Queen Elizabeth II’s Wedding | L'Atelier Blanc Contact Queen Elizabeth II’s Wedding This year the Queen celebrates 60 years on the throne. To celebrate her Diamond Jubilee we take a closer look at her wedding – from that fabulous gown to the impressive cake and even their wedding favours… The Queen is the first British monarch to have celebrated a diamond wedding anniversary! The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were married in Westminster Abbey on 20 November, 1947 at 1130GMT. There were over 2,000 guests at the royal occasion, including King and Queen of Denmark, the King and Queen of Yugoslavia, the Kings of Norway, Romania and the Shah of Iran. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh first met at a wedding! They were both in attendance at another royal wedding – Philip’s cousin, Princess Marina of Greece to The Duke of Kent, who was an uncle of the then Princess Elizabeth, in 1934. She was 13 and he was 18. The engagement between Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten RN was announced on the 9 July 1947, although they had become secretly engaged one year earlier in 1946.

They kept it secret for a year because Elizabeth’s family opposed her marrying at such a young age. Philip reportedly proposed to his bride-to-be during a walk around the grounds of Balmoral – so romantic! The Queen’s platinum and diamond engagement ring was made by the jewellers Philip Antrobus, using diamonds from a tiara belonging to Philip’s mother. And her wedding ring was made from a nugget of Welsh gold which came from the Clogau St David’s mine, near Dolgellau. Philip had two stag parties the night before the wedding – the first at the Dorchester (pictured) to which the press were invited and the second with his closest friends at the Belfry Club. The Queen’s wedding dress was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell, who had submitted designs for the dress in August 1947. Elizabeth famously saved up her ration cards to purchase the material needed for her wedding gown. The fabric for the dress was woven at Winterthur Silks Limited, Dunfermline, in the Canmore factory, using silk that had come from Chinese silkworms at Lullingstone Castle.

The gown was decorated with more than 10,000 white pearls imported from America, silver thread and tulle embroidery. It also included a 15-foot patterned full court train attached at the shoulders and ivory duchess sating high heels, also embellished with silver and pearls. The Queen’s bridal veil was made of tulle and held by a tiara of diamonds. This tiara was made for Queen Mary in 1919. It was made from re-used diamonds taken from a necklace/tiara purchased by Queen Victoria from Collingwood and Co and a wedding present for Queen Mary in 1893. The bride’s wedding bouquet was supplied by the Worshipful Company of Gardeners and arranged by the florist MH Longman. It had white orchids with a sprig of myrtle from the bush grown from the original myrtle in Queen Victoria’s wedding bouquet. An identical copy of the bouquet was made and presented to The Queen on her Golden Wedding in 1997.

After the wedding, the dress was exhibited at St James’s Palace and was then shown in the capital towns of the British Isles and in Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol, Preston, Leicester, Nottingham, Manchester, Bradford, Leeds and Huddersfield. The grave of the Unknown Warrior was the only stone that was not covered by the special carpet in the Abbey. The day after the wedding, Princess Elizabeth followed a Royal tradition started by her mother, of sending her wedding bouquet back to the Abbey to be laid on this grave. A tradition which Kate Middleton continued when she married Prince William. At her wedding, the Queen had eight bridesmaids – HRH The Princess Margaret, HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent, Lady Caroline Montagu-Douglas-Scott, Lady Mary Cambridge, Lady Elizabeth Lambart, The Hon. Pamela Mountbatten, The Hon. Margaret Elphinstone, The Hon. Diana Bowes-Lyon and two pages – HRH Prince William of Gloucester and HRH Prince Michael of Kent, both aged just five. The bridesmaids wore wreaths in their hair of miniature white sheaves, Lilies and London Pride, modelled in white satin and silver lame. They were made by Jac Ltd of London.

The pages wore Royal Stewart tartan kilts. The bridesmaids’ bouquets, prepared by Moyses Stevens, were of white orchids, lilies of the valley, gardenias, white bouvardia, white roses and white nerine. The two Royal kneelers, used during the service, were covered in rose pink silk. They were made from orange boxes, due to war time austerity, and date stamped 1946. And the altar was hung with the white dorsal given in 1911 by King George V and Queen Mary for their coronation and the 1937 coronation frontal given by the Princess’ parents. Thousands of people lined the processional route on the royal wedding day and were able to file through the Abbey after the service. Millions listened to the live radio broadcast and the film of the wedding was watched by thousands at cinemas across the country. Over 10,000 telegrams of congratulations were sent to Buckingham Palace to congratulate the royal couple. The couple received over 2,500 wedding presents from well-wishers around the world.

Most of the gifts were put on display for a few days in a charity exhibition at St James’s Palace, which was attended by over 200,000 visitors. The “wedding breakfast” was held after the marriage ceremony at Westminster Abbey in the Ball Supper-room at Buckingham Palace. The menu was Filet de Sole Mountbatten, Perdreau en Casserole (a braised partridge dish) and Bombe Glacee Princess Elizabeth. The flowers decorating the tables were pink and white carnations, donated by the British Carnation Society. And individual posies of myrtle and white Balmoral heather were placed at each place setting as favours. The official wedding cake was made by McVities and Price, although eleven other cakes were given as presents. With post-war food rationing still in place, ingredients were sent as wedding presents from overseas. The official cake was made using ingredients given as a wedding gift by Australian Girl Guides. Pieces of cake and food parcels were later distributed to schoolchildren and institutions. The cake was nine feet high in four tiers, with painted panels of the armorial bearings of both families, and included the monograms of bride and groom.

The cake was cut using the Duke’s Mountbatten sword, which was a wedding present from the King. The bride and bridegroom left the Palace showered with rose petals. For the Princess’ going-away outfit, Hartnell designed an ensemble of a dress and matching coat in mist-blue with mushroom-coloured accessories. The couple departed from Waterloo station with the Princess’s corgi, Susan, for their honeymoon. The newlyweds spent their wedding night at Broadlands in Hampshire, home of Prince Philip’s uncle Earl Mountbatten. The second part of the honeymoon was spent at Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate. Add new comment Iconic weddings: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Iconic weddings: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh April 27, 2010 Photo: © Getty Images How they met Now married for more than 60 years, Queen Elizabeth II first met her future husband Prince Philip when she was just 13 years old at the wedding of his cousin, Princess Marina of Greece. It was love at first sight for the young royal, and she remained devoted to the handsome 18-year-old, writing him letters throughout her teens.

