The wedding of Prince Andrew and

Sarah Ferguson Sarah, Duchess of York (born Sarah Margaret Ferguson; 15 October 1959), also known by the nickname Fergie, is a member of the British royal family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, the younger brother of King Charles III ...

was held on 23 July 1986, at

Westminster Abbey Westminster Abbey, formally titled the Collegiate Church of Saint Peter at Westminster, is an historic, mainly Gothic church in the City of Westminster, London, England, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is one of the United ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

Courtship and engagement

Prince Andrew, the third child and second son of

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

and

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 1921 – 9 April 2021) was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he served as the consort of the British monarch from El ...

, and

, the daughter of

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

Ronald Ferguson and his first wife Susan Wright, first met when they were children, but had not been romantically involved until they met again at a party at Floors Castle in 1985. They began their relationship that very same year, after a party held at

Windsor Castle Windsor Castle is a royal residence at Windsor in the English county of Berkshire. It is strongly associated with the English and succeeding British royal family, and embodies almost a millennium of architectural history. The original cast ...

in honour of the

Royal Ascot Ascot Racecourse ("ascot" pronounced , often pronounced ) is a dual-purpose British racecourse, located in Ascot, Berkshire, England, which is used for thoroughbred horse racing. It hosts 13 of Britain's 36 annual Flat Group 1 horse races and ...

races.

Diana, Princess of Wales Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997) was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of King Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William and Harry. Her ac ...

, Andrew's sister-in-law, played a hand in matchmaking the couple, and the two women later formed a strong friendship. Andrew proposed to Sarah on 19 February 1986, his twenty-sixth birthday. Their engagement was announced on 17 March 1986. Andrew presented Sarah with a Garrard engagement ring made from sketches he had made. The ring has a

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

ruby A ruby is a pinkish red to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum ( aluminium oxide). Ruby is one of the most popular traditional jewelry gems and is very durable. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sa ...

surrounded by ten drop-diamonds. The mounting was eighteen-carat white and yellow gold. Andrew's bachelor party was held at

Aubrey House Aubrey House is a large 18th-century detached house with two acres of gardens in the Campden Hill area of Holland Park in west London, W8. It is a private residence. Known for a long time as Notting Hill House, by the 1860s it had been named ...

Holland Park Holland Park is an area of Kensington, on the western edge of Central London, that contains a street and public park of the same name. It has no official boundaries but is roughly bounded by Kensington High Street to the south, Holland Road ...

. It was attended by

Prince Charles Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...

, Billy Connolly,

David Frost Sir David Paradine Frost (7 April 1939 – 31 August 2013) was a British television host, journalist, comedian and writer. He rose to prominence during the satire boom in the United Kingdom when he was chosen to host the satirical programme ' ...

and

Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...

Wedding ceremony

Four months after announcing their engagement, Andrew and Sarah married on 23 July 1986, at

. The

Lord Chamberlain The Lord Chamberlain of the Household is the most senior officer of the Royal Household of the United Kingdom, supervising the departments which support and provide advice to the Sovereign of the United Kingdom while also acting as the main cha ...

's office was responsible for organising the ceremony and guest list, while the royal household was left in charge of the reception. Sarah made her way with her father

Ronald Ronald is a masculine given name derived from the Old Norse ''Rögnvaldr'',#H2, Hanks; Hardcastle; Hodges (2006) p. 234; #H1, Hanks; Hodges (2003) § Ronald. or possibly from Old English ''Regenweald''. In some cases ''Ronald'' is an Anglicised ...

from Clarence House in the Glass Coach, arriving at the church at 11:30. The

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury. The current archbishop is Justi ...

Robert Runcie conducted at the 45-minute wedding ceremony. As the couple exchanged vows, Sarah mistakenly repeated Andrew's middle name, Christian; five years earlier, Diana, Princess of Wales, made a similar mistake by reversing the order of Prince Charles's names. Unlike the wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Sarah chose to say the word "obey" in her vow "to love, cherish and to obey." In keeping with tradition, the wedding ring was crafted from

Welsh gold Welsh gold is gold that occurs naturally in two distinct areas of Wales and highly prized because of its origin and scarcity. One area it is found in is north Wales in a band stretching from Barmouth, past Dolgellau and up towards Snowdonia. Thi ...

