To wipe away your tears of joy...

The low-battery light flickered on my rented cell-phone. Strange, I thought I had charged it the night before. The guests were arriving and I was trying to tweet but the phone kept getting slower and slower. Despite being plugged into the wall the phone powered off completely. Frustrated I gave up on tweeting. I was disappointed in not being able to share in the event with other royal bloggers. But I had no choice, the phone was dead. It would be several hours before I would get a replacement.

I did not have a plan for the day. Sure I'd thought of going to Hyde Park, or potentially taking a spot at the Mall. While there were screens set up in Hyde Park, in the Mall I would have had to wait to find out what Kate's dress looked like. So I stayed put in the hotel. Not wanting to miss a moment I ate a bag of crisps for my breakfast.

"To wipe away your tears of joy"

Once they had been pronounced man and wife I decided to head out. My hotel wasn't far from Buckingham Palace and as I was walking towards it, a girl was handing out samples of Kleenex. As she handed it to me, she said:

 'To wipe away your tears of joy'.

I'm not sure I would go that far. She had probably been handing these samples out all morning and there was little inflection in her voice, her tone was bored as she said the phrase and the incongruity of it stuck with me.

Maybe she was bored to tears?

As I headed towards Buckingham Palace, the crowd of people got thicker. With people in front and behind, personal space was now non-existent. Not a place to be if you're claustrophobic. Complete gridlock. I turned around and tried a different approach, walking along a street where the foreign dignitaries cars were parked.  People were gathered around a few of the cars, looking in the windows, presumably watching the ceremony with the driver.

I kept walking. There were people everywhere, along with police wearing florescent yellow vests. Every so often I would find myself in a sea of people slowly moving forward, direction unknown. I started to envy Kate, if only for the fact that she would never have to get stuck walking in a crowd this size ever again. But no one was pushing or shoving, everyone was calmly making their way towards the same direction. Occasionally the crowds would disperse and I could breathe again. I looked at my surroundings.  Somehow I had made it to Hyde Park.The ceremony was over and people were leaving. I spotted the tents where the official programmes were being sold.

I went to London and all I got to show for it was....

© Marilyn Braun 2011

Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.

Royal Focus: Kate Middleton's Coat of Arms

Image source:
Wikipedia

Another item crossed off Kate's to-do list!

Kate Middleton's Coat of Arms have recently been unveiled. Commissioned by her father, Michael Middleton, these arms reflect the Middleton family history and preferences.

This version of the arms hangs from a tied blue ribbon, symbolizing Kate's current unmarried state and can only be used by Kate, up to her wedding day, and her sister Pippa Middleton.

The arms are lozenge shaped rather than a shield - a shape reserved for men. The design features three acorn sprigs, representing each of the Middleton children - Catherine, Phillipa and James. A touch reportedly suggested by Kate. The acorns also symbolize oak trees, a traditional symbol of England and a feature of west Berkshire, where the family have lived for 30 years.

The colours blue and red were chosen as they are the principle colours from the flag of the United Kingdom.The dividing line (between two colours) down the centre is a canting of the name 'Middle-ton'. At the centre is a gold inverted "V" reflecting Kate's mother Carole's maiden name Goldsmith.

The two thin white chevrons on each side of the band are meant to symbolize peaks and mountains, representing the Middleton's love of the Lake District and skiing.

The arms will appear on the back of the souvenir wedding program, with those of Prince William on the front. After their marriage, Kate's arms will be impaled with those of her husband.

© Marilyn Braun 2011

Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.

Royal Focus: The Goring Hotel

In a royal twist, St James's Palace announced that Kate Middleton would depart for her wedding, not from one of the royal palaces, like most royal brides, but from the Goring Hotel, in Belgravia, near Buckingham Palace.

Many people might wonder why Kate chose this hotel over one of the royal palaces to mark her last night as a commoner. But looking at the rooms it makes sense. Rumored to be staying in the 5-room Royal Suite, we can easily imagine close-knit Carole and Pippa Middleton preparing Kate for her wedding day. Helping her into her into her wedding gown, calming her nerves, in such an intmate and luxurious setting. And if reports are correct, the entire hotel has been booked to ensure the Middleton family privacy on such an important occasion.

The Goring is a luxury 5-star hotel run by the same family for 100 years. Founded by Otto Richard Goring, it was the last hotel built in the reign of King Edward VII. Opened on March 2,1910, it was the first hotel in the world to have ensuite bathrooms and central heating. Such was the novelty of this feature, that during a 1937 visit by the Norwegian Crown Prince, he stated‘ at Buckingham Palace I have to share a bath with five people! Here I have one to myself’

Guest room

Throughout its long history, the Goring has hosted many famous guests, including Grand Duchess Xenia of Russia, Princess Eugenie of Greece, the royal family of Nepal, Queen Elizabeth II, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York and several prominent politicians. In 1930, novelist Anthony Powell was inspired to invent his heroine The Hon. Angela Goring, for his series of novels 'A Dance to the Music of Time' over tea at the hotel.

