Every wedding day comes with its share of nerves, but things get significantly trickier when you’re royalty.
Imagine not only having to plan around busy schedules of high-profile guests but also knowing that millions of people around the world will be tuning in to watch your special moment.
That was exactly the case for Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten when they tied the knot on November 20, 1947, in what became one of the most memorable royal weddings in history.
Prince Philip Queen Elizabeth’s Wedding
While the ceremony itself, held at Westminster Abbey, appeared to unfold without a hitch, few people knew about the frantic moments behind the scenes.
Just hours before the big event, two unexpected mishaps nearly threw everything off course.
Elizabeth’s tiara broke
The first incident involved the tiara the princess had chosen for the occasion—Queen Mary’s Russian Fringe tiara.
As Elizabeth was getting ready at Buckingham Palace, disaster struck: the tiara snapped.
What could have been a major setback was resolved at lightning speed when the Court Jeweller was rushed to his workshop with a police escort. He returned just in time, with the tiara fully restored, ready for the ceremony.
Elizabeth forgot her pearl earrings
As if that weren’t enough drama for one morning, Elizabeth realized she had forgotten the pearl earrings her father had gifted her specifically for the wedding.
The earrings had been left at St. James’s Palace, and once again, a last-minute dash saved the day. Her private secretary retrieved them just in time for her official photographs.
Despite these hurdles, the wedding itself went down in history as a symbol of hope and joy, coming as it did shortly after World War II.
Economic challenges after World War II
However, financial constraints loomed large over the event. With the country still reeling from wartime austerity, many wondered if the princess would even be able to afford an appropriate wedding gown.
Hundreds of generous citizens from across Britain sent their own clothing ration coupons to the palace, offering to help the young royal.
Though a touching gesture, the coupons had to be returned, as it would have been illegal for Elizabeth to use them.
Fortunately, the government stepped in, granting her 200 additional ration coupons so that her dress, designed by Norman Hartnell, could be created.
Problem with bridal bouquet
Even after the ceremony, the day wasn’t free from hiccups. As the official group photographs were about to be taken, it became apparent that something was missing: the bride’s bouquet.
Somehow, it had been misplaced, and as a result, Elizabeth had to pose without it, her hands noticeably empty in the pictures. But this wasn’t the end of the story.
Royal wedding florist David Longman later revealed that the solution came during the couple’s honeymoon. “If we go back to the Queen’s wedding in 1947,” he explained, “when you look at the state photographs of all the bridesmaids and the royal guests, there is the Queen without a bouquet. It got lost.”
To make up for the missing bouquet, Elizabeth and Philip dressed in their wedding attire once again and posed for new photographs with a freshly prepared bouquet.
Despite the last-minute crises, Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten’s wedding remains a defining moment in modern royal history.