Engagement In 1946, the couple became secretly engaged – a controversial decision since Elizabeth's family were opposed to her marrying at such a young age. But in April 1947, her father, King George VI, finally gave them permission to wed, and Philip gave up his Greek citizenship and title and took on the surname Mountbatten. With news of their engagement already leaked to the press, the happy couple officially announced the news on July 9, 1947. Philip reportedly proposed to his bride-to-be during a walk around the grounds of Balmoral, presenting Elizabeth with a platinum engagement ring with a large square diamond at its centre and smaller diamonds on either side. The wedding More than 2,000 guests were in attendance as Elizabeth and Philip became husband and wife at Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947. The first royal festivity since the end of World War II, the wedding was celebrated across the country. Eight bridesmaids and two page boys took part in the ceremony, which was officiated by both the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Archbishop of York. The groom presented his princess with a wedding band of Welsh gold to wear alongside her engagement ring.

The dress In order to make her wedding dress, Elizabeth famously saved up ration cards to purchase the material needed. The beautiful gown was made of ivory duchess satin and decorated with around 10,000 white pearls imported from America, silver thread and tulle embroidery. Her bridal ensemble also included a 15-foot patterned full court train attached at the shoulders, and a silk tulle veil held in place by a tiara lent to the princess by her mother. On her feet, she wore ivory duchess satin high heels, embellished with silver and pearls. Elizabeth's bridal bouquet was made up of white orchids and a sprig of myrtle – from the bush grown from the myrtle in Queen Victoria's wedding bouquet. The following day it was laid on the grave of the unknown soldier in Westminster Abbey. Reception After the wedding ceremony, a celebratory lunch was held at Buckingham Palace where guests were presented with posies of white heather and myrtle as favours. The wedding cake was a grand affair, standing at nine-foot high, weighing 500 pounds and featuring four tiers. Made from ingredients received from the Australian Girl Guides, the cake was cut using Philip's sword.

One layer was kept until the christening of Prince Charles and another was sent back to Australia by way of thanks. Honeymoon Husband and wife honeymooned in Hampshire, at the historic Broadlands house owned by Philip's uncle, Lord Mountbatten, and at Birkhill on the Balmoral estate. Almost exactly one year after exchanging vows, Elizabeth and Philip welcomed their first baby, Charles Philip Arthur George Mountbatten-Windsor at Buckingham Palace on November 14, 1948. And less than five years later, Elizabeth was proclaimed queen. Wedding Cake: A Slice of History - Gastronomica Wedding Cake: A Slice of History from Gastronomica 5:2 Since antiquity, weddings customarily have been celebrated with a special cake. Ancient Roman wedding ceremonies were finalized by breaking a cake of wheat or barley (mustaceum) over the bride’s head as a symbol of good fortune. The newly married couple then ate a few crumbs in a custom known as confarreatio—eating together. Afterwards, the wedding guests gathered up the crumbs as tokens of good luck.

The Roman poet and philosopher Lucretius, in De Rerum Natura (On the Nature of Things), 1 wrote that the breaking of the cake over the bride’s head mellowed into crumbling the sweet wheat cakes over her head. After all the cakes were used up, the guests were supplied with handfuls of confetto, a sweet mixture of nuts, dried fruit, and honeyed almonds. These sweetmeats were an important part of the wedding banquet and continued to be so for hundreds of years. Chronicles of the period record that in 1487 over two hundred and sixty pounds of “confetti” were consumed at the banquet following the wedding of Lucrezia Borgia and Alfonso d’Este, son of Ercole I, Duke of Ferrara. Sweetmeats were showered over the bride and groom; indeed, it seems to have been the custom to throw the sweetmeats about enthusiastically. Eventually, the sweets were replaced with rice, flower petals, and colored paper, and these new types of confetti continue to be showered over the happy couples around the world. When the Romans invaded Britain in A.D. 43, many of their customs and traditions became part of British life.

The Norman invasion of 1066 subsequently incorporated many French traditions into British life. Other changes came about due to increased trade and contact with Europe, but our present-day wedding traditions remain firmly rooted in the past. In medieval England, in an early form of wedding cake, small spiced buns were stacked in a towering pile, as high as possible. If the bride and groom were able to kiss over the tall stack, it augured a lifetime of prosperity. The earliest British recipe specifically noted for a wedding is Bride’s Pye, recorded by Robert May in the 1685 edition of The Accomplisht Cook. 2 This was a large round pie with an elaborately decorated pastry crust that concealed a filling of oysters, pine kernels, cockscombs, lambstones (testicles), sweetbreads, and spices. There were also humbler, less expensive versions containing minced meats or just mutton. Bride, Christening and Other Cakes. From Mrs. Beeton’s Book of Household Management, 1888, p.1129.

The Fales Library & Special Collections, New York zuniversity In the county of Yorkshire, bride pie was the most important dish at weddings, as it was considered essential to the couple’s future happiness. It consisted of a large round pie containing a plump hen full of eggs, surrounded by minced meats, fruits, and nuts and embellished with ornate pastry emblems. Each guest had to eat a small piece of the pie; not to do so was considered extremely rude and impolite. A ring was traditionally placed in the pie, and the lady who found it would be the next to marry. Bride pie was still being served at weddings in some parts of England as late as the nineteenth century. In the seventeenth century bride pie developed into bride cake, the predecessor of the modern wedding cake. Fruited cakes, as symbols of fertility and prosperity, gradually became the centerpieces for weddings. A much less costly bride cake took the simpler form of two large rounds of shortcrust pastry sandwiched together with currants and sprinkled with sugar on the top. Very few homes at the time could boast of an oven, but this type of pastry cake could easily be cooked on a bakestone on the hearth.

