The wedding of Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII), and Alexandra of Denmark, 10 March 1863
Prince Albert Edward was married at the age of 21 to Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who was just 18. Public domain.
Another royal wedding followed soon: Queen Victoria's son, Prince Albert Edward, to Princess Alexandra of Denmark, in 1863. Princess Alexandra's arrival to Britain was celebrated by a procession through London, passing the gateway of Temple Bar, one of the historic gates of the City of London. Here, Temple Bar is shown at night, richly decorated by red and gold hangings, with people and vehicles thronging the Strand to celebrate the royal marriage. The illuminations took a fortnight of preparation. The decorations included a medallion of the Prince and Princess in the centre, topped by a statue of Hymen, the Greek god of marriage.
Despite the spectacle on display in this painting, the wedding itself was neither a particularly large nor lavish one. In fact, it didn't even take place in London- something that was heavily criticized by the press, as large public crowds would not be able to view the happy couple. Instead, Albert Edward and Alexandra were married in St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle- the same church where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will tie the knot on 19 May 2018.
This venue was too small to invite the many foreign and British dignitaries who had hoped to attend the Prince of Wales's wedding, and it wasn't the most cheery of parties. The British court was still mourning Prince Albert, Victoria's husband, who had died less than two years before. Guests were therefore banned from wearing bright colours, and women's dresses had to be grey, lilac, or mauve (with the exception of the bride).