Hansley Beard

Royal Weddings of the Past: Part 1

In the run up to the 2011 Royal Wedding, I would like to share some of my royal wedding memorabilia that I have collected over the years, mainly from newspapers and special publications, some in excellent quality and some starting to fade a little at the edges!

The first set of royal wedding images are from a beautiful commemorative book I have which was published in 1935 for the Silver Jubilee of King George V.

The book includes a number of photographs of royal weddings dating back to the late 1800s up until the time the book was published. I will recount sections from the book word for word here to accompany the photographs [my additions in brackets where necessary]:

THE BRIDAL GROUP OF KING GEORGE AND QUEEN MARY, 1893:

‘Princess Mary of Teck ... was a great-granddaughter of George III, through his Mother, who was a daughter of the Duke of Cambridge, younger brother of George IV. She was thus an English princess and the Duke of York’s engagement to her in 1893 was extremely popular. The match was of their own choice. There was never any doubt of that, any more than there has been of a similar freedom in the engagement of his sister, Princess Louise, who impetuously told Queen Victoria that she would rather die an old maid than not marry the Duke of Fife ...

‘... The Wedding, having been fixed for July 6 in the Chapel Royal, St James’ Palace, the Queen wrote on May 8:  “Saw dear Georgie at one, and talked over all the arrangements. It is a pleasure to do so with him as he is so sensible”.

‘She [Queen Victoria] had need of all the rest she could take, for the wedding day was “overpoweringly hot”. While the Queen was dressing “Mary [May’s mother] brought in May [informal name of the daughter Mary], who looked very sweet. Her dress was very simple, of white satin with a silver design of roses, shamrocks, thistles and orange flowers interwoven. On her head she had s small wreath of orange flowers, myrtle and white heather, surmounted by the diamond necklace I gave her ... and her Mother’s wedding veil”.

Admiring Queen Mary’s Wedding Dress:

‘The Ceremony: The Queen proceeds - “May was supported by her father ... and her brother…Georgie gave his answers very dinscintly, while May, though quite self-possessed, spoke very low. The music was well played and sung, but sounded weak and inferior to that in St George’s Chapel. I could not but remember that I had stood where May did fifty-years ago…May these dear children’s happiness last longer!”.

‘The Queen though “very tired” was very happy. The marriage was an ideal one. The wedding arrangements had been perfect…’

THE WEDDING OF PRINCESS MAUD, 1923:
‘Rose leaves for a royal bride: Everyone delighted at the wedding of Princess Maud, daughter of the Princess Royal, Duchess of Fife, to Lord Carnegie, Son of the Earl of Southesk, 1923’:
Princess Maud relinquished her royal title on her marriage:

THE WEDDING OF THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF KENT IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY, NOVEMBER 29, 1934:

The Duke and Duchess of Kent:

Finally here are a few photographs from newspaper articles I have showing the weddings of the late Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon to Prince Albert, Duke of York in 1923 and the wedding of the present Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip in 1947.

THE WEDDING OF THE DUKE AND DUCHESS OF YORK, WESTMINSTER ABBEY, 1923:

The Duke and Duchess of York driving down the Mall:

THE WEDDING OF PRINCESS ELIZABETH AND PRINCE PHILLIP, WESTMINSTER ABBEY, 1947:

Tomorrow we will share images from our collection about Princess Margaret’s wedding in 1960.

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Posted Tue, 26 Apr, by Jennie Beard
Categories: Royal Weddings, Vintage Weddings
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