Seven Kings and Thirteen Queens led Royal Guests and Relatives at the Wedding of Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and Marie-Chantal Miller at St Sophia’s Cathedral in London on this day in 1995, 30 years ago, followed by a Reception at Hampton Court Palace, which followed a Gala at Wrotham Park and a Lunch on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog.
Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece, Prince of Denmark married Marie-Chantal Miller in a Greek Orthodox Ceremony at St Sophia’s Cathedral in London, officiated by Gregorios Theocharous, the Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Thyateira and Great Britain, with over 450 guests seated within the cathedral and another 850 guests, including the Queen Mother, seated at Hampton Court Palace where the ceremony was broadcast via satellite.
During the ceremony, Crowns were held over the couple by Prince Nikolaos of Greece, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, the Prince of Orange, the Prince of Asturias, the Hereditary Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, the Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, the Prince of Turnovo, and Prince Alexander von Fürstenberg.
Following the ceremony, the bridal couple and all the guests moved to a Luncheon and Reception at Hampton Court Palace, which marked the end of a week of lavish celebrations, including a Tea hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Claridge’s Hotel, a Luncheon hosted by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (aunt of the groom) on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog, and a extravagant Ball at Wrotham Park, all organized by Lady Elizabeth Anson.
Crown Princess Marie-Chantal described her wedding day:
The day was amazing, my father walked me down the aisle, handed me to my future husband, he gave me a kiss, I curtseyed to my future in laws and off it went. Everything I had wished for happened. It was such a memorable time.
Crown Prince Pavlos wore a morning suit by by Brioni of Rome. Crown Princess Marie Chantal wore a pearl-encrusted ivory silk Valentino gown with a 4.5 meter Chantilly lace train and the Antique Corsage Tiara.
King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece (wearing her Diamond Cross and Diamond Swan Brooch)
Queen Margrethe II and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark with Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and the Prince of Orange
Queen Ingrid of Denmark (in her Diamond Daisy Brooch)
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain
The Prince of Asturias
Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina of Spain
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales
Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother
Princess Benedikte of Denmark and Prince Michael of Kent with Prince Gustav, Princess Alexandra and Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
Princess Irene of Greece
Princess Katherine of Greece
Prince and Princess Michael of Greece
Princess Sophie of Greece and Hanover
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden
King Hussein and Queen Noor of Jordan
Grand Duke Jean and Grand Duchess Joséphine Charlotte of Luxembourg
Hereditary Grand Duke Henri and Hereditary Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
King Michael and Queen Anne of Romania
Tsar Simeon II and Tsaritsa Margarita of Bulgaria
Prince of Turnovo
Empress Farah of Iran with Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and Crown Princess Yasmine Pahlavi
Prince Shāh Karim al-Husayni, the Aga Khan IV with Crown Prince Hassan and Princess Sarvath of Jordan
Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia
The Prince and Princess of Naples
The Duke of Kent and Prince Michael of Kent with Crown Princess Margareta of Romania and Sir Angus Ogilvy
The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester
Princess Alexandra of Kent and Sir Angus Ogilvy
Infanta Margarita, Duchess of Soria and Hernani
Prince Talal and Princess Ghida Talal
Eight Kings and Eleven Queens were among the Royal Guests and Relatives at the splendid Wedding Gala of Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and Marie-Chantal Miller at Wrotham Park, two days before their Wedding!
The Miller Family hosted a Gala for Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and Marie-Chantal Miller at Wrotham Park, which began with a champagne reception followed by a Dinner and a Ball for 1,300 guests in a marquee that resembled the Parthenon in Athens.
There was also an 18th-century carousel in the garden, a fireworks display, and the celebrations ended with a champagne breakfast the following morning.
Crown Prince Pavlos and Marie-Chantal Miller with King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, and Princess Alexia (in her Van Cleef & Arpels Suite)
King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Sofia of Spain, Prince Henrik of Denmark and Princess Margaretha of Luxembourg and Liechtenstein
King Constantine II and Queen Silvia of Sweden (in the Pink Topaz Parure)
The Duke of Edinburgh
Tsaritsa Margarita of Bulgaria and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (wearing her Saudi Diamond Necklace and Floral Aigrette Tiara)
Two nights before the royal wedding, 1300 guests were on their way to a grand ball at Wrotham Park in Hertford, an hour’s drive from central London. Everyone knew how to get there-the organizer of the party and other attendant wedding festivities was none other that Lady Elizabeth Anson of London’s Party Planners and Lady E. had sent out very clear instructions. But what almost no one knew how to pronounce was Wrotham. The British pronounce it “Rottem” it is, a bizarre name for a country house that looks more like a palace.
Wrotham Park is a privately owned stately home, but for the dazzling dinner dance celebrating the marriage of their daughter, Chantal and Robert Miller took it over and called in Isabell to create a magical illusion.
As the guests ascended the great stone steps to the entrance, they walked through a veritable English garden of bay and boxwood trees and countless roses, while a classical quartet from the Royal Philharmonic played in the background. The crowd then descended another stone stairway lined with 14 huge urns bursting with golden roses to the back lawns where a mammoth tent, 135 by 240 feet, had been erected.
A tribute to ancient Greece, the space was surrounded by 15-foot ecru muslin draperies bordered in green laurel. The main drapery was three stories high and the ceiling was squared off into 25 muslin panels bordered in real laurel imported from Greece by Isabell. He and Chantal Miller selected the design and colors inspired by ancient Greek vases and architecture. From Ecuador (Chantal Miller is an Ecuadorian), 30,000 roses were flown in and arranged in enormous terra-cotta urns towering over the guests on 10-foot high pedestals.
Just when everyone thought they had witnessed the quintessence of decorative beauty, the three-story central drapery lifted to reveal a second wondrous scene, the dinner tent, to gasps and spontaneous applause. Guests entered through a two-story high portico of white Corinthian columns onto a vast, hand painted floor, the design taken from Greek tiles, as was the 50-foot-square dance floor, designed to make room for maybe 450 killer ball gowns.
Eight musicians played for the perfumed pack, and during dinner 20 dancers wearing antique costumes brought from Greece. Prince Pavlos danced Greek folk dances including the sirtaki with some of the Greek royals joining the joyous circle. (You’ve heard the Greeks invented democracy?)
After dinner and dancing, news came that something wonderful was going on in the back gardens, where a gorgeous 18th-century carousel was going round and round. Then came fireworks, imported from Macao, giving new meaning to lighting up the sky.
The last diehards left at 6:30 a.m. after watching the sun rise and eating a hearty breakfast to see them on their way. Everyone agreed it was the most fabulous party in years and that it might be many more years before they saw its like again.
One of the loveliest dresses was worn by the bride-to-be, a celadon taffeta embroidered ball gown by Valentino. The bride’s mother wore satin and chiffon by John Galliano, and the Shahbanou of Iran was in cream-colored satin and lace by Azzaro. Cecile Zilkha was in Mne. Gres’ brilliant blue chiffon and her adorable daughter, Bettina, wore Oscar de la Renta’s rose-colored chiffon.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, the aunt of the groom, hosted a Lunch for Royal Guests and Relatives on the Royal Yacht Dannebrog in London, allegedly ahead of a Tea hosted by Queen Elizabeth II at Claridge’s Hotel.
Crown Prince Pavlos and Marie-Chantal Miller
King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece
Queen Ingrid of Denmark and Crown Prince Pavlos
Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra
King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia of Spain with the Prince of Asturias
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden with Crown Princess Victoria
King Hussein and Queen Noor of Jordan
The Prince of Orange and Prince Friso
Empress Farah of Iran with Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi and Crown Princess Yasmine Pahlavi
Queen Sophie’s Diamond Tiara
Miller Fringe Tiara
Antique Corsage Tiara
Diamond Earrings
Diamond Clip Brooches
JAR Earrings
Seed Pearl Brooch
