Two years on from the Royal wedding, royal author and journalist Marcia Moody looks back at the princess brides who have made a statement through the ages...
2011 - Zara Philips and Mike Tindall
The bride’s dress had pockets and the groom had a bruised face from a moped accident, while guests included Una Healy from pop group The Saturdays and actress Catherine Kelly from Coronation Street. The wedding was in Scotland, like Zara’s mother’s, and the church was filled with stargazer lilies and beech branches. Princes William and Harry read from Zara’s favourite childhood book The Velveteen Rabbit, and guests were served Snow Leopard cocktails made of amaretto, rum, cream and coffee.
2011 - Prince William and Catherine Middleton
To ensure Kate’s dress was pristine, lace-making needles were changed every three hours, while workers washed their hands every 30 minutes. There were two cakes; a traditional fruitcake decorated with roses, thistles, daffodils and shamrocks to represent all of the United Kingdom, and a nursery favourite of William’s made from bashed-up Rich Tea biscuits. Ellie Goulding sang Your Song for the first dance and canapés included sausages, fishcakes and miniature roast beef and Yorkshire puddings.
2008 - Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly
The couple helped meet costs for their big day by having it covered in a magazine, but were criticised
for the decision. Bridesmaids, including Peter’s sister Zara, wore pistachio green Vera Wang. Princess Eugenie read a Shakespeare sonnet, and guests enjoyed crab, lamb and coffee mousse for the breakfast. It was a landmark moment for Kate Middleton, representing an absent William at a family event.
2005 - Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles
Camilla wore two outfits by Robinson Valentine and two hats by Philip Treacy for the registry office service and church blessing. The queen attended the second but not the first, believing her role of Supreme Governor of the Church of England should not allow it. Witnesses were Prince William and Tom Parker Bowles, and the service was followed by afternoon tea of salmon sandwiches and fudge. The Queen gave a speech which included lots of horse-racing terminology, and guests included Joan Rivers.
1981 - Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer
This famous, voluminous cloud of a dress was stitched with 10,000 seed pearls, had a 25ft train and tiny gold horseshoe set with diamonds sewn into the hem for luck. There were 27 separate cakes but the one the couple cut was hexagonal and iced with sugar doves and fuchsias. Their menu featured lobster, chicken stuffed with lamb mousse, and strawberries and cream. Guests included Princess Grace of Monaco and Nancy Reagan, who continued the after-party at Claridge’s.
1960 - Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong Jones
The diminutive princess boosted her height with a diamond tiara which could be broken down into a necklace and 11 brooches. Hers was the first royal wedding to be broadcast on TV, while screens set up in Westminster Abbey meant all guests could see. According to tradition, a new dish, filet de boeuf Princesse, was created for the wedding breakfast, and one of the couple’s gifts was 10 acres of land on the beautiful island of Mustique.
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Royal Wedding is always take our attention, isn’t? maybe it can be a good inspiration for your Big day…