The connection with the royal family is strong. Queen Mary frequently came for tea with her Lady in Waiting, The Hon. Violet d'Arcy, who lived at the hotel. The King and Queen and their daughters celebrated the end of the Second World War with sausages and scrambled eggs at the Goring, while Prince Charles's 1948 christening cake was made by the pastry chefs. It was Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother's favorite hotel, and she made her last public appearance there in 2002.

The Gardens

Featuring Edwardian architecture, the hotel has 71-rooms and in the last 5 years has undergone a £10 million refurbishment. In 1910 the cost of a room was 37P. In 2010, the cost of a 'Splendid Connecting Silk Room is £1,525.00. The Goring has won numerous awards, including Pride of Britain Hotel of the Year in 2009, Hotel of the Year by Virtuoso and Virtuoso Life magazine  in 2010, and Best Service in the UK by readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine.
© Marilyn Braun 2011

Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.

Royal wedding bridesmaids and supporters

Prince William and Catherine Middleton's choice of attendants for their wedding day continue a long tradition of including royal relatives in their wedding party. Prince William has chosen his brother, Prince Harry, as his best-man (or supporter) and Catherine has chosen her sister Pippa as her Maid of honor.

Here's a look back at some royal wedding parties from the past.

Queen Victoria & Prince Albert
British Monarchy Flickr

Queen Victoria & Prince Albert - February 10, 1840

Supporters: Prince Albert's father, the Duke of Saxe Coburg Gotha and his brother, Prince Ernest, The Hereditary Prince

12 train bearers - all daughters of peers of the realm

Prince & Princess of Wales
Source: Wikipedia

Albert Edward, Prince of Wales & Princess Alexandra of Denmark - March 10, 1863

Supporters: His brother-in-law, Crown Prince of Prussia and his uncle Ernest, Duke of Coburg

Bridesmaids: Eight unmarried daughters of earls and countesses

Prince George, Duke of York, and Princess May of Teck July 6, 1893

Supporters: The Groom's father, The Prince of Wales and his uncle, Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh.

Bridesmaids: Nine granddaughters and one great-granddaughter of Queen Victoria:

Princess Alexandra of Edinburgh, Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, Princess Victoria Melita of Edinburgh, Princess Victoria and Princess Maud of Wales. Princess Alice of Battenberg, Princess Margaret of Connaught, Princess Beatrice of Edinburgh, Princess Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg and Princess Patricia of Connaught

Princess Mary
Source: Wikipedia

Princess Mary & Viscount Lascelles - February 28, 1922

Eight bridesmaids, including Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon

Prince Albert, Duke of York & Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon - April 26, 1923

Supporter/Best man: The Prince of Wales

Lady Mary Cambridge, Lady May Cambridge, the Hon. Diamond Hardinge, Lady Mary Thynne, Lady Katherine Hamilton, Miss Elizabeth Cator, the Hon. Elizabeth  Elphinstone and the Hon. Cecilia Bowes Lyon




Princess Marina
Source: Wikipedia

 Prince George, Duke of Kent and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark November 29, 1934

Best man: The Prince of Wales

Eight bridesmaids: Princess Elizabeth of York, Princesses Irene, Eugenie and Katherine of Greece, Princess Juliana (later Queen) of the Netherlands, the Grand Duchess Kira of Russia, Lady Mary Cambridge and Lady Iris Mountbatten

Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester & Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott November 6, 1935

Best men/Supporters: The Prince of Wales and The Duke of York

Eight bridesmaids: Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. Lady Mary Cambridge, Miss Anne Hawkins, Miss Claire Phipps, Lady Elizabeth Scott, Lady Angela Scott and Miss Moyra Scott.

Princess Elizabeth & Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten - November 20, 1947

Supporter/Best man - Prince Philip's first cousin, the third Marquess of Milford Haven

Eight bridesmaids: HRH Princess Margaret, HRH Princess Alexandra of Kent, Lady Caroline Montagu-Douglas-Scott, Lady Mary Cambridge, Lady Elizabeth Lambart, The Hon. Pamela Mountbatten, The Hon Margaret Elphinstone, The Hon Diana Bowes-Lyon

Pages: Prince William of Gloucester and Prince Michael of Kent

Princess Margaret & Antony Armstrong Jones - May 6, 1960

Best man/Supporter: Dr. Roger W. Gilliatt. Originally Jeremy Fry but he was caught in a scandal. In 1952 he had been arrested in Hyde Park, and fined £2 after pleading "guilty to a minor offense."

Eight child bridesmaids, including Princess Anne



Princess Alexandra & Angus Ogilvy
Source: British Monarchy - Flickr

 Princess Alexandra & Angus Ogilvy - April 24, 1963

Supporter/Best man: Hon Peregrine Fairfax

2 pages and 5 Bridesmaids, including Elizabeth, Archduchess of Austria and Princess Anne

Princess Anne & Captain Mark Philips November 14, 1973

Supporter/Best man - Captain Eric Grounds

Bridesmaid: Lady Sarah Armstrong Jones. Page: Prince Edward. Princess Anne deliberately chose to have only two attendants because of her previous experience as a bridesmaid wrangling 'unruly children.'