In east Yorkshire bride cake was a small cake offered to the bride upon arrival at her new home. After eating a small piece, the bride threw the remainder over her head to ensure that she and her new husband would want for nothing. The groom then threw the plate over his head. If it broke, the couple’s future happiness and good fortune were assured. Other superstitions have long been connected with wedding cakes: Sharing the cake with family and friends increases fertility and prosperity. The bride who bakes her own cake is asking for trouble. A taste of the cake before the wedding means loss of the husband’s love (while a piece of cake kept after the big day ensures his fidelity). The newlyweds must cut the first slice together. And every guest must eat a small piece to ensure that the happy couple are blessed with children. Another Yorkshire tradition was to have the bride cake waiting at a nearby inn. The cake would be marked into small squares but not cut all the way through. The groom would place a linen napkin over the bride’s head and then break the cake over her. As the cake fell, the guests scrambled for their portions. As in ancient Roman times, a piece of the cake guaranteed an auspicious life.

Another old Yorkshire custom was to cut the bride cake into little pieces, throw them over the heads of the happy couple, and then pass any smaller pieces through the bride’s wedding ring. Bride cake contained various charms with different meanings, such as a silver coin, a ring, a button, and a thimble. The guest who received the slice containing the coin was assured of future prosperity, while the ring meant marriage within a year. The recipient of the button was destined for lifelong spinster- or bachelorhood; the thimble similarly foretold an old maid or bachelor. When the bride’s (and the groom’s) cakes were cut into pieces for the bridesmaids and groomsmen, it was traditional for the maid of honor to select the first piece of cake. The other attendants followed, each hoping to find a special charm that would foretell their future. Matrimony cake, another Yorkshire specialty, was more like a pie than a cake, being a pastry case filled with a mixture of dried fruits, apples, spices, and breadcrumbs.

It may have descended from the bride pie, with the omission of the hen, eggs, and meat, much as modern fruit mincemeat evolved from the original mincemeat containing shredded mutton or beef. With its solid base, smooth filling, and rough top, matrimony cake was said to sum up the complexities of marriage. In the seventeenth century wedding cakes were made in pairs, one for the bride and another for the groom. Groom’s cake, a dark, heavy fruitcake, was served alongside bride cake. Smaller than bride cake and usually not iced, the groom’s cake was cut up into little squares that were then placed in boxes for the guests to take home as a wedding memento and to ensure good luck. At bedtime the recipient of groom’s cake would place the square underneath his or her pillow. This tradition was recorded as early as the seventeenth century but gradually died out, as did the groom’s cakes, which are no longer part of British weddings. However, the tradition has undergone a revival in the United States, where for many years the groom’s cake has served as a wedding favor for guests.

Modern groom’s cakes are often shaped and decorated to depict the groom’s favorite hobby—a golf bag, a camera, a chess board. Bride cake covered with white icing first appeared sometime in the seventeenth century. It was frosted with the precursor of royal icing, a sort of meringue mixture of whisked egg white and sugar, which was applied to the hot cake straight from the oven and then returned to the oven to firm up. When applied to wedding cakes, this type of icing was known as “bliss.” In 1769 Mrs. Raffald (the most celebrated English cookery writer of the eighteenth century after Hannah Glasse) was the first to offer the combination of bride cake, almond paste, and royal icing. 3 Hannah Glasse, in The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, 4 gave a recipe for the cake that included four pounds of flour, thirty-two eggs, six pounds of dried fruit, and half a pint of brandy. After the cake was baked, it was covered with a pure white, smooth icing made with “double refined sugar,” egg whites, musk, ambergrease [sic], and orange-flower water.

The mixture was beaten for two hours, then spread over the cake and dried in the oven until hard. This drying process required constant vigilance to ensure that the iced cake did not color or scorch. Sugar had been imported to England since the Middle Ages, but by the 1540s it was more readily available and affordable in cones of varying quality, weighing from five to forty pounds. By the 1550s two English sugar refineries were in operation; by 1650 there were at least fifty refineries in London alone. “Double refined” sugar was twice-refined white sugar; powdered icing or confectioners’ sugar was unknown at that time. References to “powdered sugar” refer to granulated sugar that had been pounded fine and sifted through fine gauze or silk. Elizabeth David, in English Bread and Yeast Cookery, notes that caster and icing or confectioners’ sugars became common only in the last decades of the nineteenth century. Triple-refined sugar had an especially white tint and was consequently more expensive. A pure white color was much sought after, as white icing on a wedding cake symbolizes purity and virginal attributes—a notion first put forward in Victorian times.

Before then most bride cakes were white for a more practical reason. Because the ingredients for the bride cake were expensive, especially the sugar for the icing, white icing meant that only the finest refined sugar had been used. Thus a pure white cake was a status symbol, a display of the family’s wealth. At Queen Victoria’s wedding to Prince Albert in 1840, white icing was used to decorate her cake, and this icing has been known as “royal icing” ever since. The multitiered cake—which by the nineteenth century had gradually acquired the name “wedding cake”—measured more than nine feet in circumference. The London Times of February 1840 described the cake in detail. On the second tier, which was supported by two pedestals, a sculpture of “Britannia” gazed upon the royal couple as they exchanged their vows, while at their feet sat a dog, symbolizing faithfulness, and two turtledoves, symbolizing purity and innocence. There were also several sculpted cupids, including one happily writing the date of the wedding onto a tablet. The wedding cake that commemorated the marriage of Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Vicky, in 1858 was less elaborate.

Only the bottom tier consisted of cake; the others were made of sugar icing and were purely decorative, one stacked directly on top of the other. The now-traditional multitiered British wedding cake—a grand affair of heavily fruited cake layers decorated with royal icing and embellished with sugar flowers, doves, horseshoes, and bells—had its origins in the wedding cake made for the marriage of Prince Leopold in 1882. For the first time guests could enjoy a wedding cake made entirely of cake. This cake was also tiered, with each tier comprised of an iced cake stacked rather like a succession of hatboxes. The icing in between had been allowed to harden to prevent the upper tiers from sinking into the lower layers. However, it was to take another twenty years before the tiers of wedding cakes would be separated by columns (often disguised pieces of a broom handle). And it was not until the beginning of the twentieth century that the tiers were separated and supported by columns of hardened icing. These tiered cakes symbolized prosperity and were a status symbol at society weddings, as the less well-off could not afford a pillared and tiered wedding cake.

When Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) married Prince Philip in 1947, the official wedding cake stood nine feet high and weighed five hundred pounds. It was made by McVitie and Price, using ingredients received from Australian Girl Guides as a wedding gift. One tier was used on the wedding day; one was kept until the christening of Prince Charles; and a third was dispatched back to Australia, to the guides who had thought of the Queen. British wedding cakes remained virtually unchanged from the elaborate Victorian creations until the 1980s, when the intricately piped royal icing began to be replaced by soft icing, draped and frilled and often embellished with sugar-paste flowers. At the same time simpler, American-style layer cakes, such as carrot cake with cream cheese filling or key lime coconut cake with lime curd, came into vogue. Today, there are practically no rules about wedding cakes in Britain.

Contemporary cakes can be any of color, flavor, or shape, and the possibilities are endless: a dense, dark chocolate cake with a sumptuous filling; gold, silver, and white iced cakes stacked and decorated to look like a pile of wedding presents; a tower of individual desserts; or a plain, moist sponge cake simply iced and decorated with fresh or sugar flowers. Twenty-first-century weddings are big business for Britain’s £3.5 billion wedding industry. This year over three hundred thousand people are expected to tie the knot, with the average wedding costing an astonishing £12,000. The cost of the all-important wedding cake averages around £300, but of course that depends on the size and design. Wedding cakes, like the bride’s dress, are subject to the vagaries of fashion, and celebrity weddings and cake designers continually strive to set new trends. The following recipes hail from the English county of Yorkshire and date from before World War II. Some variations include dates or are made with dried fruit alone. The precise origin of these recipes is unknown; these versions are my own.

Yorkshire Matrimony Cake 4 tart green apples, peeled and cored 4 tablespoons mixed currants, raisins, sultanas 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 2 tablespoons brown sugar 2 tablespoons golden syrup Juice of 1 lemon Divide the pastry into two pieces, one twice as large as the other. Roll out the larger piece and ease it into an 8-inch tart pan. Slice the apples and arrange on the pastry base. Sprinkle the rest of the ingredients over the apples. Roll out the remaining pastry and lay it on top, sealing the edges well. Bake for about 40 minutes at 350°f until the pastry is golden. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream. Matrimonial Cake This cake keeps very well in an airtight tin. 4 1/2 ounces rolled oats 3 ounces flour 2 ounces light brown sugar 3 ounces butter 8 ounces chopped dried dates 1 heaping tablespoon light brown sugar 5 ounces water First make the filling: cook the dates gently with the sugar and water until they form a soft paste. Leave to cool. Mix together the oats, flour, and sugar and rub in the butter until crumbly.

Put half this mixture into a buttered 8-inch square pan and press down firmly. Spread with the date paste and scatter the remaining crumble mixture over the top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes at 350°f until golden. Cut into squares while hot and leave to cool in the pan. notes 1. Lucretius, On the Nature of Things: De Rerum Natura, Anthony M. Esolen, trans. (Baltimore, md: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1995). 2. John May, The Accomplisht Cook, Or The Art & Mystery of Cookery (London: printed for Obadiah Blagrave, 1685; repr., Prospect Books, 2000). 3. Elizabeth Raffald, The Experienced English Housekeeper (Manchester: Printed by J. Harrop for the author, 1769; repr., Southover Press, 1997). 4. Hannah Glasse, The Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy (London: 1747; repr., Prospect Books, 1983).

queen elizabeth II | My Wedding Scrapbook My Wedding Scrapbook Royal Weddings: Queen Elizabeth II It has been a very special and unforgettable year for Queen Elizabeth: the sovereign marked her Diamond Jubilee, hosted the 2012 Olympic Games and on the 20 of November she celebrates 65 years of marriage. Here we take a look back at her nuptials to Prince Phillip - then known as Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten – which took place in 1947 and was broadcast to 200 million radio listeners around the world. The dress In order to make her wedding dress, the young Princess famously saved up ration cards to purchase the material needed. The beautiful gown, designed by Normal Hartnell, was made of ivory duchess satin and decorated with around 10,000 white pearls imported from America, silver thread and tulle embroidery. Her bridal ensemble also included a 15-foot patterned full court train attached at the shoulders, and a silk tulle veil held in place by a tiara lent to the princess by her mother. Normal Hartnell’s inspiration for the gown was Botticelli’s Primavera, which symbolizes the coming of Spring.

The Shoes On her feet, the Queen wore ivory duchess satin high heels, embellished with silver and pearls. The Bouquet Elizabeth’s bridal bouquet was made up of white orchids and a sprig of myrtle – from the bush grown from the myrtle in Queen Victoria’s wedding bouquet. The following day it was laid on the grave of the unknown soldier in Westminster Abbey. The Wedding Cake After the wedding ceremony, a celebratory lunch was held at Buckingham Palace where guests were presented with posies of white heather and myrtle as favours. The wedding cake was a grand affair, standing at nine-foot high, weighing 500 pounds and featuring four tiers. Made from ingredients received from the Australian Girl Guides, the cake was cut using Philip’s sword. One layer was kept until the christening of Prince Charles and another was sent back to Australia by way of thanks. The Fringe Tiara This tiara, which can also be worn as a necklace was made for Queen Mary in 1919.

It’s not, as has sometimes been claimed, made with diamonds that had belonged to George III but re-uses diamonds taken from a necklace/tiara purchased by Queen Victoria from Collingwood & Co as a wedding present for Queen Mary in 1893. In August 1936 Queen Mary gave the tiara to Queen Elizabeth, from whom it was borrowed by Princess Elizabeth for her wedding in 1947. The Duchess of Teck’s earrings These earrings, which originally belonged to Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, were bequeathed to her niece Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck and by her to her daughter, the future Queen Mary, in 1897. They were given by the Queen to her granddaughter Princess Elizabeth on 31 January 1947, and she wore them at her wedding later that year. The Necklaces The shorter of her two pearl necklaces was the ‘Queen Anne’ necklace, said to have belonged to Anne, the last Stuart Queen. The longer ‘Queen Caroline’ necklace was said to have belonged to the wife of King George II. Both were left to the Crown by Queen Victoria and were given to Elizabeth as a wedding present by her father, King George VI.

About I am a Mystery Bride who has dreamt of getting married since the day she was born. I have always gathered ideas in my head, but have now decided to share them with HELLO! readers in this blog. And I am making a vow, I promise that I will help you achieve the most elegant and unique nuptials in the weddingsphere. To show you the latest trends, from this day forward, from Paris, New York and Milan, from High Street to haute couture and original DIY ideas, 'til death do us part. MB Follow me on twitter: @mysterybride Royal Wedding: Queen Elizabeth II | My Wedding Scrapbook My Wedding Scrapbook Royal Weddings: Queen Elizabeth II It has been a very special and unforgettable year for Queen Elizabeth: the sovereign marked her Diamond Jubilee, hosted the 2012 Olympic Games and on the 20 of November she celebrates 65 years of marriage. Here we take a look back at her nuptials to Prince Phillip - then known as Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten – which took place in 1947 and was broadcast to 200 million radio listeners around the world.

The dress In order to make her wedding dress, the young Princess famously saved up ration cards to purchase the material needed. The beautiful gown, designed by Normal Hartnell, was made of ivory duchess satin and decorated with around 10,000 white pearls imported from America, silver thread and tulle embroidery. Her bridal ensemble also included a 15-foot patterned full court train attached at the shoulders, and a silk tulle veil held in place by a tiara lent to the princess by her mother. Normal Hartnell’s inspiration for the gown was Botticelli’s Primavera, which symbolizes the coming of Spring. The Shoes On her feet, the Queen wore ivory duchess satin high heels, embellished with silver and pearls. The Bouquet Elizabeth’s bridal bouquet was made up of white orchids and a sprig of myrtle – from the bush grown from the myrtle in Queen Victoria’s wedding bouquet. The following day it was laid on the grave of the unknown soldier in Westminster Abbey. The Wedding Cake After the wedding ceremony, a celebratory lunch was held at Buckingham Palace where guests were presented with posies of white heather and myrtle as favours.

The wedding cake was a grand affair, standing at nine-foot high, weighing 500 pounds and featuring four tiers. Made from ingredients received from the Australian Girl Guides, the cake was cut using Philip’s sword. One layer was kept until the christening of Prince Charles and another was sent back to Australia by way of thanks. The Fringe Tiara This tiara, which can also be worn as a necklace was made for Queen Mary in 1919. It’s not, as has sometimes been claimed, made with diamonds that had belonged to George III but re-uses diamonds taken from a necklace/tiara purchased by Queen Victoria from Collingwood & Co as a wedding present for Queen Mary in 1893. In August 1936 Queen Mary gave the tiara to Queen Elizabeth, from whom it was borrowed by Princess Elizabeth for her wedding in 1947. The Duchess of Teck’s earrings These earrings, which originally belonged to Princess Mary, Duchess of Gloucester, were bequeathed to her niece Princess Mary Adelaide, Duchess of Teck and by her to her daughter, the future Queen Mary, in 1897.

They were given by the Queen to her granddaughter Princess Elizabeth on 31 January 1947, and she wore them at her wedding later that year. The Necklaces The shorter of her two pearl necklaces was the ‘Queen Anne’ necklace, said to have belonged to Anne, the last Stuart Queen. The longer ‘Queen Caroline’ necklace was said to have belonged to the wife of King George II. Both were left to the Crown by Queen Victoria and were given to Elizabeth as a wedding present by her father, King George VI. BBC NEWS | UK | Sixty facts about a royal marriage Printable version Sixty facts about a royal marriage Buckingham Palace has revealed 60 facts to mark the diamond wedding anniversary of the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh. THE ENGAGEMENT 1.The Queen is the first British monarch to have celebrated a diamond wedding anniversary. 2. Princess Elizabeth and Philip first met when they attended the wedding of Philip's cousin, Princess Marina of Greece to The Duke of Kent, who was an uncle of Princess Elizabeth, in 1934. 3. The engagement between Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten RN was announced on the 9 July 1947. Philip was born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark.

He joined the Royal Navy in 1939 and after the war, in February 1947, became a naturalised British subject. Philip was required to choose a surname in order to continue his career in the Royal Navy, and adopted Mountbatten, the name of his mother's British relatives. He was created Duke of Edinburgh by King George VI on marriage. 4. The platinum and diamond engagement ring was made by the jewellers, Philip Antrobus, using diamonds from a tiara belonging to Philip's mother. 5. Philip had two stag parties the night before the wedding - the first at the Dorchester to which the press were invited and the second with his closest friends at the Belfry Club. WESTMINSTER ABBEY The couple were married after a four-month engagement 6. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were married in Westminster Abbey on 20 November, 1947 at 1130GMT with 2,000 invited guests. 7. It was the first, and so far only time in British history, that the heir presumptive to the throne had been married. 8.

