Here comes the bride! On 12 October 2018 Princess Eugenie, the granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, finally wed Jack Brooksbank in a ceremony at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Princess Eugenie is the second daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York and Sarah, Duchess of York. Prince Andrew is the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. As a granddaughter of the Queen, she is ninth in the line of succession to the British throne, after her elder sister, Princess Beatrice. Jack Brooksbank, a wine merchant, is the son of George Brooksbank, a company director and chartered accountant, and Nicola Brooksbank née Newton. He has one younger brother–Thomas Brooksbank.

Having been introduced by mutual friends, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank initially met in Verbier, Switzerland while she was on a ski trip and he was working. They dated for nearly seven years, before announcing their engagement through Buckingham Palace on 22 January 2018.

They were engaged earlier the same month while on a trip to Nicaragua. The couple designed the Princess’ engagement ring together, with Brooksbank finally presenting her with a ring made from an oval-cut Padparadscha sapphire surrounded by a halo of diamonds set on a gold band with two further diamonds on the shoulders. It is important to note that Princess Eugenie’s engagement ring bears a striking resemblance to that of her mother’s, who was herself given a Burmese ruby surrounded by a halo of diamonds set on a yellow-gold band.

Following their engagement, the couple moved into Ivy Cottage, a three-bedroom home located on the grounds of Kensington Palace. They will continue to reside there following their honeymoon.

The ceremony was held at 11:00 am, with the Dean of Windsor, David Conner, conducting the service and the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, leading the prayers. Princess Eugenie’s Maid of Honor was none other than her elder sister, Princess Beatrice. As for Jack Brooksbank, his best man was his younger brother, Thomas Brooksbank. Prince George and Louis de Givenchy were pageboys (young male attendants at a wedding), while Princess Charlotte, Isla Phillips, Savannah Phillips, Mia Tindall, Theodora Williams, and Maud Windsor served as bridesmaids. Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Isla Phillips, Savannah Phillips, and Mia Tindall are all children of Princess Eugenie’s various cousins, while Louis de Givenchy and Theodora Williams are the children of family friends, with Maud Windsor being the goddaughter of the bride.

The bride wore a Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos gown, featuring a neckline that folded around the shoulders and a low-back that draped into a ground-sweeping train. The Princess specifically requested for her dress to have a low-back design that would intentionally reveal her scars from her scoliosis surgery at the age of twelve. The fabric was designed by Pilotto and De Vos and featured symbols meaningful to the bride and groom. According to the Palace, “The symbols are a Thistle for Scotland acknowledging the couple’s fondness for Balmoral; a Shamrock for Ireland as a reflection of the bride’s maternal family; the York Rose; and Ivy representing the couple’s home.” Princess Eugenie accessorized her gown with the Greville Kokoshnik Emerald tiara, from her grandmother’s private jewelry collection. The tiara was made of rose cut diamonds pavé set in platinum, with six emeralds on either side. She also wore a pair of diamond and emerald drop earrings, gifted to her by Brooksbank as a wedding present, specially made to complement the tiara she wore. Her bridal shoes were satin peep-toe heels by Charlotte Olympia.

During the ceremony itself, Prince Andrew escorted his daughter down the aisle, while Peter Roper-Curzon played Johann Sebastian Bach’s Piece d’Orgue, BWV 572. After the vows, there was a blessing and exchanging of the rings. Princess Eugenie received a thin gold band, made of the same Welsh gold used on royal wedding rings since the Queen Mother’s wedding in 1923. Brooksbank did not receive and will not wear a wedding ring. Andrea Bocelli then performed Ave Maria with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Carlo Bernini. After his performance, the first reading was done by Charles Brooksbank, a cousin to the groom; this being Colossians 3:12-16. Princess Beatrice followed with the second reading; this being a passage from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. This passage was selected, because, as the reverend noted, it immediately made the bride think of the groom. Following both readings, Bocelli performed Panis Angelicus, with the ceremony ending with God Save the Queen. Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank then completed the newlywed procession, exiting the chapel as Luke Bond played Louis Vierne’s Symphony No.1, OP. 14. Following tradition, after exiting the chapel, the happy couple shared a kiss in front of the gathered crowd. 

After the ceremony, there was a carriage procession that journeyed through the grounds of Windsor Castle, entering the town at Castle Hill and proceeding along Windsor High Street, before returning to the castle grounds at Cambridge Gate. The couple traveled through the town in a Scottish State Coach, pulled by four Windsor Grey horses. This was then followed by a breakfast reception hosted by the Queen at Windsor Castle, as well as a black-tie reception that evening at Royal Lodge, the official residence of Prince Andrew, Duke of York.

For the reception, Princess Eugenie wore a blush silk gown from American designer Zac Posen. The color of the dress reflected the blush of an English rose, as the designer took inspiration from the White Rose of York. In fact, a white Rose of York was embroidered on both the shoulder and back of the dress, which held the cape detail together. Princess Eugenie accessorized with a hair slide, that can also be worn as a brooch, from her grandmother’s private jewelry collection. A third celebration was hosted the following day by the bride’s parents.

Hopefully, the happy couple will have a long and prosperous marriage!