The Wedding of John Kennedy and Jaqueline Bouvier

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On September 12, 1953 John “Jack” Kennedy and Jaqueline “Jackie” Bouvier were married in a large ceremony held at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Newport, Rhode Island followed by a huge reception held at Hammersmith Farm, the stepfather of the bride’s oceanfront estate.  At the time of the wedding, the groom was a U.S. Senator and destined to become President of the United States.  The bride was a roving reporter/photographer and she was also destined to become the fashionable and, perhaps, the most famous First Lady.  Before I discuss the details of the wedding and the reception, let’s start with how the couple meet …

Most sources indicate that Jack and Jackie were introduced by a mutual friend, Charles Bartlett, in May 1951 at a small dinner party held in Georgetown located just outside of Washington, D.C.  (In his version of their first meeting he indicates that he “leaned across the table for the asparagus and asked her for a date”)  Another possible story of their first meeting happened several years earlier in 1949 when they met casually on a train traveling from New York to or from Washington, D.C.  (Her version and first impression on meeting him was that “he was charming and handsome but a hopeless flirt”)  In reality, throughout the years, Jack and Jackie casually dated and would sometimes have long periods of time without seeing each other.  Jack was busy in Washington, D.C. or campaigning in Massachusetts and Jackie was in Europe vacationing with her sister before going to London to cover the Queen’ Elizabeth II coronation.

It seems that absence could really make the heart grow fonder, and when Jackie returned from England Jack proposed on June 24, 1953 with a stunning Van Cleef & Arpels engagement ring.  The design of the ring was very unique and featured a 2.88 carat diamond and 2.84 carat emerald with several baguette diamond accents.  (Special Note: Jackie later had the ring redesigned and replaced the baguette diamond with marquis and round diamonds.  Later, after the death of her husband, Jackie had the ring reset to the original design for sentimental reasons)

Jackie's engagement ring

After the engagement was announced the wedding planning quickly started in earnest and everybody seemed to have an option from the mother of the bride, Janet Auchincloss, to the mother of the groom, Rose Kennedy.  The only thing not questioned was the type of ceremony, since both the bride and the groom were Catholic, the location selected was St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Newport, Rhode Island.  The nuptial mass was officiated by Cardinal Richard Cushing, the Archbishop of Boston, and a special papal blessing was received from Pope Pius XII.

From the Kennedy perspective, the wedding would be seen as a political event with an extremely large guest list of Washington senators and congressmen and Massachusetts politicians. The invitation list would be approximately 800 guests for the church services and 1500 guests for the reception at Hammersmith Farm.  The bride’s sister Lee (who had recently married Michael Canfield a few months earlier in April 1953) would serve as matron of honor and her stepsister, Nina Auchincloss, was the maid of honor.  Ten additional bridesmaids were also the bride’s attendants and all were wearing pink taffeta dresses.  The groom’s brother, Bobby Kennedy, served as best man and his other brother Edward Kennedy, brother-in-law Sargent Shriver, brother-in-law Michael Canfield, Lem Billings, Red Fay, Charles Bartlett and several others served as ushers.

The bridal party

Every wedding has some problems and there was a major problem with Jackie’s father, “Black Jack” Bouvier.  Jackie’s parents had a bitter divorce back in 1940 amid adultery claims; Jack was a known womanizer as well as a heavy drinker and gambler.  Despite her father’s problems Jackie adored him and he was very proud her and very honored to be escorting her down the aisle.  But on the morning the wedding when someone went to get Jackie’s father he was found passed out drunk and it was clear that he would not be able to perform his duties, he was quietly and quickly sent out of town to avoid any embarrassment.  When Jackie arrived with her stepfather, Hugh Auchincloss, the reporters were told that Jack Bouvier had suddenly come down with a very bad cold and would be unable to attend the wedding.  Jackie was deeply disappointed about the situation with her father and she somehow blamed her mother for inadvertently causing it to happen.

 

Wedding ceremony - interior    Wedding ceremony - exterior

 

Almost 4 miles away from the church was the reception site, Hammersmith Farm which was the 300 acre estate of Hugh and Janet Auchincloss.  At the reception, the bridal couple spent three hours greeting guests on the receiving line, then after lunch the party continued with several speeches, dancing, cake cutting and the bridal bouquet toss.

 

Wedding reception - dancing    Wedding reception - cutting the cake  

 

After the wedding, the bridal couple went to New York and stayed at the Waldorf-Astoria in Manhattan before catching a flight to Acapulco, Mexico for their honeymoon.  They spent two weeks in Mexico and then stopped in California for a short stay at the San Ysidro Ranch in located in Montecito.

 

Honeymoon in Acapulco 1  Honeymoon in Santa Barbara

 

Historical Note: While on their honeymoon, Jack caught a large sailfish on a deep sea fishing trip and Jackie had the “trophy fish” stuffed and mounted.  Many years later after Jack became President of the United States; the “honeymoon fish” was hung in the White House.

 

Honeymoon Fish  Honeymoon Fish in the Roosevelt Room of the White House

 

Special Note: This post originally appeared on my other blog, theenchantedmanor.com

For more detailed information about the Jaqueline Kennedy’s bridal dress and other items worn on her wedding day, please click on the link to An American Bride – Jaqueline Bouvier Kennedy.

British Royal Wedding Cakes

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In this post will begin by discussing several of the British Royal Wedding Cakes made throughout the years starting with Queen Victoria to the most recent wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.  Then, in closing I will discuss the history of wedding cakes including the meanings of the various traditions and customs associated this delightful confectioner’s dessert served at the wedding reception.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha

The wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert took place in the Chapel Royal at St. James Palace on February 10, 1840.  Afterwards, there was a wedding breakfast at Buckingham Palace and several wedding cakes were displayed and the main cake was a single layer about three yards in circumference and fourteen inches in height, it was also noted to weigh approximately 300 pounds.  The cake was covered in white icing and decorated with several figurines and other floral embellishments.  The cake top was almost a foot in height and featured a Britannia figurine and another figurine representing Queen Victoria on the right with a pair of turtle doves at her feet, while on the left was a figurine representing Prince Albert with a dog at his feet.  A cupid figurine appears to be writing the date of their marriage into a book and there are also several additional cupids bearing the emblems of the United Kingdom.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert – wedding cake

Prince Edward and Princess Alexandra of Denmark

Prince Albert Edward and Princess Alexandra (later to become King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra) were married at St. George Chapel in Windsor Castle on March 10, 1863.  A wedding breakfast for five hundred guests was held afterwards to honor the bridal couple. Like his mother before him, several wedding cakes were made for the reception with the main wedding cake shown in the photo below.  The mail cake was a three-tiered cake with white icing, at the base were rose, thistle and shamrock festoons intertwined with the British and Denmark coat of arms.  In addition there were several figures of cupids with harps and near the top of the cake were two flags painted with the images of the Prince and Princess.  At the very top were a Prince coronet with three ostrich feathers”, the symbol of the Prince of Wales.

Prince Edward and Princess Alexandra  – wedding cake

Prince George and Princess May of Teck

Prince George and Princess May (later to become King George V and Queen Mary) were married at the Chapel Royal in St. James Palace on July 6, 1893, followed by a wedding breakfast at Buckingham Palace.  The main wedding cake measured almost seven feet high and it took over five weeks to make with almost forty separate pieces to create the figure molds; it is shown on the photo on the left.  The photo on the right shows the “second cake” which was smaller, measured four and a half feet tall and weighed almost 225 pounds.  The cake is decorated with symbols reflecting Prince George’s naval career.

