Princess Eugenie of York married Jack Brooksbank on 12 October 2018 at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, England. The bride, Princess Eugenie of York, is the youngest daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York & Sarah, Duchess of York.
Princess Eugenie is currently ninth in the line of succession to the British throne. Jack Brooksbank is the European brand manager for Casamigos Tequila, the company co-founded by American actor George Clooney.
The couple have been dating for seven years & they were first introduced by friends in a ski break in Verbier, Switzerland, where Brooksbank was working at the time.
The couple gave a final interview to ITV's This Morning on 11 October 2018, released before the live coverage of the wedding. Watch it here;
The Duke of York announced shortly after the engagement announcement that the wedding would be held on Friday, 12 October 2018. Eugenie, who is a supporter of charities that battle plastic pollution, stated that she was organizing a plastic-free wedding ceremony.
Wedding Attire;
The wedding dress was designed by Peter Pilotto & Christopher de Vos. The label has provided Eugenie with several outfits during the past years.
Pilotto & de Vos searched through archives & viewed the previous bridal gowns & eventually identified a silhouette. The wedding gown was then made layer by layer after several fittings, "with the corset & complex underskirt before moving on to the fitted bodice & full pleated skirt".
It features a wide-neck V shape, folded shoulders & a low back "that drapes into a flowing full-length train". Eugenie personally asked the designers to make an open-back dress as she wanted her scar from the scoliosis operation that she underwent at the age of 12 to be revealed. In an interview before the wedding she had spoken about the importance of "showing people your scars".
The fabric for the dress was created at the designers's studios & featured different symbols in form of "rope-like motifs, woven into a jacquard of silk, cotton & viscose blend". These were a Scottish thistle, to show "the couple's fondness for Balmoral", an Irish shamrock, "a nod to the bride's [maternal] family", a York Rose, a reference to her family name of York, & ivy, which represented the Ivy Cottage, the couple's residence at Kensington Palace.
Princess Eugenie wore a pair of diamond & emerald earrings, given to her by Brooksbank.
The Queen lent her granddaughter the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara, which was made in 1919 by Boucheron for Dame Margaret Greville & bequeathed by Mrs. Greville to Queen Elizabeth in 1942. It features "brilliant & rose cut diamonds pavé set in platinum, with six emeralds on either side".
For the customary bridal themes of "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue", Eugenie had her emerald drop earrings (the "new"), the Queen's tiara (the "borrowed"), & a handful of "blue thistle flowers" in her bouquet (the "blue").
Eugenie's hair was styled by the hairstylist Sonny-Jo MacFarlane in a "loose chignon"style. Her shoes were by Charlotte Olympia.
Her bouquet, was created by Patrice Van Helden Oakes, & consisted of "Lily of the Valley, Stephanotis pips, hints of baby blue thistles, white spray roses, trailing ivy, & sprigs of myrtle from Osborne House".
After the wedding the bridal bouquet was placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey, following royal tradition that began with the Queen Mother.
Eugenie's make-up was done be make-up artists Hannah Martin & Bobbi Brown.
The maid-of-honour Princess Beatrice wore an outfit by Ralph & Russo.
The bridesmaids & pageboys dresses & uniforms were designed by Amaia Arrieta. The design incorporates the Mark Bradford artwork included in the Order of Service. The bridesmaids carried flowers by Rob Van Helden similar to that of the bride's bouquet. The special attendant, Lady Louise Windsor, wore a dress by Claudie Pierlot & a hat by Emily London
The groom & the best man wore tie pins given to them by Eugenie which featured "the white rose of York & the Padparadscha sapphire".
Princess Beatrice of York, was maid of honour. Thomas Brooksbank, brother of the groom, was his best man.
A total of six bridesmaids & two page boys were chosen: Eugenie's godchild, Maud Windsor, daughter of Lord & Lady Frederick Windsor (only son of Prince Michael of Kent), her cousin Peter Phillips' daughters Isla & Savannah Phillips, her cousin Zara Tindall's eldest daughter Mia Tindall, her cousin the Duke of Cambridge's eldest children Prince George & Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, as well as Theodora Williams, daughter of Ayda Field & Robbie Williams, & Louis de Givenchy, son of Olivier & Zoe de Givenchy.
Princess Eugenie's cousins Lady Louise Windsor & James, Viscount Severn, were also special attendants.
The ceremony commenced at 11:00am. Members of the Royal Family started to arrive at the chapel at 10:25am. The Queen & the Duke of Edinburgh were the last members of the Royal Family to depart for the ceremony, as is traditional, arriving at the chapel at 10.52am.
Shortly after, the bride arrived in a 1977 Rolls Royce Phantom VI & proceeded down the aisle escorted by her father. He accompanied her through the Nave to the Organ Screen, where the groom & the best man were standing.
The introduction was read by the Dean of Windsor, Dean Conner, afterwards the couple along with the best man & the bride's father were led through the Quire Gates & into the Quire of the Chapel.
The Dean also officiated as the couple made their marriage vows. The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, had written a personal prayer for the service, which was included in the Order of Service.
Brooksbank's first cousin, Charles Brooksbank, gave the first reading taken from St Paul's Letter to the Colossians (Chapter 3, verses 12–16), followed by another reading by Princess Beatrice of York taken from The Great Gatsby.
Their marriage vows were those published in Common Worship, & included the promise to "to love & to cherish" each other.
This was sealed by putting a ring on the fourth finger of bride's left hand.
