From a disastrous ceremony where the groom was already married to the greatest marriage that never happened, historian Williams selects the best books about royal weddingsRoyal weddings would not exist in their present form had it not been for Queen Victoria. Before Victoria, brides wore any colour and royal weddings were quiet, usually late-night affairs. When she drove to the ceremony in an open carriage, wearing a white gown, the giant white wedding was born, with a celebration that was designed to foster and secure public support. After two and a half weeks, Elizabeth had had quite enough and left in such a rush that Leicester’s poet scarcely had the time to compose a goodbye song. The royal wedding fulfils a human need: that’s why so many of us are celebrating | Afua Hirsch Read moreAnd what of the current queen?

Source: The Guardian May 17, 2018 14:01 UTC