The wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York (later King George VI), and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon took place on 26 April 1923 at Westminster Abbey.
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Prince Albert, Duke of York – "Bertie" to the family – was the second son of George V. He initially proposed to Elizabeth in 1921, but she turned him down, being "afraid never, never again to be free to think, speak and act as I feel I really ought to".[1] When he declared he would marry no one else, his mother, Queen Mary, visited Glamis to see for herself the girl who had stolen her son's heart. She became convinced that Elizabeth was "the one girl who could make Bertie happy", but nevertheless refused to interfere.[2] At the same time, Elizabeth was courted by James Stuart, Albert's equerry, until he left the prince's service for a better-paid job in the American oil business.[3]
In February 1922, Elizabeth was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Albert's sister, Princess Mary, to Viscount Lascelles.[4] The following month, Albert proposed again, but she refused him once more.[5] Eventually, in January 1923, Elizabeth agreed to marry Albert, despite her misgivings about royal life.[6] Albert's freedom in choosing Elizabeth, legally a commoner though the daughter of a peer, was considered a gesture in favour of political modernisation; previously, princes were expected to marry princesses from other royal families.[7]
Prince Albert, Duke of York, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon were married on 26 April 1923 in Westminster Abbey. Unexpectedly,[8] Elizabeth laid her bouquet at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior on her way into the Abbey.[9]
Lady Elizabeth was attended by eight bridesmaids:
Elizabeth's wedding dress featured embroidered with pearls and a silver thread, which was made from deep ivory chiffon moire.[10] It was intended to match the traditional Flanders lace provided for the train by Queen Mary.[10] Elizabeth's dress, which was in the fashion of the early 1920s, was designed by Madame Handley Seymour, who had been a dressmaker to Queen Mary.[11]
A strip of Brussels lace, inserted in the dress, was a Strathmore family heirloom. A female ancestor of the bride wore it a grand ball for "Bonnie Prince Charlie", Charles Edward Stuart.[12]
The silver leaf girdle had a trail of spring green tulle, trailing to the ground; silver and rose thistle fastened it. According to an era news article: "In the trimming the bride has defied all old superstitions about the unluckiness of green."[12]
Unlike more recent dresses, details of this one were publicly revealed in advance of the wedding day.[12] However, the dress was worked on until the last possible opportunity: the day before the wedding, Elizabeth divided her time between the wedding rehearsal and her dressmakers.[13]
Prince Albert wore RAF full dress in the rank of group captain, his senior service rank at the time of his marriage.
The newly formed British Broadcasting Company had wanted to record and broadcast the event on radio, but the Chapter vetoed the idea (although the Dean, Herbert Edward Ryle, was in favour).[14] Albert's marriage to a British commoner was considered a modernising gesture.[15]
Upon their marriage, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon was styled Her Royal Highness The Duchess of York.[16] Following a wedding breakfast at Buckingham Palace prepared by chef Gabriel Tschumi, they honeymooned at Polesden Lacey, a manor house in Surrey, and then went to Scotland, where she caught "unromantic" whooping cough.[17]
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