Princess Marina announced the engagement of her daughter Princess Alexandra of Kent to The Hon. Angus Ogilvy on 19 November 1962 at Kensington Palace.[3] Ogilvy presented Alexandra with an engagement ring made of a cabochon sapphire set in gold and surrounded by diamonds on both sides.[4] The Queen gave her consent to the union on 19 December 1962.[5]
On 22 April, two nights before the wedding, the Queen hosted a white-tie ball for 2000 guests at Windsor Castle.[6] Ogilvy had a set of diamond and turquoise flowers the Princess had worn throughout her youth turned into a larger tiara and presented it along with a coordinating pair of earrings and copy of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee Necklace from the jeweller Collingwood to his bride.[citation needed]
Wedding
Princess Alexandra arrives at Westminster Abbey on the arm of her brother, The Duke of Kent
The wedding was held on Wednesday, 24 April 1963 at 12:00 BST at Westminster Abbey. Alexandra became the 12th member of the royal family to be married in the Abbey.
The bride wore a wedding dress of Valenciennes lace, with matching veil and train, designed by John Cavanagh.[8] The lace had to be made in France, with special customs arrangements being made so that the press was not notified of its arrival in Britain. The wedding dress included a piece of lace from the bride's late grandmother, Princess Nicholas of Greece and Denmark, and the veil worn by Lady Patricia Ramsey at her own wedding in 1919. She wore the diamond fringe tiara given to her mother by the City of London as a wedding gift in 1934. The bridegroom wore morning dress. The train of her wedding dress was twenty feet long.[9]
The Queen wore an eau-de-nil dress with a matching three-quarter sleeves chiffon overcoat by Norman Hartnell and a hat by Simone Mirman. In 2016, The Queen's ensemble was on display during the exhibition "Fashioning a Reign" to celebrate her 90th birthday.[10]
Attendants
The royal couple had seven bridal attendants. The Hon. David Ogilvy, son of Lord Ogilvy, thus the groom's nephew, and Simon Hay, son of courtiers Lady Margaret and Sir Alan Hay and great-grandson of the 6th Marquess of Hertford, were page boys. Princess Alexandra was attended by five bridesmaids: Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, thus the bride's paternal first cousin once removed and maternal second cousin; Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria, granddaughter of Princess Elizabeth of Greece and Denmark, thus the bride's maternal first cousin once removed; The Hon. Doune Ogilvy, daughter of Lord Ogilvy, thus the groom's niece; Georgina Butter, daughter of Myra Butter, thus the bride's maternal fourth cousin and also her goddaughter; and Emma Tennant, daughter of Lady Margaret and Iain Tennant, thus the groom's niece.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at the wedding
Princess Alexandra and Angus Ogvily were married in front of a congregation of 2000 guests. Notable guests in attendance included:[13][verification needed]
The Lord and Lady Fisher of Lambeth, former Archbishop of Canterbury and his wife
Aftermath
After the ceremony, Alexandra and Angus left the Abbey in the Glass Coach for the reception at St James's Palace. The couple honeymooned on the Balmoral estate. They had two children, James (born 1964) and Marina (born 1966). They remained married until Ogilvy's death on 26 December 2004 at the age of 76.
References
^Panton, Kenneth J. (2011). Historical Dictionary of the British Monarchy. Scarecrow Press, Inc. ISBN978-0-8108-5779-7.