The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are celebrating a major milestone today - their silver wedding anniversary.
Prince Edward and Sophie tied the knot exactly 25 years ago today at St George's Chapel in Windsor, in what was described as an "informal" royal wedding. Guests turned out in force, including the late Queen and Prince Philip, King Charles and his sons Princes William and Harry.
Sophie looked stunning in a wedding gown by Samantha Shaw and was allowed to wear a tiara from the late Queen's private collection. And the more relaxed nature of the wedding saw the couple impose a less formal dress code - and they asked their guests to don evening wear and shun hats.
Sophie and Edward are celebrating 25 years of marriage (Getty Images)However, it seems that some royals appeared to bend these rules slightly - with one member of the family seemingly shunning it altogether. Pictures from the day show the groom's late mother, the Queen, wearing a delicate lilac fascinator in her hair, while the groom's sister Princess Anne opted for a small green hair accessory.
However, when it came to Edward's grandmother the late Queen Mother, she still wore a hat - although the couple may have been happy for her to do this as she was rarely seen in public without one. After their wedding ceremony at St George's Chapel, the couple enjoyed a carriage ride around Windsor before heading to their reception in St George's Hall.
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When Sophie married into the Royal Family more than 20 years ago, some eyebrows were raised when she was not made a duchess. Unlike her sister-in-law Camilla and her nephew's wife Kate, Sophie was given the title of Countess of Wessex when she tied the knot with Edward in 1999.
The couple on their wedding day in 1999 (PA)However, last year both Edward and Sophie were given new titles by King Charles - and were finally made Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh. It had been a long-held plan of Prince Philip, the former Duke of Edinburgh, and the former monarch to pass on the Dukedom to Edward and Sophie after their deaths.
And in a previous interview, Sophie revealed how she and Edward sat "stunned" when Philip informed them of his request for his title - in just 11 words. Speaking of the moment she and her husband were told Philip would like her husband to take on the title, she told the Telegraph: "We sat there slightly stunned. He literally came straight in and said, ‘Right. I’d like it very much if you would consider that’.”
Sophie is now the Duchess of Edinburgh (Getty Images)
A new portrait of the Edinburghs to mark their 25th wedding anniversary (PA)Philip's desire for Edward to have the title was in recognition of his son’s decades-long commitment to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, the youth scheme which is one of Philip’s greatest legacies.
The couple, who are parents to Lady Louise Windsor and James, the Earl of Wessex, have marked their anniversary with an affectionate new portrait. Edward is pictured with his arms around Sophie's waist, with the duchess's hands resting on her husbandss, and their heads close together.
The couple are dressed down in the relaxed shot taken by photographer Chris Jelf in the gardens of their Bagshot Park home in Surrey, with Sophie's tan suede jacket complementing the colour of Edward's tweed gilet. In March, Sophie surprised Edward with a tearful tribute ahead of his 60th birthday, taking to the stage in Leeds to call him the best of fathers, the most loving of husbands" and "still my best friend".
In a television interview, Edward described his wife as his 'rock', adding: "I’m incredibly lucky that I found Sophie and that she found me." Edward is the youngest of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s four children, and the only one not to have got divorced.
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