Wedding of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, and Sophie Rhys-Jones
| Date | 19 June 1999 |
|---|---|
| Location | St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, Berkshire, England |
| Participants | Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Sophie Rhys-Jones |
The wedding of Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and Sophie Rhys-Jones took place on 19 June 1999 in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. The Queen's youngest child, Prince Edward, was created Earl of Wessex hours before the ceremony.
Prince Edward, youngest child of Queen Elizabeth II, met Sophie Rhys-Jones at a tennis event in 1993. Prince Edward announced his engagement to Sophie on 6 January 1999. Edward proposed to Sophie with a delicate engagement ring featuring a two-carat oval diamond flanked by two heart-shaped gemstones set in 18-karat white gold. This engagement ring was made by Asprey and Garrard (now Garrard & Co) and it is worth an estimated £105,000.
The wedding took place at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. At the time of their engagement, Edward and Sophie made known their wish that the wedding not be turned into a state occasion, causing there to be no ceremonial state or military involvement. Prime Minister Tony Blair and other politicians were not invited.
Rather than court dress, the couple requested that guests attend wearing formal evening gowns, and not to wear hats to reflect its wish for a more informal royal wedding.Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother wore a hat regardless, as she was rarely seen in public without one. It was Windsor's largest occasion since the 1952 funeral of King George VI.
Edward's two brothers, The Prince of Wales and The Duke of York, both served as his supporters (the royal equivalent of the "best man"). Children of the couple's friends served as Sophie's attendants: Camilla Hadden, Olivia Taylor, Felix Sowerbutts, and Harry Warburton. The three royal brothers chose to leave their limousines behind and walk past the onlookers into the church, twenty minutes before the start of the ceremony.
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