Princess Eugenie’s Wedding: Everything That Went Down While You Were Still Asleep
Bright and early on Friday morning, Princess Eugenie of York married her longtime partner Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle—the same venue where Meghan Markle wed Prince Harry just a few months ago. While it’s hard to imagine any ceremony being as eventful as the latter’s, today’s royal wedding 2.0 came close, delivering on the reported promise that it would be much, much bigger than its predecessor—in part because Princess Eugenie’s position as ninth in line for the throne required her to delay her ceremony for her cousin. (Not that the pair seem to harbor any hard feelings: The couples, in fact, moved next door to each other this past May.) Catch up on everything that went down this morning while you were still sleeping, here.
Princess Eugenie proudly showed off her surgery scars.
The Princess underwent extensive surgery after being diagnosed with scoliosis when she was 12, and has raised awareness about the condition ever since. (In fact, the very first post she made on her Instagram account, which she created earlier this year, was a video of herself giving a motivational speech, beginning with the fact that she has two 12-inch metal rods in her back.) While her wedding gown, designed by Peter Pilotto, had long sleeves, it also had an open back, suggesting the princess intended for her scars to be visible, as she’d promised they would be in a pre-wedding interview. She also invited representatives from the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, where she had her surgery, to the wedding.
The Clooneys and the Beckhams didn’t come through.
Nor did Elton John, though there were certainly enough celebs present to make up for their absences.
Surprise guests abounded.
Along with the 1,200 members of the public who won the ballot to join the audience, a notable number of the 850 wedding guests was made up of not just official royals but celebrity royals, including Cara Delevingne, Demi Moore, Liv Tyler, Kate Moss, and Naomi Campbell—a true credit to the Princess’s reputation as a socialite. Delevingne’s presence was unmissable, thanks to her extremely dapper (and dress-code-defying) ensemble of a top hat and tuxedo, accessorized by a surprisingly elegant toothpick.
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Cara Delevingne arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Pippa Middleton arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Poppy Delevingne arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Sarah, Duchess of York and Princess Beatrice arrive ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Ellie Goulding arrives for the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Kate Moss and Lila Grace Moss Hack arrive ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Liv Tyler arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Pixie Geldof arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Demi Moore arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Meghan, Duchess of Cambridge arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Moss brought a stand-out accessory of her own: her newly 16-year-old daughter, Lila Moss, who stepped into the limelight for the second time this month, following last week’s announcement that she’s now the face of Marc Jacobs Beauty.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s exes all matched.
It looks like Prince Harry may have a type. Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas, who also attended his wedding to Meghan Markle, not only both turned up to the ceremony but did so wearing navy—aka the same color Markle wore.
Princess Eugenie’s Royal Wedding: See What Everyone Wore, From Meghan Markle to Kate Moss
Meghan, Duchess of Cambridge arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Kate Moss and Lila Grace Moss Hack ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Demi Moore arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Holly Valance arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
James Blunt and Sofia Wellesley arrive ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Emma Joy Kitchener and Julian Fellowes arrive ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Pixie Geldof and George Barnett arrive ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Queen Elizabeth II arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Zara Tindall and Mike Tindall arrive ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Liv Tyler arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Princess Anne, Princess Royal and husband Timothy Laurence attend the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Holly Branson arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Peter Phillips and Autumn Phillips attend the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Karoline Copping and Jimmy Carr arrive for the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Tamara Beckwith arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Ellie Goulding arrives for the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Chelsy Davy arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Naomi Campbell and Debbie von Bismarck arrive ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Poppy Delevingne arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge arrive ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
James Matthews and wife Pippa Middleton arrive ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Sarah, Duchess of York and Princess Beatrice arrive ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Robbie Williams and Ayda Field attend the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York to Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Cara Delevingne arrives ahead of the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank at St. George’s Chapel on October 12, 2018, in Windsor, England.
Pippa Middleton showed off her baby bump.
Despite rumors that she could potentially go into labor this weekend, Pippa Middleton not only made it to the ceremony but wore heels.
Kate Middleton and Prince William had a rare moment of PDA.
In the pews, no less! Not that the pair got anywhere near wild; they simply held hands. That may not sound like much, but it definitely stands out from the typically quite reserved couple’s history.
The Queen subtly stole the show.
While Queen Elizabeth II picked a pale blue ensemble from her usually eye-catchingly bright wardrobe, she still managed to steal the show by lending Princess Eugenie, who’s her granddaughter, her tiara, which featured several prominent emeralds.
Princess Beatrice played it safe with a headband.
Having just spoken out with her sister this past summer about how the backlash to the infamous hats they wore to Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding reduced them both to tears, it’s no surprise that this time around Princess Beatrice kept things simple, opting not for a hat but a headband. In contrast, plenty of others channeled her past looks and pulled out their most over-the-top fascinators, as well as standouts like a luxe newsboy cap.
The ceremony included a reading of The Great Gatsby.
Even while hatless, Princess Beatrice still stood out by reading aloud an excerpt from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s 1925 classic, which the wedding officiant later noted Princess Eugenie had been reading when she first met her future husband.
The 850 guests feasted on a five-tier wedding cake made with 400 eggs.
According to People, the London-based baker Sophie Cabot also used at least 53 packs of unsalted butter, 33 pounds of organic self-rising flour, and four pounds of sugar to create the autumnal confection, which was embossed with the letters “E” and “J” in gold and adorned with ornamental ivy.
Naomi Campbell shamelessly broke the no-cell-phone rule.
The supermodel shared not one but two Instagram Stories from inside the ceremony, lest anyone miss the fact that she’d made it to Windsor.
Cara Delevingne gleefully shared Amy Schumer’s fashion criticism.
Since guests reportedly had to forfeit their cell phones and cameras for the length of the wedding, it was only when it came to an end that they could report back from their day in Windsor. While catching up on the reactions to her ensemble, Delevingne did so by embracing her inner Kermit the Frog.
The bride and groom made their exit with a friend named Sir Basil.
After the ceremony, the couple headed straight for a carriage, joining horses by the names of Plymouth, Milford, Haven, Tyrone, Storm, Claudia, and, of course, Sir Basil.
Related: The Most Surprising Facts About Newlyweds Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank