| Wedding of Prince Albert Edward and Princess Alexandra | |
| Venue: | St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle |
| Location: | Windsor, England |
| Participants: | Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) Princess Alexandra of Denmark (later Queen Alexandra) |
The wedding of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), and Princess Alexandra of Denmark (later Queen Alexandra) took place on 10 March 1863 at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. It was the first royal wedding to take place at St. George's, and the last wedding of a Prince of Wales until Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's 1981 wedding.
Before his marriage, Prince Albert Edward, known as "Bertie" amongst his family, garnered a reputation as a philandering prince, and his irresponsibility was greatly detested by his parents, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. They sought to put a stop to his affairs by means of marriage and thereby bring stability to his life.[1] In 1858, the Queen and Prince Albert began the process of finding their son a suitable bride, preferable a German Protestant. The Prince's older sister, Victoria, Princess Royal (by then Crown Princess of Prussia), aided the Queen in drafting a list of potential brides, the fifth on the list being the thirteen-year-old Princess Alexandra of Denmark, the eldest daughter of Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Beck (later King Christian IX of Denmark) and Louise of Hesse-Kassel. In the end, Bertie's father agreed on Alexandra, remarking that she was "the only one to be chosen." Prince Albert Edward and Princess Alexandra met on 24 September 1861 at Speyer Cathedral, Germany, an arrangement engineered by Princess Victoria.
On 14 December that year, Prince Albert died of typhoid,[2] causing the Queen to enter a deep state of mourning.[3] She blamed his death on their son and his promiscuous affairs,[4] most recently with actress Nellie Clifden that caused a rift between Bertie and his father. Perhaps to appease his mother by following the late Prince Consort's wishes, Bertie proposed to Alexandra on their next meeting. They were engaged on 9 September 1862 at the Palace of Laeken, Belgium.
Princess Alexandra arrived in Britain abroad the royal yacht Victoria and Albert on 7 March 1863, just a few months after the engagement. She was received by large crowds as she landed in Gravesend, Kent. She joined the Prince of Wales on the royal train for the journey to London, where she was greeted by an anxious Queen Victoria.
The Queen decided that the ceremony would be held at St. George Chapel, Windsor, at the time an unusual location as royal weddings typically took place in London. The press complained that public spectators would not be able to view the event. Some people who might have expected invitations were disappointed that the event was planned to be small, and therefore they did not receive invitations. Only Princess Alexandra's close family were invited.[5]
On the morning of 10 March 1863, the carriage procession began from Windsor Castle. The Danish royal family were first, followed by the British royal family members; the Prince of Wales and his entourage were in the next-to-last carriage, with the bride coming last. Queen Victoria was not part of the procession, being taken to the chapel privately. She was escorted by her brother-in-law, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; she was dressed in mourning, and viewed the ceremony from above and out of view of the other guests. The ceremony was conducted by Thomas Longley, the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Princess Alexandra was attended by eight bridesmaids Diana Beauclerk, Victoria Montagu-Douglas-Scott, Victoria Howard, Elma Bruce, Agneta Yorke, Emily Villiers (filling in for Hariot Georgina Hamilton-Rowan who was indisposed that day), Eleanor Hare and Feodorowna Wellesley. She was supported by her father, Prince Christian, and by the Duke of Cambridge. The Prince of Wales was supported by his uncle, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and brother-in-law, the Crown Prince of Prussia.
After the ceremony, the Prince and Princess of Wales returned to Windsor Castle along with the other guests. Many of the royal guests served as witnesses, with Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales's siblings and their spouses, Princess Alexandra's family, as well as the Danish and British ministers and Lord Chancellor signing the marriage register. A banquet was held in the State Dining Room for the royal guests and in St. George's Hall for household members, and other guests. The couple honeymooned at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.
Following her marriage, Princess Alexandra was styled Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales.
See main article: Wedding dress of Princess Alexandra of Denmark. The wedding dress of Princess Alexandra of Denmark was made by London dressmaker Mrs James of Belgravia, and was the first British royal wedding dress to be photographed while being worn.
The Duchess of Brabant, wife of the groom's double first cousin once removed[6] The Count of Flanders, the groom's double first cousin once removed[6]
Prince and Princess Christian of Denmark, the bride's parents[6] Prince Frederick of Denmark, the bride's brother[6] Prince Wilhelm of Denmark, the bride's brother[6] Princess Dagmar of Denmark, the bride's sister[6] Princess Thyra of Denmark, the bride's sister[6] The Belgian Minister and Madame Van De Weyer[6]
The Dutch Minister[6] The Danish Minister[6]
The Honduran Minister
The United States Minister and Mrs. Adams
The Spanish Minister[6]
The Peruvian Minister[6]
The Haitian Chargé d'affaires[6]