Queen Elizabeth's Wedding Day (or rather, Princess Elizabeth's Wedding Day)

In 1947, the United Kingdom, like most of Europe and the World, was recovering from World War II.  In July of that year, it was announced that there was to be a royal wedding!  The secret engagement of Elizabeth and Philip of more than a year was finally made official.  Their wedding later that year served a boost of morale for a war-weary nation (and world).

Date:  20 November 1947

Place:  Westminster Abbey, London

Event:  Wedding between Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip of Denmark and Greece

Princess Elizabeth's dress, like her sister Margaret's dress thirteen years later, was designed by Norman Hartnell, the royal dressmaker to the then Queen Elizabeth (to become the Queen Mother when her daughter became Queen Elizabeth II).

The dress was made from ivory silk and was decorated with crystals and over 10,000 seed pearls that Hartnell traveled to the United States to find. (There was quite a shortage of materials following the war.) It had some pintucking on the bodice, somewhat like her daughter Anne's dress had 26 years later. It also had a drop-waist and sweetheart neckline.

The motif on her dress and 13-foot-long train was inspired by Botticelli's Primavera (a figure, covered in flowers, representing spring). This motif was meant to symbolize rebirth and growth after the devastation of World War II. From a distance, the motif looks like five-pointed stars, but they are in fact flower blossoms.

Also in common with her daughter Anne, Elizabeth wore the "fringe" tiara originally made for her grandmother Queen Mary, wife of King George V. The veil was made of silk tulle.  Her pearl jewelry are from the collection of crown jewels dating back to the middle ages.

Visit Fashionably Royal tomorrow for more build up the the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton when we look back at the most trend-setting wedding ever, that of Queen Victoria.  And, you guessed, we're not afraid of a bit of hyperbole around here.  Until then!

Princess Margaret's Wedding Day

Today we look back at the wedding day of the Queen's younger sister, Princess Margaret--

Date:  6 May 1960
Place:  Westminster Abbey, London
Event:  Wedding between Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones

Princess Margaret's wedding was the first royal wedding to be broadcast on television.  Margaret's romantic life had been hotly followed by the press for years.  So, for the occasion, Margaret wore a dramatic dress and oozed elegance.

The dress was designed by Norman Hartnell and was made of white silk organza including a jacket-like overlay. It had long sleeps and long, slim v-neck with no embellishments such as embroidery or beading.

With a tightly cinched waist, the skirt was very full consisting of about 40 yards of fabric over layers of tulle underskirts.

Margaret's veil was also made of silk organza and cascades from her dramatic up-do (purportedly aided by hairpieces) and drawing even more attention to the dramatic Poltimore tiara that had been purchased just for her. (It sold at auction in 2006 for $1.7 million.)

The veil was trimmed with ivory lining giving the princess a polished, complete "frame."

Tune in tomorrow when Fashionably Royal reviews the wedding of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, in the run-up to Friday's big wedding between Prince William and Kate Middleton.