Prince Charles & Lady Diana Spencer July 29, 1981

Supporters/Best men: Prince Andrew and Prince Edward

Bridesmaids: Lady Sarah Armstrong Jones, Catherine Cameron, India Hicks, Clementine Hambro, Sarah Jane Gaselee

Pages: Lord Nicholas Windsor & Edward van Cutsem

Prince Andrew & Sarah Ferguson - July 23, 1986

Supporter/Best man - Prince Edward

Bridesmaids - Lady Rosanagh Innes-Ker, Miss Laura Fellowes, Miss Zara Philips, Miss Alice Ferguson

Pages: Prince William, Peter Phillips, Andrew Ferguson, Seamus Makim

Prince Edward & Sophie Rhys Jones - June 19, 1999

Supporters/Best man: The Prince of Wales & The Duke of York

Bridesmaids: Camilla Hadden and Olivia Taylor

Pageboys: Harry Warburton and Felix Sowerbutts

Prince William & Catherine Middleton - April 29, 2011

Best man: Prince Harry
Maid of Honor: Pippa Middleton

Bridesmaids: The Lady Louise Windsor, The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Miss Grace van Cutsem, Miss Eliza Lopes,

Pageboys: Master William (Billy) Lowther-Pinkerton, Master Tom Pettifer

© Marilyn Braun 2011

Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.

Question: Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester as king?

Why didn't Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester become king when George VI died? By everything that I know, as the next male in succession, George V's third son should have become king after the first abdicated and the second died.

The type of succession that you are referring to is called agnatic primogeniture. Inheritance according to the seniority of birth amongst the of sons of a monarch.

King George V had five sons. Prince Edward (future King Edward VIII), Prince Albert (future King George VI), Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, Prince George, Duke of Kent and Prince John, who died as a child. After King George V's death, in 1936 and King Edward VIII's abdication in 1937, the next son came to the throne as King George VI. In 1937, at the start of King George VI's reign, the first four places in the line of succession were occupied by Princess Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Prince George, Duke of Kent.

The succession to the British throne is by male preference primogeniture. Males have precedence over females, however if there is a female she is not excluded. Because of this, King George VI's elder daughter, Princess Elizabeth became the sovereign and not Prince Henry. If the King died without children, then Prince Henry would have become king in 1952 because he was next in line. If this had occurred then after King Henry IX's death in 1974, his son, Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester would be king, possibly reigning as King Richard IV.

It is interesting to note that had King Edward VIII not abdicated and not had children, the succession would likely look as it does today. The only difference is that the present Queen would have come to the throne upon the death of her uncle in 1972 instead of 1952 when her father died.

© Marilyn Braun 2011

Royal Review: Royal Wedding Apps

If you're like me, you're counting down the days until the royal wedding either with anticipation to see Kate's dress or because you're tired of hearing about all of it.

Way back in the good old days you could use a calendar, crossing off the days until the big event. Or if you have a prodigious memory, you could mentally calculate how many days were left until the wedding. Unlike previous royal events, now you no longer have to cross it off or make a mental note, you can track it electronically via various countdown timers on websites. But even that can be inconvienient, having to search for the site and waiting for it to load. Which is why there are royal wedding apps you can download.

Not counting the apps for the movie Royal Wedding, on iTunes there are 13 apps dedicated to counting down William and Kate's nuptials. Some of them are very useful, some are cute and some really do nothing other than countdown. My personal preference is for apps that do more than just show numbers, otherwise it's boring. I want to learn something new to patriotic music. You may be different, in which case the simpler apps might do the trick. Note that most of the apps I'm reviewing are the free ones that are available on iTunes. I've already purchased the one I think is the most useful. Decide for yourself with the following apps

Wee Mee Royal Wedding App

Open the app and you will see a cute cartoon image of William - with a realistic hairline- and Kate - holding a clock (why does she do all of the heavy lifting?), this app counts down the days, hours, minutes, seconds and sleeps to the big day. If you really want to get detailed, it will show you the time left just in seconds! While the app runs it plays a jazzy, lounge lizard sounding wedding march, occasionally bursting into wild applause. Unfortunately you can't shut this music off so choose where you open the app otherwise you may annoy the people around you. This app has a feature that lets you tell your friends via Tweet, Email and Facebook status, just how long it is until the royal wedding. And that's about it. It's cute. If you want the basics then this is the one to go with.


Neon Play Royal Wedding app

Start up the app and you see a picture of the happy couple at their engagement photo-call. This app has majestic music which you can, thankfully, turn off. Unlike the Wee Mee app it doesn't have a countdown timer. But if you want to read a biography of William or have Kate's family tree at your fingertips, then this is the app for you.  There are sections on the wedding dress - with photos of Bruce Oldfield, information on where William proposed, the wedding venue, their potential titles, and miscellaneous facts - did you know that William and Kate will share a wedding anniversary with Adolf Hitler?

Royal Wedding Countdown Lite

Out of all of the apps listed here, I would say that this is the worst one in terms of aesthetics. While it does countdown and offer quotes, the font is so difficult to read on the white background that  it isn't very useful. I have the free version, but you can upgrade for $0.99. Can't imagine it getting any better.