  

Prince George and Princess Mary – wedding cakes

Prince Albert and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon

Prince Albert George and Lady Elizabeth (later to become King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) were married at Westminster Abbey on April 26, 1923, a wedding breakfast followed at Buckingham Palace.  There were fourteen wedding cakes and the main one featured a four-tier cake which reached almost 10 feet in height and weighted over 700 pounds, the cake was made by McVitie and Price with ingredients supplied by the Girls Guide of Australia.

Prince George and Lady Elizabeth – wedding cake

Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten 

Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Phillip Mountbatten (later to become Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh) were married on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey.  The main cake was a four tier cake was nine feet high and weighed 500 pounds, it is shown in the photo below.  The cake was elaborately decorated with Tudor roses, charming cupid figures, lavish columns and royal insignia.  At the wedding breakfast the wedding cake was cut the Duke of Edinburgh’s military sword.

Princess Elizabeth and Prince Phillip – wedding cake

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer   

Prince Charles and Lady Diana were married on July 29, 1981 at St. Paul’s Cathedral.  For the wedding breakfast held at Buckingham Palace there were an amazing 27 wedding cakes.  The main cake was five tiered and stood five feet high styled simply with only a few embellishments and took fourteen weeks to create.  The cake was decorated with white royal icing and featured the Windsor coat of arms made in marzipan; also the couple’s initials were used to adorn the cake.  The cake was topped with fresh flowers including roses, lilies of the valley and orchids.

Prince Charles and Lady Diana – wedding cake

Prince William and Catherine (Kate) Middleton

Prince William and Catherine Middleton, now known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, were married on April 29, 2011 at Westminster Abbey.   In following the royal tradition, a wedding breakfast was held after the ceremony at Buckingham Palace.  Fiona Cairns a traditional fruit cake covered with white fondant and additional piping and scrollwork; she incorporated many historical and symbolic decorations.  There were the traditional gum paste flowers including the rose for England, the thistle for Scotland, daffodils for Wales and shamrocks for Ireland.  As a special touch the Sweet William flowers, symbolizing gallantry, were also used to honor the groom.

Prince William and Katherine Middleton – wedding cake

    

Prince Harry and Meghan Mrkle, now known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, were married on May 19, 2018 at St. George’s Chapel located at Windsor Castle.  The first of their two wedding receptions was held in the St. George’s Hall.  This reception was officially hosted by Queen Elizabeth and the highlight of the luncheon was the wedding cake made by London based baker Claire Ptak of Violet Bakery.  Sitting upon several golden stands the layered Amalfi lemon and English elderflower cake was decorated with peonies in shades of white and cream.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – wedding cake

White House Weddings – Part One

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In this two part series on White House Weddings I will focus on eleven of the eighteen weddings that have been documented as taking place at the White House located in Washington, D.C., the Capitol of the United States.  The eleven weddings on the list include one President and the ten children of eight Presidents.  In Part One, I will discuss the weddings from 1820 to 1886 starting with Maria Monroe, John Adams II, Elizabeth Tyler, Nellie Grant and President Grover Cleveland, the only President to be married in the White House (more information on that later).   In Part Two, I will discuss the weddings from 1906 to 1971 that include Alice Roosevelt, the three daughters of President Woodrow Wilson, Lynda Johnson and Tricia Nixon.  (Special Note: The other seven weddings which have been recorded to take place in the White House included relatives or working associates of the President and will not be covered in this series)

March 9, 1820 – Maria Monroe and Samuel Gouverneur

The wedding of Maria Monroe and Samuel Gouverneur took place on March 9, 1820 but it would be overshadowed by controversy and an untimely death.  Maria was the seventeen year old daughter of President James Monroe (the fifth President) and Samuel was her twenty-one year old first cousin and also one of President Monroe’s White House secretaries.

At the time of the engagement the First Lady, Elizabeth Kortright Monroe, was unable to help with the wedding arrangements due to illness (the Monroe family rarely entertained during their time in Washington) and the job was taken over by Eliza Hays, the older sister of Maria.  According to White House records, the candlelight wedding ceremony for Maria and Samuel took place in the Elliptical Saloon, today the room is known as the Blue Room.  After the wedding ceremony there was a reception in the State Dining Room.  This small and intimate wedding outraged numerous political and diplomatic members of Washington D.C. society which had not been invited.  Perhaps to compensate for the error in judgement, several gala events were planned after the wedding day to honor the newlyweds.  But once again, unfortunate circumstances prevailed when the ball at the home of Commodore Stephen Decatur was marred by tragedy when days before the event he was killed in a duel.

Maria Monroe Gouverneur

Samuel and Maria Gouverneur eventually left Washington D.C. to live in New York where Samuel served as a member of the New York State Assembly in 1825 and then Postmaster of New York City from 1828 to 1836.  The couple had three children; James, Elizabeth and Samuel.  After the death of President James Monroe’s wife in 1830, the former President came to live at the Gouverneur’s home until his death in 1831.  In 1840, the Gouverneurs moved back to Washington D.C. and Samuel worked in the consular bureau of the US Department of State from 1844 to 1849.  Maria died on June 20, 1850, and a year later Samuel married Mary Digges Lee.  There is conflicting information as to when Samuel died, some obituaries state he died on September 29, 1865 while other sources say he lived until 1867.

February 25, 1828 – John Adams II and Mary Hellen

The wedding of John Adams II and Mary Hellen took place in the Blue Room of the White House on February 25, 1828.  John was the twenty-five year old son of President John Quincy Adams (the sixth President) and grandson of President John Adams (the second President) and Mary was the twenty-two year old niece of Louisa Adams, the wife of President John Quincy.  This lineage meant that John and Mary were first cousins.

Mary had come to live with John Quincy and Louisa Adams after the death of her parents.  Throughout her years living within the household, she became an outrageous flirt and tormented the three sons of Mr. and Mrs. Adams.  She first became romantically involved with Charles, the youngest brother, but when she quickly tired of him she turned her attention to George, the eldest brother.  But it was decided that George, a known alcoholic and womanizer, needed to focus on his studies at Harvard.  Ultimately with Charles away at college John, the middle brother, decided he would pursue Mary.  When they too became romantically involved Mrs. Adams, although she greatly disapproved of the match, decided that enough was enough and she quickly arranged their marriage.  Needless to say, Charles and George declined to attend the wedding.

John and Mary went on to have two daughters, Mary and Georgiana.  John attempted a career in business operating a Washington area flour mill which was owned by his father.  Eventually the business failure and John’s alcoholism lead to his death on October 23, 1834.  Mary lived with John Quincy and Louisa Adams and cared for them until their deaths in 1848 and 1852.  Mary died in Bethlehem, New Hampshire on August 31, 1870

January 31, 1842 – Elizabeth Tyler and William Waller

The wedding of Elizabeth Tyler and William Waller took place on January 31, 1842 in the East Room of the White House.  Elizabeth was the eighteen year old daughter of President John Tyler (the 10th President) and William was a young attorney and a family friend from Williamsburg, Virginia.

Elizabeth Tyler Waller

This White House wedding was a much larger occasion then the previous two weddings and necessitated the bigger East Room instead of the smaller Blue Room.  Since President Tyler had just recently been sworn in after the death of President William Harrison and because he was less than popular due to his political decisions Congress refused to appropriated funds to upkeep the White House and the event was more subdued.  The wedding of her daughter would mark the only public appearance by the ill First Lady Letitia Tyler and sadly she died later that same year.  Later, when President Tyler started courting the widow Julia Gardiner after a relatively short mourning period it caused a scandal in Washington.  In June 1844, the couple was married in New York.  (Special Note: As previously noted at the beginning of this post, President Grover Cleveland was the only President that was married in the White House.  This statement holds true because, although President Tyler married for a second time during his term in office, the wedding took place in New York)

Elizabeth and William later moved to Williamsburg, Virginia and they had four children.  Sadly Elizabeth died in childbirth in 1850 and William went on to marry twice more, he died in 1894.