. The tradition of using Welsh gold within the wedding rings of the royal family dates back to 1923. Both Andrew's brothers participated in the wedding ceremony; Prince Edward was his best man, and Prince Charles read a lesson during the service. The bridesmaids and page boys included

Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of K ...

's children Peter and

Zara Phillips Zara Anne Elizabeth Tindall (''née'' Phillips; born 15 May 1981) is a British equestrian, an Olympian, and the daughter of Anne, Princess Royal, and Captain Mark Phillips. She is the niece of King Charles III and is 20th in the line of succe ...

, and Prince Charles's eldest son

Prince William William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educat ...

. Members of foreign royal families, as well as the U.S. First Lady

Nancy Reagan Nancy Davis Reagan (; born Anne Frances Robbins; July 6, 1921 – March 6, 2016) was an American film actress and First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989. She was the second wife of president Ronald Reagan. Reagan was born in N ...

were among the guests. The ceremony featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Household Cavalry. The Duke and Duchess of York left Westminster Abbey for

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

in an open-top

1902 State Landau The United Kingdom's 1902 State Landau is a horse-drawn carriage with a flexible leather roof which drops in two exact halves, back and front. It is a postilion landau, drawn by six horses under the control of three postilions, with no pr ...

. Around 100,000 people gathered to witness the Andrew and Sarah's first kiss as man and wife on the balcony of the palace. After a traditional wedding breakfast for 120 guests at Buckingham Palace, the married couple and some 300 guests moved to a party at Claridge's hotel. The 5½-foot-tall "marzipan and rum-soaked" wedding cake was supplied by the navy supply school HMS ''Raleigh''. They made two identical cakes in case one was damaged. 100 cakes were offered at a competition held by the palace, and subsequently they were all donated to hospices. 30,000 flowers were used to decorate the abbey, all of which were eventually also donated to hospices. Albert Mackenzie Watson was chosen by Prince Andrew to take the wedding portraits.

Clothing

Prince Andrew was dressed in a ceremonial attire of a

naval lieutenant LieutenantThe pronunciation of ''lieutenant'' is generally split between , , generally in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Commonwealth countries, and , , generally associated with the United States. See lieutenant. (abbreviated Lt, LT (U.S. ...

, while Sarah wore an ivory-silk wedding dress designed by

Lindka Cierach Lindka Rosalind Wanda Cierach is a British couturier and fashion designer. Notable clients include members of British and European Royal Families, Helen Mirren, Lady Victoria Hervey and Cherie Blair among others. Early life Cierach was bor ...

, which had a 17-foot train, and 20-foot-long veil. Sarah, in her own words, "lost 26 pounds to fit into" the dress. Her S-shaped bouquet featured "gardenias, cream lilies, yellow roses, lilies of the valley and a sprig of myrtle." Sarah wore a floral crown for the occasion which was placed atop a diamond tiara that was given to her by the Queen.

Best man, bridesmaids and page boys

Best man * The Prince Edward, age 22, younger brother of the groom. Bridesmaids and page boys: *Lady Rosanagh Innes-Ker, age: 7 the daughter of

Guy Innes-Ker, 10th Duke of Roxburghe Guy David Innes-Ker, 10th Duke of Roxburghe (18 November 1954 – 29 August 2019), was a British aristocrat. Early life Guy David Innes Ker was born on 18 November 1954, the eldest son of the 9th Duke by his second wife (Margaret) Elisabeth Mc ...

*Alice Ferguson, age: 6 younger half-sister of the bride. *Laura Fellowes, age: 6 the daughter of Diana's sister

Jane Fellowes, Baroness Fellowes Cynthia Jane Fellowes, Baroness Fellowes (''née'' Spencer; born 11 February 1957), is one of the two older sisters of Diana, Princess of Wales, the other being Lady Sarah McCorquodale. Early life and education Lady Fellowes is the second daugh ...

age: 5 niece of the groom *Andrew Ferguson, age: 8 half-brother of the bride *

Peter Phillips Peter Mark Andrew Phillips (born 15 November 1977) is a British businessman and the son of Anne, Princess Royal, and Captain Mark Phillips. He is the eldest nephew of King Charles III, and 17th in the line of succession to the British throne. ...

age: 8 nephew of the groom *Seamus Luedecke, age: 5 nephew of the bride *

Prince William of Wales William, Prince of Wales, (William Arthur Philip Louis; born 21 June 1982) is the heir apparent to the British throne. He is the elder son of King Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. Born in London, William was educat ...

age: 4 nephew of the groom

Musical selection

Organist & Choir Director: Simon Preston * Laudate Dominum (from

Vesperae solennes de confessore ''Vesperae solennes de confessore (Solemn Vespers for a Confessor)'', K. 339, is a sacred choral composition, written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in 1780. It is scored for SATB choir and soloists, violin I, violin II, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones ''coll ...

