January 25, 1858 was a raw and chilly morning, but London was in a festive mood. The eldest daughter of the sovereign, Briton’s beloved Vicky, is set to be married to Fritz, Prussia’s second-in-line to the throne. The sun had cleared by 11 and the ceremonials began , the band of the Grenadier Guards playing Mendelssohn's "Wedding March". The carriages conveying the royals began to process from Buckingham Palace to St. James's Palace, where the wedding was to take place at Chapel Royal.
For this grand wedding, the chapel royal was neither a large nor a handsome choice for a venue, but it evoked a sense of nostalgia for 18 years earlier, Queen Victoria walked its aisle to marry Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. For Vicky’s wedding, the chapel profused with crimson velvet and gold, of blue paint and gilding. A gallery was installed on each side to accommodate more guests and make the venue a more fitting scene for a state marriage than it was on Queen Victoria’s wedding day.
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| Left to right: Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and Victoria, Princess Royal, in the clothes they wore for the princess's wedding. Image from Wikimedia Commons |
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| The marriage of Victoria, Princess Royal, oil on canvas by John Phillip, c1860. © Royal Collection Trust. |
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| A watercolour painting depicting the wedding of Victoria Princess Royal and Prince Frederick William of Prussia in 1858 by Egron Lundgren. © Royal Collection Trust. |
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| A hand-painted photograph of Victoria, Princess Royal, in her wedding gown. © Royal Collection Trust. |
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| © Royal Collection Trust. |
_-_Victoria,_Princess_Royal_(1840-1901)_-_RCIN_407449_-_Royal_Collection.jpg) |
| A portrait of the Princess Royal by John Reynolds. © Royal Collection Trust. |
By noontime, the royal guests have occupied their respective positions inside the chapel. The groom’s mother, Princess Augusta entered robed in white satin worked with silver, upon her entrance the whole assembly rose as she passed on her place. Trumpets were sounded upon the arrival of Queen Victoria’s party. First to enter was her cousin, Princess Mary Adelaide, followed by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Kent. Then came Lord Palmerston, who bore the sword of state. Then entered the Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred, followed by Queen Victoria, who led her younger children, Princes Arthur and Leopold, and Princesses Alice, Helena and Louise, the little girls walking hand-in-hand.
The Queen processed wearing a lilac velvet dress, and atop her head was King George IV’s castellated crown of diamonds and pearls. Among her jewels sparkled the Koh-i-noor diamond. She took her chair near the altar, the younger children - the princesses in white with corn-flowers and daisies, the princes in the Highland dress - sat beside her. Everyone in the congregation stood at the moment of her entry. Lord Palmerston stood on the right, and the Duchess of Sutherland on the left of the Queen. The next to arrive was the bridegroom, wearing the rich uniform of a Prussian general, walking slowly up the chapel and bowing in profound reverence, first, to the Queen, then to his mother, before kneeling in front of the altar before rising again and he awaited his bride.
A pause from the congregation ensued and as the assembly stood still, all eyes directed on the chapel entrance. The strains of trumpets were heard, the bride, in her youthful grace, walked aisle, the Prince Consort on one side, and King Lepold on the other, her youthful bridesmaids, following behind her. The bride blushed as she reached the altar and as she bowed to her mother and Princess Augusta.
The ceremony was presided by the Archbishop of Canterbury, with the Bishop of London, Bishop of Oxford, Dean of Windsor and Dr. Wellesley each performing a part in the service. The prince consort gave away the bride and the service concluded with the Hallelujah chorus. After the wedding, the royal party proceeded to the throne room, where the couple signed the marriage register before the bishops and illustrious guests.
At half past four, the new couple left Buckingham Palace for Windsor Castle, where they arrived before six. Some 100 excited Eton boys welcomed the royal couple. At their request, the horses from the royal carriage were removed and they ecstatically hauled and pushed it until the royal pair landed in the castle. The princesse personally thanked the leading boys and sent them champagne. The couple finally settled at Lancaster Tower.
Meanwhile at Buckingham Palace, Queen Victoria gave a state concert that evening. London beamed in jubilation and was brilliantly illuminated that night; throughout the nation, festivities were thrown. Free gifts, mostly of food, were given to the deserving poor, in different locations. In the parish of St. Pancras, 200 poor people were given a 4 lbs loaf and I Ib of beef. In Dover 500 people were gifted a hundredweight of coal and a shilling in cash, while in Birmingham 1200 poor persons enjoyed a sumptuous dinner of beef, plumpudding, ale and tobacco. Numerous parties for children were also held and these public gatherings were well-recorded in contemporary newspapers.
Precious wedding presents poured in. The groom’s parents gave the bride a necklace of thirty-three pearls deemed by the press to be worth 4000. Meanwhile, King Leopold gave Vicky a box of Brussels lace, estimated at 1,000.
More stories about the Victoria, Princess Royal and Empress Frederick here:
- The birth and childhood of Victoria, the Empress Frederick
- Victoria Princess Royal with the Greyhound Eos
- Vicky gives birth: "One of the worst recorded in obstetrical history"
- The wedding of Victoria, Princess Royal, and the future Emperor Frederick III
- Vicky travels to Berlin
- Victoria and Frederick: A royal love story
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