With an avenue of 10-foot orange trees, the King as a guest, foreign royalty and a bridal car pulled by naval ratings, the Mountbattens’ glittering marriage was the ‘wedding of the year’
- Even the King attended Louis Mountbatten’s wedding on this day in 1922
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On a rainy Tuesday morning on July 18, 1922, an elite group of guests gathered inside St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey, for the wedding of Lord Louis Mountbatten and Edwina Ashley.
It would be described as the wedding of the year.
Lord Mountbatten, who was a naval officer and extended member of the Royal Family, married Edwina in front of hundreds, including King George V and Queen Mary with the Prince of Wales – later the Duke of Windsor – as best man.
Edwina entered the church at exactly 2.15pm and was given away by her father, Wilfrid Ashley, 1st Baron Mount Temple.
The bride, who was known for her beauty, wore a low-waisted silver dress featuring a round neck, mitten sleeves and trailing stole panels embroidered in crystal and diamante.
Lord Louis Mountbatten on the day of his wedding to Edwina Ashley on July 18, 1922
The wedding group at the reception following the ceremony at St Margaret’s, Westminster
Her simple yet effective ensemble was completed with a four-foot train of silver cloth covered with 15th-century lace and a tulle veil fitted with a headdress of orange blossom designed by Reville, the court dressmaker.
Her husband-to-be was dressed in the ceremonial uniform of a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, a long, blue frock coat and carrying his father’s gold-hilted sword.
Following the ceremony, the newlywedded couple climbed into the bridal car, a Rolls-Royce – a wedding gift from Edwina bought from the Prince of Wales – which was then drawn by a naval gun crew around Parliament Square.
They were then taken past Buckingham Palace to the reception at the bride’s home, Brook House in Park Lane.
The reception was just as much of a grand affair as the ceremony. The entrance to the two reception rooms was been decorated with an avenue of 10-foot orange trees to greet the 800 guests.
Their wedding cake, decorated to look like a crown, included further naval references with miniature anchors, sails and hawsers. Tiny lifeboats hung from silver davits.
The cake was so large that it took four men to lift it.
Other guests at the wedding included Queen Alexandra, window of Edward VII, Dowager Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia, alongside most members of the British Royal Family, Prince and Princess Andrew of Greece, and their daughters who acted as bridesmaids.
The bride was dressed in an elegant silver drop-waist gown, while her husband wore the ceremonial uniform of a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy, a long, blue frock coat
The newlyweds rode in a Rolls-Royce – a wedding gift from Edwina – which was drawn by a naval gun crew around Parliament Square in front of thousands of well-wishers
A host of important guests were in attendance, including Princess Mary, Prince of Wales and the Duke of York (pictured)
Their grand honeymoon began at Broadlands, the beautiful country home of Edwina’s father in Romsey, Hampshire. It was reported that Mountbatten said these first few days of the honeymoon were ‘four days of perfect, wonderful bliss.’
Lord Mountbatten and Edwina went on to have two daughters, the second Countess Mountbatten and Lady Pamela Hicks.
After both husband and wife had served with distinction during the Second World War, Lord Mountbatten was appointed the last Viceroy of India, to handover power, and made Earl Mountbatten of Burma afterwards.
The Lord and Lady Mountbatten remained married until Edwina’s death in 1960.
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