) by

W. A. Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

, sung by soprano

Felicity Lott Dame Felicity Ann Emwhyla Lott, (born 8 May 1947) is an English soprano. Education Lott was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. From her earliest years she was musical, having started studying piano at age 5. She also played violin and bega ...

Exsultate, Jubilate ' (Exult, rejoice), K. 165, is a 1773 motet by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. History This religious solo motet was composed when Mozart was staying in Milan during the production of his opera '' Lucio Silla'' which was being performed there in the ...

, sung by Arleen Auger * Alleluja from motet

, sung by Arleen Auger * Crown Imperial by William Walton

Titles upon marriage

On the day of the wedding, the Queen granted Prince Andrew the titles of

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was Du ...

, Earl of Inverness and

Baron Killyleagh Baron Killyleagh is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 23 July 1986 by Queen Elizabeth II as a substantive title for her son Prince Andrew, Duke of York, for the occasion of his marriage to Sarah Ferguson. The cou ...

—the first two titles were previously held by his maternal great-grandfather

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Que ...

, and grandfather

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of Ind ...

. By marriage, Sarah became ''

Her Royal Highness Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Monarchs and their consorts are usually styled ''Majesty''. When used as a direct form of address, spoken or written, it takes ...

'' The

Duchess of York Duchess of York is the principal Courtesy titles in the United Kingdom, courtesy title held by the wife of the duke of York. Three of the eleven dukes of York either did not marry or had already assumed the throne prior to marriage, whilst two of ...

, Countess of Inverness and Baroness Killyleagh, also attaining the rank of

Princess of the United Kingdom The use of the title of Princess of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is entirely at the will of the sovereign as expressed in letters patent. Individuals holding the title of princess are styled " Her Royal Highness" ( ...

Honeymoon

The Duke and Duchess of York made their way to

Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system (the others be ...

in an open carriage, with a paper mache satellite dish and sign attached reading "Phone Home" put there as a practical joke by Prince Edward. The Princess of Wales and

Viscount Linley A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth ...

's son, placed a king-sized teddy bear inside the coach. The couple boarded a royal jet, emblazoned with "Just Married" on the rear door, for the Azores Islands, and then spent their 5-day honeymoon aboard the royal yacht ''

Britannia Britannia () is the national personification of Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used in classical antiquity, the Latin ''Britannia'' was the name variously applied to the British Isles, Great ...

'' in the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

Public reception

The

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

reported that 500 million television viewers tuned in to watch the wedding of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah Ferguson worldwide. An estimated crowd of 100,000 gathered to see the couple's first public kiss as man and wife on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The wedding ceremony was positively received by the public. The media frenzy caused by the wedding was called "Fergie Fever" by ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

''. A number of ceremonies and parties were held at different places by the public to celebrate the occasion across the United Kingdom. The wedding was widely broadcast on television and radio in many countries, and news channels covered the ceremony in different languages.

Guest list

Notable guests in attendance included:

Relatives of the groom

House of Windsor

* The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, ''the groom's parents'' **

The Prince ''The Prince'' ( it, Il Principe ; la, De Principatibus) is a 16th-century political treatise written by Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli as an instruction guide for new princes and royals. The general theme of ''The ...

and

Princess of Wales Princess of Wales (Welsh: ''Tywysoges Cymru'') is a courtesy title used since the 14th century by the wife of the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. The current title-holder is Catherine (née Middleton). The title was firs ...

, ''the groom's brother and sister-in-law'' ***

, ''the groom's nephew'' (pageboy) *** Prince Henry of Wales, ''the groom's nephew'' ** The Princess Anne, Mrs. Phillips and Captain Mark Phillips, ''the groom's sister and brother-in-law'' ***

, ''the groom's nephew'' (pageboy) ***

, ''the groom's niece'' (bridesmaid) ** The Prince Edward, ''the groom's brother'' *

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon (4 August 1900 – 30 March 2002) was Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952 as the wife of King George VI. She was the l ...

