Pressures of royal wedding traditions
BRITAIN, 1947. The Second World War had ended, but the nation’s struggle was far from over. Rationing was still in place, and in the streets, people queued for jobs, for handouts and for fresh fruit. Access to fuel was limited. Then one of the coldest winters on record hit, destroying the wheat crop.
When Princess Elizabeth’s engagement to Philip Mountbatten was announced that summer, many Brits welcomed the news. After so much suffering, the prospect of a royal wedding seemed to lift the nation’s spirit. “Oh, it gave us all a boost,” recalled Pat Bannell, a 97-year-old from East London. “We were all for it, especially if we got a day off work,” she said, chuckling.
The wedding of the future Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip came just four months after the engagement and was attended by 2,000 guests.
Across the country and around the world, people listened to the events unfold on the radio. Thousands gathered on the streets of London, waited patiently for hours to catch a glimpse of the newlyweds. As the couple stepped out onto the balcony and waved, they were met with a roar of whistling, claps and cheers.
On Saturday, those longago newlyweds – the queen is now 92, Prince Philip is 96, and the couple celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in November – are expected to attend the royal wedding of their grandson Prince Harry to American actress Meghan Markle. (Prince Philip is recovering from a hip operation.)
When the bride and groom exchange vows at Windsor Castle’s St George’s Chapel this weekend, comparisons with the past will certainly be made. Will Markle’s father walk her down the aisle, as tradition demands? Or will someone else do it?
Smaller dramas will revolve around the day’s decorative choices, sentimental touches and ceremonial decisions. All will be scrutinised. While many customs have prevailed throughout royal wedding history, others have been tweaked or replaced entirely.
The vows
When Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947, she took a traditional vow, promising to “love, cherish and obey” him.
It was Diana, Princess ofWales who broke with tradition in 1981 when she married Prince Charles by omitting the word obey. Diana instead promised to “love, comfort, honour and keep” her new husband.
Diana’s decision sparked controversy not just at home but also overseas. LADY DIANA WON’T VOW TO OBEY CHARLES, the New York Times wrote.
Royal brides who came after Diana did not follow suit. When Sarah Ferguson married Prince Andrew in 1986, she vowed to obey, as did Sophie Rhys-Jones during her wedding to Prince Edward. (Bishop of Norwich Peter Nott, who led the wedding service, said use of the word “obey” was about trust and did not mean Sophie was going to be “subservient”.)
In the run-up to Kate Middleton’s wedding to Prince William in 2011, speculation was rife about the impending vows. Would Kate do a Diana? The answer was yes. Standing in Westminster Abbey, she vowed to “love, comfort, honour and keep” her husband, with no mention of obeying him.
Now it is Meghan Markle’s turn to decide.
Flowers
When it comes to flowers and royal weddings, arrangements are traditionally all white – although size and style have varied dramatically over time.
Kate’s bouquet was described as simple by some and underwhelming by others. Diana’s bridal arrangement was quite the opposite. The bouquet was ostentatious, and she did not just have one, she had two. This is rumoured to be because Elizabeth’s was allegedly misplaced by a footman and went missing at some point during her wed- ding day – much to the dismay of the official photographer. When it came time to take the family photo, her arrangement was nowhere to be seen.
Despite the differences in size, selection and personal preference, the inclusion of myrtle, which symbolises love, is a tradition that dates back to the wedding of Queen Victoria’s daughter and is expected to continue with Meghan this weekend.
Wedding rings
At the time of her marriage to the future King George VI in 1923, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, later known as the Queen Mother, opted for a wedding ring made from rare Welsh gold. From this date on, the Welsh wedding band became somewhat of a statement. Since then, the unique gold has been used to form the rings of the queen, Princess Margaret and Princess Diana. The wedding rings are formed from the same nugget, carefully extracted from the Clogau St David’s gold mine in Wales. After his engagement, Prince William was given Welsh gold by the queen so Kate could wear a Welsh band.
Prince Harry recently said yellow gold is Meghan’s favourite, but it is not yet known whether her choice of wedding ring will follow royal tradition.
The date
Royal weddings often occur during the week, which, in the past has resulted in a day off for most workers. Queen Elizabeth and Philip were married on a Thursday. Prince Charles and Princess Diana on a Wednesday. Prince William and Catherine married on a Friday, and pubs and bars across the country had their opening hours extended to make room for extra drinking time.
Not only are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tying the knot on a Saturday, but it is also one of the biggest football matches of the year, the FA Cup final. For FA President Prince William, who is also Harry’s best man, it is shaping up to be quite the day.