Princess Helen of Waldeck and Pyrmont, later Duchess of Albany VA, CI, RRC, GCStJ, was a member of the British royal family by marriage. She was the fifth daughter and child of George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, and his first wife, Princess Helena of Nassau.
A wedding dress or bridal gown is the dress worn by the bride during a wedding ceremony. The color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants. In Western cultures and Anglo-Saxon cultural spheres, the wedding dress is most commonly white, a fashion made popular by Queen Victoria when she married in 1840. In Eastern cultures, brides often choose red to symbolize auspiciousness.
Queen Elizabeth II owned a historic collection of jewels – some as monarch and others as a private individual. They are separate from the gems and jewels of the Royal Collection, and from the coronation and state regalia that make up the Crown Jewels.
"Something old" is the first line of a traditional rhyme that details what a bride should wear at her wedding for good luck:
The wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Sir Philip Mountbatten took place on Thursday 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey in London, United Kingdom. The bride was the elder daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth as well as the heir presumptive to the British throne. The groom was born a Greek and Danish prince; he stopped using these foreign titles on his adoption of British nationality four months before the announcement of their marriage and was made Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth and Baron Greenwich on the morning of the wedding.
The wedding dress of Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth II, was worn at her wedding to Philip Mountbatten, Duke of Edinburgh on 20 November 1947 in Westminster Abbey. Given the rationing of clothing at the time, she still had to purchase the material using ration coupons. The dress was designed by Norman Hartnell. Hartnell's signature was said to be embroidery, and he enjoyed "working with soft, floating fabrics, particularly tulle and chiffon, and with plain, lustrous silks". The dress was made of Chinese silk, with a high neckline, tailored bodice and a short train. Without straps and with long sleeves, it provided a "fit and flare silhouette".
The wedding dress of Princess Alexandra of Denmark was worn at her wedding to Albert Edward, Prince of Wales on 10 March 1863 in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. It was the first in British royal history to be photographed while being worn. The gown was made by London dressmaker Mrs James of Belgravia. It is now part of the British Royal Collection. In 2011, the dress was part of a display of royal wedding dresses at Kensington Palace.
The wedding dress of Princess Victoria Mary of Teck is the gown worn by the future Queen Mary at her wedding to Prince George, Duke of York on 6 July 1893 at the Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace, in London. The dress now belongs to the British Royal Collection and is part of a collection of royal wedding dresses at Kensington Palace in London.
Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha on 10 February 1840. She chose to wear a white wedding dress made from heavy silk satin, making her one of the first women to wear white for their wedding. The Honiton lace used for her wedding dress proved an important boost to Devon lace-making. Queen Victoria has been credited with starting the tradition of white weddings and white bridal gowns, although she was not the first royal to be married in white.
On the event of her wedding to Prince Henry of Battenberg at Saint Mildred's Church at Whippingham, near Osborne, on 23 July 1885, Princess Beatrice of the United Kingdom wore a wedding dress of white satin, trimmed with orange blossom and lace, the lace overskirt held by bouquets of the blossom entwined with white heather. There was lace on the pointed neck line, and on the sleeves, for the Princess was a lover of, and an expert on, lace. One of her most treasured possessions was a tunic of old point d'Alençon which had belonged to Catherine of Aragon. Knowing her daughter's love of lace, the Queen allowed Princess Beatrice to wear the Honiton lace and veil which she herself had worn on her wedding day. It was a very precious possession to the Queen, and Princess Beatrice was the only one of her daughters to be given the opportunity to wear it. Her veil was emblazoned with a diamond circlet with diamond stars, a wedding gift from her mother.
The wedding dress of Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia was worn by her at her wedding to Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, at St. George's Chapel, Windsor, on 13 March 1879. Prince Arthur was the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
Princess Helena, the fifth child and third daughter of Queen Victoria, wore a dress of white satin featuring deep flounces of Honiton lace, the design of which featured roses, ivy, and myrtle, for her marriage to Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein on 5 July 1866 at Windsor Castle, Windsor, Berkshire, England. Her headpiece was composed of orange blossom and myrtle, and the veil was also made of Honiton lace. She also wore a necklace, earrings, and brooch of opals and diamonds, a wedding gift from the Queen. Along with bracelets set with miniatures, Helena also wore the Order of Victoria and Albert.
The wedding dress of Princess Louise, Queen Victoria's sixth child and fourth daughter, was worn by her at her wedding to John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, the heir-apparent to the 8th Duke of Argyll, on 21 March 1871 at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle.
The wedding dress of Sophie Rhys-Jones is the bridal gown worn by her at her wedding to Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex on 19 June 1999 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The dress was designed by Samantha Shaw.
The wedding of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha took place on 10 February 1840 at Chapel Royal, St. James's Palace, in London.
Diana, Princess of Wales, owned a collection of jewels both as a member of the British royal family and as a private individual. These were separate from the coronation and state regalia of the crown jewels. Most of her jewels were either presents from foreign royalty, on loan from Queen Elizabeth II, wedding presents, purchased by Diana herself, or heirlooms belonging to the Spencer family.
The wedding dress of Princess Maud of Wales was worn at her wedding to Prince Carl of Denmark on 22 July 1896 in the Private Chapel at Buckingham Palace. Maud was the youngest daughter of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales and Alexandra, Princess of Wales; Carl was the second son of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Louise of Denmark.
The wedding of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, and Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott took place on Wednesday, 6 November 1935, in the private chapel at Buckingham Palace. A larger public ceremony had been planned for Westminster Abbey, but plans were scaled back after the bride's father, the 7th Duke of Buccleuch, died of cancer on 19 October.
The Swedish royal family owns a historic collection of jewels – some owned by the Bernadotte family foundation and others by private individuals. They are separate from the state regalia of Sweden which is owned by the Swedish state.
The wedding of Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, Duke of Scania, and Princess Margaret of Connaught was held on Thursday, 15 June 1905, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.
