Princess Anne in a white bridesmaid dress at Princess Margaret's wedding© Getty

Bridesmaid Princess Anne, 10, is regal in ruffles in resurfaced wedding photos

The Princess Royal was a bridesmaid for her aunt Princess Margaret in 1960

Deputy Lifestyle Editor
August 17, 2023

Princess Anne was ten years old when she was given the important role of bridesmaid at her aunt Princess Margaret's wedding.

A black and white photo shows the young Princess Royal in her finery as she rode in a car to Westminster Abbey on 6 May 1960. Smiling and gazing out at the crowds, Anne looked smart with her hair cut into a cropped length and curled away from her face, finished with a large floral headband.

© ANL/Shutterstock

The Queen, the Queen Mother and Princess Anne were spotted waving Princess Margaret goodbye

After Princess Margaret and her husband photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones exchanged vows, they celebrated with friends and family at Buckingham Palace. It was there that Princess Anne showed off her full outfit, covered with cute ruffles.

She stood in the forecourt with her mother Queen Elizabeth II, grandmother the Queen Mother and other wedding guests to wave goodbye to the newlyweds as they left for their honeymoon. Mirroring her mother's royal wave, Anne looked regal in her puff-sleeve bridesmaid dress with a full skirt, lace detailing and ruffle trim.

© Getty

Princess Anne was Margaret's bridesmaid in 1960

Earlier that year, Anne had once again been a bridesmaid for Prince Philip's cousin Lady Pamela Mountbatten when she married David Hicks. To keep warm in the cool January weather, the royal wore a fur cape over her white dress – reportedly chosen to deter evil spirits from the bride – which featured a portrait collar, a pleated trim, a satin belt and a layered skirt.

Young Anne raised a glass at Lady Pamela's wedding in 1960

Another white flower crown could be seen perched atop her cropped curly hairstyle as she was pictured raising a glass to her royal relatives.

Two years later, Anne was called on once again to act as chief bridesmaid for the Queen's cousin Princess Alexandra.

The Princess fastened her hair into a bun for Princess Alexandra's wedding

Alexandra married Sir Angus Ogilvy in 1963 in a breathtaking ceremony at Westminster Abbey. The then-12-year-old looked beautiful in her simple bridesmaid's dress which featured cropped sleeves and a bow at the waist, finished with a white headpiece wrapped around her elegant bun.

WATCH: Memorable royal wedding dresses that will go down in history

Anne went on to have two weddings of her own – first to Captain Mark Phillips in 1973 and then to Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence in 1992. Interestingly, the dresses she chose for her bridesmaids were nothing like the ones she wore as a child.

The bride turned to Princess Margaret's nine-year-old daughter Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones to be her sole bridesmaid, and she was pictured wearing a Tudor-style pinafore dress with a floor-length skirt and lattice sleeves. Meanwhile, Anne and her second husband Timothy had a very small guest list when they eloped to Scotland, so it appears as though she didn't have a traditional bridal party.

PHOTOS: 10 times Meghan Markle was blushing in bridal white – just like her wedding day 

Sign up to HELLO Daily! for the best royal, celebrity and lifestyle coverage

Email Address

By entering your details, you are agreeing to HELLO! Magazine User Data Protection Policy. You can unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please click here.

More Weddings

See more