Royal Wedding Pa?rs - Press Association


Tired of looking at bad fonts and facts you've read over and over? Want to have some fun? Why not download this game instead. Royal Wedding Pa?rs is just like the game Concentration, with royal wedding photos. Match up the photos before the timer runs out and you can put your name on the high score list. You can select the level of difficulty, from very easy to hard. With each matched photo a camera shutter sound effect plays, which can get very annoying. Luckily you can turn this off. Doesn't offer a countdown timer but a fun diversion.


Hello! Magazine Royal Wedding

Jumping on the bandwagon in style, is Hello! with their own royal wedding app. Like the game and the Neon Play app, it does not have a countdown timer either. Instead you can scroll through the sections on the ring, personal photos of the couple growing up, a section for gifts, information on past royal weddings, it's like having a portable issue of Hello! At first it looks as though the app is comprised solely of photos until you double click on the images and a fact related to the photo shows up. This isn't particularly intuitive, which is the only criticism I have about the app. It is only available as a free app for a limited time go grab it while you can.

Alarm Royale

I must say that I'm rather biased when it comes to this app. It's the first one I found out about and the only one I paid for. And it is well worth the $0.99. Not only does this app offer facts, it also works as an alarm clock, though you need to keep the app running in order for it to work. You can wake up to a variety of sounds - God Save The Queen, Land of Hope and Glory, Jerusalem, Rule Britannia, Church Bells and the Wedding March. Unless you have your itouch on a docking station with speakers the music isn't very loud. When the alarm goes off, a fanfare plays as the red curtain background parts, revealing a Union Jack and the days left until the wedding. For wallpaper you have your choice of backgrounds - Royal Crest, Couple at Home and Couple at Palace. The app offers a variety of facts, which you can change by shaking your itouch. Out of all of these apps, Alarm Royale is the best one. My only complaint is that after the wedding I won't be able to use it.

All of these apps are available through iTunes. If you download any of them, let me know which one is your favorite!



© Marilyn Braun 2011

Royal Baby names for Prince William & Kate Middleton

True, it may be premature to speculate on what names Prince William and Kate Middleton will choose for the future offspring but it's always good to be prepared.

Once the final balcony appearance is made, royal pregnancy speculation will begin in earnest. No grace period, no enjoying their newlywed status, it will be time to get down to business.  This is the monarchy we're talking about and it's up to William and Kate to continue the line.

But what will these inevitable regal additions be named?

Considering that their first born will likely be a future King or Queen, the babe needs an equally historic moniker. While Ethan and Emily may be popular choices, the royal couple is highly unlikely to choose those names for their own children. In William's family many names have been popular over the years, however gone are the days when the names Victoria and Albert were mandatory additions.

It's likely that any names chosen for their children will include a tribute to members of the royal family. William's own names - William Arthur Philip Louis - include nods to his grandfather, Prince Phillip and honorary grandfather, Lord Louis Mountbatten. The Queen's own names - Elizabeth Alexandra Mary - are after her mother, great-grandmother Queen Alexandra and her grandmother Queen Mary. Princess Anne's names - Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise - include nods to her mother and maternal grandmother, her paternal grandmother and her great-aunt, Queen Louise of Sweden. It's realistic to expect that names for a future daughter might include Elizabeth or Diana, if only as secondary names. For a boy, William and Kate are likely to add Charles or Michael - after their respective fathers.

For a girl they could choose Victoria, Alexandra, Elizabeth, Mary, Charlotte, Anne, or even Catherine. All regal choices with historical precedent as the names of Queen's regnant and royal consorts. They are strong sounding names denoting regal status.  Likewise, for a boy, Edward, George, Henry, James, John and Robert are the names of previous kings. As the Patron Saint of Wales, including the name David could be a nice touch. 

Of course, despite the choice, the monarch is free to choose a different name they would like to reign as. Queen Victoria was born Alexandrina Victoria and known throughout her childhood as 'Drina'. Though born Albert Edward, he chose to be known as Edward VII when he came to the throne. After the abdication crisis, Prince Albert chose to be known as George VI to reflect the continuity of the monarchy. There are even predictions that Prince Charles himself might choose to be known as George - one of his Christian names - rather than as King Charles III given it's tragic history with previous monarchs.

It will be interesting to see what names the couple choose for their children. With no formal guidelines surrounding names, William and Kate have the freedom to choose an appropriate name based on preference as opposed to family tradition. 

© Marilyn Braun 2011

Royal Focus: Royal Warrants

The next time you enjoy some Twinning tea or Johnnie Walker you may want to take a close look at the package. You may have seen this particular image before and not known what it means.

Since the Middle Ages, tradesmen and companies that have provided a service or goods to the Sovereign have received formal recognition through a Royal Warrant. Originally this patronage took the form of 'royal charters' granted collectively to various guilds in trades and crafts, which later became known as livery companies.

The first on record was given by Henry II in 1155 to the Weavers Company. Over the centuries, the relationship evolved between the Crown and individual tradesmen and was formalized through 'royal warrants'.  Currently, only three members of the royal family grant royal warrants - The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales. When she was alive, the Queen Mother also granted warrants, which were kept valid until 2007 - five years after her death. They are granted to companies that have provided services to the royal family for a minimum of five years. Upon issue, the royal warrant allows the grantee or company to use 'By Royal Appointment' and display the royal coat of arms on their products such as stationery, advertisements and other printed material, in his or her premises and on delivery vehicles.

