"I am researching the preferred day of the week for Royal Weddings. I understand that Thursdays were the preferred day."
Royal weddings have been held on every day of the week, except for Sundays. It's entirely possible that ..a wedding has been held on a Sunday but by the following examples it doesn't look like it. These marriages include Queen Victoria and her children. Her grandson King George V and his children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The Queen & Prince Philip and their children, as well as their grandson Peter Phillips.
Monday
Queen Victoria & Prince Albert - February 10, 1840
Princess Victoria, Princess Royal & Prince Frederick William of Prussia - January 25, 1858
Tuesday
King Edward VII & Queen Alexandra - March 10, 1863
Princess Louise & Marquess of Lorne - March 21, 1871
Princess Mary, Princess Royal & Viscount Lascelles - February 28, 1922
Princess Alice & Prince Louis of Hesse and by Rhine - July 1, 1862
Wednesday
Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer - July 29, 1981
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson - July 23, 1986
Princess Anne and Mark Philips - November 14, 1973
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester & Lady Alice Montagu- Douglas-Scott - November 6, 1935
Princess Alexandra of Kent & Angus Ogilvy - April 24, 1963
Thursday
Queen Elizabeth II & Prince Philip - November 20, 1947
King George V & Queen Mary - July 6, 1893
Duke of Windsor & Wallis Simpson - June 3, 1937
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother & King George VI - April 26, 1923
Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester & Birgitte van Deurs - June 8, 1972
Prince George, Duke of Kent & Princess Marina of Greece - November 29, 1934
Prince Edward, Duke of Kent & Katharine Worsley - June 8, 1961
Princess Helena & Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein- July 5, 1866
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught & Princess Margurite of Prussia - March 13, 1879
Prince Leopold, Duke of Albany & Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont - April 27, 1882
Princess Beatrice & Prince Henry of Battenburg - July 23, 1885
Lady Sarah Armstrong Jones & Daniel Chatto July 14, 1994
Lord Nicholas Windsor & Paola Doimi de Lupis Frankopan October 19, 2006 (Civil Ceremony)
Friday
Princess Margaret & Lord Snowdon - May 6, 1960
David Linley & Serena Stanhope - October 8, 1993
Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh - Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia - January 23, 1874
Prince Michael of Kent & Marie-Christine von Reibnitz, - June 30, 1978
Saturday
Princess Anne & Timothy Laurence (her second marriage) - Saturday December 12, 1992
Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys Jones - June 19, 1999
Lady Helen Windsor & Timothy Taylor July 18, 1992
George, Earl of St Andrews & Sylvana Tomaselli January 9, 1988
Lord Nicholas Windsor & Paola Doimi de Lupis Frankopan November 4, 2006 (Religious Ceremony)
Alexander, Earl of Ulster & Claire Booth June 22, 2002
Lady Davina Windsor & Gary Lewis July 31, 2004
Lady Rose Windsor & George Gilman July 19, 2008
Peter Phillips & Autumn Kelly May 17, 2008
Prince Charles & Camilla Parker Bowles (his second marriage) - Saturday April 9, 2005. The original date was Friday April 8th. But this was postponed due to the funeral of Pope John Paul II
More recent weddings of minor members of the royal family have been held on Saturdays, however Thursday does indeed seem to be the preferred day of the week, although I cannot find any tradition to explain why this is so. Nor whether Thursday is considered a special day in the United Kingdom. I'm venturing a guess that it's coincidence, otherwise why would the wedding of Queen Victoria & Prince Albert have been held on a Monday? Or Charles and Diana's on a Wednesday?
If anyone knows why this day of the week is preferred, please feel free to have your say.
© Marilyn Braun 2007
Related article: Royal Weddings
Updated: Revised to include recent weddings in the royal family
4 comments:
I'm surprised by the middle-of-the-week trend -- but that's only because most weddings I've been to are weekend events (because the guests of these weddings are working-class people who can't afford to take time off). If you're a royal (or very affluent generally) I'm sure the day of the week isn't much of a concern. Still, that doesn't explain the preference for Thursdays, which is pretty interesting...
Yes I don't think I've ever attended a wedding that was during the week, they've always been on the weekend. I actually wasn't even aware of the pattern of holding royal weddings on Thursdays until I was asked this particular question. I still wonder why Thursday is so popular -maybe I'll never know!
Sophie and Edward were actually married on a Saturday, at 5pm. Not a Friday as you state here.
Thanks for letting me know this Heidi! I have changed it.
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