The wedding of

Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of ...

and

Mark Phillips Captain Mark Anthony Peter Phillips (born 22 September 1948) is an English Olympic gold medal-winning horseman for Great Britain and the first husband of Anne, Princess Royal, with whom he has two children. He remains a leading figure in Briti ...

took place on Wednesday, 14 November 1973 at

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

in London. Princess Anne is the only daughter and second child of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

and

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from E ...

, while Mark Phillips is a retired

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

cavalry officer and a skilled horseman and equestrian.

Engagement

Anne first met her future husband Mark Phillips at a party for horse lovers in 1968. Both were competitive

equestrians Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

, with Anne winning the

BBC Sports Personality of the Year The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of just one, the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award. Several new awards have been ...

award in 1971 after her victory at that year's

European Eventing Championships The European Eventing Championships, like most other European Championships, is held every two years. Today it is a three star eventing competition. A three star event is one step down from the grand slam which consists of three four star events. ...

, and Phillips winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1972. Their engagement was announced on 29 May 1973. Phillips presented Anne with a Garrard engagement ring made from sapphire and diamond.

The wedding

Combined Coat of Arms of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips

The wedding day, which was on the twenty-fifth birthday of her older brother,

Charles, Prince of Wales Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...

was declared a special

bank holiday A bank holiday is a national public holiday in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. The term refers to all public holidays in the United Kingdom, be they set out in statute, declared by royal proclamation or h ...

and a global estimated audience of 500 million watched the Westminster Abbey ceremony, with large crowds lining the streets on the wedding day. In the UK, 27.6 million people tuned in to watch the event. Although Phillips was technically a

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

in the Army at the time of the marriage, he was also an acting

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

and was styled as such. Princess Anne was accompanied to the ceremony in the Glass State Coach by her father, the Duke of Edinburgh. The Queen, The Queen Mother, The Prince of Wales, and Prince Andrew arrived in the Scottish State Coach. The ceremony featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the

Household Cavalry The Household Cavalry (HCav) is made up of the two most senior regiments of the British Army, the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals (Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons). These regiments are divided between the Household Cavalry Regiment sta ...

Irish Guards ("Who Shall Separate s") , colors = , identification_symbol_2 Saffron (pipes), identification_symbol_2_label = Tartan , identification_symbol = , identification_symbol_label = Tactical Recognition F ...

, and

Coldstream Guards The Coldstream Guards is the oldest continuously serving regular regiment in the British Army. As part of the Household Division, one of its principal roles is the protection of the monarchy; due to this, it often participates in state ceremonia ...

. A tall, iced wedding cake with silver tiers was prepared for the ceremony. Tiers of the cake were formed in the shape of a hexagon, and "a statue of a female jockey leaping a fence" was placed on top of it as a tribute to Anne's career as an equestrian. The service was a traditional royal wedding conducted by

Michael Ramsey Arthur Michael Ramsey, Baron Ramsey of Canterbury, (14 November 1904 – 23 April 1988) was an English Anglican bishop and life peer. He served as the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury. He was appointed on 31 May 1961 and held the office until 1 ...

, the

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Just ...

. In keeping with tradition, Anne's wedding ring was crafted from

Welsh gold Welsh gold is gold that occurs naturally in two distinct areas of Wales and highly prized because of its origin and scarcity. One area it is found in is north Wales in a band stretching from Barmouth, past Dolgellau and up towards Snowdonia. ...

. The tradition of using Welsh gold within the wedding rings of the Royal Family dates back to 1923. Following the service, the couple then returned to Buckingham Palace for the traditional balcony appearance and a wedding lunch. At night, they stayed at White House Lodge in

Richmond Park Richmond Park, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, is the largest of London's Royal Parks, and is of national and international importance for wildlife conservation. It was created by Charles I in the 17th century as a deer park ...

before going on their honeymoon on board the Royal Yacht ''Britannia'', travelling the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The wedding ceremony was positively received by the public who gathered in the streets to celebrate the occasion. The BBC gained the rights to broadcast the event.

Clothing

Anne wore an "embroidered Tudor-style wedding dress, with a high collar and medieval -influenced sleeves". The dress was high-necked and high-waisted. It was designed by Maureen Baker, the chief designer for Susan Small. Anne wore a pair of diamond cluster earrings and her hair was "slightly parted up-do, with beehive volume." The Queen Mary Fringe Tiara secured her veil. Phillips wore the full dress uniform of his regiment, the Queen's Dragoon Guards.

Best man, bridesmaid and page boy

Capt. Eric Grounds served as the groom's

best man A groomsman or usher is one of the male attendants to the groom in a wedding ceremony and performs the first speech at the wedding. Usually, the groom selects close friends and relatives to serve as groomsmen, and it is considered an honor to be ...

