Princess Anne's Big Day: Bridesmaids Revealed

Princess Anne, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, had just one bridesmaid at her wedding to Captain Mark Phillips on 14 November 1973. Princess Anne's choice of bridesmaid was her nine-year-old cousin, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, the daughter of Princess Margaret.

Princess Anne's bridesmaid was her nine-year-old cousin, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones

Princess Anne had just one bridesmaid at her wedding to Mark Phillips on 14 November 1973: her nine-year-old cousin, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones. Lady Sarah was the daughter of Princess Margaret, who had been attended by eight bridesmaids at her own wedding in 1960—including Princess Anne herself, then aged ten.

Princess Anne's bridesmaid outfit was a Tudor-style pinafore dress with a floor-length skirt and lattice sleeves. The bride and bridesmaid wore matching styles, echoing a long tradition of royal brides and their attendants wearing similar dresses. Lady Sarah wore her hair in a bun, accessorised with a white headpiece.

Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones was not the only young attendant at Princess Anne's wedding. Her nine-year-old brother, Prince Edward, served as page boy, wearing a tartan kilt.

Princess Anne's wedding to Mark Phillips took place at Westminster Abbey, with an estimated global audience of 500 million. The ceremony included many traditional aspects, such as the use of state carriages, and the couple's wedding cake was a tall, iced confection with a statue of a female jockey on top, in tribute to Princess Anne's career as an equestrian.

Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones was the daughter of Princess Margaret

Princess Anne, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, had just one bridesmaid at her wedding to Mark Phillips on November 14, 1973. Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones, the nine-year-old daughter of Princess Margaret, served as Princess Anne's sole bridesmaid. The bride and bridesmaid wore matching Tudor-style dresses, with Lady Sarah in a pinafore dress with a floor-length skirt and lattice sleeves.

Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones was indeed the daughter of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones. Princess Margaret was the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II, making Princess Anne and Lady Sarah first cousins. Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, a noted society photographer, were married on May 6, 1960, at Westminster Abbey in London. The wedding was the first royal wedding to be broadcast on television, with an estimated 300 million viewers.

Lady Sarah's parents, Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, met in 1958 at a dinner party. They became engaged shortly after Armstrong-Jones was invited to stay at Balmoral Castle in October 1959. Armstrong-Jones presented Princess Margaret with an engagement ring that he designed himself, featuring a ruby surrounded by a marguerite of diamonds. The ruby was chosen in honour of Princess Margaret's middle name.

Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones separated in 1976 and divorced in 1978. Their divorce was the first by a senior member of the royal family since 1901. Princess Margaret, who never remarried, died in 2002, while Armstrong-Jones passed away in 2017. The couple had two children: David, born in 1961, and Sarah, born in 1964.

Princess Anne's wedding dress was designed by Maureen Baker

Baker, a British fashion designer, was born Evelyn Maureen Porter on 26 May 1920 and grew up in Hammersmith, London. She was educated at a convent school and later rose to prominence when she was appointed head designer at Susan Small in 1943. Princess Anne's dress was said to have been designed in collaboration with the Princess herself, who contributed to many aspects of the final design.

The dress was described as simplistic and was noted for being closer to contemporary 1970s wedding fashion trends when compared to previous royal wedding dresses. It featured a fitted bodice with a high neck and a flared skirt that led to a seven-foot-long train. The full-length trumpet sleeves and large cuffs were reminiscent of Elizabethan ruffs and were one of the most memorable parts of the dress. The dress was made from pure white silk and was paired with a white tulle veil, secured by the same fringe tiara that Queen Elizabeth II wore for her wedding in 1947.

Maureen Baker had previously designed costumes for Princess Anne and went on to create about 250 outfits for her before retiring in the 1990s. Baker's work is now part of the collection at the V&A. She passed away at the age of 97 in 2017.

The wedding cake was as tall as Princess Anne

Princess Anne, the only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, had a wedding cake that matched her height of five feet and six inches. The cake was a towering five-tiered confection, crafted by the Royal Army Catering Corps. Each tier was a brandy-soaked fruitcake, shaped like a hexagon and adorned with silver tiers. The cake was not just a dessert but also a tribute to the princess's equestrian prowess, topped with a statuette of a female jockey leaping over a fence.

The wedding cake stood tall alongside Princess Anne, who wore an embroidered Tudor-style wedding dress with medieval-influenced sleeves. The high-necked and high-waisted gown was designed by Maureen Baker, the chief designer for Susan Small. Princess Anne's hair was styled in a slightly parted updo with beehive volume, secured by the Queen Mary Fringe Tiara. Her bridal look was completed with diamond cluster earrings.

The wedding cake, with its impressive height, was a stunning centrepiece at the ceremony. The hexagonal tiers, stacked one above the other, created a sense of grandeur and elegance. The silver tiers added a touch of royalty and sparkle to the dessert, reflecting the opulence of the occasion. The cake was not just a delicious treat but also a work of art, carefully crafted and designed to honour the princess's achievements in equestrian sports.

The towering cake stood as a symbol of celebration and joy, reflecting the happiness and excitement of the special day. It was a focal point during the wedding reception, with guests admiring its intricate design and enjoying its delicious flavours. The cake's height and presence created a lasting impression, adding to the magic and romance of Princess Anne's wedding day.

The wedding cake was made by the Royal Army Catering Corps

Princess Anne's wedding cake was a towering 5 ft 6 in tall, the same height as the Princess herself. Warrant Officer David Dodd of the British Army Catering Corps was responsible for the final decoration of the cake, which he also designed. The cake featured five tiers of brandy-soaked fruit cake, each shaped like a hexagon and decorated with intricate piping and interlinked monograms.

The cake was crafted by the Royal Army Catering Corps, who are renowned for their expertise in creating exquisite cakes for special occasions. Each tier of the cake was carefully crafted and assembled to form a stunning hexagonal structure. The cake was not only a delicious treat but also a true work of art, with intricate details that made it a focal point of the wedding celebration.

The cake's decoration was a labour of love, with each tier featuring elegant piping and monogram designs that added to its regal appearance. The use of brandy-soaked fruit cake was a traditional choice for wedding cakes, adding a rich and indulgent flavour to the dessert. The cake was not just a delicious treat but also a symbol of celebration and joy, reflecting the happiness and grandeur of the royal wedding.

The crowning glory of the cake was a statue of a female jockey leaping over a fence, a special nod to Princess Anne's successful career as an equestrian. This unique touch not only celebrated her passion for horseriding but also added a personal touch to the cake, making it even more memorable for the royal couple and their guests. The cake stood tall alongside the happy couple, serving as a sweet reminder of their love and shared interests.

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