May 21, 1874 – Nellie Grant and Algernon Sartoris

Nellie Grant and Algernon Sartoris married on May 21, 1874 in the East Room of the White House.  Nellie was the eightteen year-old daughter of President Ulysses S. Grant (the 18th President) and she was noted as being both beautiful and well educated.  She met the much older Algernon while onboard a ship in which she was returning from a grand tour of Europe.  She had fallen in love with the Englishman and despite objections her parents would eventually consented to the marriage.

Algernon Sartoris and Nellie Grant

At the time the White House was draped in black crepe on the doors, windows, mirrors and chandeliers in mourning for the death of President Millard Fillmore.  So, to prepare for the wedding these decorations were quickly removed.  In anticipated for the most grand event of the social season in Washington D.C, the East Room was redecorated with three new French chandeliers and freshly painted in white and gold leaf accents.  A special platform was built in front of the window; the four columns of the structure were decorated with patriotic red, white and blue.  A special bell-shaped floral arrangement of pink roses was suspended above the platform.  The curtains were closed and the room glowed with soft lighting and to complete the festive decorations palm trees and more floral arrangements were placed throughout the room.

The wedding ceremony of Algernon Sartoris and Nellie Grant

In other areas of the White House, the State Dining Room was set for a breakfast with specially invited guests and the room was decorated with pink and white roses and azaleas.  Since President Grant was a great Civil War general and admired by many people in the country, many expensive gifts had been sent to the White House in the weeks before the wedding, it was considered a custom to display these in one of the rooms of the White House.

The wedding gifts for Algernon Sartoris and Nellie Grant on display in the White House

Nellie wore a wedding dress of white satin with a six-foot train, she also wore a rose-point rose lace wedding veil attached to her head with a crown of white orchid and orange blossoms which were grown in the White House conservatory.  Nellie carried a bouquet of roses with a pearl fan attached; it was a gift from her parents.

Nellie and Algernon went on to have four children but it was not a happy marriage due to the fact that he was an alcoholic and a womanizer.  Algernon died in 1893 and Nellie remarried in 1912.  In 1914 she suffered a stroke which left her paralyzed, she died in 1922.

June 2, 1886 – President Grover Cleveland and Frances Folsom

President Grover Cleveland served two separate terms; he was both the twenty–second (1885 to 1889) and the twenty-four (1893 to1897) President of the United States.  It was during his first term that President Cleveland married his ward, Frances Folsom, he was 49 and she was 21 years-old.  The wedding took place on June 2, 1886 in the Blue Room of the White House; he was the only President to be married within the executive mansion.

President Grover Cleveland and Frances Folsom

Frances was the daughter of Grover’s law partner and friend, Oscar Folsom.  Grover had known Frances since her birth and when her father died in 1875 (she was eleven years-old at the time) Grover became executor of the Folsom estate and as a result Frances became his ward.  In the following years Grover supervised expenses and arrange her education and by the time Frances was a student at Wells College in New York she had grown into a beautiful young girl.  Then in 1885 things started to happen rather quickly and in March when he started his first term in office President Grover was still a bachelor.  He had fallen in love with Frances and with her mother’s permission Grover began to seriously court her.  In August, after her graduation from college, Grover proposed to Frances and the engagement was kept a secret until a few days before the wedding.

The White House was beautifully decorated for the summertime wedding.  In the East Room the fireplace and mantel were covered with flowers from the White House conservatory and large palm trees were set in porcelain vases throughout the room. The columns in the Cross Hall were draped with garlands and large patriotic shields were created from red and white roses and blue carnations.  The Red and Green Rooms were also decorated with floral arrangements.  The Blue Room fireplace was filled with red begonias to represent a fire, while on the mantel numerous pansies had been arranged to form the initials “C” and “F”, the chandelier was decorated with roses and palm trees were also placed throughout the room.  In the State Dining Room the large table was covered with a white damask tablecloth with the long Monroe plateau arranged with an abundance of flowers set with a special floral ship representing the bridal couple sailing toward blissful matrimony.

The wedding ceremony of President Grover Cleveland and Frances Folsom

Frances wore a wedding dress of ivory satin trimmed with orange blossoms, later she had the dress altered to be worn at White House receptions and she also wore the dress in a formal portrait.  The President wore a classic tuxedo with a white bow tie on their wedding day.

   

Frances Folsom Cleveland on her wedding day

Despite this seemingly scandalous situation of a much older man marrying a young girl (keep in mind that Grover was 27 years older than Frances and she was previously his ward) the nation openly accepted the President and the new First Lady.  When he lost his re-election, Frances is quoted as telling the White House staff that they would soon be back.  Indeed four years later in 1893 when President Cleveland won a second nonconsecutive term they did return!

President Cleveland and Frances have a very happy marriage and had five children – Ruth, Esther, Marion, Richard and Francis.  After retirement the family had moved to the Cleveland estate, Westland Mansion, in Princeton, New Jersey.  President Cleveland died in 1908 and is buried in Princeton, New Jersey.  Five years after his death Frances married Thomas Preston and when she died in 1947 she choose to be buried alongside her first husband, President Cleveland.

Next, in Part Two of White House Weddings, I will discuss the weddings from 1906 to 1971 that include Alice Roosevelt, the three daughters of President Woodrow Wilson, Lynda Johnson and Tricia Nixon.

Hartnell’s Famous White Wardrobe

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In this post I will discuss the Famous White Wardrobe of 1938 that Norman Hartnell created for Queen Elizabeth (later known as the Queen Mother).  I will also briefly discuss the fashion career of Hartnell and his work with the Royal family.  I offer this information regarding the dress designs of Hartnell to perhaps provide inspiration for a mature mother or grandmother of the bride or groom planning what to wear for the wedding.

Norman Hartnell (born June 12, 1901 died June 8, 1979) was a British fashion designer and is best known as the dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and later, her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II.  In the mid-1930s, Hartnell had firmly established himself as a successful designer specializing in elegant afternoon and evening dresses for the London society.  He also designed wedding and bridesmaid dresses for several British Royal Weddings.  The Duchess of York (later known as Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) met Hartnell for the first time in 1935 when her young daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess, were bridesmaids in the wedding of Prince Henry (the Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V) to Lady Alice.  Unfortunately, due to the death of Lady Alice’s father the large state wedding scheduled for Westminster Abbey was cancelled and the royal couple was married in a smaller private ceremony at the Chapel Royal in St. James Palace so the public only saw Princess Alice’s going-away outfit that Hartnell had designed.

In 1937, when her husband, Albert, unexpectedly became King George VI, Queen Elizabeth (formerly known as the Duchess of York) felt obligated to use her current dress designer, Madame Handley-Seymour, to create her coronation gown.  Several years earlier, in 1923, on the recommendation of her future mother-in-law Queen Mary, the Duchess of York had commissioned Handley-Seymour to design her wedding dress and had since used her to create her royal wardrobe.  But, Queen Elizabeth had been so impressed with the dresses Hartnell had created previously for her daughters that she commissioned him to design the gowns for her Maids of Honor at the coronation.

Once again, Queen Elizabeth was so pleased with the maids coronation dresses that afterwards Hartnell began to exclusively create her entire royal wardrobe.  Then in 1938, prior to a scheduled Royal Tour planned to France, the Queen’s mother the Countess of Strathmore died and the trip was postponed for three weeks. Hartnell had been commissioned to design 30 outfits for the upcoming visit but since the Royal Court Mourning period required a somber wardrobe the colorful outfits he had designed were deemed inappropriate.  This Royal Tour was extremely important to build a solid political alliance between Britain and France especially at that time due to the growing hostilities in Europe and appearances were also very important in establishing a good impression.