, ''the groom's maternal grandmother'' ** The Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, ''the groom's maternal aunt'' ***

, ''the groom's first cousin'' ***

Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones Lady Sarah Frances Elizabeth Chatto (née Armstrong-Jones; born 1 May 1964) is the only daughter of Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones, 1st Earl of Snowdon. She and her brother, David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon, are the only ...

, ''the groom's first cousin'' *

Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, (born Lady Alice Christabel Montagu Douglas Scott; 25 December 1901 – 29 October 2004) was the wife of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, the third son of King George V and Queen Mary. She was the mother ...

, ''the groom's maternal great-aunt by marriage'' ** The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, ''the groom's first cousin, once removed, and his wife'' ***

Earl of Ulster The title of Earl of Ulster has been created six times in the Peerage of Ireland and twice in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since 1928, the title has been held by the Duke of Gloucester and is used as a courtesy title by the Duke's eld ...

, ''the groom's second cousin'' ***

Lady Davina Windsor Lady Davina Elizabeth Alice Benedikte Windsor (born 19 November 1977), known as Lady Davina Lewis between 2004 and 2018, is the elder daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester. Montgomery-Massingberd, Hugh. " Burke’s Royal Families of the ...

, ''the groom's second cousin'' ***

Lady Rose Windsor Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester, (Richard Alexander Walter George; born 26 August 1944) is a member of the British royal family. He is the second son of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester and Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, as well ...

, ''the groom's second cousin'' * The Duke and

Duchess of Kent Duchess of Kent is the principal courtesy title used by the wife of the Duke of Kent. There have been four titles referring to Kent since the 18th century. The current duchess is Katharine, the wife of Prince Edward. He inherited the dukedom o ...

, ''the groom's first cousin, once removed, and his wife'' **

Earl of St Andrews Duke of Kent is a title that has been created several times in the peerages of Great Britain and the United Kingdom, most recently as a royal dukedom for the fourth son of King George V. Since 1942, the title has been held by Prince Edwa ...

, ''the groom's second cousin'' **

Lady Helen Windsor Lady Helen Marina Lucy Taylor (''née'' Windsor; born 28 April 1964) is a relative of the British royal family. She is the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, and Katharine, Duchess of Kent, and a great-granddaughter of George V. Early l ...

, ''the groom's second cousin'' * Princess Alexandra, The Hon. Mrs Ogilvy and The Hon. Angus Ogilvy, ''the groom's first cousin, once removed, and her husband'' **

James Ogilvy James Robert Bruce Ogilvy (born 29 February 1964) is a British landscape designer, and the founder and editor of ''Luxury Briefing''. He is a relative of the British royal family as the elder child and only son of Angus Ogilvy, Sir Angus Ogilvy ...

, ''the groom's second cousin'' ** Marina Ogilvy, ''the groom's second cousin'' *

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

and

Princess Michael of Kent Princess Michael of Kent (born Baroness Marie-Christine Anna Agnes Hedwig Ida von Reibnitz, 15 January 1945) is a member of the British royal family of German, Austrian, Czech and Hungarian descent. She is married to Prince Michael of Kent, ...

, ''the groom's first cousin, once removed, and his wife'' ** Lord Frederick Windsor, ''the groom's second cousin'' **

Lady Gabriella Windsor Lady Gabriella Marina Alexandra Ophelia Kingston (''née'' Windsor; born 23 April 1981) is an English socialite and freelance writer. She is the daughter of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. She is 55th in the line of succession to the Bri ...

, ''the groom's second cousin''

Other descendants of
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

* Lady Mary Whitley, ''the groom's second cousin, once removed'' * The Lady Saltoun, ''wife of the groom's third cousin, once removed''

Mountbatten family The Mountbatten family is a British dynasty that originated as an English branch of the German princely Battenberg family. The name was adopted on 14 July 1917, three days before the British royal family changed its name to “Windsor”, by ...

* The Dowager Marchioness of Milford Haven, ''widow of the groom's first cousin, once removed'' ** The Marquess of Milford Haven, ''the groom's second cousin'' **

Lord Ivar Mountbatten Lord Ivar Alexander Michael Mountbatten, DL (born 9 March 1963) is a British aristocrat, farmer, geologist and businessman. He is a former director of SCL Group, the parent company of Cambridge Analytica. Although he is not a member of the Br ...

, ''the groom's second cousin'' * The Countess Mountbatten of Burma and The Lord Brabourne, ''the groom's first cousin, once removed, and her husband'' **

Lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the peerage in the United Kingdom, or ar ...

and Lady Romsey, ''the groom's second cousin and his wife'' ** The Hon. Michael-John Knatchbull, ''the groom's second cousin'', and his wife ** Baroness and Baron Hubert du Breuil, ''the groom's second cousin and her husband'' ** Lady Amanda Knatchbull, ''the groom's second cousin'' ** The Hon. Philip Knatchbull, ''the groom's second cousin'' ** The Hon. Timothy Knatchbull, ''the groom's second cousin'' * Lady Pamela and David Hicks, ''the groom's first cousin, once removed and her husband'' **

Ashley Hicks Ashley Louis David Hicks (born 18 July 1963) is a British interior designer, author, photographer and artist. He is the only son of Lady Pamela Hicks (née Mountbatten) and David Nightingale Hicks. Hicks has designed interiors in Europe, the Unit ...

, ''the groom's second cousin'' ** India Hicks, ''the groom's second cousin''

Bowes-Lyon family

* The Earl and Countess of Strathmore and Kinghorne, ''the groom's first cousin, once removed and his wife'' * Lady Rose Anson, ''the groom's second cousin, twice removed'' (bridesmaid)

Relatives of the bride

Ferguson family

and Susan Ferguson, ''the bride's father and stepmother'' ** Andrew Ferguson, ''the bride's paternal half-brother'' ** Alice Ferguson, ''the bride's paternal half-sister'' *

Susan Susan is a feminine given name, from Persian "Susan" (lily flower), from Egyptian '' sšn'' and Coptic ''shoshen'' meaning "lotus flower", from Hebrew ''Shoshana'' meaning "lily" (in modern Hebrew this also means "rose" and a flower in general), ...

and Héctor Barrantes, ''the bride's mother and stepfather'' ** Mrs and Mr William Alez Makim, ''the bride's sister and her husband'' *** Seamus Makim, ''the bride's nephew'' * Lady Elmhirst, ''the bride's paternal grandmother''

Wright family

* The Hon. Mrs FitzHerbert Wright, ''the bride's maternal grandmother'' ** Mrs and Mr Julian Salmond, ''the bride's maternal aunt and uncle'' ** The Lady and Lord Loch, ''the bride's maternal aunt and uncle'' ** Major Bryan Wright, ''the bride's maternal uncle''

Foreign royalty

Members of reigning royal families

* The Crown Princess of Norway, ''wife of the groom's second cousin, once removed'' (representing the King of Norway) * Princess Margaretha, Mrs Ambler and Mr John Ambler, ''the groom's third cousin once removed, and her husband'' (representing the King of Sweden) * Prince George Valdemar of Denmark, ''the groom's second cousin, once removed'' (representing the Queen of Denmark) *

Infanta Elena of Spain Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo (Elena María Isabel Dominica de Silos de Borbón y de Grecia; born 20 December 1963) is the first child and eldest daughter of Juan Carlos I (King of Spain from 1975 to 2014) and Queen Sofía of Spain, and third ...

, ''the grooms's second cousin, once removed'' (representing the King of Spain) *

Infanta Cristina of Spain Infanta Cristina of Spain (Cristina Federica Victoria Antonia de la Santísima Trinidad de Borbón y de Grecia, born 13 June 1965) is the younger daughter of the former King and Queen of Spain Juan Carlos I of Spain, Juan Carlos I and Queen So ...

, ''the grooms's second cousin, once removed'' *

Prince Philippe of Belgium french: Philippe Léopold Louis Mariegerman: Philipp Leopold Ludwig Maria , house = Belgium , father = Albert II of Belgium , mother = Paola Ruffo di Calabria , birth_date = , birth_place = Belvédère Castle, Laeken, B ...

