TWO GRACE KELLY BRIDES: KATE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE & IVANKA TRUMP

Much comment was made over the Grace Kelly inspired wedding gown of the former Catherine Middleton.  The new Duchess of Cambridge’s Sarah Burton-designed gown undoubtedly reminded many of the gown the American actress Grace Kelly wore when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco in April 1956.  But Kate was not the only famous bride to have a wedding gown designed with Grace Kelly’s dress in mind.  Ivanka Trump, daughter of the American tycoon, Donald Trump, also wore a wedding gown that was based on the actress’s dress.   She married Jared Kushner in a lavish ceremony in an elegant Vera Wang designed gown in  October 2009.  Wang is quoted as saying: “For Ivanka’s wedding, she very definitely wanted to be covered.”  Wang described the gown as “majestic” and “demure.”  Like Kate’s gown, Ivanka’s also was noted for its beautiful lace.  Both wedding gowns, expertly designed and executed, suited their brides well who carried them with aplomb.  These dresses are sure to set a trend in bridal gowns.  It’s more than likely that we will soon see a plethora of bridal gowns that will have that ‘demure’ look Vera Wang referred to.

THE ROYAL WEDDING: MORE ICONIC IMAGES OF WILLIAM & CATHERINE, Part 2

Here are some more iconic images from the many great photographs of the royal wedding.

THE ROYAL WEDDING: MORE ICONIC IMAGES OF WILLIAM & CATHERINE, Part 1

There were many wonderful images of the royal wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton.  Here are a few.

THE ROYAL WEDDING: A TRIUMPH OF TRADITION, FAITH & PAGEANTRY, Part 2

Much of the splendid wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey was centered on God, as expected.  This was of course evident in the prayers.  But the music, so wonderfully played and sung, was God-centered with a clear nod to the great British composers: Edward Elgar, Ralph Vaughan Williams and William Walton.  Even the two modern pieces by Mealor and Rutter were clearly religious pieces.  Mealor has stated: “My new piece, Ubi Caritas for the Royal Wedding, takes its text from the sixth century Christian hymn that was normally sung at the service for the washing of the feet on Maundy Thursday.  The words, originally in Latin, mean: “Where charity and love are, God is there.  Let us come together in God’s love and let us love each other with a sincere heart.  The meaning of the words, in my mind, is two-fold: firstly, a prayer about love and, secondly, about service.  After all, Jesus came to serve, and the young couple are about to enter a long period of service to the nation.  I wanted to capture these two themes in my piece.”

After the ceremony there was of course all the color and pageantry associated with the procession from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace.  The bride and groom in the 1902 state landau, was accompanied by a military escort.   A touching image was given by the newly wed couple whenever they returned a royal salute and when they passed the war dead memorial, the Cenotaph.  The Duke of Cambridge saluted and the Duchess of Cambridge inclined her head in a reverent bow.  The streets, hung with Union Jacks, were filled with enthusiastic crowds.

THE ROYAL WEDDING: A TRIUMPH OF TRADITION, FAITH & PAGEANTRY, Part 1

Far from being trendy, the royal wedding was in fact steeped in tradition, faith and pageantry.  As befitting a future King of the United Kingdom, the wedding ceremony of Prince William and Catherine Middleton was infused with all the pageantry and history attached to the British monarchy.   From the setting of the wedding in historic Westminster Abbey to the symbolism behind the  flowers of the bride’s bouquet, nearly everything about William and Catherine’s wedding had meaning and substance to it.  And above all, the Christian faith was at the heart and center of the couple’s special day.  The grandeur of the historic abbey, the site of coronations and the final resting place of kings and queens, was in full display.  The marriage was conducted by the Dean of Westminster and solemnized by the Archbishop of Canterbury.  The beautiful words were taken from the Book of Common Prayer (Series 1).  The message given by the Bishop of London was edifying.  It began with the following words: “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” So said St Catherine of Siena whose festival day it is today. Marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their deepest and truest selves.”

THE WEDDING GOWN, SHADES OF ANOTHER REGAL PRINCESS, GRACE KELLY

For many, the most-anticipated part of the royal wedding was the bridal gown.  In this, Catherine Middleton did not disappoint.  She and her wedding dress designer, Sarah Burton, delivered in a spectacular and at the same time, understated manner.  The bridal gown was a triumph.   The gown:  elegant, refined and becoming, along with the delicate veil, had the effect not only of transforming Catherine Middleton into an ethereal bride, but into a royal princess as well.  Created from yards of ivory and white satin gazar, the bridal gown stood out with its fitted bodice covered in French Chantilly and English lace.  Elizabeth Emanuel, who along with her then husband, David, had designed the wedding gown of Lady Diana Spencer, is quoted as describing Catherine’s bridal gown as “breathtaking,” “stunning,” “beautiful,” “fabulous,” “a magnificent job.”