The tradition dedicated for Court Mourning allowed black clothing but after an extended period of time eventually purple and mauve colored dresses.  These colors would set the wrong tone for the visit and would also be a highly unsuitable choice during the hot summer months in France.  Hartnell came up with a solution to the problems when he discovered that in the past white was previously used as an acceptable color during the Court Mourning period.  So, in less than three weeks new dresses were created and the Queen left London wearing somber black but arrived in Paris with an entire wardrobe of white dresses.

   

      

Normally not known as a fashion icon, especially in her later years, the famous “White Wardrobe” worn by the Queen in Paris during the Royal Tour of France in 1938 caused an international fashion sensation.  Hartnell had designed romantic day and evening dresses made of beautiful white fabrics such as the finest silks, chiffons, lace and tulle which were embellished with sequin and pearls.  Inspired by a Winterhalter portrait of Queen Victoria, Hartnell incorporated crinoline into the dress designs and the Queen also revived a past fashion trend by accessorizing her outfits with lovely parasols to match each dress.  With the great press coverage and wonderful reviews of her clothing, the Queen wanted to commemorate the success of the Paris visit by commissioning her favorite royal photographer, Cecil Beaton, to document the beautiful Hartnell dresses in a series of portraits taken in the State Rooms and gardens of Buckingham Palace.

 

In 1940, Hartnell received the highest honor of a Royal Warrant as the principal dress designer for the Queen and he continued to make her royal wardrobe over the years for her daily Royal engagements and other events, such as the 1947 South Africa Royal Tour.  Hartnell also increased his work with the Royal Family by designing dresses for the Queen’s two daughters, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, as they grew into beautiful young women.  In 1947, he was commissioned to create Princess Elizabeth’s wedding dress when she married Prince Phillip and later when her father, King George VI, died Hartnell designed her coronation dress in 1953 when she became Queen Elizabeth II.

(For more detailed information about Princess Elizabeth’s wedding dress, please click on the link to A Royal Bride – Princess Elizabeth.  For information about Queen Elizabeth’s coronation dress, please click on the link to Queen Elizabeth II Coronation.

“Tying the Knot”

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In this post I will discuss one of the oldest wedding traditions and some say the reason behind the phrase tying the knot.  The tradition dates back many centuries to the ancient Celtics when during the marriage ceremony the couple’s hands were literally tied together to symbolize the binding union and unbreakable bond between the couple.  This pagan custom became known as handfasting and was later incorporated into the religious ceremony throughout Ireland, Scotland and England.  Today, handfasting has become a growing trend in modern wedding ceremonies and is generally performed after the vows and ring exchange.

The handfasting custom was recently seen at the British Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle which took place in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor in May 2018.  During the service the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Justin Welby, solemnly wrapped the stole of his religious ceremonial vestments several times around the hands and wrists of the bride and the groom.

A variation of the tying the knot custom is sometimes performed in the Catholic wedding ceremony and the origin of this tradition can be traced back to countries such as Spain, Mexico and the Philippines.  During the service the best man and the maid/matron of honor will place a special white wedding cord tied into an infinity loop that is placed over the heads of the bride and groom to rest around their shoulders.  This custom symbolizes the lifetime union of the bride and groom that have been joined together in matrimony.  Afterwards, the cord is usually saved as a significant memento of the wedding and can sometimes even be passed on to the children of the bridal couple to be used years later at their weddings.

Another interpretation of the tying of the knot custom can be performed using two pieces of rope.  During the wedding ceremony the bridal couple will tie the two ropes together with a fisherman’s knot to symbolize that these two individuals are joining their lives together to become one.  The fisherman’s knot is generally used for this custom because it is considered the strongest knot and the most difficult to be untie.  The wedding “love knot” can be saved and later framed as a lasting memento of the wedding and it would be a great idea to personalize the frame to include the bride & groom’s names and the wedding date.

IDEAS AND SUGGESTIONS FOR WEDDING “LOVE KNOTS”

There is a story that in centuries long past sailors far away at sea or soldiers fighting in distant countries that were intent on marrying a loved one back home would send them a secret message with a simple rope.  If it was sent back with the rope tied into a knot it would mean that she was agreeable to marriage, hence the name “love knot”!!

As previously mentioned, shown in the section above is an idea for framing a wedding love knot, here are a few more ideas and suggestions for incorporating love knots into a wedding ceremony or reception.

Save the Date

Shown below are two ideas for save the date cards which are sometimes sent after an engagement but before the actual wedding invitation or announcements.

Wedding invitation or announcement

For a wedding invitation or announcement, the two ideas shown below feature elegant satin ribbons tied into love knots.

Jewelry

Shown below are two ideas featuring the romantic love knot and either choice would make a wonderful engagement or wedding present or perhaps even a special gift for the bridesmaids to commemorate the bride and groom’s special day.

Bridal bouquet

Long ago there was a tradition of tying the ribbons of a bridal bouquet with love knots, as shown in the photo below.

Shown below are two modern twists on love knots for a bridal bouquet, the first one features elegant knots tied into the ribbons of the bouquet wrap which would be perfect for a formal wedding and the second one is a macramé bouquet wrap which would be a great idea for a bohemian-style wedding.

Reception place settings

For a beach or nautical themed wedding reception, a rope love knot would make a wonderful place setting card holder or a table number holder.

Reception napkin ring

Another idea for a beach or nautical themed wedding reception would be a rope love knot napkin rings as shown in the photo below.

The next idea would be for a formal wedding reception and a napkin could be tied into a simple knot with the name of the guest tucked inside.

Wedding favors

Pretzels would make the perfect “love knot” themed wedding favor and shown below are two different styles of packaging.

A British Royal Wedding – Prince George and Princess May of Teck

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In the ongoing series about British Royal Weddings this post will be about the grandson of Queen Victoria, Prince George and his wedding to Princess May of Teck.  For more information about the previous posts in the series, just click on the link to the first post in the series about the wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Prince George (later King George V) to Princess May of Teck (later Queen Mary)
Date and location:  July 6, 1893 at the Chapel Royal, St. James Palace

Previously Princess Victoria Mary of Teck (known as “May” to her family) had been engaged to Prince Albert Victor, the eldest son of Prince Albert Edward (later King Edward VII) and Princess Alexandra, he was also the grandson of Queen Victoria.  Sadly, Prince Albert Victor died suddenly of pneumonia on January 14, 1892 six weeks after their engagement had been announced.  (Special Note: I know it seems very confusing with so many men of the British Royal family to be named Prince Albert but this is something that Queen Victoria insisted on as a way to honor her beloved husband, Prince Albert, who died in 1861!!)

Prince Albert Victor and Princess May of Teck

Queen Victoria was very concerned about the line of succession; Prince George who was the second son of Prince Albert Edward was previously the second in line to the British throne but with the death of his brother he now move up in the line of succession.  The Queen had grown very fond of Princess May and always felt that she would make the perfect wife of a future King.  So, after the required period of mourning the death of Prince Albert Victor, the Queen strongly encouraged Prince George to marry his deceased brother’s fiancé.  By the early part of 1893, Prince George had come to truly love Princess May and he duly proposed to her, needless to say this made Queen Victoria very happy!

Prince George and Princess May at the time of their engagement

On July 6, 1893, the day of the wedding day, the Royal procession started from Buckingham Palace through the streets of London to St. James Palace.  One carriage had the bridegroom Prince George and his supporters who were his father Prince Albert and his uncle the Duke of Edinburgh.  Another carriage had the bride Princess May, her father the Duke of Teck and her brother Prince Adolphus.  The final carriage in the procession carried Queen Victoria accompanied by the bride’s mother the Duchess of Teck and the Grand Duke of Hesse.

Upon arriving at St. James Palace, members of the Royal party proceeded to the State Apartment, walking down the Grand Staircase and into the Royal Chapel.  The path was covered with a crimson red carpet and decorated with palm trees and flowers from the Royal Gardens.  The Queen arrived dressed solemnly in a black satin dress with a blue ribbon sash across the bodice pinned with the Order of the Garter.  On her head she wore a small diamond crown with a white veil attached, it was the veil that she had worn on her own wedding day many years earlier.  With the aid of an ebony cane she walked down to her seat at the front of the Chapel to join the rest of the Royal family.

The bridegroom, Prince George, entered the Chapel shortly thereafter dressed in his Fleet Captain naval uniform pinned with his special military medals.  He was accompanied by his cousin, the Tsarevich Nicholas of Russia, as well as his father, Prince Albert Edward the Prince of Wales, and his uncle, the Duke of Edinburgh. “March in G,” composed by Smart was played for the groom’s procession.  (Special Note: Many guests were surprised by the remarkable resemblance between Prince George and Tsarevich Nicholas because they looked almost identical in both stature and appearance)

The procession of the groom, Prince George, into the Royal Chapel

The last to enter the Royal Chapel was the bride, Princess May, who was accompanied by her five bridesmaids and five more children attendants.  The bride, escorted by her father, slowly proceeded down the aisle to the music of Lohengrin to join the groom waiting at the front of the Chapel.  As with most important Royal religious services, the Archbishop of Canterbury performed the marriage ceremony.

Princess May with her bridesmaids and other attendants

Princess May wore an ivory silk satin dress with a long train; the dress was accented with Honiton lace and decorated with garlands of orange blossoms.  The fabric design incorporated roses, shamrocks and thistles embroidered in silver thread.  The Princess completed her bridal ensemble by wearing a small veil that had been worn by her mother, Princess Mary Adelaide the Duchess of Teck, on her wedding day.  For the wedding ceremony, the Princess carried a large bridal bouquet made entirely of white flowers which included “York” roses, orchids, lilies of the valley, carnations, orange blossoms and of course the traditional sprig of myrtle.  Special Note: There is a charming story that on the morning of their wedding Prince George had a glimpse of Princess Mary in the distance at the end on a long corridor in Buckingham Palace and the Prince had gallantly bowed to the Princess before continuing on his way. (For more information about Princess May’s bridal dress and other items worn on her wedding day, please click on the link to A Royal Bride – Princess May)

Guided by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the groom said his vows in a strong voice which could be heard throughout the Chapel while the bride quietly recited her vows that were barely heard beyond the first few rows of people.  To conclude the wedding ceremony, there was a short homily by the Archbishop, then a closing hymn of “Now Thank We All Our God” and a special prayer.  Before recessing from the Chapel to “Mendelssohn’s Wedding March”, Princess May first turned to kiss Queen Victoria and then the bridal couple received the congratulations from the groom’s parents, Prince and Princess of Wales and the bride’s parents, the Duke and Duchess of Teck.  After leaving the Chapel, the bridal couple and some of the Royal family went to the Throne Room in St. James Palace to sign the wedding registry.

Princess May kissing Queen Victoria after the wedding ceremony

Prince George and Princess May recessing from the Chapel Royal

After the wedding, the newly married couple and their invited guests traveled by carriages from St. James Palace to Buckingham Palace for a wedding breakfast.  After entering the Palace, Queen Victoria and Prince George and Princess May (now the new Duke and Duchess of York) along with the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Teck appeared on the balcony.  The large crowd which had formed in front of Palace began to cheer enthusiastically and the Queen was very pleased with the response.

Queen Victoria with Prince George and Princess May
on the Buckingham Palace balcony

Immediately after the balcony appearance, the wedding breakfast started and for almost two hours the guests were served wonderful food and toasts were given to honor the bridal couple, shown below is the wedding breakfast menu.

  
 
The wedding breakfast of the Duke and Duchess of York

As with most Royal wedding celebrations, there were several cakes made for the wedding of Prince George and Princess May.  The main wedding cake, shown on the left, measured almost seven feet high and it took the Royal confectioner over five weeks to make almost forty separate pieces of plaster used to create the figure molds.  The photo on the right shows the “second cake” which was smaller, measured four and a half feet tall and weighed almost 225 pounds.  The cake is decorated with symbols reflecting Prince George’s naval career.

  

At the conclusion of the wedding breakfast, Prince George and Princess May changed into their “going away” clothes, said good bye to the Queen and their parents, and took a carriage to the Liverpool Street Train Station for the journey to Norfolk and Sandringham, the Prince of Wales country estate, which was their honeymoon destination.

Prince George and Princess May leaving Buckingham Palace after the wedding breakfast traveling by carriage to the train station to board the train to Sandringham

For more information about the previous posts in the series, just click on the links to the first post in the series about the wedding of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, the second post about the wedding of Prince Albert Edward to Princess Alexandra of Denmark and the third post about the wedding of Prince George to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.

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.

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation

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This year marks the 65th anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II which took place on June 2, 1953.  In this post I will describe the various parts of the elaborate coronation ceremony and also the Queen’s coronation dress designed by Norman Hartnell.

Historical Note: The Queen now holds the record as the longest reigning British monarch and is the only one to have celebrated a Sapphire Jubilee.  In September 2015 she surpassed the reign of Queen Victoria, her great great grandmother, who reigned for 64 years from 1837 to 1901.

The Accession and Preparations for the Coronation

Upon the death of King George VI on February 6, 1953, his daughter, Elizabeth ascended to the throne and was proclaimed queen by the Privy Council.  The formal coronation ceremony was not held until one year later since the festivities would be deemed inappropriate during the period of mourning that follows the death of the monarch.

In April 1952 the coronation committee, under the leadership of Bernard Fitzalan-Howard the Duke of Norfolk and overseen by Prince Phillip the Duke of Edinburgh was formed to plan the coronation ceremony. The coronation was scheduled to take place on June 2, 1953 which would allow for 16 months of preparation time.  Westminster Abbey was closed for several months while construction crews prepared the exterior and interior.  Viewing stands were also built along the route from Buckingham Palace to the Abbey.

Sadly just a few weeks before the coronation day Queen Mary, the grandmother of Queen Elizabeth, died on March 24, 1953.  Normally, there would be a long mourning period and the coronation would have been postponed for several months but according to the wishes expressed in the dowager Queen’s will she stated that her death should not affect the planned coronation and the event should precede as scheduled.

Rehearsals involving all participants were held in the days prior to the coronation date.  Key members that would participate in the coronation rehearsal of  the different parts of the ceremony and the Queen took part in two full dress rehearsals just days before the coronation date.  She had practiced the procession back at the palace with her maids of honor carrying a long sheet instead of the coronation robe.  The Queen also wore the Imperial State Crown during the days leading up to the event so that she could get used to the heavy weight of the crown.

The Coronation Ceremony

On coronation day approximately three million people gathered on the streets of London.  Journalists came from around the world to report on the festivities and for the first time in history the BBC was going to broadcast the coronation ceremony to more than twenty million viewers around the world.  There had been considerable debate within the British Cabinet and Prime Minister Winston Churchill was opposed to the idea but Queen Elizabeth insisted that the event should be filmed for television.

The coronation ceremony for the monarch of England has taken place in Westminster Abbey since William I was crowned in 1066.  At the time of his coronation centuries ago there was an older smaller church on the present site in the City of Westminster (London) prior to the building of the current large gothic cathedral.  Most people will recognize Westminster Abbey as the place where Prince William married Catherine Middleton in April 2011, the site has also been used for many other Royal Wedding throughout the years.

On the day of the coronation, prior to the arrival of the Queen, various foreign royalty and heads of state arrived in a procession of carriages and one of the last to arrive to the Abbey was the Irish State Coach carrying the Queen Mother.  Of course the last to arrive was Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip who traveled in grand style from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Gold State Coach pulled by eight matching horses.

The Gold State Coach was built in 1762 and has been used in every coronation since King George IV, the coach weighs four tons and is 24 feet long and 12 feet high.  The gold gilded enclosed coach features panels painted by Giovanni Cipriani and at the four corners are tritons that represent Britain’s imperial power and on the roof are three gilded cherubs that represent England, Ireland and Scotland, the interior of the coach is lined with velvet and satin.

The coronation ceremony for Queen Elizabeth II was performed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the most senior cleric in the Church of England.  Other clergy and peer members had additional roles and most of the participants were required to wear ceremonial robes or uniforms for the ceremony.  Government officials and representatives from foreign countries along with members of the royal family throughout England and the Commonwealth nations were also invited, approximately 8,000 guests.

The Procession –

Finally with everyone assembled the coronation ceremony starts with the procession of the royal regalia.  Preceding the Queen into the Abbey are the royal maces, three ceremonial swords representing mercy, spiritual and temporal justice, the Sword of State, St. Edward’s Staff and lastly St. Edward’s Crown.  Normally the Sovereign enters wearing a traditional crimson surcoat, this is usually worn for the duration of the ceremony and the other coronation garments and robes are placed over it.  Instead of a surcoat Queen Elizabeth entered the Abbey wearing her custom designed coronation gown made by Norman Hartnell and the Robe of State carried by her eight Maids of Honor.

The different sections of the coronation ceremony have largely remained unchanged over the centuries.  After the procession, Queen Elizabeth arrives at the front of the Abbey, she kneels to pray and then sits in the Chair of Estate as the royal regalia is brought forward and placed on the altar.  Then she moves to stand before King Edward’s Chair which is also known as the Coronation Chair.

The Coronation Chair was commissioned for the coronation of King Edward I and carved in 1297.  The high back Gothic chair features four gilded lions that function as the legs of the chair.  Since 1308 all British sovereigns have used the chair at their coronations, with the exception of Queen Mary I who was crowned in a chair given to her by the Pope and Queen Mary II who was crowned in a copy of the chair.  In the past, a space below the seat of the chair held the coronation stone of Scotland, also known as the Stone of Scone.  After much debate, in 1996 the Stone of Scone was returned to Scotland but with the provision that it would be returned for the next coronation.

The Recognition –

During this section of the ceremony, the Archbishop along with the other clergy presents the Queen to the four corners of the Abbey, starting at the east, south, west and north.  The congregation signifies their acknowledgement and shouts their joy.  The Queen accepts their acclamation while standing in front of the Coronation Chair.

The Oath –

The Queen then sits in the Coronation Chair and the Archbishop stands before her to ask her if she is prepared to take the Oath.  The Queen places her right hand on the Bible and she pledges to uphold the laws of the State and Church of England.  Afterwards she kisses the Bible and signs the Oath.

The service continues with a reading from the Gospel by one of the Bishops followed by several hymns sung by the choir and then the Archbishop will recite more prayers.

The Anointing –

The Queen rises and with the assistance of the Mistress of Robes she is dressed in an anointing gown made of plain white cloth that fastens in the back, it was specially made to be worn over her coronation gown.  The Queen once again moves to the Coronation Chair and four Knights of the Garter approach with a pall (canopy) made of silk to shield the public from this most sacred part of the coronation ceremony.

The Dean of Westminster takes the Ampulla and the Coronation Spoon from the Altar and with the Archbishop goes to stand before the Queen.  The Dean pours the Holy Oil into the Spoon and the Archbishop anoints the hands, breast and head of the Queen.  She then kneels and the Archbishop gives her a blessing.  The Knights of the Garter remove the pall and walk away.

The Queen rises with the aid of the Mistress of Robes and she removes the anointing gown replacing it with afresh clean tunic, known as the Colobium Sindonis.  Then, the Supertunica is put on and fastened with a Girdle and the Stole is draped over her shoulders and finally the Imperial Mantel.  The Queen then returns to sit in the Coronation Chair.

The Investiture –

This is the portion of the coronation ceremony when more items of the royal regalia are presented to the Queen, such as the Spurs, the Sword of State, the Armills and the Orb.  The Coronation Ring is also presented and placed on the fourth finger of the Queen’s right hand.  Next the Sceptre with the Cross and the Rod with the Dove are given to the Queen.

The Crowning –

Finally this is the part of the ceremony that is the most solemn.  The Archbishop stands before the Altar and takes St. Edward’s Crown into his hands and says a prayer.  He returns to the Queen sitting in the Coronation Chair and reverently raises the Crown over her head for a few moments and then slowly lowers it onto the Queen’s head.  This act constitutes the actual crowning of the Sovereign who symbolically takes possession of the kingdom.

As the Queen is being crowned, simultaneously the Princes, Princesses and Peers put on their crowns and coronets and a shout goes out among those gathered in the Abbey, “God Save the Queen”.

The Homage –

The Sceptre with the Cross and the Rod with the Dove are given to a peer to hold for the duration of the Homage.  The first to pay homage to the Queen are the Archbishop and the other bishops who kneel before the Queen and pledge their support.  Then the Duke of Edinburgh pays his homage, pledges his support and kisses the Queen’s left cheek.  Next follow the other royal members and peers who have gathered to witness the coronation ceremony.

Just before Communion, the Queen will have the Crown removed and the Orb will be given to a peer to hold.  After Communion the Queen will kneel before the Coronation Chair with the Duke of Edinburgh at her side, the Duke’s coronet will also be removed. The Archbishop will say several prayers and he ends with a blessing for the royal couple.

The Recessional –

The Queen will go into the private chapel for a few minutes and as she returns she is now wearing the Imperial Crown.  The Sceptre with the Cross are placed into her right hand and the Orb into her left hand.  Then, the Queen will leave the Abbey as the congregation sings the National Anthem.  The members of the Royal family, clergy and guests will slowly follow.  Upon exiting the Abbey the Queen and Duke take their seats in the Gold State Coach and escorted by thousands of military personnel from around the Commonwealth as they make their way back to Buckingham Palace through the streets of London.

The Coronation Wardrobe of Queen Elizabeth II

In 1953, for her coronation ceremony, Queen Elizabeth II worn a specially made gown designed by Norman Hartnell instead of the normal surcoat.  The coronation gown was made of white silk with intricate embroidery of the floral symbols of the countries of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth Nations, including the English Tudor rose, a Scottish thistle, a Welsh leek, an Irish shamrock, a Canadian maple leaf, an Australian wattle flower, a New Zealand fern and a South African protea.  Unknown to the Queen at the time, Hartnell cleverly had a four-leaf clover embroidered on the left side of the dress where Queen Elizabeth’s hand would touch it throughout the day.

Over her gown, the Queen wore the Robe of State when she entered the Abbey for the coronation ceremony.  Attached to the shoulders of the dress, the purple hand woven silk velvet robe was lined in ermine and had a train that was six yards long.  The robe was beautifully embroidered with gold thread that featured a design of wheat and olive branches to represent peace and prosperity and the train ends with the Queen’s crowned cypher.

