70th Anniversary of The Royal Wedding – Classic Routemaster
2017 marks the 70th Anniversary of the wedding of HM Queen Elizabeth II HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. To celebrate this historic occasion, Corgi has produced a die-cast Classic Routemaster and Mini in unique commemorative liveries.
At Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947 at 11:30am, in front of 2000 invited guests, Princess Elizabeth was married to Philip Mountbatten in a service ciated by the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and was broadcast by radio to over 200 million people worldwide. Distant cousins, Princess Elizabeth had first met Philip Mountbatten, the youngest child and only son to Prince Andrew of Greece and Princess Alice of Battenberg, at a wedding in 1934. They met again in 1937 and began their courtship in 1939 with the exchange of letters. Secretly engaged in 1946, the formal engagement was announced on July 9, 1947, following Princess Elizabeth’s 21st birthday.
Princess Elizabeth’s satin bridal gown was designed by Norman Hartnell, dressmaker to Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, the material being purchased by the use of ration coupons. Over 10,000 congratulatory telegrams were received and over 2,500 wedding presents were gifted from across the world.
