Prince Ricardo De La Cerda
The Duchess of Edinburgh was a highlight amongst guests at the ceremonial events for the Order of the Garter on Monday. In addition to watching her husband take part as a member of the Order of the Garter, she was able to do so in a meaningful location for the couple.
On Wednesday, 19 June, The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary.
They were married on 19 June 1999 at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor. The couple specifically chose to have a less formal wedding meaning that no politicians were invited. They also requested that all guests wear evening gowns rather than court attire.
For the Garter festivities, Sophie chose a cream and pink floral dress from Zimmerman with a pink Jane Taylor fascinator that she wore to Trooping the Colour in 2022.
In 1999 for her wedding, Sophie turned to designer Samantha Shaw for her silk organza gown. The gown featured wide sleeves, a v-neck, and over 325,000 pearls and crystals. She also wore a tiara from Queen Elizabeth II’s private collection.
The Prince was created the Earl of Wessex on the morning of the wedding, and the couple were known as The Earl and Countess of Wessex until Prince Edward’s 59th birthday in 2023 when King Charles made his brother Duke of Edinburgh, fulfilling a promise made at the time of Edward and Sophie’s wedding. Then, Queen Elizabeth II had announced that her youngest son would, one day, take on the title made famous by his father, Prince Philip. However, that couldn’t happen until Charles III became King.