Royal Protocol and Show of Support

A photograph taken of Princess Margaret on the grounds of Kensington Palace, by Antony Armstrong-Jones — Though he would go on to become a renowned photographer whose pictures were seen by millions all over the world, it wasn't his art that made Antony Armstrong-Jones famous, according to Town and Country Magazine. “That honor, instead, goes to his first wife, Princess Margaret, who in marrying Armstrong-Jones became the first British royal to wed a non-aristocrat in 400 years. Between their headline-grabbing marriage, shocking divorce, and the salacious rumors that continued to swirl around his relationships for the rest of Armstrong-Jones's life, he continues to be one of the most controversial royal figures of the modern age.” 

On Eve of Wedding,

the Queen and Crowd Rebuff Critics of ‘Meg’s Tony’

LONDON (UPI) Queen Elizabeth today ordered that the divorced parents of Antony Armstrong -Jones be seated among royalty at Tony’s wedding Friday to Princess Margaret a rebuff to critics of the marriage. Another score for the young couple was chalked up Wednesday night when 50,000 persons massed before Buckingham Palace in a tumultuous demonstration of affection for the Princess. She was attending a pre-wedding dinner and ball given for her and Armstrong-Jones by the Queen. 

Queen’s Decision

The Queen’s decision on Armstrong-Jones’ parents came as Tony and Margaret went to Westminister Abbey today for a final dress rehearsal of the wedding. A large force of extra police was assigned to guard the abbey while Margaret, Tony, the Queen, the Queen Mother, the Duke of Edinburgh who is giving the bride away. Dr. Roger Gillian, the best man, and Queen Ingrid of Denmark went through the rehearsal. Scotland Yard tightened its arrangements to control the crowd that will jam the wedding procession route to Westminster Abbey Friday morning. Wednesday night some 50,000 broke through police lines to mob the automobile carrying the Princess and her fiancé to Buckingham Palace. 

Absolute Capacity 

Police now estimate that more than 500,000 people, absolute capacity, will pack the three-quarters of a mile from Clarence House and Buckingham Palace to the abbey when Queen Elizabeth and her procession and Princess Margaret in her glass coach travel, along flower-decorated streets to the wedding. Despite a relentless campaign of innuendo, almost since the engagement was announced 10 weeks ago, the crowds that cheered the Princess and her fiancé Wednesday night, were the biggest to gather around Buckingham Palace since the coronation, seven years ago. 

Vote of Confidence 

They cheered wildly a vote of confidence in her choice that brought smiles back to the lips of the little Princess who has been saddened by the insidious gossiping about her choice of husband. Armstrong-Jones, guest of honor for the first time at a royal function, a pre-wedding ball in the white and gold ballroom of Buckingham Palace, seemed overwhelmed and overjoyed by the reception. Queen Mother Elizabeth, who rode home with them, smiled benignly at the couple, as if to say, “I told you so.”— May 5, 1960

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Blood Princess is Wed on Telly

The first televised British Royal wedding was Princess Margaret’s in 1960. As recently as the late 1930s though, ardent Royalists even argued against broadcasting Royal weddings over the radio as the etiquette had not yet been sorted... It was posited that some men might rudely listen irreverently with their hats on! — “Princess Margaret and her husband, Lord Snowdon, share a big smile as they dance at a charity ball in the London, Hilton Hotel. The ball was in aid for the Invalid Children’s Association, of which Princess Margaret is President.-1963”

Princess is Wed in Pomp, Popularity

LONDON (UPI) The Princess and the commoner were married today. Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong Jones were as nervous as any other couple, and the Queen Mother wept. And while the bells of London still were pealing their congratulations, the newlyweds sailed away for a tropical honeymoon. In late afternoon, the Royal yacht Britannia, spick and span from an overhauling, took the bride and bridegroom aboard and headed for the Caribbean. There was a family farewell in the graveled court of Buckingham Palace, to which the wedding party had returned after the ceremony at the Abbey. And hundreds of thousands of cheering Britons proved beyond doubt, they approved this marriage performed before Westminister Abbey’s great altar, even if most of Europe’s Royalty stayed home. 

Stricken once with stage fright, the little Princess stumbled over the lines “for better, for worse,” and had to repeat them again after the Archbishop of Canterbury. When she promised to love, cherish and obey the man of her choice, her voice barely was audible. Armstrong-Jones rubbed his thumbs together and nervously fingered his upper lip until the Duke of Edinburgh whispered to him and his serious face broke into a smile. 

Queen Is Serious 

As the Archbishop pronounced them married “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost,” a tear trickled down the face of the Queen Mother. Near the Queen Mother sat Queen Elizabeth, far more serious than usual. Once she heaved a deep sigh, and she smiled only twice. That was when Margaret curtsied to her before leaving the Abbey and when Prince Phillip called her attention to the eight little bridesmaids sitting primly on cushions in the aisle of the nave. A wedding day is supposed to belong to the bride. And this one did from the moment when she left Clarence House in the celebrated glass coach, to the time when a cheering crowd ol half a million roared its demand that the newlyweds appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.

Appear Before Crowd

“We want Margaret and Tony!” the thousands chanted. They appeared on the balcony then. Margaret, a tiny figure, waved, her right hand held high, Armstrong-Jones stood smilingly at her side, obviously amazed at this outburst of affection for the Princess who could have had Kings or Princes, but instead chose a boy from the middle-class neighborhood of Pimlico Road. It was a double triumph for Margaret whose wedding was spurned by most of the top echelon of European Royalty, amid whose happiness during the weeks of the engagement was clouded by gossip and inuendo. Prime Ministers of the British Commonwealth attended the wedding, as well as, former Prime Minister of Great Britain, Sir Winston Churchill. A great roar of cheers greeted him as he alighted from his car to enter the Abbey for the wedding. 

Two thousand guests were seated in the Abbey where television sets had been installed to assure that all could see. Never was a wedding watched and listened to by so many persons. In addition to the throngs along the curbstone of London, there was a 13-nation European television broadcast which may have been seen by as many as 350 million Another estimates 250 million listened to a radio broadcast. This was a marriage that ignored many Royal traditions. 

It was the first time a commoner had married a Princess of the ‘Blood Royal’ at the great altar which for 1000 years has been the crowning place of Britain's Kings. Near Queen Elizabeth sat the divorced parents of Armstrong-Jones: Another first for Royalty, which frowns on divorce. Not since Edward VIII abdicated for the love of Wallis Warfield Simpson, has there been so much whispering about a Royal romance. Among top-rank European Royalty, only Queen Ingrid of Denmark accepted the wedding invitation. — May 6, 1960

💍Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia