George Lascelles the Earl of Harewood in 1922 the precedence was set for future Royal weddings when the Royal couple became the first to make an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony as shown in the historical photograph below.  King George, Queen Mary and the Dowager Queen Alexandra, the bride’s grandmother, also joined the Royal couple on the balcony.  Sadly, a few short years later the Dowager would become a relative recluse at her home in Sandringham as her health declined and she died in 1925.  (Special Note: For more detailed information on this wedding, please click on the link to A Royal Wedding: Princess Mary and George Lascelles)

In the photograph above, from left to right – King George V, Princess Mary, the Earl of Harewood, the Dowager Queen Alexandra and Queen Mary

In 1923 there was another Royal wedding when the King and Queen’s second son Prince George married Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later King George VI and Queen Elizabeth)  The vivacious Lady Elizabeth was the perfect choice to be the bride for the shy “Bertie” and in the years to come she would become a very formidable force within the British Royal family. After the ceremony the new Duke and Duchess of York appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony to acknowledge the cheering crowds that had gathered.  (Special Note: For more detailed information, please click on the links to A Royal Wedding: Prince Albert and Lady Elizabeth and  A Royal Bride: Lady Elizabeth)

The Duke and Duchess of York
on the Buckingham Palace balcony on their wedding day in 1923

In 1936 after the death of his father King George V and the abdication of his brother King Edward VIII, King George VI ascended to the British throne and this period became known as “the Year of the Three Kings”.  The coronation of King George VI took place on May 12, 1937 at Westminster Abbey and afterwards the King and Queen Elizabeth appeared on the Buckingham Palace Balcony with their two young daughters, Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) and Princess Margaret.  The Dowager Queen Mary set a Royal precedence when she attended the coronation of her son and she joined the Royal family on the balcony as the crowds gathered below cheered their approval.

The photograph above was taken at the Coronation of King George VI in 1937
from left to right – Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth, Queen Mary,
Princess Margaret and King George

In 1945, after the end of World War II, joyfull crowds once again gathered in front of Buckingham Palace cheering for the King to make an appearance.  On May 8, VE Day, King George and Queen Elizabeth were joined on the balcony by Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.  Also joining the Royal family was Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister.  (Special Note:  It has long been rumored that the young Princesses begged their parents to let them join the public in the celebration of the end of the war.  The King gave his permission reluctantly and Princess Elizabeth with Princess Margaret are said to have gone unnoticed walking among the crowds on the London streets.  It has also been reported that the Princesses stood at the gates of Buckingham Palace later in the day and joined the crowds cheering for the King and Queen!)

VE Day 1945 – from right to left
Princess Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth, Winston Churchill,
King George VI and Princess Margaret

Just a few years after the end of World War II Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip were married on November 20 1947 at Westminster Abbey.  Although the cousins had known each other through the Royal family, the story goes that the Princess became smitten with the handsome Prince when she was a young girl and corresponded by letter with him during the war years and eventually the Prince proposed.  After the ceremony the Royal couple appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony to acknowledge the cheering crowds gathered at the gates.  (Special Note: For more detailed information, please click on the links to A Royal Wedding: Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip and A Royal Bride: Princess Elizabeth)

Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip
on the Buckingham Palace balcony on their wedding day in 1947

Five years later, with the death of her father King George in 1952, Queen Elizabeth II ascended to the British throne.  On June 2 1953 her Coronation took place at Westminster Abbey and Queen Elizabeth appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony with her husband Prince Phillip and their two small children, Prince Charles and Princess Anne.  (For more detailed information, please click on the link to the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II)

The photograph above was taken at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953
from left to right – Queen Elizabeth II, a young Prince Charles
and Princess Anne and Prince Philip

One of the most memorable moments to occur on the Buckingham Palace balcony took place on the occasion of the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer on July 29 1981.  The ceremony was held at St. Paul’s Cathedral instead of Westminster Abbey which has been the traditional site for Royal weddings.  What makes the balcony appearance of Prince Charles and Princess Diana such an iconic moment was that it was the first time a Royal couple had kissed.  This romantic gesture was not a sign of a fairytale marriage and in 1992 the separation of the Prince and Princess of Wales was announced and in 1996 the divorce was finalized.  Sadly, in 1997 Princess Diana died in a tragic car accident in Paris.

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer
on the Buckingham Palace balcony on their wedding day in 1981

Thirty years later, the oldest son of Prince Charles and Princess Diana, Prince William married Catherine Middleton in a grand ceremony held at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011.  After a procession through the streets of London the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge made an appearance on the Buckingham Palace balcony.  To the cheers of the crowd, the Royal couple kissed not once but twice!!

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
on the Buckingham Palace balcony on their wedding day in 2011

Throughout the years, there have been other Buckingham Palace balcony appearances.  On the occasion of her Jubilee celebrations Queen Elizabeth has made several balcony appearances – 1977 for her Silver Jubilee to mark 25 years, 2002 for her Golden Jubilee to mark 50 years, 2012 for her Diamond Jubilee to mark 60 years as Queen and 2017 for her Sapphire Jubilee.  (Special Note: Queen Elizabeth II became the longest-reigning British monarch on September 9 2015 when she surpassed the reign of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria. Most recently, on February 6  2017 Queen Elizabeth became the first British monarch to celebrate a Sapphire Jubilee, commemorating 65 years on the throne)

Queen Elizabeth II on the Buckingham Palace balcony
in celebration of her Diamond Jubilee in 2012
with Prince Charles and Prince William

Recently the engagement of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s second son, Prince Harry to Megan Markle was announced in November 2017: their wedding will take place in May 2018 at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.  Two months later, Princess Eugenie (the second daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah, the Duchess of York) and Jack Brooksbank announced their engagement in January 2018; their wedding will also take place at St. George’s Chapel in October 2018.  Since both these weddings will be taking place at Windsor Castle which is located over 30 miles from Buckingham Palace in London do not expect the traditional balcony appearance for either Royal couple.