Princess Eugenie royal wedding: What Eugenie and Jack whispered as they wed
PRINCESS Eugenie was married in a stunning ceremony at Windsor Castle, tying the knot with fiance Jack Brooksbank before 800 guests including celebrities and the royal family.
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PRINCESS Eugenie was married in a stunning ceremony at Windsor Castle, tying the knot with fiance Jack Brooksbank before 800 guests including celebrities and the royal family, led by the Queen.
The beautiful princess kissed her husband on the steps of St George’s Chapel before embarking on a carriage ride through the streets of Windsor after a formal and very traditional marriage ceremony.
As pipers on the castle turrets piped them on their way, the couple headed into a champagne reception hosted by the Queen, and attended by their guests including A-list celebrities and 30 members of the royal family.
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The newly married couple, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, depart from their afternoon reception. They left in an Aston Martin DB10, designed and engineered in the UK and made for the James Bond film Spectre. #RoyalWedding pic.twitter.com/hLVJVOQmNS
— The Duke of York (@TheDukeOfYork) October 12, 2018
The princess had arrived at St George’s Chapel dressed in a layered white wedding gown and wearing the stunning emerald Kokoshnik tiara, loaned by the Queen and beloved of the late Queen Mother.
Her dress by London designers Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos featured a pleated skirt, long sleeves, and a deconstructed bow on the back which re-imagined the one worn by her mother when her parents married in 1986.
It featured a relatively low backline for a royal bridal gown, at the request of the princess to show her scar from surgery she underwent at the age of 12 years to correct curvature of the spine.
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The beautiful bride arrived with her father Prince Andrew the Duke of York in a cream 1977 Rolls Royce Phantom VI, the same car Catherine Middleton travelled in to her wedding to Prince William in 2011.
Her mother Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, travelled with her older daughter and maid of honour Princess Beatrice, her arrival signalling her return to the heart of the royal family, at least temporarily.
Wearing a bright green dress by Ascot dressmaking firm Emma Louise Design and wearing a Jess Collett hat, Sarah bounced out of her limousine, hugging people in the crowd before walking up the steps into the chapel.
Princess Beatrice was wearing a deep blue dress by Australian designers Ralph & Russo and a headband by Sarah Cant Millinery.
The sun came out on a wild and windy day as the 28-year-old princess and her 32-year-old fiance exchanged vows, an emotional and visibly nervous Mr Brooksbank taking his glasses on and off as he waited for his bride at the altar.
A few minor hiccups failed to put a dampener on the day — pageboy Louis De Givenchy tripped and fell on his way into the church, Princess Charlotte had a stumble and special attendant Lady Louise Windsor, 14, accidentally flashed her knickers when a rogue gust of wind struck.
Several guests lost their hats as the vicious winds wept across Windsor.
The Queen, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Prince William and his wife Catherine and Prince Harry and his wife Meghan — who married at the same chapel five months ago — were among the guests inside St George’s, which was beautifully decorated in stunning autumnal colours of pink, purple, orange and deep reds.
Other royals included Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, Princess Anne and her husband Sir Tim Laurence, and Zara and Mike Tindall.
The young duchesses stole the fashion show, Meghan stunning in a navy Givenchy dress and coat and a hat by Noel Stewart while Catherine wore a beautiful bright pink dress by Alexander McQueen and a matching hat by Philip Treacy.
The Queen and Prince Philip arrived together, the Queen wearing ice blue and peach from her favourite designer and dresser Angela Kelly.
Two of William and Catherine’s children, Prince George, 5, and Prince Charlotte, 3, were in the bridal party, pageboy George wearing a white shirt, blue pants and a green waistband while Charlotte and the other bridesmaids wore white dresses and matching green bows at their waist. The outfits were designed by Amaia Arrieta of Amaia Kids.
The celebrity-packed wedding attracted guests included models Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell, former Australian pop star Holly Valance, Prince Harry’s ex-girlfriend Chelsea Davy and Pixie Geldof, the daughter of Bob Geldof and the late Paula Yates.
Speaking in a prerecorded interview, Prince Andrew said of his daughter and son-in-law: “I’m sure they will be massively in love for the rest of their lives.’’
Several thousand people lined the Windsor High Street outside the 1000-year-old castle as the couple embarked on a carriage-ride through the streets, waving to the crowds who had shrugged off fierce winds and freezing conditions to welcome them to married life.
