Wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones (19 June 1999) HD

The wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones took place on 19 June 1999 in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Queen Elizabeth II's youngest child, Prince Edward, was created Earl of Wessex hours before the ceremony.

The wedding's broadcast garnered an estimated 200 million viewers from around the world

The wedding took place at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. At the time of their engagement, Edward and Sophie made known their wish that the wedding not be turned into a state occasion, causing there to be no ceremonial state or military involvement. The ceremony was mainly a family occasion. Prime Minister Tony Blair and other politicians were not invited.

Rather than court dress, the couple requested that guests attend wearing formal evening gowns, and not to wear hats to reflect its wish for a more informal royal wedding. Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother wore a hat regardless, as she was rarely seen in public without one. It was the town of Windsor's largest occasion since the 1952 funeral of King George VI.

Edward's two brothers, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York, both served as his supporters
(the royal equivalent of the "best man"). Children of the couple's friends served as Sophie's
attendants: Camilla Hadden, Olivia Taylor, Felix Sowerbutts, and Harry Warburton.

The three royal brothers chose to leave their limousines behind and walk past the onlookers
into the church, twenty minutes before the start of the ceremony.

Sophie arrived with her father Christopher Rhys-Jones in a Rolls Royce owned by the Queen, and he walked her down the aisle while a fanfare by the Royal Marines was being played. Peter Nott, the Bishop of Norwich, performed the ceremony. Unlike previous royal weddings, like that of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Sophie chose to say the word "obey" in her vow "to love, cherish and obey", much as her second eldest sister-in-law the Duchess of York had. The couple said their respective vows properly, though some onlookers noted Edward had a little difficulty placing the wedding ring on Sophie's finger. In keeping with tradition, the wedding ring was crafted from Welsh gold from the Prince Edward mine in Gwynedd. The tradition of using Welsh gold within the wedding rings of the
royal family dates back to 1923.

Sophie wore a wedding dress designed by Samantha Shaw. It had a long, fitted coat with long sleeves, along with an ivory train that according to one source was "made from hand-dyed silk organza and hand-dyed silk crepe, with rows of pearls and crystal beading". Notably, the four girls and boys who carried her train were all commoners, the first time this has occurred in a royal wedding. Sophie wore a diamond tiara from the Queen's private collection, as well as a pearl necklace that was given to her by Edward for the wedding; Sophie in turn gave him an 18-karat
gold pocket watch. Prince Edward's waistcoat was designed by John Kent.

After the ceremony, Edward and Sophie rode in an open, horse-drawn carriage to the reception in
St George's Hall at Windsor Castle, passing thousands of people en route. The Countess sent her wedding bouquet to Westminster Abbey to rest on the Grave of the Unknown Warrior. The tradition of Royal brides sending their bouquet to the Grave was started by Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later the Queen Mother) in 1923.

After the marriage ceremony, the guests were gathered at the Waterloo Chamber and the
Grand Reception Room, where they were served canapés. A buffet-style dinner was later served
at the George's Hall. The couple's 10-foot-tall chocolate cake was made by Linda Fripp and
adorned with daffodil and tennis rackets. The National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, the
London Mozart Players and the band of the Royal Marines were in charge of providing the
music for the reception ceremony.

Geoffrey Shakerley photographed the wedding of Edward and Sophie. Shakerley later admitted that Prince William's face was digitally enhanced by taking a happier smile from another photograph and placing it on some of the released shots to the press.

The couple spent their honeymoon at Balmoral Castle.

- wiki

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