Rhiannon Hendricks
The name Elizabeth has been borne by numerous notable women, including Queen Elizabeth II, fictional character Elizabeth Thatcher, and Elizabeth Tudor. This article discusses the weddings of Queen Elizabeth II and Elizabeth Thatcher, as well as the TV series Becoming Elizabeth, which chronicles the early life of Elizabeth Tudor. Queen Elizabeth II, then Princess Elizabeth, married Philip Mountbatten, later Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at Westminster Abbey in London, United Kingdom, on November 20, 1947. Princess Elizabeth's wedding band was crafted from Welsh gold, a tradition shared with her mother and subsequently continued with Princess Anne and Lady Diana Spencer. Elizabeth Thatcher, on the other hand, wedded Jack Thornton in Season 5 Episode 5 of the series When Calls the Heart. The couple's wedding preparations and ceremony were marked by challenges and dramatic twists, including a fire that destroyed the church decorations and Elizabeth's wedding dress.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Wedding | 20 November 1947 |
| Location | Westminster Abbey, London, United Kingdom |
| Bride | Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, heir presumptive to the British throne |
| Groom | Philip Mountbatten, a prince of Greece and Denmark |
| Bride's Wedding Dress | Designed by Hartnell |
| Groom's Title | Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich of Greenwich in the County of London |
| Best Man | Marquess of Milford Haven |
| Bridesmaids | Princess Margaret, Princess Alexandra of Kent, Lady Caroline Montagu-Douglas-Scott, Lady Mary Cambridge, Lady Elizabeth Lambart, Lady Pamela Mountbatten, Margaret Elphinstone, and Diana Bowes-Lyon |
| Page Boys | Prince William of Gloucester and Prince Michael of Kent |
| Wedding Night Location | Home of the Duke of Edinburgh's uncle, the Earl Mountbatten of Burma, in Broadlands |
| Honeymoon Location | Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate |
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What You'll Learn
- Princess Elizabeth's wedding band was made from Welsh gold
- The wedding dress and going-away outfit were designed by Hartnell
- Princess Elizabeth was attended by eight bridesmaids
- The wedding ceremony included a choir and specially composed music
- The couple spent their wedding night at the home of the Duke of Edinburgh's uncle
Princess Elizabeth's wedding band was made from Welsh gold
Princess Elizabeth's wedding band was crafted from pure Welsh gold from the Clogau St David's gold mine. The tradition of using Welsh gold in the wedding rings of the British royal family dates back over 100 years, when Prince Edward was invested as the Prince of Wales in 1911. The gold used for Princess Elizabeth's wedding ring was from the same nugget of Welsh gold that was given to her mother, Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, and was used to make her wedding ring. This nugget of gold was later used to create the wedding rings of Princess Anne and Lady Diana Spencer.
The Welsh gold story is steeped in history and tradition, with the gold being some of the most exclusive jewellery in the world. Each piece of Clogau jewellery contains rare Welsh gold and can be identified by the Welsh dragon stamp and other unique marks. The use of Welsh gold in royal weddings has continued through the years, with Princess Margaret, Princess Diana, and most recently, Meghan Markle, incorporating it into their wedding rings.
Princess Elizabeth's wedding ring also features a secret inscription from her husband, Prince Philip, known only to three people. The couple's wedding breakfast was held in the Ball-Supper Room of the Palace, with a menu including Filet de Sole Mountbatten, Perdreau en Casserole, and Bombe Glacee Princess Elizabeth. The wedding cake, a four-tier fruitcake, stood nine feet high and weighed about 500 lbs, earning it the nickname "The 10,000 Mile Cake" due to the ingredients being sourced from around the world.
Princess Elizabeth's wedding to Philip Mountbatten, later Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, took place on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey in London. Princess Elizabeth was attended by eight bridesmaids, including her younger sister, Princess Margaret, and her first cousin, Princess Alexandra of Kent. The wedding ceremony was followed by a tradition started by Princess Elizabeth's mother, where her bridal bouquet was returned to the abbey and laid on the tomb of the Unknown Warrior.
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The wedding dress and going-away outfit were designed by Hartnell
Sir Norman Hartnell was a leading British fashion designer, best known for his work for the ladies of the royal family. Hartnell gained the Royal Warrant as Dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth (later the Queen Mother) in 1940 and Royal Warrant as Dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth II in 1957. Hartnell's success ensured international press coverage and a flourishing trade with those no longer content with 'safe' London clothes derived from Parisian designs.
Hartnell created several of the most memorable gowns in modern royal history. In 1935, Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, asked Hartnell to create her wedding dress, as well as looks for her bridesmaids. Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret were among those bridesmaids, and their mother took a particular liking to Hartnell's designs. Hartnell also designed day clothes for the Princesses during the 1947 Royal Tour of South Africa, the first Royal Tour abroad since 1939.