Storms over Windsor overnight had kept crowds down, and there was none of the hysteria and huge crowds that accompanied the nuptials of Prince Harry and American actress Meghan.
But those royal enthusiasts who did take a day off work to attend the Friday morning wedding dressed in Union Jack waistcoats, hats and glasses, and waving bottles of sparkling wine printed with pictures of Eugenie and Jack.
The grounds of the castle opened at 5am and the 1200 people who won a ballot spot to watch the event from inside the grounds filed in, along with members of charities supported by Princess Eugenie.
Celebrities including the pop superstar Robbie Williams were among those who turned out to see the ninth-in-line to the throne say “I will” to her boyfriend of eight years, a former nightclub manager turned wine merchant and tequila salesman.
Princess Eugenie’s elaborate five-tier wedding cake was made of layers of red velvet and chocolate, is covered in white icing and features the bride and groom’s initials E and J in golden monograms around the base.
It was crafted by London-based cake designer Sophie Cabot.
The couple chose a red velvet and chocolate cake, inspired by the rich colours of autumn - which they will cut at their afternoon reception in Windsor Castle. #RoyalWedding pic.twitter.com/MUPQGpYDEc
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 12, 2018
It contains up to 400 eggs, at least 53 packs of unsalted butter, 15 kilograms of organic self raising flour, and 20 kilos of sugar.
Ms Cabot, 33, said previously she felt “very honoured they have selected me”, and said about her first meeting with Eugenie and Jack in the summer, when she brought cake samples: “The couple were very relaxed, very comfortable. “I got the feeling the cake was something they were very excited about.”
The royal township of Windsor was decorated with buntings, balloons, and the English Union Jack flag and police had a strong security presence, with all arrivals into the high street undergoing airport-style scans and bag searches.
With Eugenie’s grandmother Queen Elizabeth, the head of the Church of England, the service was a traditional one with none of the flourishes seen in the wedding of bi-racial Meghan to Prince Harry, such as a gospel choir and an animated American preacher.
The ancient chapel looked magnificent, decorated with foliage from the surrounding Windsor Great Park, and included roses, hydrangeas, dahlias, and berries to reflect the rich tones of autumn.
Full-size maple trees lining the West Steps, will be replanted at Frogmore House after the ceremony.
Family friend and tenor Andrea Bocelli sung the haunting hymn Ave Maria, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry performed.
As is usual with modern weddings, the pair’s vows included the pledge to love, honour, comfort and keep each other, but not to obey.
Jack’s cousin Charles Brooksbank gave a biblical reading from St Paul’s Letter to the Colossians, urging those in attendance to clothe themselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience.
Princess Beatrice’s reading was rather more modern, from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Great Gatsby, choosing the passage known as “Gatsby’s Smile”, which included the line “One of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life.”
It was later explained that Eugenie had felt the passage reminded her of Jack, just after they met.
Mr Brooksbank gave a fist pump sign to Princess Beatrice, who is dyslexic, when she delivered her reading.
Just saw the fabulous @ricky_martin at the #RoyalWedding and it made me so happy!!!! 😠pic.twitter.com/y5ae6WSv3C
— Christine Barta 🎃 (@ChristineBarta) October 12, 2018
According to lip reader Tina Lannin of 121Captions, Jack Brooksbank told Eugenie in the chapel: “Oh, my heart. Oh, break my heart.”
Brooksbank also said to her: “You look perfect!”
During Princess Beatrice’s reading, Eugenie leaned over to him and jokingly said: “Why aren’t you holding my hand?”
Jack then re-adjusted her new wedding ring.
Outside on the steps of the church, lip readers have reportedly said that Eugenie asked: “Do you want to kiss?”
“It’s our first time,” Jack replied.
Then he reportedly said: “Careful, don’t fall!”
The service was led by the Dean of Windsor, the Right Reverend, David Conner, and the prayers by the Archbishop of York, the Most Reverend and Right Honourable John Sentamu.
Prince Charles’ wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, was not in attendance, instead opting to attend events in Scotland, reigniting rumours of her rift with Prince Andrew, which dates back more than 20 years.
Pipers lined the towers of the ancient castle to send the couple on their carriage ride, and church bells pealed out across Windsor.
Mr Brooksbank will not wear a wedding ring as is usual for high society and royal grooms in the UK, but presented a wedding band to Eugenie.
Princess Eugenie’s bouquet will now be taken to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Westminster Abbey, as per royal tradition.