The Queen was the 10th member of the Royal Family to be married in the Abbey. The first Royal wedding to take place in the Abbey was when King Henry I married Princess Matilda of Scotland on 11 November, 1100. On 26 April, 1923, the Queen's parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (then the Duke and Duchess of York) were married there. 9. The eight bridesmaids were: HRH The Princess Margaret, HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent, Lady Caroline Montagu-Douglas-Scott, Lady Mary Cambridge, Lady Elizabeth Lambart, The Hon. Pamela Mountbatten, The Hon. Margaret Elphinstone, The Hon. Diana Bowes-Lyon. 10. There were two pages: HRH Prince William of Gloucester and HRH Prince Michael of Kent, both aged just five. 11. Guests attending the wedding included the King and Queen of Denmark, the King and Queen of Yugoslavia, the Kings of Norway, Romania and the Shah of Iran. THE OUTFITS 12.The Queen's wedding dress was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell, who had submitted designs for the dress in August 1947.

Princess Elizabeth wore satin shoes trimmed with silver and seed pearl 13. The fabric for the dress was woven at Winterthur Silks Limited, Dunfermline, in the Canmore factory, using silk that had come from Chinese silkworms at Lullingstone Castle. 14. The Queen's bridal veil was made of tulle and held by a tiara of diamonds. This tiara was made for Queen Mary in 1919. It was made from re-used diamonds taken from a necklace/tiara purchased by Queen Victoria from Collingwood and Co and a wedding present for Queen Mary in 1893. In August 1936, Queen Mary gave the tiara to Queen Elizabeth from whom it was borrowed by Princess Elizabeth for her wedding in 1947. 15. After the wedding, the dress was exhibited at St James's Palace and was then shown in the capital towns of the British Isles and in Glasgow, Liverpool, Bristol, Preston, Leicester, Nottingham, Manchester, Bradford, Leeds and Huddersfield. THE FLOWERS 16. The bride's wedding bouquet was supplied by the Worshipful Company of Gardeners and made by the florist MH Longman.

It was of white orchids with a sprig of myrtle from the bush grown from the original myrtle in Queen Victoria's wedding bouquet. An identical copy of the bouquet was made and presented to The Queen on her Golden Wedding in 1997. 17. The grave of the Unknown Warrior was the only stone that was not covered by the special carpet in the Abbey. The day after the wedding, Princess Elizabeth followed a Royal tradition started by her mother, of sending her wedding bouquet back to the Abbey to be laid on this grave. 18. The bridesmaids wore wreaths in their hair of miniature white sheaves, Lilies and London Pride, modelled in white satin and silver lame. They were made by Jac Ltd of London. The pages wore Royal Stewart tartan kilts. 19. The bridesmaids' bouquets, prepared by Moyses Stevens, were of white orchids, lilies of the valley, gardenias, white bouvardia, white roses and white nerine. THE SERVICE 20. The bells of St Margaret's Church, Westminster Abbey, hailed the arrival of the carriage procession. The Queen arrived at the Abbey with her father, George VI, in the Irish State Coach.

The Queen was married in Westminster Abbey 21. Other music at the wedding included: Psalm 67 (God be merciful unto us and bless us) sung to a setting by EC Bairstow; the motet We Wait For Thy Loving Kindness, O God, by Dr William McKie, organist and master of the choristers of the Abbey; the hymn The Lord's My Shepherd (to the then relatively unknown Scottish tune Crimond); the anthem Blessed Be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, by SS Wesley was sung by the Abbey choir and members of the choirs of the Chapel Royal and St George's Chapel Windsor; and after signing the register in St Edward's Chapel, the procession made its way out of the Abbey to Mendelssohn's Wedding March. 22. There were 91 singers at the wedding, made up from the Abbey Choir, the Choir of HM Chapels Royal and additional tenors and basses. They sat in the organ loft as the choir stalls were occupied by various dignitaries. 23.

William McKie, the Abbey organist, had been summoned to the Palace four days before the wedding so that Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret could sing the descant to Crimond to him so that he could note it down as no other copy was available. 24. The two Royal kneelers, used during the service, were covered in rose pink silk. They were made from orange boxes, due to war time austerity, and date stamped 1946. The number of signatures on the marriage register ran into two pages 25. The altar was hung with the white dorsal given in 1911 by King George V and Queen Mary for their coronation and the 1937 coronation frontal given by the Princess' parents. The Abbey plate was displayed on the altar. 26. The bride's wedding ring was made from a nugget of Welsh gold which came from the Clogau St David's mine, near Dolgellau. 27.

As not all the people to sign the register could fit into St Edward's Chapel, only the bride and groom, the King and Queen, Queen Mary and Princess Andrew of Greece (the groom's mother), the Archbishop, and the Dean of Westminster signed it at this point. The rest of the signatures were added later at Buckingham Palace. They included: Princess Margaret, Prince George of Greece (the groom's uncle), Henry (Duke of Gloucester), Alice (Duchess of Gloucester), Princess Marina (Duchess of Kent), Lady Patricia Ramsay, Alexander Ramsay, Alice Mary (Countess of Athlone), Earl of Athlone, Victoria Milford Haven, Nada Milford Haven, Edwina Mountbatten of Burma, Earl Mountbatten of Burma, King Haakon (of Norway), King Michael (of Romania), Queen Ingrid (of Denmark), King Frederick (of Denmark). 28. Trumpet fanfares were introduced for the first time at a Royal wedding in the Abbey. A white flag was waved in the organ loft to signal the fanfare once the register had been signed. 29.

The position of the BBC microphones had to be carefully checked as at the 1934 Royal wedding, the Abbey cross had hit the microphone suspended above the altar steps. Radio commentators shared the organ loft with the choir. PUBLIC CELEBRATIONS 30. Thousands of people lined the processional route and were able to file through the Abbey after the service. Millions listened to the live radio broadcast. 31. The film of the wedding was watched by many thousands of people at cinemas across the country. 32. About 10,000 telegrams of congratulations were received at Buckingham Palace. WEDDING GIFTS 33. The Royal couple received over 2,500 wedding presents from well-wishers around the world. Most were put on display for a few days in a charity exhibition at St James's Palace. From India, there was a piece of crocheted, cotton lace made from yarn personally spun by Mahatma Gandhi. The central motif reads "Jai Hind" (Victory for India). The couple received a pair of Meissen chocolate pots from Pope Pius XII 34.

