Prince Andrew's Wedding: HRH The Duchess of York

The bride at this royal wedding started off the day as Miss Sarah Ferguson, with a Victorian-esque crown of flowers atop her head rather than a fancy tiara.

She ended the day as HRH The Duchess of York, wearing the York Wedding Tiara, which had been hidden under the flowers all along.  They were removed when the couple disappeared momentarily to sign the wedding registry; when she reappeared, legally married and royal, she was wearing the tiara.

This was a brand-new tiara, purchased from Garrard's by the Queen and Prince Philip as a wedding gift for their new daughter-in-law.  Sarah kept the tiara after her divorce, and it hasn't been seen since then; if we see it again in public, it would likely be on either Beatrice or Eugenie.

I like the tiara itself, although the top point is a little too tall for my taste -- I just wish she would have worn it through the entire wedding service.  I like the idea of a visual transition from commoner to royalty, but I just thought the flowers were too heavy.  Thoughts?

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This entry was posted by Ella on Wednesday, July 23rd, 1986 at 12:07 AM and is filed under Sarah, Duchess of York. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

18 Responses to “Prince Andrew's Wedding: HRH The Duchess of York”

  1. JamesB says on April 25th, 2011 at 3:09 AM :

    Fergs did go rather heavy on the symbolism on her big day, but lets face it, subtlety never has been her strong point. I know what you mean about the flowers being a bit big, but I do like the idea, and the flowers themselves are lovely.

    Always liked the tiara, but again, agree that the top diamond does rather perch a bit high. Pesky diamonds eh.

  2. Ky Person says on April 25th, 2011 at 5:22 AM :

    Queen Victoria wore flowers at her wedding and I do like the idea, but Fergie's were just too much. I love the tiara, actually it's one of my favorites and I love the gown. It looks very good on her and it's not as poofy and dated as Diana's. It does have those big shoulders though.

  3. maggie says on April 25th, 2011 at 7:15 AM :

    I was never that keen on the flowers, but overall I think Sarah's one great style triumph was her wedding day.

    Other than the bows on the shoulders, I loved this dress at the time, and I still do. It fitted her perfectly, the colour was gorgeous, the embroidery is cheesy but wonderful(that giant A on the train...), the fabric traveled perfectly in the coach - she just looked amazing. Her hair, for once, was under control, and the veil placement was spot on. I agree on the central bit of the tiara being a bit pointy, but I think it suited Sarah - anything too flat would have got lost in her hair.

  4. Sarahew88 says on April 25th, 2011 at 7:23 AM :

    The flowers were beautiful, typical for the time and also....larger than life so as to be seen from far away. Yeah they were big, but still the effect was nice.

  5. Sir Tom says on April 25th, 2011 at 7:36 AM :

    I've always loved this tiara, and hope it will be seen atop Beatrice or Eugenie at some state occasion in the future.
    The flowers were too much for me. But Sarah never was one to say less is more.

  6. joanne says on April 25th, 2011 at 9:52 AM :

    I think this is the best Sarah ever looked, and I loved the floral headpiece.

  7. SalannB says on April 25th, 2011 at 12:12 PM :

    I loved everything about Sarah's look: the dress, the flowers, the headpiece-then-tiara look...she was lovely.

    I especially loved her dress, with all the symbolism incorporated into it. She really thought about it. It wasn't just a pretty dress.

  8. Eliza says on April 25th, 2011 at 1:22 PM :

    I've got lots to say on this bride!

    First, the flowers. I like the general idea of this, but it did not work. The flowers are just too much. It kind of looks like a nest.

    The tiara is very pretty (more on that later) but the hair is what I have an issue with. An updo would have looked so much better! The hair is just too... curly?

    The tiara is very pretty. From a distance it looks a bit like the Spencer Tiara. I agree that the peak is too much though.

    Well, Sarah's dress is much better than the Dianastrosity. I don't like the top part, but the shape is nice.

    I think Sarah was a very beautiful bride and it's so wonderful that Sarah and Andrew are still friends.

  9. Arthur says on April 25th, 2011 at 5:01 PM :

    I liked everything about the way Sarah looked on her wedding day except for the flower headress. Everyone knew Sarah was entering the Abbey as a commoner and leaving as a Royal Duchess, so there was no need for the "symbolism" of the flowers.

    Also, Sarah did wear her wedding tiara after the divorce from Prince Andrew, to the White Tie and Tiara Ball given by Elton John in 2001. I thought Sarah looked very elegant that evening. Unfortunately, I don't know how to post links to pictures, but the photograph is available on Getty Images for anyone who knows how to download/upload pictures.

  10. Ella says on April 25th, 2011 at 5:15 PM :

    Ah, you're right, Arthur - I didn't know about that appearance! Here's the photo.

  11. Eliza says on April 25th, 2011 at 5:21 PM :

    Hey Ella, my computer won't let me access that link :( Is there another one you could try?

  12. BethBG says on April 25th, 2011 at 5:26 PM :

    I liked the flowers as they were quite traditional and I thought the volume of the headdress balanced the puffy sleeves and long train. The tiara isn't bad either :-D I loved all the embroidery and personalization on the dress, the bees, the anchors, ok maybe the giant A was a bit much, but it was her vision not some designer's. My favorite memory of this wedding though, was when they came back from signing the registry and Sarah, all giddy, makes to continue down the aisle and without missing a beat or even looking at her at all, Andrew pulls her up short so they can bow/curtsy to HM. At least that's how I remember it anyway :-D

  13. Ella says on April 25th, 2011 at 5:28 PM :

    @Eliza: Try clicking on it and then refreshing the page.

  14. Eliza says on April 25th, 2011 at 5:37 PM :

    @Ella- no, that didn't work, but that's okay! I found one myself. Thanks, though :)

  15. Mrs. Eynsford-Hill says on April 25th, 2011 at 6:07 PM :

    I thought this was a very good outing for Sarah. At the time I felt the flowers were a bit much. However looking at them in that close-up it really is a lovely Victorian-esque feeling. Maybe if she had shed the flowers AND the bows the final look would have been less fussy, more appealing, and more likely to stand the test of time.

    Now for the "A" on the train. I loved the symbolism with Andrew's name etc. etc. etc. However, given Sarah's pre-marital "social" connections, I did find more than some irony in that particular letter being emblazoned on her dress. Who knows maybe they don't have to read American literature (The Scarlet Letter) across the pond?

  16. lovinlorne says on April 25th, 2011 at 6:32 PM :

    I thought Sarah looked beautiful on her big day. well, other than the huge extra bouquet slapped on her head. I know they were trying to cover up the tiara, but there had to be a better way to do it.

    I think I felt worse when the York's split than I did when the Wales' split. I really thought Andrew and Ferg-sie were well suited for each other. And I guess they did too, since they're kinda still together.

  17. Madelyn says on April 26th, 2011 at 4:09 PM :

    Love the symbolism of the flowers but Fergies were way to overwhelming. Love her dress(except the shoulderpads but its the 80's screw it) espically the train with all the personal touches like an A and an Anchor.

  18. cece18 says on April 27th, 2011 at 6:55 PM :

    The A on her gown train did cause some hilarity among American commentators. In most major American cities, one of the public transportation routes is called a version of "the A train" and there is an old song about it too.
    Don't remember anyone mentioning the Scarlet Letter at the time-but I bet they were thinking it!

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