Hartnell designed the wedding dress of Princess Elizabeth in 1947 for her marriage to Prince Philip (later the Duke of Edinburgh). With a fashionable sweetheart neckline and a full skirt, the dress was embroidered with some 10,000 seed pearls and thousands of white beads. Hartnell also created the going-away outfit and her trousseau, becoming her main designer. The wedding dress was famously inspired by Sandro Botticelli's painting of Primavera, now in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.
Hartnell's design for Princess Margaret's wedding dress in 1960 marked the last full State occasion for which he designed an impressive tableau of dresses. The Princess wore a multi-layered white princess line dress, totally unadorned, utilising many layers of fine silk.
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Princess Elizabeth was attended by eight bridesmaids
Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) was attended by eight bridesmaids when she married Philip Mountbatten (later Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh) on 20 November 1947. The wedding took place at Westminster Abbey in London, United Kingdom.
The bridesmaids were: Princess Margaret (the bride's younger sister), Princess Alexandra of Kent (her first cousin), Lady Caroline Montagu-Douglas-Scott (daughter of the Duke of Buccleuch), Lady Mary Cambridge (her second cousin), Lady Elizabeth Lambart (daughter of the Earl of Cavan), Lady Pamela Mountbatten (Philip's first cousin), Margaret Elphinstone (her first cousin), and Diana Bowes-Lyon (her first cousin).
The bridesmaids wore ivory dresses designed by Sir Norman Hartnell, featuring scoop necklines, ruched bodices, and flowing tulle skirts. The dresses were embellished with clusters of satin flowers, and the bridesmaids wore floral satin headdresses with ears of corn, lilies, and silver lamé leaves.
The wedding was a grand affair, with large carriage processions bringing the royal parties to the abbey. Princess Elizabeth arrived with her father, the King, in the Irish State Coach. The ceremony was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, and broadcast by BBC Radio to 200 million people worldwide.
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The wedding ceremony included a choir and specially composed music
Music is an integral part of any wedding ceremony, and for royal weddings, it is no exception. The wedding of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947 featured the hymn "Love Divine, All Love Excelling", performed by the Choir of Westminster Abbey and the Choir of His Majesty's Chapel Royal. The same hymn was also included in the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 2011.
The royal couple's wedding ceremony also included a choir and specially composed music. The choir sang "The Lord's My Shepherd", another hymn that was also featured in Queen Elizabeth's funeral service. The Fanfare Team from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force performed a specially composed fanfare called "Valiant and Brave", which was composed by Wing Commander Duncan Stubbs, Principal Director of Music in the Royal Air Force.
For the arrival of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, the State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry performed a fanfare, followed by three processionals. The first was "March from The Birds" by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, chosen by Prince William and Miss Middleton for the procession of the Queen.
The wedding ceremony of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip was a grand affair, with a choir and specially composed music that added to the solemnity and joy of the occasion. The music choices, both traditional and new, blended seamlessly to create a memorable and historic royal wedding.
Another notable royal wedding with a choir and specially composed music was that of Prince William and Kate Middleton. The couple put considerable thought into selecting their wedding music, blending traditional pieces with newly commissioned ones. They chose three hymns for the service, including "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer", "Love Divine All Love Excelling", and "Jerusalem", all of which held special significance for them. The anthem "This is the Day Which the Lord Hath Made" was specially composed for the occasion by John Rutter and performed by the Choir of Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal Choir.
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The couple spent their wedding night at the home of the Duke of Edinburgh's uncle
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, tied the knot on November 20, 1947, at 11:30 a.m. GMT at Westminster Abbey. The ceremony, which took place shortly after World War II, was attended by 2,000 guests, including royalty from across Europe. The guest list included five kings, five queens, and eight princes and princesses. The princess rode with her father, King George VI, in the Irish State Coach to her wedding venue, accompanied by the British Life Guards regiment in their "full-dress" uniforms.
The wedding came five months after the couple's engagement announcement in June 1947. The celebrations included a ball at Buckingham Palace, which was later described as a "sensational evening". The wedding ceremony was followed by a reception at which the couple cut a 900-pound cake with a sword and received 10,000 congratulatory notes.
The newlyweds spent their wedding night at the same venue, with a Scotland Yard agent stationed in an attic above their room for their protection. The next day, the Duke of Edinburgh celebrated his stag night with his navy colleagues.
The wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip was a significant event in Britain's postwar recovery, capturing a rare joyful moment for the nation. It was also a media spectacle, with extensive coverage in publications like The New Yorker, which featured a column by A. J. Liebling reviewing the media coverage of the royal wedding.
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Frequently asked questions
It is about the fascinating story of the early life of England’s most iconic Queen, Elizabeth Tudor, an orphaned teenager who became embroiled in the political and sexual politics of the English court on her journey to obtain the crown.
Yes, there are English, Arabic, Danish, Persian, Finnish, Icelandic, Italian, Norwegian Bokmål, Swedish, Dutch and Indonesian subtitles available.
Princess Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten, later known as Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.
Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten got married on Thursday 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey in London, United Kingdom.
