User:Iamthecheese44/Wedding of Prince Edward and Katherine Worsley sandbox
| Date | 8 June 1961 |
|---|---|
| Venue | York Minster |
| Location | York, England |
| Participants | Prince Edward, Duke of Kent Katharine Worsley |
The wedding of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Katharine Worsley took place on 8 June 1961 at York Minster in York. The groom is a member of the British Royal Family, and the bride is a the daughter of a Yorkshire squire.
Background and engagement[edit]
The groom is the elder son of Prince George, Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. He is also a grandson of King George V, and a cousin of the reigning monarch, Elizabeth II. The Duke is also related to The Queen's husband, The Duke of Edinburgh, through his mother, Princess Marina. The Duke of Edinburgh, originally a Prince of Greece and Denmark, was Princess Marina's first cousin, making Prince Edward his first cousin, once removed. Prince Edward had succeeded as Duke of Kent at the age of 6, following his father's unexpected death in a plane crash during active duty in World War II.
The bride is the only daughter of Sir William Arthrington Worsley, 4th Bt., and his wife, Joyce Morgan Brunner. She was the first untitled woman to marry into the royal family in over a century.[1]
The couple's engagement was announced on 8 March 1961.[2] Continuing a family tradition started by the ring given to the groom's mother, Princess Marina, Prince Edward gave his fiancée an oval sapphire ring flanked by a round diamond on each side.[3]
Ceremony[edit]
Venue[edit]
The wedding was held at York Minster. The last time a royal wedding was hosted at the location had been 633 years prior, when Edward III married Philippa of Hainault).[4]
Bridal party[edit]
The best man was the groom's younger brother, Prince Michael of Kent.[4]
- Bridesmaids
Eight bridesmaids were chosen, led by The Princess Anne:
- The Princess Anne,[4] age 10 – chief bridesmaid; daughter of The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh
- Miss Emily Briggs
- Miss Sandra Butter, age 12 – daughter of Myra, Lady Butter (daughter of Lady Zia Wernher), and Major Sir David Butter
- Miss Katherine Ashley Cooper
- Miss Joanna Fitzroy
- The Hon. Jane Spencer, age 4 – daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Althorp; and goddaughter of The Duke of Kent
- Miss Diana Worsley
- Miss Willa Worsley, age 6 – the bride's niece, daughter of Mr and Mrs John Worsley[5]
- Pages
- Edward Becket (now Lord Grimthorpe)
- Simon Hay, age – son of lady-in-waiting Lady Margaret Seymour
- William Worsley
Wedding attire[edit]
- Bride
Worsley wedding dress was designed by John Cavanagh, who had created the wedding dress of the bride's mother-in-law, Princess Marina.[6] Cavanagh would also be chosen to create the dress for the wedding of Princess Alexandra, the bride's sister-in-law, two years later.[6] The bride's dress was made of silk gauze with a stiff,[7] high scoop neckline, long sleeves,[6] and a large, full skirt.[7] The dress was made using 273 yards of fabric,[6] and featured a 15-ft train.
The bride's veil was secured by the Kent City of London Fringe tiara,[7] which was lent to her by her new mother-in-law, Princess Marina, who had worn it on her own wedding day in 1934. It is believed that the tiara is a remodeled piece from the jewel collection of Queen Mary.[7]
- The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh
In honor of both the bride and the city of York, the Queen wore a White Rose of York in her hat.[8] The Duke of Edinburgh wore his Field marshal uniform.[8]
Wedding service[edit]
The service was conducted by the Archbishop of York, Michael Ramsey,[4] who would later that year be installed as the Archbishop of Canterbury.[8]
The newly married couple exited the chapel, walking under the crossed swords of the Royal Scots Greys, the Duke's regiment.[8]
Wedding ring[edit]
Music[edit]
Title upon marriage[edit]
As the groom had already succeeded to his father's dukedom following his father's death in 1942, he was not awarded any further titles.
Until the marriage of her son The Duke of Kent, Princess Marina continued to use the title "Duchess of Kent". However, after the wedding, she once again became known as "Princess Marina", taking the style and title Her Royal Highness Princess Marina, Duchess of Kent".[8] Upon her marriage, Katharine Worsley became Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Kent.
Guests[edit]
Relatives of the groom[edit]
House of Windsor[edit]
- The Dowager Duchess of Kent, the groom's mother
- Prince Michael of Kent, the groom's brother
- Princess Alexandra of Kent, the groom's sister
- Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, widow of the groom's paternal uncle
- The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, the groom's cousin and cousin, once removed
- Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, and The Earl of Snowdon, the groom's cousin and her husband
- The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the groom's uncle and aunt
- Prince William of Gloucester, the groom's cousin
- Prince Richard of Gloucester, the groom's cousin
Relatives of the bride[edit]
- Sir William Worsley, 4th Bt., and Lady Worsley, the bride's parents
- Mr and Mrs Marcus Worsley, the bride's brother and his wife
- Mr Oliver Worsley, the bride's brother
- Mr and Mrs John Worsley, the bride's brother and his wife
- Miss Willa Worsley
Foreign royalty[edit]
The Crown Princess of Denmark
The Crown Prince of Greece- Princess Sophia of Greece and Denmark
The Crown Prince of Norway
The Queen of Spain
Other guests[edit]
- Viscount and Viscountess Althorp
- Major Sir David Butter and Lady Butter
- Miss Sandra Butter
- Noël Coward
- The Earl Mountbatten of Burma, uncle of The Duke of Edinburgh
- Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
- Lady Margaret Seymour, lady-in-waiting
- Simon Hay
Family celebrations[edit]
Following the ceremony, the newly wed Duke and Duchess of Kent returned with their family to Hovingham Hall, the home of the bride's parents.[9] Official photographs were taken by Cecil Beaton.
References[edit]
- ^ Carpenter, Julie (22 February 2013). "Duchess of Kent: The reluctant royal at 80". www.express.co.uk. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
- ^ PrincessofEurope (8 June 2009). "Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, Marries Katharine Worsley, June 1961". The Royal Forums. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
- ^ "Flashback Friday: British Engagement Rings, Part 2". The Royal Order of Sartorial Splendor. 8 February 2013. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Wedding At York Wedding Of Prince Edward". Britishpathe.com. British Pathé. 3 January 2010. Archived from the original on 7 July 2012. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ "The Peerage - John Arthington Worsley". The Peerage. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
- ^ a b c d Lang, Cady (1 May 2018). "The 12 Most Influential British Royal Wedding Dresses of All Time". Time. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- ^ a b c d Stacey, Danielle (20 August 2018). "Royal wedding dresses in pictures: Brides from the Queen Mother to Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle". www.mirror.co.uk. Mirror Online. Retrieved 31 August 2018.
- ^ a b c d e "The Royal Wedding of Prince Edward & Katharine at York Minster (1961) - British Pathé". British Pathé. YouTube. 13 April 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
- ^ "Royalty - The Duke of Kent and Katharine Worsley Wedding - Hovingham Hall". www.gettyimages.com. Retrieved 29 August 2018.