Royal warrants are initially granted for five years after which point they come up for review. Should the goods or service reduce in quality or the supply of the product is insufficient to the Royal Household, a royal warrant will not be renewed. The warrants may be cancelled at any time or automatically come up for review should the holder die, leaves the business or if the company goes bankrupt or is sold. Some companies have a record of royal warrants over a 100 years. The Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales can grant only one warrant to any individual business, however, there are some companies that hold all three.

Royal warrants are granted for a number of products and services, including dry-cleaners to fishmongers, agricultural machinery to computer software.  There are currently approximately 800 Royal warrant holders, holding over 1,100 Royal warrants between them (some have more than one Royal warrant).

Royal Focus: Princess Diana's Wedding Dress

When people attempt to describe the wedding dress of Diana, Princess of Wales, the words voluminous, iconic, meringue, fairy-tale tend to be used. But it's difficult to put into words the impact of it both on fashion and on the memory of those who watched Diana alight from the carriage, as if a 'butterfly emerging from a chrysalis'. Unlike any royal wedding dress before or since Diana's will always be in a league of its own.

The dress, designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, took four months to make and was made of ivory pure silk taffeta. The bodice was fitted and boned with a wide frill around the curved neckline. It has embroidered lace panels on the front and back. The sleeves are full and gathered into a taffeta frill at the elbow with lace flounce underneath. The skirt of the dress as full, worn over a crinoline petticoat consisting of many layers of ivory tulle and trimmed around the waist and hem with embroidered lace.

The train, trimmed with lace, was 25-feet long - the longest to date.

The veil, measuring 11 1/2 foot by 40 foot, was hand-embroidered with 10,000 3mm mother-of-pearl sequins. Diana wore the Spencer family tiara for something borrowed. The something old was a piece of lace from Queen Mary, and for something blue, the Emanuel's hand-sewed a little blue bow into the back of the dress. The couple also added a tiny,golden horse-shoe made of 18-carat Welsh gold, studded with diamonds, sewn into the back of the label of the dress.

Diana carried a large, cascading bouquet. On her feet Diana wore slippers by Clive Shilton. Trimmed with lace from the dress, and made of silk duchess satin, dyed to match the color of the dress, the shoes had 542 mother-of-pearl sequins on each pair, each knotted by hand. The fluted heel was made of bits of leather and wood and the soles were hand-painted with the letters "C" and "D" entwined with a heart.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.

Royal Focus: Queen Elizabeth II's Royal Wedding Dress

When Queen Elizabeth II, at the time Princess Elizabeth, married in 1947, her wedding dress was a stunning creation despite the post war austerity and strict rationing laws. Princess Elizabeth herself was not exempt from the rationing and reportedly saved her clothing coupons for her wedding dress. She received an extra two hundred coupons from the government and many loyal subjects sent in their own coupons. However, it was illegal to give away clothing coupons and the princess returned them to their rightful owners with a note of thanks.

The wedding dress was made by Norman Hartnell and the design was inspired by an image of Primavera by the painter Botticelli. The figure, with its trailing garlands of jasmine, smilax, syringa and rose-like blossoms - was derived from the classical godess of flowers, Flora, and suggested to him the promise of growth and new beginnings.

Hartnell started work on the dress in August, a mere three months before the wedding in November. Although he was no stranger to designing dresses for royalty, this comission had its share of unique challenges and he had to white-wash the windows of his workroom to keep the dress under wraps. Requiring some materials from the United States, Hartnell sent his manager, Captain Mitchison in his place. Upon his return, when asked if he had anything to declare, Captain Mitchison replied that he had 10,000 pearls for Princess Elizabeth's wedding dress. When the chosen fabric for the dress was publicized, some demanded to know the nationality of the silkworms; whether they were from 'enemy' territories such as Japan or Italy. A crisis was averted when it was confirmed that the larvae had been supplied by China.

Despite these obstacles the dress was a triumph. Decorated with 10,000 pearls, the ivory dress of duchess satin was in the Princess style with a fitted bodice and the neckline had a deep-scalloped edge. The front bodice was cut in three panels and the back cut in four, fastening down the centre back with buttons and loops. The wrist-length, tight-fitting  sleeves ended in embroidered cuffs. From the low-pointed waist, the skirt, cut on the cross, extended to a deep circular train.

The 15-foot star patterned silk tulle train, fastened at the shoulders was embroidered with crystal and appliqué duchesse satin  Working with his head embroideress, Hartnell laid tracing paper out on his workroom floor and carefully marked out the pattern in pencil. The white York roses were padded satin, and the ears of corn and orange blossom in diamante and pearl embroidery, inspired by Primavera. The long veil was held in place by a diamond fringe tiara, lent to the Princess, as something borrowed, by her mother, the Queen. She wore two pearl necklaces (the Queen Anne and the Queen Caroline pearls) given as a wedding gift by her parents, and pearl and diamond earrings, a twentieth birthday present from Queen Mary.

