Second royal wedding for Britain as Princess Eugenie weds Jack Brooksbank
London: Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughter, Princess Eugenie, married her wine merchant fiance, Jack Brooksbank at a star-studded ceremony in Windsor Castle on Friday.
The daughter of the 92-year-old British monarch's younger son, Prince Andrew, chose St George's Chapel in the castle for her big day – the same venue as the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in May, who were among the many royal guests.
The newly-weds also undertook a similar, though shorter, horse-drawn carriage ride across Windsor to greet well-wishers gathered in the city in south-east England.
However, the crowds were much thinner than the many thousands that had gathered for the year's much-hyped royal wedding earlier this year.
Princess Eugenie, the ninth in line to the British throne, was watched over by the Queen and Prince Philip along with other members of her family as she married her long-term partner.
Many of the 850 guests, including over 40 royals and numerous celebrities, were seen holding on to their hats and dresses as strong winds blew through Windsor on Friday.
The famous guests included actors, models and singers, including Demi Moore, Liv Tyler, Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Robbie Williams and James Blunt, among others.
Around 1,200 members of the public chosen by ballot joined other guests in the grounds of Windsor Castle, along the lines of Harry and Meghan's wedding.
Princess Charlotte, the daughter of Prince William and Kate Middleton, was among the bridesmaids and waved to the crowds as she arrived with other young bridesmaids and pageboys, who included her brother Prince George and Teddy Williams, daughter of British pop star Robbie Williams and Ayda Field.
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, walked his youngest daughter up the aisle for a service conducted by the Dean of Westminster. His ex-wife and Eugenie's mother, Sarah Ferguson, was among the guests.
The 28-year-old princess and 32-year-old drinks executive Jack Brooksbank met on a skiing trip in Switzerland in 2010. Eugenie works as a director at the London art gallery Hauser and Wirth and her new husband works as a representative for a tequila brand launched by Hollywood star George Clooney.
Eugenie wore a long-sleeved white wedding gown, designed by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos, who founded British label Peter Pilotto.
The dress featured a neckline that folds around the shoulders to a low back that drapes into a full-length train. Buckingham Palace said the low back was a request from the bride, who wanted her scar from surgery to correct scoliosis when she was 12 to be visible.
The dress also included a number of symbols meaningful to the bride, including a thistle for Scotland, symbolising the couple's fondness for Balmoral in the region, a Shamrock for Ireland as a nod to the Ferguson family, and the York Rose and ivy for the couple's home.
As a headdress, the bride wore a Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara, loaned to her by the Queen and made by Boucheron in 1919. Created in the "Kokoshnik" style, popularised in the Russian Imperial Court, it features brilliant and rose cut diamonds pave set in platinum, with six emeralds on either side.
Classical singer Andrea Bocelli performed two songs during the ceremony, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Eugenie's older sister and maid of honour, Beatrice, gave a reading from F Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel ‘The Great Gatsby'.
After the carriage procession around Windsor, the newly-weds were taken to Windsor Castle for a lunch hosted by the Queen.
Later on Friday evening, they will head to the Royal Lodge, the Duke of York family's official residence in Great Windsor Park, for a dinner hosted by Prince Andrew.