The Royal School of Needlework was involved in helping to create the gown, primarily the train and skirt.   Symbolically, the symbols of England (the rose), Scotland (the thistle), Wales (the daffodil), and Ireland (the shamrock), were incorporated into the gown.  Catherine’s gown was highly reminiscent of that most iconic of brides, the American actress Grace Kelly, who married Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956.  Like Grace, Catherine looked exceptionally poised and dignified.   Both famous brides, who were born commoners, stood out on their wedding day for the graceful manner of their bearing and regal carriage.

The exquisite sheer veil was made of ivory silk tulle.  Catherine’s decision to wear her veil over her face added a subtle touch of modesty and elegance to the ensemble.  The bridal veil was held in place by the Queen’s halo tiara which had been created by the famed jewelers, Cartier, and given by King George VI to the Queen Mother.  More symbolism could be found in the bridal bouquet.  Largely composed of cream-colored flowers, the bride’s flowers contained stems from a myrtle bush grown from Queen Victoria’s bridal bouquet.  Also present were  lily-of-the-valley (for the return of happiness), sweet-William (for gallantry), hyacinth (for the constancy of love) and ivy (for fidelity).

HERE COMES THE BRIDE, CATHERINE MIDDLETON, ON HER WEDDING DAY

In a ceremony infused with tradition, Miss Catherine Middleton was married to H.R.H. Prince William of Wales.   The moving hour-long ceremony held at Westminster Abbey was noted for its grandeur, dignity, and deeply Christian theme.  It also resonated with British history and pomp.  The excitement was palpable surrounding the wedding for days and had reached a crescendo once Catherine Middleton stepped into the car ready to whisk her to the Abbey.   Eyes strained to see what the bride was wearing and the crowds were not disappointed.  Catherine looked sublime in a beautiful gown of ivory and white satin with a lace bodice, her face covered by her veil.  The bride’s arrival at Westminster Abbey thrilled the waiting crowds.  As she emerged from the car, Catherine offered everyone a vision of elegance.  The commoner bride was set to become a royal in the most historic of churches.  A fairytale moment, the most anticipated event in decades, had arrived.

WILLIAM & CATHERINE WILL BE THE DUKE & DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE

It was announced from Bucking Palace today that: “The Queen has today been pleased to confer a Dukedom on Prince William of Wales.  “His titles will be Duke of Cambridge, Earl of Strathearn and Baron Carrickfergus.  Prince William thus becomes His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge and Miss Catherine Middleton on marriage will become Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge.”  The titles Cambridge is for England, Strathearn for Scotland, Carrickfergus for Northern Ireland.  The last holder of the dukedom of Cambridge was Prince George, a grandson of King George III.  George, Duke of Cambridge, also married a commoner, Sarah Fairbrother.  Unlike Prince William, whose marriage to Catherine Middleton has the blessing of the queen and government, Prince George’s marriage did not enjoy the imprimatur of the monarch.   The dukedom of Cambridge was first granted in the mid-seventeenth century.

ROYAL GLITTER: PRE-ROYAL WEDDING DINNER, LONDON MANDARIN ORIENT #2

Here’s part 2 of photographs from the pre-royal wedding dinner at London’s Mandarin Orient Hotel.  Pictured here are from left to right: Crown Prince Philippe of Belgium and his wife, Princess Mathilde;  Henri and Maria Teresa, the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg;  Queen Margrethe II of Denmark; and Crown Prince Felipe, his wife, Letizia, and Felipe’s mother, Queen Sofia of Spain.

ROYAL GLITTER: PRE-ROYAL WEDDING DINNER, LONDON MANDARIN ORIENT #1

London’s Mandarin Orient Hotel at Hyde Park was the venue for a glittering pre-wedding dinner.  Numerous royals were present at the dinner including the groom’s grandparents, the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, the Princess Royal, the Duke of York and his daughters, the Earl and Countess of Wessex, etc.  Also present from the European continent were the Queen of Denmark; Queen Sofia of Spain and her son and daughter-in-law, the Prince and Princess of the Asturias; the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, , Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her husband, Prince Daniel, Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium, etc.  Prince William and Catherine Middleton did not attend.  Catherine spent the night with her family at the Goring Hotel while Prince William spent the evening at Clarence House.