British Royal Weddings

Modern British Royal weddings are the ultimate in wedding celebrations. In many ways, they have been reflecting and setting world-wide fashions and standards for well over a century. This volume is the first in-depth discussion of the ways in which British Royal Weddings since 1919 have been celebrated. With a strongly interdisciplinary character, this study examines three main aspects of these ceremonies up to the twenty-first century: the choice of venue, the structure of the ceremonial, and the music of these events. More than twenty weddings are discussed in this volume, including some that are all but forgotten today, even though they were very significant and widely popular occasions in their time. This study contributes to the debate on the changing image and representation of the monarchy over the last century, especially the interaction of royalty with the public. A wealth of newly-discovered material has been unearthed, providing many new details of these ceremonies and their context. Particular emphasis is given to the music at these weddings, which illuminates their character and how they were perceived. Enriched with over seventy illustrations, this study approaches the topic of British royal weddings from several different perspectives and is a substantial resource for all those with an interest in twentieth-century British royalty and monarchy in general.