The Queen also wore the diamond Coronation Necklace and Earrings that were originally made in 1858 for the coronation of Queen Victoria.  The Coronation necklace was also worn at the coronations of Queen Alexandra in 1901, Queen Mary in 1911 and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother in 1937.  At the time of the coronation in 1953 the necklace had 25 graduated cushion-cut diamonds set in silver with gold links and a large 22 carat diamond pendant known as the Lahore Diamond.  The matching Coronation Earrings were also made in 1858 and consist of four cushion-cut diamonds and two drop diamond pendants that are approximately 12 and 7 carats each.

On the journey to the coronation ceremony from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey the Queen wore the George IV State Diadem, it was made in 1820 for the coronation of King George IV.   The diadem has 1333 diamonds, including a four-carat yellow diamond, and 169 pearls with a design that alternates between crosses and a floral design which incorporate roses, thistles and shamrocks which are the symbols of England, Scotland and Ireland.

The diadem was later worn by Queen Adelaide, the consort of King William IV.  Queen Victoria inherited it in 1837 and she wore it at her coronation during the recessional from Westminster Abbey.  Upon her death in 1901 the diadem was passed to a secession of Queen consorts; Queen Alexandra, Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth.  The diamen is now part of the Queen’s Personal Jewel Collection and should be easily recognizable as it is worn by the current Queen on the postage stamps, coins and currency of England.  The diadem is also worn in the annual procession from Buckingham Palace to the State Opening Parliament.

England is the only European country that still uses royal regalia for the consecration ceremony of their king or queens.  Some of these items are hundreds of years old and others more recent items were used in 1953 for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.  (For more detailed information about the coronation regalia in the Crown Jewels collection please see last month’s post, The Crown Jewels of England – Part One)

A British Royal Wedding – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

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As part of the ongoing British Royal Wedding series, in this post I will feature the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle that took place on May 19, 2018 at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, England. 

Prince Harry (Henry Charles Albert David) was born on September 1, 1984; he is the second son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, the Prince and Princess of Wales. Prince Harry followed in his older brother’s footsteps attending Wetherby School in London, Ludgrove School in Bershire and then Eton College located near Windsor Castle.

In the years following the death of Princess Diana in 1997, Prince Harry went through a period of rebellion but eventually he became a very responsible young man. After completing his education in England he spent a gap year in Australia and South Africa.  He then went to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and earned a commission as a second lieutenant in the Blue and Royals. In 2007 to 2008 Prince Harry served 10 weeks in Afghanistan and then returned in 2012-2013 for a 20 week deployment with the Army Air Corps.  In 2014 he launched the Invictus Games which is an international sporting event for wounded or injured serviceman and veterans. In June 2015 Prince Harry officially left military service but remains a patron of the Invictus foundation.

In July 2016, through mutual friends, Prince Harry met an American actress named Meghan Markle.  The pair quietly began a long distance trans-Atlantic relationship with occasional visits to Toronto, Canada where Meghan was filming the television series “Suits” and also secret visits to London to visit Prince Harry.

Then on November 27, 2017, Clarence House officially announced the engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan.  Afterwards, the couple met with the international press for a photo opportunity at the sunken gardens at Kensington Palace and later an exclusive sit-down interview with the BBC news.  During the interview it was revealed that Prince Harry proposed to Meghan earlier in the month during a quiet evening spent at Nottingham Cottage on the grounds of Kensington Palace.  The custom engagement ring was made by Cleave & Company and featured a large diamond from Botswana in the center and two smaller diamonds that had once been a part of Princess Diana’s personal jewelry collection.   Special Note: Under the terms of the Succession to the Crown Act, the first six persons in the line of succession are required to obtain the consent of the Sovereign.  At the time, Prince Harry was fifth in line and his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, gladly gave her consent to the engagement by official declaration to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom.

Shortly after the engagement and in preparation for her life within the Royal family, Meghan was baptized and confirmed into the Church of England during a private ceremony at St. James Palace which was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury in March 2018.  Meghan also began the lengthy process to officially become a British citizen but it was unclear at the time as to whether she would retain her U.S. citizenship and request dual nationality.  

The date of May 19, 2018 was selected for the wedding and it was determined that the ceremony and reception would be very different then the wedding of his brother, Prince William to Catherine Middleton in 2011.  The venue chosen for the wedding service would be St. George’s Chapel situated on the grounds of Windsor Castle followed by two wedding receptions. The first reception would be a larger one hosted by Queen Elizabeth (the groom’s grandmother) and held at St. George’s Hall in Windsor Castle.  The second reception would be a smaller event held in the evening at Frogmore House located on the grounds of Windsor Home Park and would be hosted by Prince Charles the Prince of Wales (the groom’s father).

Prior to the wedding it was announced that Prince Harry had selected as his best man his older brother, Prince William.  It was speculated that Meghan’s best friend, Jessica Mulroney, would be the maid of honor but the bride had decided against having an attendant.  The bride and groom selected ten children that would be flowergirls and page boys.  The groom chose his nephew and niece, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, his godchildren Florence van Cutsem, Zalie Warren and Jasper Dyer.  The bride chose her godchildren Rylan and Remi Ritt and also the three children of her friend, Brian, John and Ivy Mulroney.

In March 2018, 600 wedding invitations printed by Barnard & Westwod had been sent.  It was noted that the invitations specified a dress code of dress uniform or morning coat for men and for women day dress and hat.  The wording on the invitation was very standard with the exception that instead of Miss the word Ms. was used to reflect the fact that Meghan had been previously married and divorced.

On the day of the wedding, Prince Harry accompanied by Prince William had walked from the nearby Windsor Castle arriving just minutes before his bride.  Special Note: On the morning of the wedding, Queen Elizabeth bestowed on Prince Harry the titles of Duke of Sussex, Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel.  Upon her marriage, Meghan would become known as the Duchess of Sussex.

Both brothers wore the frock coat uniform of the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons).  Prince Harry needed special permission from the Queen to keep his beard for the wedding ceremony, normally a man in uniform is required to be clean shaven.  On his uniform Prince Harry wore the rank of major with the star of the Royal Victorian Order and the ribbons of the Royal Victorian Order, Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan, Army Air corps wings, Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal as well as the Diamond Jubilee Medal for Queen Elizabeth II.    

A few days before the wedding Doria Ragland (the bride’s mother) had made the long journey from California to England, where she would spend the night before the ceremony with her daughter at the Cliveden House. Then, on the morning of the wedding, Meghan and her mother rode the short distance to St. George’s Chapel in a vintage Rolls-Royce Phantom IV. 

Once Meagan reached the Chapel, she gracefully ascended the stairs with her beautiful bridal veil floating behind her. Preceded her bridesmaids and page boys, the bride walked confidentially down the aisle unaccompanied to the musical composition “Eternal source of light Divine” by Handel.  When she reached the arched entrance to the quire of the Chapel Prince Charles joined her and escorted her the remaining distance to the altar where Prince Harry waited with Prince William.  (For more information about An American Bride – Meghan Markle, please click on the link)    

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, officiated the Anglican service for Holy Matrimony assisted by the Dean of Windsor, David Conner.  Baroness Jane Fellows, Prince Harry’s maternal aunt, read from the Song of Solomon.  The sermon was rousingly delivered by the Most Reverend Michael Curry of the Episcopal Church; the American bishop from North Carolina was personally invited by Prince Harry and Meghan.      

In keeping with the unusual choices for a Royal wedding, two drastically different choirs were selected to provide music for the service.  The first was the Choir of St. George’s Chapel accompanied by an orchestra, the chapel organ and trumpeters.  The second was the Kingdom Choir which is a British gospel choir from London which gave a wonderful and joyful rendition of the Ben E. King song “Stand by Me”.  An additional musical interlude was performed during the signing of the register by a young British cellist named Sheku Kanneh-Mason, he was the winner of the 2016 BBC Young Musician of the Year.  He performed a musical selection of Sicilienne by Austrian composter Maria Theresia von Paradis and also an arrangement for cello and orchestra of Schubert’s Ave Maria.

The marriage vows and the wedding ring exchange were officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury.  The wedding rings were produced by Cleave & Company and followed the British Royal tradition of by being made from Welsh gold while the ring for Prince Harry was made of platinum. 

Afterwards, the bridal couple recessed into a small area behind the altar with their witnesses to sign the register while more musical selections were played.  Once finished they emerged and the national anthem was played. Then, the couple stopped to bow and curtsy to the Queen before walking down the aisle followed by the members of the bridal party and their families.  As Prince Harry and Meghan came out of the Chapel they paused at the top of the steps to share a kiss.  They were greeted by the crowd gathered in the Chapel courtyard, most of those were the couple’s special invited guests from the public that were a select group of people, many young men and women, who had showed strong leadership within their communities.

As the bridal couple descended the stairs, they got into an Ascot Landau carriage for a procession from St. George’s Chapel through the streets of Windsor, into the Great Park and then returning to Windsor Castle.  The carriage was pulled by four Windsor Grey Horses and escorted by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.

Upon returning to Windsor Castle from their carriage procession, the first of the two wedding receptions was held in the St. George’s Hall.  This reception was officially hosted by Queen Elizabeth and included mostly guests that had been invited to the wedding ceremony, speeches was given by the groom and Prince Charles and there was also entertainment by Elton John. The highlight of the luncheon was the wedding cake made by London based baker Claire Ptak of Violet Bakery.  Sitting upon several golden stands the layered Amalfi lemon and English elderflower cake was decorated with peonies in shades of white and cream.

Later in the evening a second reception was held at Frogmore House located in Windsor Home Park a short distance from Windsor Castle.  For the evening event Prince Harry changed into a classic black tuxedo and Meghan wore a halter neck, open back white dress by Stella McCartney, as a very sentimental gesture the Prince had given her an emerald cut Aquamarine ring that had previously belonged to Diana, the Princess of Wales.  The newlywed couple left from Windsor Castle and Prince Harry drove a silver blue Jaguar E-Type Concept Zero with a specially built left-hand drive.   

In a departure from Royal tradition, the bride gave a speech at the evening reception, Prince William also gave a best man’s speech.  To conclude the event there was a fireworks display over Frogmore House.

The couple did not leave for their honeymoon immediately following their wedding because there were previously scheduled public engagements in the week after the wedding.  Later the couple did leave for a honeymoon but the location was kept a secret. 

Shown below are the official wedding portraits

Ideas for wedding handkerchiefs

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Previously I wrote an interesting post about the History of the Handkerchief.  In this post I will discuss some ideas and suggestions for using handkerchiefs for a wedding; including bridal accessories, gifts for members of the bridal party or items to use for the ceremony or reception.

HANDKERCHIEF USED FOR SOMETHING OLD

Every bride getting married knows the Old English rhyme, “Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.  “Something old” represents a link to the past and this is usually the easiest item of the four to acquire.  An old handkerchief, perhaps given to a bride by her mother or grandmother, would be a very special way to add a sentimental and personal meaning to the day.

Special Note: A beautiful handkercheif is a wonderful idea for a bridal shower gift to give the bride.  Include a note that suggests that after the birth of the couple’s first child the handkerchief could be made into a baby bonnet (as shown in the photo below) to be worn on the Christening day.  Please note, a few slight adjustments would be needed to make the handkerchief into a bonnet.

HANDKERCHIEF USED FOR SOMETHING BLUE

To continue with the theme of the Old English rhyme, “something blue” for a wedding has come to represent fidelity and loyalty.  A bride could select a handkerchief made in blue silk and trimed with lace or perhaps one beautifully embroidered with an initial in blue thread.  A blue handkerchief would also make the perfect bridal shower gift from a mother to her daughter to use for her wedding day.

HANDKERCHIEF USED AS A WRAP FOR A BRIDAL WEDDING BOUQUET

Another idea for incorporating a handkerchief into a wedding would be use it attached to the stems of the bridal bouquet, it could be a new handkerchief or a vintage one found in an antique store.  For a bride that is looking for a sentimental way to remember an elderly family member that has died, a beautifully embroidered handkerchief from a mother, grandmother, favorite aunt or perhaps a handkerchief from a father or grandfather could be used for this purpose.

HANDKERCHIEF USED FOR WEDDING PRESENTS

A handkerchief would make a wonderful bridal shower gift especially if it is personalized with the bridal couple’s names or initials and the wedding date, this would be a nice idea for a mother to give to her daughter.  Another idea for a gift would be for the bride to give her parents and/or the groom’s parents special handkerchiefs personalized with a name or poem.

A handkerchief could also be used to wrap a special gift for a bridal shower and the handkerchief could also be used later on the wedding day.  The example shown below features a lovely handkerchief that is used to wrap a small gift. To achieve this look, a small box (perhaps containing a special jewelry item, such as earrings) is placed in the center of the handkerchief and the four corners are simply gathered at the top, tied with a matching ribbon and maybe finished with a beautiful brooch attached for some added elegance.

This idea could also be used for the bride’s gift for her attendants and would be a perfect way to present them with a necklace or bracelet to wear on the wedding day.  To make these gifts truly special find vintage handkerchiefs embroidered with the first initial of the name of each attendant.  Another idea for handkerchief personalized with the bridesmaids initials would be to wrap it around the stem of their bouquets (as shown in the photo below).

HANDKERCHIEF USED FOR A WEDDING RING PILLOW

A very unique way to use a handkerchief for a wedding ceremony would be to use it to make the ring pillow.  The example shown below features a vintage floral handkerchief wrapped around a pillow form with the four corners folded over and then a ribbon attached to the center for securing the wedding rings.  With the beautiful colors of the handkerchief ring pillow shown below it could also be used as a “something blue”.

HANDKERCHIEF USED FOR WEDDING FAVORS

Handkerchiefs would make great favors for a vintage inspired wedding. The handkerchiefs could be collected rather inexpensively for antique stores and then placed alongside the guest book at the welcome table.  The handkerchiefs can be arranged in any number of creative ways, the first example shows the handkerchiefs folded and arranged in an old suitcase that has a sign attached that reads “for happy tears”.

The second example shows how white handkerchiefs can be made into roses that are tied with ribbon and a special tag attached that could have the bridal couples name and wedding date, these handkerchief roses would also make a great wedding keepsake.

HANDKERCHIEFS SIGNED BY GUESTS FOR A WEDDING QUILT

Here is a unique idea for guests to sign instead of a traditional guest book at the ceremony and/or reception.  Purchase enough vintage handkerchiefs (plus a few extras) at antique stores for the guests to sign and be sure to also have a couple of black sharpie pens on the welcome table for the guests to use.  Then, after the wedding have the handkerchiefs made into a quilt for the bridal couple; this would make a lovely reminder of their special day.

HANDKERCHIEF USED IN A WEDDING MEMORABILIA SHADOWBOX

If a special handkerchief was used by the bride/groom on their wedding day it could be displayed in a wedding memorabilia shadowbox.  Shown below are a couple of examples for wedding shadowboxes and suggestions for items that could also be included; such as the bridal garter, shoes or jewelry worn on the wedding day and be sure to also include a wedding photo.  Additional item suggestions for large shadowboxes could be the wedding invitation, the bride’s bouquet, the groom’s boutonniere or the toasting glasses and wedding cake topper from the reception.

As you can see from the ideas and suggestions mentioned in this post there are numerous ways that handkerchiefs can be used for a wedding.