She wore ivory duchesse satin high-heeled sandals, trimmed with silver and seed pearl buckles, made by Edward Rayne. Her floral bouquet was supplied by the Worshipful Company of Gardeners and made by Martin Longman, consisted of white orchids with a sprig of myrtle, taken, as per royal wedding tradition, from a bush at Osbourne.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Wedding dress images from PicApp.

Primavera by Botticelli image via Wikipedia.

Royal Focus: The Queen's flame lily brooch

It goes without saying that The Queen has one of the most remarkable collection of jewels in the world. Many of the brooches have a history behind them, such as the Flame lily brooch she wears in this photo.

The Flame lily brooch was amongst the gifts that The Queen, as Princess Elizabeth, received for her twenty-first birthday during her tour of Southern Africa in 1947. Set with three hundred diamonds, the platinum 'Flame lily' brooch was a gift from forty-two thousand Southern Rhodesian school children, who had each donated a week's pocket money.

The shape of the brooch was appropriate, as the flame lily was the national emblem of Rhodesia. In order to make a perfect replica of the lily, which varies in color, a flower had to be specially flown to South Africa where an artist worked against time to complete the reference drawings before it wilted.

It was presented to her during the royal tour at Government House. The next day the Princess wore the brooch on her left shoulder, a compliment that was appreciated by all of those involved in making it. During Princess Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh's trip to Kenya in 1952, her father King George VI died. When the new Queen returned from South Africa, she wore the brooch pinned to the lapel of her black coat.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Royal Focus: Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York's wedding dress

When asked about her wedding dress in 1986, Sarah Ferguson said "there will never be a dress to match it." And to date she has been correct. 

Her dress was designed by Lindka Cierach and was made from heavy ivory duchess satin, which was manufactured at Britain's only silk farm, Lullingstone near Sherborne in Dorset.The fabric was chosen because, according to Sarah 'it is the creamiest material in the world. It never creases. It is as smooth as glass and hangs beautifully.'

The champagne color of the dress flattered the bride's hair and skin tone. The design had a renaissance silhouette and the fitted, boned bodice had a dropped waist coming into a point at the front and a lower 'V' at the back. The neckline was gently curved and edged with pearls. The sleeves were full, coming into a simple pearl-edged point just below the elbow. 

The skirt was flat in front, widening on the sides and full at the back. The 17 1/2 foot train flowed from beneath a fan shaped bow and the underskirt was bordered by a silk scalloped lace flounce billowing out the heavy sheen of the satin skirt. The designer's hallmark - heavy beading - was most strikingly evident on the train and was based on Sarah's Coat-of-Arms.  Worked in seed pearls and diamante, the train was embroidered with thistles, bees and hearts and in a nod to Prince Andrew's naval career, anchors, and waves. Rising in a scale at the bottom of the train, a heraldic 'A' led into a double 'S'.  The pure silk tulle veil had scalloped edging and was embroidered with true lover's knots and shimmered with sequins. The total number of bugle beads, sequins, crystals pearls and stones on the wedding dress amounted to 155,000.

The satin shoes were designed by Manolo Blahnik and beaded with bees and ribbons in pearls and diamonds. She wore a necklace of cultured pearls intertwined with 18 carat gold and a diamond pearl pendant. She wore a headdress off fresh flowers - roses, lily petals , gardenias (Andrew's favorite flower) and lilies-of-the-valley. At the end of the ceremony the headdress was removed to reveal a diamond tiara, symbolic of her metamorphosis from commoner to royal. As Sarah recalled 'I had stepped up as the country girl; I would walk back as a princess.'

In her hands Sarah carried an "S' shaped spray of cream lilies, palest yellow roses, gardenias, lilies of the valley and the traditional sprig of myrtle.  

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Thank you for enjoying this article. If you use the information for research purposes, a link to credit the work I've put into writing it would be appreciated.

Resources

Their Royal Highnesses the Duke & Duchess of York by Christopher Warwick and Valerie Garner

Royal Style Wars : The Trend-Setting Fashion Feud Between the Princess of wales And the Duchess of York

Royalty in Vogue by Josephine Ross

My Story by Sarah, Duchess of York

Invitation To a Royal Wedding ( Sarah Ferguson, Prince Andrew by Trevor Hall

Official Celebration of the Royal Wedding by Gordon Honeycombe

The Swedish-British Royal connection

Like most European royal houses, Sweden has links to the British royal family. In this case through three of Queen Victoria's children. They are related by blood through Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught, and Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. The third connection is via marriage through Princess Alice, second daughter of Queen Victoria. The present King Carl XVI Gustaf is the son of two of her great-grandchildren. His daughter, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden is, twice-over, a great-great-great grandchild of Queen Victoria.

The current King's paternal grandmother was Princess Margaret of Connaught, the daughter of Arthur, Duke of Connaught, third son of Queen Victoria. She was born in 1882 and known to her family as 'Daisy'. She married Prince Gustaf Adolf, the future King Gustaf VI Adolf, in 1905 and they had five children, the eldest, Prince Gustaf Adolf, father of the present King, was born in 1906. Daisy did not live to become Queen of Sweden, having died suddenly in 1920. She is also, incidently, through her daughter Ingrid, the grandmother of the current Queen Margarethe of Denmark.

