Mary Of Teck's Wedding Dress | Royal Fashion Documentary
Prince George, Duke of York, and Princess Victoria Mary of Teck got married at 12:30 PM on July 6, 1893, at the Chapel Royal in St James's Palace. This was the first royal wedding at this chapel since 1861, after which Queen Victoria mourned her husband Prince Albert's death deeply. Since then, most of Queen Victoria's children had gotten married quietly at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.
On their wedding day, George saw his bride-to-be Mary unexpectedly down a long hallway at Buckingham Palace. He bowed deeply to her, a respectful gesture she always remembered.
The wedding party traveled from Buckingham Palace to St James's Palace in four large processions of open carriages. The first procession carried the royal household staff. The second had Duke George and his group, followed by Princess Mary with the Duke of Teck and Prince Adolphus in the third procession. The last one included Queen Victoria, the Duchess of Teck, and Princes Frederick and Alexander of Teck. The wedding, which was the first public royal one in 32 years, attracted a lot of spectators along the way. People cheered for the couple enthusiastically. Mary acknowledged the cheers with a shy smile and a small, nervous wave of her white-gloved hand.
Let's take a closer look at the wedding dress Princess Victoria Mary of Teck wore on her special day. The dress she wore when she married Prince George, Duke of York (who later became King George V from 1910 to 1936) on July 6, 1893, at the Chapel Royal in St. James's Palace, London, is now kept as part of the British Royal Collection. This dress is displayed with other royal wedding dresses at Kensington Palace in London.
The design of Princess Victoria's wedding dress was influenced by her mother, the Duchess of Teck, who insisted that the dress and the bridesmaids' outfits be made entirely in Britain. This decision was likely influenced by her role as president of the Ladies' National Silk Association. When Princess Victoria, often called Princess May, got engaged to Prince George in early 1893, Arthur Silver, from the Silver Studio, was chosen to design her gown. Silver had also designed the wedding dress for Princess May's originally planned marriage to Prince George's older brother, Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale. However, Prince Albert Victor died suddenly in January 1892 just after the dress was revealed, so that design was never used.
For her wedding to Prince George, the dress designed by Silver was called "The May Silks" and included delicate embroidery featuring the symbols of a rose, shamrock, and thistle. It was also adorned with traditional elements like orange blossoms and lovers' knots, a style influenced by both Art Nouveau and Japanese art. In March 1893, the Duchess and Princess May visited Warner & Sons' factory at Hollybush Gardens in Spitalfields, London, where they commissioned the creation of a fine white silk woven with silver thread, specifically for the July wedding.
The wedding dress of Princess Victoria Mary of Teck was made by Linton and Curtis on Albemarle Street. The front part of the dress was crafted from white satin and decorated with three layers of old Honiton lace, previously used on her mother's wedding dress. The bodice was designed with a high cut at the throat and extended into a long, pointed shape, made of a white and silver brocade fabric designed by Silver. It also included a touch of her mother's Honiton lace at the top and on the upper sleeves. Over her shoulders, she wore a rich satin cloak, known as a manteau de cour. The train of the dress was long and simple, though there were reports that there was no train at all. The veil, also inherited from her mother and made of Honiton lace, was secured with diamond pins, a gift from Queen Victoria.
To complement the theme of orange blossoms found on the dress, small wreaths were placed around the bust and in her hair. Princess Mary accessorized her look with several diamond pieces: a tiara and earrings from Queen Victoria, a necklace given by the Prince and Princess of Wales, and an anchor brooch, a wedding gift from Prince George. Interestingly, the veil was the only item from her wedding attire that she never wore again.
An observer from The Times noted on July 8, 1893, that Princess Mary entered her wedding to the tune of the Bridal march from Lohengrin. She looked very pretty with her eyes downcast and cheeks flushed. Her dress of silver and white brocade was simple yet elegant, decorated with clusters of shamrocks, roses, and thistles. Contrary to some reports, the dress did not have a hindering train, and a plain bodice highlighted her figure. Her bridal veil, pulled back from her face, and clusters of orange blossoms, along with a bouquet of white flowers in her hand, completed her stunning appearance.
The official painters for the royal wedding were Heinrich von Angeli, Laurits Tuxen, and Luke Fildes.