Cutting The Cake: Queen Elizabeth's Wedding Cake Tradition

Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's wedding cake was a 9-foot-tall, four-tiered fruitcake, weighing around 500 pounds and producing 2,000 slices. The cake was cut by Prince Philip with his ceremonial sword. The cake was designed by the chief confectioner at McVitie and Price Ltd, now known as McVitie's. The ingredients for the cake were sourced from around the world, including sugar from the Australian Girl Guides Association, earning it the nickname 'The 10,000 Mile Cake'.

The cake was 9ft tall and had four tiers

The official wedding cake of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip was a true masterpiece. Standing at 9ft tall, the fruitcake consisted of four tiers and weighed around 500 pounds. It was baked by the Scottish biscuit maker McVitie and Price, now known as McVitie's, which is owned by United Biscuits. The cake was so large that it required ingredients from around the world, including sugar from the Australian Girl Guides Association. This led to the cake being nicknamed "The 10,000-Mile Cake".

The cake was intricately decorated with the arms of the bride and groom's families, figures engaged in the couple's favourite activities, and regimental and naval badges. The design also included images of Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, and Balmoral Castle. The bottom tier rested on a solid silver base, which added to the grandeur of the cake.

The cake was cut by Prince Philip using his ceremonial sword, a wedding gift from the King. The slicing of the cake was a true spectacle, as it produced 2,000 slices for the wedding guests. In addition, hundreds of slices were sent with handwritten notes to various charities and organisations worldwide.

The wedding cake of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip was not just a dessert but a true work of art that reflected the grandeur and significance of the royal nuptials. The size, decoration, and global reach of the cake made it a memorable part of the celebration.

It was cut with a sword

The wedding cake of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip Mountbatten was cut with a sword. The sword in question was a ceremonial sword that had been given to Prince Philip by the King as a wedding gift. The cake was cut by Prince Philip, and it produced 2,000 slices for guests, with hundreds more sent with handwritten notes to various charities and organisations across the globe.

The cake was a fruitcake that stood at nine feet tall and consisted of four tiers. It was designed by the chief confectioner at McVitie and Price Ltd, now known as McVitie's. The cake was baked in their London factory, and it weighed around 500 pounds. It was decorated with the bride's and groom's crests, as well as images of Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, and Balmoral Castle. The second tier featured a night scene from the Battle of Cape Matapan, and the fourth tier displayed Commonwealth crests.

The cake was aptly nicknamed "The 10,000 Mile Cake" because many of the ingredients had to be flown in from around the world. This was due to the fact that Britain was still experiencing rationing in the aftermath of World War II. The sugar, for example, was provided by the Australian Girl Guides Association, with 25,000 Australian Brownies, Guides, and Rangers each contributing a penny. Other ingredients were sourced from Canada, Jamaica, and Barbados.

The wedding cake of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip was truly a global affair, and the use of a sword to cut the cake added a ceremonial touch to the occasion.

It was designed by McVitie and Price Ltd

The wedding cake of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip was designed by McVitie and Price Ltd, now known as McVities and owned by United Biscuits. The cake was a four-tiered, 500-pound fruitcake that stood nine feet tall. It was baked in the company's London factory, but the design was kept secret at the request of Princess Elizabeth until the wedding day.

The cake was decorated with the bride and groom's crests, as well as images of Windsor Castle, Buckingham Palace, and Balmoral Castle. The second tier featured a night scene from the Battle of Cape Matapan, Princess Elizabeth taking the salute as Colonel-in-Chief of the Grenadier Guards, and depictions of the couple's favourite activities, including tennis, cricket, sailing, athletics, and racing. The third tier displayed a cupid holding shields with the couple's initials, the crest of the Royal Navy, and the badge of the Auxiliary Territorial Service. The fourth tier showcased the badges of Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, India, and Pakistan.

Standing atop the fourth tier was a globe bearing the names of all the countries within the British Commonwealth, as well as a silver Quaich, a Scottish drinking cup adorned with fresh camellias and white roses. The cake was supported by silver pillars, with the bottom tier resting on a solid silver base that had been used at the weddings of Princess Elizabeth's parents and grandparents.

The ingredients for the cake were sourced from around the world, including sugar from the Australian Girl Guides Association, flour from Canada, and rum and brown sugar from Jamaica. The cake was nicknamed "The 10,000 Mile Cake" due to the distances travelled by its ingredients. It took five and a half weeks to ice the cake, and it produced 2,000 slices.

It was a fruit cake laced with alcohol

The wedding cake of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip was a fruit cake laced with alcohol. The official cake, served at the wedding breakfast, was baked by the Scottish biscuit maker, McVitie and Price. The cake stood at a whopping 9 ft tall and consisted of four tiers, weighing around 500 pounds. It was a fruitcake that contained 80 oranges and lemons, 660 eggs, and more than three gallons of Navy Rum.

The cake was designed by the chief confectioner at McVitie and Price Ltd, now known as McVitie's. Due to rationing from the war, the ingredients for the 500-pound fruit cake had to be flown to the UK from South Africa and Australia, earning it the nickname 'the 10,000-mile cake'. The sugar, for example, was provided by the Australian Girl Guides Association.

The cake was cut by Prince Philip with his ceremonial sword and produced 2,000 slices for guests, with hundreds more sent with handwritten notes to various charities and organisations across the globe. The cake was left to mature for eight weeks after baking.

The tradition of boxing up pieces of cake as wedding favours for guests and saving the top tier for the first child's christening were observed. One tier was saved for the christening of Prince Charles in 1948.

It produced 2,000 slices

The wedding cake of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip was a grand affair. The four-tiered cake stood at nine feet tall and weighed around 500 pounds. It was made by London bakery McVitie and Price and produced 2,000 slices. The cake was a fruitcake laced with alcohol and contained 80 oranges and lemons, 660 eggs, and more than three gallons of Navy Rum. It was nicknamed "The 10,000 Mile Cake" as some of the ingredients were sourced from around the world, including sugar from the Australian Girl Guides Association.

The cake was cut by Prince Philip using his ceremonial sword. The slices were distributed to the wedding guests, with hundreds more sent to various charities and organisations across the globe, accompanied by handwritten notes. One tier was saved for the christening of Prince Charles in 1948.

The cake was designed by McVitie and Price's chief confectioner, Frederick E. Schur, and was kept a secret until the wedding day. The cake was put on private view for select visitors in the London factory on November 15, 1947, five days before the wedding. The final touches to the decoration were made by Schur at this time.

The cake was delivered to Buckingham Palace the day before the wedding in a pantechnicon, escorted by a courtesy cop and six men inside the van. A section of the cake was pre-cut to enable a wedge to be easily pulled out as the couple cut it. This wedge contained seven lucky charms: a bachelor button, a wedding ring, a donkey, a threepenny bit, a thimble, a wishbone, and a horseshoe.

The royal wedding cake was an impressive creation, not only in its size but also in its intricate details and decorations. It stood tall and proud, serving as a delicious treat for the happy couple and their guests, as well as a symbol of celebration and joy.

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