Royal Wedding...

The Wedding of the Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon

26^th April 1923

The marriage of the Duke of York and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the youngest daughter of the Earl and Countess of Strathmore, was held at Westminster Abbey on 26 April 1923. The marriage was the first occasion rising from an English king's consent to the marriage of a royal prince, in direct succession to the throne, to one of his own subjects.

They could not have known that thirteen years later in 1937 the Duke, second son of George V. would become King George VI and she would be crowned Queen Consort.

The Queen Mum’s wedding gown was designed and made by Madame Handley Seymoure, a former London court dressmaker to Queen Mary.  The gown was made from an ivory silk moire and was embellished with pearls.   The shapeless silhouette, shortened train and manner in which she wore her veil portrayed the fashion of the 1920’s era, not the characteristic of prior royal brides. Two young trainbearers and six bridesmaids attended her.  Sadly, it is not considered memorable for its beauty and style but I disagree.

The marriage in 1923 was the first royal wedding to be recorded on film.  Despite the arrival of the motorcar, carriages were used for the procession, and a strict dress code was laid down in the instructions that accompanied the invitations.  The religious ceremony was followed by the traditional afternoon Wedding Breakfast.  A number of ornately decorated wedding cakes were created for the occasion, including one supplied by McVitie and Price that was nine-foot high and weighed 800 pounds.

Karen xx