The King's mother, Princess Sibylla, was the granddaughter of Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany, fourth son of Victoria. She was born in 1908 and her father, Prince Charles Edward, was the posthumus son of Prince Leopold and upon his birth became Duke of Albany. She married her second cousin,  Prince Gustaf Adolf in 1932 and they had five children, the youngest, the current king, born in 1946. Like her late-mother in law, Princess Margaret, she would never become Queen. Her husband died in a plane crash in 1947, leaving their infant son as second in line to the throne. She died in 1972.

When Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden died in 1920, Prince Gustav Adolf remarried in 1923 to Lady Louise Mountbatten  granddaughter of Princess Alice, second daughter of Queen Victoria. They did not have any children and became King Gustaf VI Adolf and Queen Louise in 1950. She died in 1965 and her husband reigned until 1973. Upon his death, his grandson, King Carl XVI Gustaf, succeeded.

© Marilyn Braun 2010

Royal Wedding Months

While researching a recent episode of my show, The Royal Report, I noticed that I haven't written a blog post about the months that royal weddings have been held on. Since Queen Victoria's time, June and July seems to be the most popular months to hold them.

January

Princess Victoria, Princess Royal & Prince Frederick William of Prussia - January 25,1858

George, The Earl of St Andrews & Sylvana Tomaselli - January 9, 1988

Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburg & Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia - January 23, 1874

February

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert - February 10, 1840

Princess Mary, Princess Royal and Viscount Lascelles - February 28, 1922

Princess Patricia of Connaught & The Hon. Alexander Ramsay - February 27, 1919

March

King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra - March 10, 1863

Princess Louise and Marquess of Lorne - March 21, 1871

Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught & Princess Margurite of Prussia - March 13, 1879

April

Princess Alexandra of Kent & Angus Ogilvy - April 24, 1963

King George VI & Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother - April 26, 1923

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles - April 9, 2005

Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany & Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont - April 27, 1882

May

Peter Philips and Autumn Kelly - May 17, 2008

Princess Margaret & Antony Armstrong Jones - May 6, 1960

June

Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Katherine Worsley - June 8, 1961

Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys Jones - June 19, 1999

Duke of Windsor and Wallis Simpson - June 3, 1937

Prince Richard and Birgitte van Deurs - June 8, 1972

Prince Michael of Kent & Marie-Christine von Reibnitz - June 30, 1978

Alexander, Earl of Ulster & Claire Booth - June 22, 2002

July

Princess Alice & Prince Louise of Hesse and by Rhine - July 1, 1862

Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer - July 29, 1981

Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson - July 23, 1986

King George V and Queen Mary - July 6, 1893

Lady Sarah Armstrong Jones & Daniel Chatto - July 14, 1994

Lady Helen Windsor & Tim Taylor - July 18, 1992

Princess Beatrice & Prince Henry of Battenburg - July 23, 1885

Lady Davina Windsor & Gary Lewis - July 31, 2004

Lady Rose Windsor & George Gilman - July 19, 2008

August

There have been no notable royal weddings in this month

September

There have been no notable royal weddings in this month

October

Princess Alice of Battenburg & Prince Andrew of Greece - October 6, 1903

David Linley & Serena Stanhope - October 8, 1993

Lord Nicholas Windsor & Paola Doimi de Lupis Frankopan October 19, 2006 (Civil Ceremony)

November

Lord Nicholas Windsor & Paola Doimi di Delupis de Frankopan - November 4, 2006 (Religious Ceremony)

Princess Anne and Mark Philips - November 14, 1973

Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester & Lady Alice Montagu-Douglas Scott - November 6, 1935

Prince George, Duke of Kent & Princess Marina of Greece - November 29, 1934

December

Princess Anne, The Princess Royal & Timothy Laurence - December 12, 1992


© Marilyn Braun 2009

Charles and Camilla's Royal Tour - Day 7 & 8

On Day 7 - Sunday - instead of resting, they attended a remembrance service at Christ Church Cathedral. While there they dedicated a stained glass window 'commemorating the 80th anniversary of the consecration of the cathedral and the 150th anniversary of the Diocese of British Columbia'. Shortly before they went inside they mingled with the 200 people who'd waited outside of the Church for them. Then the couple spent the rest of their Sunday privately.

On Monday (Day 8) it was back to work for them as they participated in a ceremony 'honouring the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Navy, which occurs 2010, at CFB Esquimalt'. Charles, dressed for the occasion in a Canadian Naval uniform in his capacity as honorary vice-admiral. During the visit, to mark his 32 years of honorary service, Charles received a 'second clasp' to his Canadian Forces decoration. 'Prince Charles said he wears his Canadian medal “with great pride all the time,” and was “touched, flattered, honoured” to receive the complementing clasp.'

No comment from the non-honorary people who are working towards earning their medals.