Other gifts from abroad included a gold and jade necklace given by King Farouk of Egypt, a writing desk from the Government of New Zealand and pieces from a Chinese porcelain dinner service printed with characters denoting "double joy" given by President Chiang Kai Shek of the Chinese Republic. 35. As well as jewellery from their close relatives, including the King and Queen, the couple received many useful items for the kitchen and home, including salt cellars from the Queen, a bookcase from Queen Mary, and a picnic case from Princess Margaret. 36. Other gifts, kindly made and given by members of the public, included a hand-knitted cardigan, two pairs of bed socks, and a hand-knitted tea cosy. 37. Over 200,000 people visited the special exhibition of wedding presents at St James's Palace. THE WEDDING RECEPTION 38. The "wedding breakfast" was held after the marriage ceremony at Westminster Abbey in the Ball Supper-room at Buckingham Palace. The menu was Filet de Sole Mountbatten, Perdreau en Casserole, Bombe Glacee Princess Elizabeth. The wedding reception was held at Buckingham Palace 39.

The bride and groom sat at the main table with the bride's parents, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the bride's grandmother, Queen Mary, her sister Princess Margaret, the groom's mother, Princess Andrew of Greece, the groom's uncle, Prince George of Greece and the Kings of Norway, Denmark and Romania. 40. Individual posies of myrtle and white Balmoral heather were placed at each place setting as "favours" (gifts to the guests). 41. The flowers decorating the tables were pink and white carnations, donated by the British Carnation Society. 42. The string band of the Grenadier Guards played music during the "wedding breakfast" under the direction of Captain FJ Harris. The King's Pipe Major also played at the lunch. 43. The official wedding cake was made by McVities and Price. Eleven other cakes were given as presents. With post-war food rationing still in place ingredients were sent as wedding presents from overseas, for example the official cake was made using ingredients given as a wedding gift by Australian Girl Guides. Pieces of cake and food parcels were later distributed to schoolchildren and institutions. 44.

The cake was nine feet high in four tiers, with painted panels of the armorial bearings of both families, and included the monograms of bride and groom, sugar-iced figures to depict their favourite activities, and regimental and naval badges. The cake was cut using the Duke's Mountbatten sword, which was a wedding present from the King. 45. United Biscuits, which now owns the former McVities and Price brand, will be making two cakes to mark the diamond wedding anniversary in 2007. The first of the cakes will be on display at the lunch for members of various Royal Families at Buckingham Palace after the Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey on the 19 November. The second cake will be distributed to members of staff. THE HONEYMOON The Queen and Prince Philip spent some of their honeymoon in Malta 46. The bride and bridegroom left the Palace showered with rose petals. For the Princess' going-away outfit, Hartnell designed an ensemble of a dress and matching coat in mist-blue with mushroom-coloured accessories. 47. The couple departed from Waterloo station with the Princess's corgi, Susan, for their honeymoon. 48.

The newlyweds spent their wedding night at Broadlands in Hampshire, home of Prince Philip's uncle Earl Mountbatten. The second part of the honeymoon was spent at Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate. MARRIED LIFE 49. Early in 1948 the couple leased their first marital home, Windlesham Moor, in Surrey, near Windsor Castle, where they stayed until they moved to Clarence House on 4 July 1949. Prince Philip was not crowned or anointed at the Queen's coronation 50. After marrying Princess Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh continued his naval career, reaching the rank of Lieutenant-Commander in command of the frigate HMS Magpie. 51. Although he was the Queen's husband, the Duke of Edinburgh was not crowned or anointed at the Coronation ceremony in 1953. He was the first subject to pay Homage to Her Majesty, and kiss the newly crowned Queen by stating "I, Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, do become your liege man of life and limb, and of earthly worship; and faith and truth I will bear unto you, to live and die, against all manner of folks.

So help me God." 52. Prince Philip has accompanied the Queen on all her Commonwealth tours and State visits, as well as on public engagements in all parts of the UK. The first of these was the Coronation tour of the Commonwealth from November 1953 to May 1954, when the couple visited Bermuda, Jamaica, Panama, Fiji, Tonga, New Zealand, Australia, Cocos Islands, Ceylon, Aden, Uganda, Libya, Malta and Gibraltar, travelling a distance of 43,618 miles. 53. The Duke of Edinburgh is only one of a few consorts to reigning female Queens in British history. William III was co-Sovereign with Mary II, although she, as daughter of James II, was nearer the throne than him. The husband of Queen Anne was not given the title of King, but remained Prince George of Denmark. Prince Albert was created Prince Consort by Queen Victoria in 1857. The Royal couple had four children 54. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have four children: Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales (b. 1948), Princess Anne, The Princess Royal (b.

1950), Prince Andrew, The Duke of York (b. 1960), and Prince Edward, The Earl of Wessex (b. 1964). 55. With the birth of Prince Andrew in 1960, the Queen became the first reigning Sovereign to give birth to a child since Queen Victoria, whose youngest child, Princess Beatrice, was born in 1857. 56. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have seven grandchildren - Peter Phillips (b. 1977), Zara Phillips (b. 1981) Prince William (b. 1982), Prince Harry (b. 1984), Princess Beatrice (b. 1988), Princess Eugenie (b. 1990), and Lady Louise Windsor (b. 2003). The Earl and Countess of Wessex are expecting their second child in December. 57. The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh celebrated their 6th wedding anniversary in the year of the coronation, with a dance at Clarence House given by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. They left on their Commonwealth tour three days later. ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS 58.

A service of thanksgiving was held in Westminster Abbey for both the Silver and Golden wedding anniversaries. 59. There will be a service of thanksgiving in Westminster Abbey on the 19 November 2007 to celebrate the Diamond Wedding Anniversary. On the 20 November, the day of their wedding anniversary, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will travel to Malta where they lived as a young married couple from 1949-51 while the Duke was stationed there as a serving Royal Naval officer. 60. Five choristers who sang at the 1947 Wedding Service in Westminster Abbey will be serving at the Service of Thanksgiving on the 19 November, 2007 in Westminster Abbey. The Marriage of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip Prince Philip is compelled "to walk 'two steps behind' his wife." Born: Queen Elizabeth II aka Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor: April 21, 1926 in London, England. Prince Philip (Philippos) Mountbatten: June 10, 1921 at Villa Mon Repos on the island of Corfu, Greece.

