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| Prince Richard, Birgitte, and Prince William. |
On the afternoon of 8 July 1972, Prince Richard of Gloucester and Birgitte van Deurs were married at the thirteenth century St Andrew's Church, Barnwell, Northants. The Dean of Windsor, the Right Reverend Launcelot Fleming, conducted the wedding. The couple's ceremony reflected their desire to keep this an intimate family celebration. The groom's mother, the Duchess of Gloucester, supervised the floral decorations. Birgitte's wedding gown was designed by Norman Hartnell, who had created the wedding dress for the bride's mother-in-law in 1935. The groom's older brother, Prince William, was his best man; there were no bridesmaids or pages. The wedding of the future Duke and Duchess of Gloucester was attended by Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester; Prince William of Gloucester; Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother; the Prince of Wales; Princess Margaret; Prince Michael of Kent; Princess Alice, Countess of Athlone; and the Earl and Countess of Dalkeith. Due to his health, the groom's father the Duke of Gloucester was unable to attend the church wedding, but he visited with guests afterwards at the reception at Barnwell Manor, the Gloucester family home.
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| The Golden Couple: Birgitte and Richard. The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester were photographed at Kensington Palace. The Duchess is wearing a brooch with the intertwined letters B&R. Photo (c) AP. |
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