. Princess Anne's

bridesmaid Bridesmaids are members of the bride's party in a Western traditional wedding ceremony. A bridesmaid is typically a young woman and often a close friend or relative. She attends to the bride on the day of a wedding or marriage ceremony. Tradi ...

was her nine-year-old cousin,

Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones Lady Sarah Frances Elizabeth Chatto (née Armstrong-Jones; born 1 May 1964) is the only daughter of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon. She and her brother, David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, are the onl ...

, the daughter of Princess Margaret, while her page boy was her nine-year-old brother, Prince Edward.

Guests

1,500 guests attended the wedding, including:

British royal family

* The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, ''the bride's parents'' ** The Prince of Wales, ''the bride's brother'' ** The Prince Andrew, ''the bride's brother'' ** The Prince Edward, ''the bride's brother'' *

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was th ...

, ''the bride's maternal grandmother'' **

The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth ...

and The Earl of Snowdon, '' the bride's maternal aunt and uncle'' *** Viscount Linley, ''the bride's first cousin'' ***

, ''the bride's first cousin'' *

The Duchess of Gloucester Duke of Gloucester () is a British royal title (after Gloucester), often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; the curren ...

, ''the bride's maternal grandaunt by marriage'' **

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...

and Princess Richard of Gloucester, ''the bride's first cousin once removed and his wife'' * The Duke and

Duchess of Kent Duchess of Kent is the principal courtesy title used by the wife of the Duke of Kent. There have been four titles referring to Kent since the 18th century. The current duchess is Katharine, the wife of Prince Edward. He inherited the dukedom ...

, ''the bride's first cousin once removed and his wife'' ** The Earl of St Andrews, ''the bride's second cousin'' ** Lady Helen Windsor, ''the bride's second cousin'' * Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Mrs. Ogilvy and The Hon. Angus Ogilvy, ''the bride's first cousin once removed and her husband'' **

James Ogilvy James Robert Bruce Ogilvy (born 29 February 1964) is a British landscape designer, and the founder and editor of '' Luxury Briefing''. He is a relative of the British royal family as the elder child and only son of Sir Angus Ogilvy and Princes ...

, ''the bride's second cousin'' **Marina Ogilvy, ''the bride's second cousin'' *

Prince Michael of Kent Prince Michael of Kent, (Michael George Charles Franklin; born 4 July 1942) is a member of the British royal family, who is 51st in the line of succession to the British throne as of September 2022. Queen Elizabeth II and Michael were firs ...

, ''the bride's first cousin once removed'' *

Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone (Alice Mary Victoria Augusta Pauline; 25 February 1883 – 3 January 1981) was a member of the British royal family. She is the longest-lived British princess of royal blood, and was the last surviving grand ...

, ''the bride's first cousin thrice removed, and maternal great-grandaunt by marriage'' *

The Earl Mountbatten of Burma Earl Mountbatten of Burma is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 28 October 1947 for Rear Admiral Louis Mountbatten, 1st Viscount Mountbatten of Burma. The letters patent creating the title specified the following ...

, ''the bride's paternal granduncle''

Other royal guests

* The King and Queen of the Hellenes, ''the bride's second cousin and third cousin'' *

The Prince ''The Prince'' ( it, Il Principe ; la, De Principatibus) is a 16th-century political treatise written by Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli as an instruction guide for new princes and royals. The general theme of ''The ...

and Princess of Monaco * Princess Beatrix and

Prince Claus of the Netherlands Prince Claus of the Netherlands, Jonkheer van Amsberg (born Klaus-Georg Wilhelm Otto Friedrich Gerd von Amsberg; 6 September 1926 – 6 October 2002) was Prince consort of the Netherlands from 30 April 1980 until his death in 2002 as the husband ...

(representing the Queen of the Netherlands) * The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway, ''the bride's second cousin once removed and his wife'' (representing the

King of Norway The Norwegian monarch is the head of state of Norway, which is a constitutional and hereditary monarchy with a parliamentary system. The Norwegian monarchy can trace its line back to the reign of Harald Fairhair and the previous petty kingd ...

) *

and Princess of Spain, ''the bride's third cousin once removed and second cousin'' *

and Princess George William of Hanover, ''the bride's paternal uncle and aunt'' * The Dowager Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, ''the bride's paternal aunt'' * Crown Prince Alexander of Yugoslavia, ''the bride's second cousin once removed''

References

External links

Order of Service for the wedding
{{British Royal Weddings Anne, Princess Royal, and Mark Phillips 1973 in London Anne, Princess Royal Anne, Princess Royal, and Mark Phillips November 1973 events in the United Kingdom Anne, Princess Royal, and Mark Phillips 1970s in the City of Westminster