, ''the groom's third cousin, once removed'' (representing the King of the Belgians) * The Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, ''the groom's third cousin, once removed'' (representing the Grand Duke of Luxembourg) * The Prince Hiro (representing the Emperor of Japan) * The Hereditary Prince of Monaco (representing the Prince of Monaco)

Members of non-reigning royal families

King Constantine II Constantine II ( el, Κωνσταντίνος Βʹ, ''Konstantínos II''; 2 June 1940) reigned as the last King of Greece, from 6 March 1964 until the abolition of the Greek monarchy on 1 June 1973. Constantine is the only son of King Paul an ...

and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes, ''the groom's second cousin and his wife, the groom's third cousin once removed'' ** Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, ''the groom's second cousin, once removed'' ** Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark, ''the groom's second cousin, once removed'' ** Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark, ''the groom's second cousin, once removed'' * Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia, ''the groom's second cousin, once removed, and his wife'' * The Margrave and Margravine of Baden, ''the groom's first cousin and his wife'' ** Princess Marie Louise of Baden, ''the groom's first cousin, once removed'' *

Princess Margarita of Baden Princess Margarita of Baden (''Margarete Alice Thyra Viktoria Marie Louise Scholastica''; 14 July 1932 – 15 January 2013) was the only daughter of Berthold, Margrave of Baden, and Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark. She was the cousin of K ...

, ''the groom's first cousin'' ** Prince Nikola of Yugoslavia, ''the groom's first cousin, once removed'' **

Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia Princess Katarina of Yugoslavia, Lady de Silva (born 28 November 1959) is an English businessperson specialising in etiquette and decorum courses. She is a member of the extended former Yugoslavian royal family. Early life Katarina was born in ...

, ''the groom's first cousin once removed'' *

and Princess George William of Hanover, ''the groom's paternal uncle and aunt'' ** Prince and Princess Georg of Hanover, ''the groom's first cousin and his wife'' ** Prince and Princess Karl of Hesse, ''the groom's first cousin and his wife'' *** Prince Christoph of Hesse, ''the groom's first cousin, once removed'' *** Princess Irina of Hesse, ''the groom's first cousin, once removed'' * The Princess of Hesse and by Rhine, ''widow of the groom's first cousin, twice removed'' * The Prince and Princess of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, ''the groom's first cousin and his wife'' ** Princess Cécile of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, ''the groom's first cousin, once removed'' * Prince and Princess Andreas of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, ''the groom's first cousin and his wife'' * Princess Beatrix of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, ''the groom's first cousin''

Religious figures

* The Most Rev. Robert Runcie,

, and Rosalind Runcie * The Very Rev. Michael Mayne, Dean of Westminster * The Right Rev. Edward Knapp-Fisher, Archdeacon of Westminster

Politicians and diplomats

First Lady of the United States The first lady of the United States (FLOTUS) is the title held by the hostess of the White House, usually the wife of the president of the United States, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although the first lady's role has never ...

Margaret Thatcher Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher (; 13 October 19258 April 2013) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party (UK), Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. S ...

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern pr ...

Other notable guests

* Arleen Auger * Michael Caine *

and Renate Blauel * Estée Lauder *

* Simon Preston * The Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe ** Lady Rosanagh Innes-Ker * Lady Jane and Robert Fellowes ** Laura Fellowes * The Duke and Duchess of Grafton * The Dowager Duchess of Abercorn * Sir William Heseltine

Aftermath

It was reported that Andrew's obligations as a naval helicopter pilot meant that they only saw each other 40 days a year. Sarah received criticism from the media about her weight, contributing to her stress and the couple's estrangement. Andrew and Sarah announced their

separation Separation may refer to: Films * ''Separation'' (1967 film), a British feature film written by and starring Jane Arden and directed by Jack Bond * ''La Séparation'', 1994 French film * ''A Separation'', 2011 Iranian film * ''Separation'' (20 ...

on 19 March 1992, and divorced on 30 May 1996. After the couple's divorce, Sarah lost the style ''

'', becoming "Sarah, Duchess of York", and she was no longer a British princess.

References

External links

Wedding of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson
at the

BBC.co.uk BBC Online, formerly known as BBCi, is the BBC's online service. It is a large network of websites including such high-profile sites as BBC News and BBC Sport, Sport, the on-demand video and radio services branded BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, t ...

Order of Service for the wedding
{{British Royal Weddings 1986 in British television 1986 in London Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Andrew and Sarah Ferguson July 1986 events in the United Kingdom Andrew and Sarah Ferguson 1980s in the City of Westminster Prince Andrew, Duke of York