This was their last stop in Victoria before leaving for Ottawa.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

Charles and Camilla's Canadian Royal Tour - Day 6

Day 6 was a Saturday. You'd think that Charles and Camilla would get the day off but no such luck. I can only imagine the jet lag and having to deal with the difference in provincial time zones on top of it - must wreak havoc on their systems. Having said that, the Queen still does tours at the ripe age of 83, so Charles and Camilla probably dare not complain.

On this day the couple had a walkabout in Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Village, posed with a Sasquatch and Olympic mascots and yet again unveiled a plaque. Even if most Canadians aren't paying attention, future generations will know about their tour by following the commemorative plaques they leave in their wake.

Unlike in previous public appearances, Camilla wore a colorful outfit - a lightweight powder blue coat - which turned out to be completely inadequate for the cold rainy weather. She planted a tree at the Van Dusen Botanical Gardens and brought with her a collection of seeds from native British Columbian plants that were housed in the Millennium Seed Bank at the Royal Botanical Garden Kew. In return, Van Dusen Gardens gave the duchess a collection of different seeds to bring back to the seed bank.

But the seeds are not the only thing they will bring back with them as they also received traditional aboriginal blankets and talking sticks. Also some red mittens, scarves, gumboots and custom raincoats - which would have been useful to receive earlier in the day.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

Question: Charles and Camilla's poppies

I have noticed in many pictures of Charles and Camilla that they are both wearing two poppies. Is this a royal thing? Does it mean something special?

Since Charles and Camilla first arrived in Canada on most public appearances they have worn two poppies. This has been the subject of a great deal of curiousity. Why the two poppies? What does it mean?

The two poppies that the couple are wearing are the British paper version and the Canadian one. The design of the Canadian poppy consists of petals made of red plastic with a felt lining and black centre held on by a pin. The British paper version is sold by the Royal British Legion through their annual Poppy Appeal. Some have suggested that by wearing the two poppies they are making a symbolic gesture of support for British and Canadian veterans.

Poppies became a symbol of Rememberance after the poem In Flanders Fieldcommemorated the flower. It was written in 1915 by a Canadian doctor named John McCrae after he witnessed the death of a friend. During the funeral McCrae noticed wild poppies blooming between the graves and this inspired his famous poem. After its publication it became the most popular poem of the First World War. In part because of its popularity, the poppy was adopted as the Flower of Remembrance for the war dead of Britain, France, the United States, Canada and other Commonwealth countries.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

Charles and Camilla's Canadian Royal Tour - Day 3

Camilla isn't the only person on the tour making a fashion statement. On day 3 of the tour the couple were greeted by Newfoundland and Labrador's Lieutenant-Governor John Crosbie who wore a sealskin coat; characterized as a "statement" in support of the annual seal kill. John Crosbie's 'sartorial' choice drew ire from animal rights activists who were still frothed up about Camilla's rabbit fur scarf. Like PETA, Mr Crosbie knows something about promoting his own cause.

Now where was I? Oh yes, Charles and Camilla!

During their visit to Government-House the couple planted a pair of oak trees. A tradition dating back to the 1939 royal visit when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the future Queen Mother) did the same.

The couple also visited the St. John's War Memorial where Prince Charles laid a wreath at a ceremony to remember Newfoundland and Labrador's war dead. At the ceremony seven year old Matthew Lucas, whose father died in Afghanistan, put his arms around Camilla's neck and kissed her.

See Camilla, contrary to what the media have reported, there are people who care about your visit.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

Charles and Camilla's Canadian Royal Tour - Day 2

Day 2 of Charles and Camilla's Royal Tour began with a visit to Cupids Bay, Newfoundland; a name which conjures up images of making-out (*Shudder*). A 'noticibly thin' crowd of about 75 (or 57 depending on which reporter is counting) enthusiastically welcomed them.

Cupids Bay is the birthplace of the English prescence in Canada. Originally settled in 1610 it was rediscovered in the 1990's. During their tour an archeologist showed them a coin unearthed from the dig site while Premier Danny Williams and The Prime Minister - speechless - looked on.

On this day of the tour Camilla 'earned the wrath' of animal rights activists by keeping herself warm with a rabbit fur stole, topping off her stylish green tweed outfit with a hat that had a fake fur trim. Ignoring the hat, PETA used the opportunity to state: 'the Duchess is out of step with public opinion.' Geez, if Camilla tried to please the public, PETA wouldn't have her to criticize now would they? No use starting now! Camilla can take heart that pro-hunt Canadians whole heartedly 'approved' of her choice.

© Marilyn Braun 2009

Charles and Camilla's Canadian Royal Tour - Day 1

Charles and Camilla arrived on Canadian soil on Monday November 2nd in St. John's, Newfoundland. Where a 'large crowd, including dignitaries and the RCMP' welcomed them. They were greeted by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Governor General Michaelle Jean and St. John's and Labrador Premier Danny Williams.

The couple walked the red carpet and attended a 'moving' one hour ceremony in a half filled arena. During which the Prime Minister 'plagiarized' one of Charles' earlier speeches which has been seen as a 'massive screw-up' on the part of Harper's office.

We can only hope Charles and Camilla's tour will recover from this bad omen.

© Marilyn Braun 2009