The ring is made out of the Welsh gold. After the signing of the registers, Eugenie & Brooksbank together with the guests sang the national anthem.
The couple paused briefly to bow and curtsey to the Queen before walking down the aisle. They were followed in procession by other members of the bridal party, & their families.
The couple shared a kiss on the steps outside the chapel.
Members of the Nijmegen Company Grenadier Guards, of which the Duke of York is Colonel, lined the West Steps of the chapel as the couple departed for their carriage procession.
The Wedding Music;
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & the State Trumpeter of the Household Cavalry trumpeters provided music for the service. James Vivian, the Director of Music at St George's Chapel, prepared two hymns exclusively for the couple. The Hymns sung at the wedding included "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken" by John Newton, "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise" by Walter Chalmers Smith, & Love Divine, All Loves Excelling by Charles Wesley.
The world renowned Andrea Bocelli also performed two songs: the Bach/Gounod Ave Maria, & Panis angelicus by César Franck. watch here;
During the signing of the registers, the choir sang Ubi caritas from Quatre Motets sur des thèmes grégoriens by Maurice Duruflé & "My spirit sang all day" by Gerald Finzi.
The Scots Guards performed as a personal link to Brooksbank's great grandfather, Sir Jack Coke, who was an officer in the regiment.
As the couple departed the chapel for the carriage procession, pipers from the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland performed "Scottish pieces" from the Garter Tower.
Carriage procession;
The carriage procession travelled through Windsor after the ceremony with the newlyweds in the Scottish State Coach, "leaving Castle Hill & proceeding along part of the High Street before returning to the castle via Cambridge Gate". The couple decided to use an enclosed carriage due to windy weather.
Estimates put the crowd numbers at around 3,000 people, they lined the streets to watch the couple during the procession.
There was a reception hosted by the Queen at Windsor Castle. This was followed by a black-tie reception that evening at Royal Lodge, the Duke of York's official residence, with a third celebration the next day hosted by the bride's parents.
Brooksbank drove his new wife to the reception at the Royal Lodge in a silver Aston Martin DB10, one of the eight models made for the 2015 James Bond movie Spectre ( I am extremely jealous!) The Duke of York is said to have delivered a speech at the reception.
The wedding cake was a 5-tier red velvet & chocolate cake made by London-based cake designer Sophie Cabot. Alex Bramall has been asked to take the couple's official wedding portraits.
The guest list included approximately 850 people.
Relatives of the bride were;
The Queen & The Duke Of a Edinburgh, the bride’s grandparents
The Duke of York & Sarah, Duchess of York, the bride’s parents
Princess Beatrice of York, the bride’s sister
The Prince of Wales, the bride’s uncle
The Duke & The Duchess of Cambridge, the bride’s first cousin & his wife
Prince George of Cambridge, the bride’s first cousin once removed
Princess Charlotte of Cambridge, the bride’s first cousin once removed
The Duke & The Duchess of Sussex, the bride’s cousin & his wife
The Earl & The Countess of Wessex, the bride’s uncle & aunt
The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor, the bride’s first cousin
Viscount Severn, the bride’s first cousin
The Princess Royal & Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, the bride’s aunt & uncle
Peter & Autumn Phillips, the bride’s first cousin & his wife
Savannah Phillips, the bride’s first cousin once removed
Isla Phillips, the bride’s first cousin once removed
Zara & Mike Tindall, the bride’s first cousin & her husband
Mia Tindall, the bride’s first cousin once removed
The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon Family:
The Earl & The Countess of Snowdon, the bride’s first cousin once removed & his wife
Viscount Linley, the bride’s second cousin
The Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, the bride’s second cousin
The Lady Sarah & Daniel Chatto, the bride’s first cousin once removed & her husband
Other descendants of the Princess' great-great-grandfather King George V & their families:
The Duke & The Duchess of Gloucester, the bride’s first cousin twice removed & his wife
The Duke of Kent, the bride’s first cousin twice removed
Lady Helen & Timothy Taylor, '‘ the bride’s second cousin once removed & her husband
Prince Michael & Princess Michael of Kent, the bride’s first cousin twice removed & his wife
Lord & Lady Frederick Windsor, the bride’s second cousin once removed & his wife
Maud Windsor, the bride’s third cousin
Lady Gabriella Windsor & Thomas Kingston, the bride’s second cousin once removed & her fiancé
James Ogilvy, the bride’s second cousin once removed
Zenouska Mowatt, the bride’s third cousin
Relatives of Jack Brooksbank;
George & Nicola Brooksbank, The groom's parents
Thomas Brooksbank, the groom’s brother
The 1,200 members of the public invited to Windsor Castle for the wedding were gifted gift bags to commemorate the event. The bag had the initials of the couple, date & venue location printed on the exterior. Inside was an order of service booklet for the wedding, a chocolate coin, a can of water, a fridge magnet, a poncho, & a tube of handbag shortbread.
DID YOU KNOW? Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II, married to Sophie Rhys-Jones at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on 19 June 1999..
After her wedding Princess Eugenie will keep her Royal title but will drop the designation "of York". She will have the option of taking her husband's last name & will officially be styled, "HRH Princess Eugenie, Mrs Jack Brooksbank".
I hope you have enjoyed my review of the wedding, feel free to leave your comments below. Thankyou for reading.
Further interest;
https://www.stgeorges-windsor.org/
https://www.rct.uk/visit/windsorcastle
https://www.royal.uk/royal-residences-windsor-castle
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