The crowd cheered as they caught sight of the Princess. She looked breathtakingly beautiful in her stunning Peter Pilotto wedding dress, her head crowned by the Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara, on loan from HM the Queen. Later, after a moving ceremony, she and her new husband Jack Brooksbank would parade through the streets in the historic Scottish Stage Coach, waving to their adoring public.
But there was more going on here than just the glamour of the day, and the pomp and circumstance of Royalty. There was a beautiful love story that had begun 8 years earlier on the ski slopes of Verbier, and culminated in a wonderfully romantic proposal, in which the groom dropped to knees as the sun set over a Nicaraguan volcano.
And there was a special significance to the design of the dress. A shallow v-neck curved round to expose the back, deliberately revealing the bride's scar from her childhood operation to correct scoliosis, a curvature of the spine.
In the weeks following the wedding, she would receive hundreds of letters from people who had suffered the same condition, thanking Eugenie for her bravery and solidarity.
This was the wedding, on 12 October 2018, of HRH Princess Eugenie and Mr. Jack Brooksbank. It was a gusty, bright autumnal day, and the streets of Windsor were backed with wellwishers. The Royal Family were once more assembled at St. George's Chapel, just five short months after the wedding of TRH the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and it was another beautiful, heartwarming day for royalists around the world to enjoy!
Like so many people I love a Royal Wedding. I had watched with pride and deep emotion at the Cambridge and Sussex weddings. And in fact it was the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of York in 1986 that had kickstarted at the age of 7 my lifelong admiration for Sarah. Now, I was watching her daughter getting married - wow, I felt a little old, but also proud of the beautiful young lady that my beloved Duchess and her ex had raised! As a York fan, this was a big moment to enjoy!
I'd like to share here some personal highlights of this beautiful event...
The dress
The dress was absolutely stunning! If we look at the wedding dresses of Catherine, Meghan and Eugenie, we can say that each of them were perfect in their own way, each beautifully suited to the bride and the occasion, and all three very different from each other. Eugenie's was created by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos. The big stand out was the lack of a veil, but of course this part of the plan, as was the exposed back. Eugenie said: "I had always wanted a low back, part of it was showing my scar. I believe scars tell a story about your past and your future and it’s a way of getting rid of a taboo. For me it's a way of communicating with people who are going through either similar situations with scoliosis or having a scar of their own they are trying to deal with."
I find that incredibly inspiring. A scar in this sense doesn't even have to be physical. It could be (as in my case) surviving a serious illness. The "scar" can be the memory of what you went through, which can give you strength and resilience for the future. This is a great example of how the Royals can use their personal experiences to inspire those who look up to them. That is true leadership!
Princess Beatrice's reading from the Great Gatsby
This was another great example of leadership and of overcoming personal challenges. Beatrice has dyslexia, and as a child she really struggled to read. Her parents helped her by reading to her and recording her favourite books on tape. She grew to love books, and was soon tearing through the Harry Potter saga.
On any level, Beatrice's reading at the wedding was beautiful. As the culmination of a struggle that started in childhood, it was even heroic. "People" magazine quoted a wedding guest: “What really came out was how amazing she is. It was one of the strongest things, because the acoustics aren’t that great in the church, and her reading was amazing.”
And in the sartorial department, Beatrice didn't disappoint, in a gorgeous bright royal blue dress by Ralph & Russo, complete with purple and blue headband. She completed the outfit with a diamond bee brooch, a reference to her name and her personal and maternal arms.
The Duchess of York
As a long time fan of the Duchess, it's hard to sum up just happy I felt at seeing her on that day. There she was - Mother of the Bride, back at the heart of the Royal action, and looking so happy!
Sarah had previously described how low she felt at being excluded from the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Her appearance at the Sussex wedding had been a step in the right direction and this the was the culmination.
She looked stunning in a vibrant green dress designed by Emma Louise, a local designer based in Windsor. As a tribute to her late mother, Sarah also carried the same vintage Manolo Blahnik bag that her mum had used at her own wedding to Prince Andrew in 1986. And on her wrist was the familiar bracelet, on which diamonds spelled "Eugenie" on one side and "Beatrice" on the other.
As soon as she stepped out of the car in front of the chapel, she bounded across to greet wellwishers in the roped-off public viewing area, amongst whom was a lady in a wheelchair who had been close to her mother. It was a wonderful "Fergie moment", full of that openness, friendliness and enthusiasm that we all love!
After all she had been through, it really felt quite emotional to see her on that day, so full of happiness, so proud of her beautiful daughter.
The other Royal ladies
One of the pleasures of a Royal Wedding is not only seeing the bride and the immediate family, but having all the Royals together, and admiring the various outfits.
Let's start with the wonderful Duchess of Sussex, appearing here just five months after her own wedding in the same chapel, and, unbeknown to the public, already pregnant. She went for Givenchy, with a beautiful navy coat and dress.
Then there was the beautiful Duchess of Cambridge. Catherine wore an Alexander McQueen dress in magnificent magenta with a netted fascinator.
Apart from Meghan and Eugenie, the other Royal lady who had been married at this venue was the always-elegant Countess of Wessex. Sophie wore a stunning Azzedine Alaia dress in navy blue, topped off with a large fascinator by one of her favourite hat designers Jane Taylor.
HM the Queen was in lighter colours than usual, opting for a light blue coat and hat, both by Angela Kelly, and looking as elegant as ever.
Cards from Sarah and Eugenie
One thing I especially loved in the whole process - the engagement and post-wedding period, was the kind and gracious way that Sarah and Eugenie interacted with fans and supporters!
This began in February with news of the engagement, and with Sarah's gloriously effusive social media posts, shouting her pride and excitement from the rooftops! Some cynics in the press criticised her for this, but that's who she is! That passion and enthusiasm is part of what makes her special!
Like many other wellwishers, I wrote to the family, specifically to Sarah and to the couple themselves, Eugenie and Jack, both at the time of the engagement and after the wedding itself. Personally, I was absolutely delighted with the responses I received!
Sarah's cards were personally signed, and Eugenie's message was all handwritten before being printed onto the card. There was so much warmth and sincerity there, so much generosity in sharing their joy, and a very genuine appreciation for our support. Sarah finished hers by thanking us all for our "kindness and loyalty over the years" and somehow those words really resonated with me - this lady and this family had in a way been part of my life for many years, and rarely had I felt such pride in being a York fan as on 12th October 2018!
Finally... The Wedding Exhibition
As I write this, an exhibition is now taking place at Windsor Castle in which we can see at close quarters Eugenie's wedding dress, including the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara, as well as her second dress for the evening reception! You can also see the groom's morning suit and Princess Beatrice's maid-of-honour outfit!
The exhibition runs until April 22nd. As I write this, I haven't yet seen it, but I'm certainly planning a trip very soon. It will be a wonderful way to relive this very special day!
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