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip are very distant cousins since both can claim Queen Victoria as great-great-grandmother. continue reading below our video 7 Tips for a Harmonious Divorce How Elizabeth and Philip Met: Philip and Elizabeth met in 1934 when Elizabeth was 13 years old at the wedding of Philip's cousin, Princess Marina of Greece. It was love at first sight for Elizabeth and she started writing letters to Philip. The first photograph of the couple together was taken in 1939. They became secretly engaged in 1946. Because of her age, her family at first opposed her marriage to Philip, but relented. Their engagement was officially announced on July 9, 1947. Her platinum engagement ring had a large square diamond with smaller diamonds on either side. The diamonds came from Philip's mother's tiara. Wedding Date and Information: Elizabeth and Philip were married on November 20, 1947 at Westminster Abbey in London, England. They had eight bridesmaids and two kilted page boys. The wedding ceremony was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher and the Archbishop of York, Cyril Garbett.

The 2000 guests at the wedding included many royals, Noel Coward, Beatrice Lillie. Wedding Reception: After the wedding, a lunch was held in the Ball supper-room at Buckingham Palace. Favours for the guests were individual posies of myrtle and white Balmoral heather. The nine-foot high, four-tier wedding cake, was made with ingredients given by Australian Girl Guides. The wedding cake was cut using The Duke's Mountbatten sword. After the wedding, pieces of cake were given to schoolchildren and institutions. The couple received over 2,500 wedding presents from around the world and around 10,000 telegrams of congratulations. Wedding Attire: Elizabeth wore her grandmother's tiara and a beautifully designed wedding dress. In order to be able to purchase the material for her wedding dress, Elizabeth saved up ration cards. "Made of ivory duchesse satin woven from silk from Chinese silkworms at Lullingstone Castle, the dress was decorated with 10,000 white seed pearls, imported from America, silver thread, sparkling crystal and transparent appliqué tulle embroidery.

Attached at the shoulders was a 15-foot star-patterned full court train, embroidered in pearl, crystal and appliqué duchesse satin. The ensemble was completed by a silk tulle veil held in place by a diamond fringe tiara, lent to the bride by her mother as 'something borrowed', and ivory duchesse satin high-heeled sandals, trimmed with silver and seed pearl buckles." "The Worshipful Company of Gardeners provided the Princess's bouquet, made of white orchids with a sprig of myrtle from the bush grown from the original myrtle in Queen Victoria's wedding bouquet." More on Prince Charles' Marriages Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise Mountbatten-Windsor: Born August 15, 1950 at Clarence House in London, England. She was married to Mark Phillips from November 14, 1973 to April 21, 1992. Mark and Anne have two children, Peter Phillips and Zara Phillips. On December 12, 1992, Anne married Timothy Laurence, a Royal Navy commander. Anne was elected Chancellor of the University of London in 1981.

Andrew Albert Christian Edward Mountbatten-Windsor: Born February 19, 1960 in Buckingham Palace, London, England. Andrew served in the RAF as a helicopter pilot. Andrew married Sarah Ferguson on July 23, 1986. They had two daughters together, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Andrew and Sarah divorced on May 30, 1996. Edward Mountbatten-Windsor: Born March 10, 1964 in Buckingham Palace, London, England. Edward served in the Royal Marines and has been involved in theatre and television production. On June 19, 1999, Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones. They have a daughter, Lady Louise Windsor and a son, James, Viscount Severn. Residences: The Queen considers Windsor Castle to be her home, though Buckingham Palace is another official residence. Visitors can tour Kensington Palace for a better understanding of royal life. Quotes: Queen Elizabeth about Prince Philip: "He is someone who doesn't take easily to compliments.

But he has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I and his whole family, in this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim or we shall ever know." Source: William Shawcross, Queen and Country: The Fifty-Year Regin of Elizabeth II, page 216. William Shawcross: "In fact the marriage prospered. A friend recalls that one evening the Queen was looking ravishing after a formal dinner. Prince Philip smiled at her and said, 'You look good enough to eat.' She blushed with pleasure." Source: William Shawcross, Queen and Country: The Fifty-Year Regin of Elizabeth II, page 148. From the Museum | Forward with Roosevelt Forward with Roosevelt Posted on April 26, 2011 by fdrlibrary Portion of Royal Wedding Cake (MO 1948.80.10) As the world prepares to celebrate the wedding of His Royal Highness Prince William to Catherine “Kate” Middleton, we reflect on the wedding of the Prince’s grandparents that took place over 60 years ago.

On November 20, 1947, Her Royal Highness The Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen Elizabeth II) was wed to His Royal Highness Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey in London. England was still recovering from the physical devastation and economic effects of World War II, and the Princess had to set aside her ration cards in order to buy the material for her gown, designed by Norman Hartnell. The nine foot tall, 500-pound wedding cake reflected the significance of the event with four tiers of sculptured sugar made by McVitie and Price, Ltd., from ingredients given as a wedding present by the Australian Girl Guides. The Duke used his Mountbatten sword to cut the cake during the wedding reception. Pieces of cake were later given as gifts to friends and British schoolchildren. One such gift was sent to Eleanor Roosevelt soon after the Royal wedding.

This piece of chocolate wedding cake arrived in a white box with silver-tone embossed lettering on the top that reads, “BUCKINGHAM PALACE, 20TH NOVEMBER 1947.” A card enclosed inside the box reads, “With the Best Wishes of Their Royal Highnesses The Princess Elizabeth and The Duke of Edinburgh.”

Question: The ingredients for the 1947 wedding cake for the future Queen Elizabeth II were a present from the Girl Guides of which country?
Answer: Australia