How Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson’s Westminster Abbey wedding became the second-biggest royal event of the 1980s – as King Charles ‘will give his blessing’ for them to remarry

Wedding bells may soon be ringing in Windsor amid reports that King Charles would give his blessing for Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson to tie the knot once more. 

The Daily Mail’s Ephraim Hardcastle writes that a source has confirmed the monarch would give a nod to the union – but if the couple did decide to remarry it would be a small affair.

Hardcastle reports any ceremony would take place in the small All Saints Chapel near their home at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, which is where their daughter Princess Beatrice said ‘I do’ with her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi in 2020 during the pandemic.

Any such wedding celebration would be a far cry from the show-stopping spectacle of their 1986 nuptials at Westminster Abbey, which Fergie has described as ‘the best day of her life’ despite the couple divorcing a decade later.

Speaking on Italian talk show Porta a Porta, she said: ‘I was the luckiest girl in the world. It was truly a fairytale because I was marrying a prince.’

The lavish ceremony welcomed A-listers in abundance on the guestlist, a flower arrangement in excess of 30,000 blooms and a 5ft rum-soaked cake served up to guests at a glitzy after party in Claridge’s Hotel.

Here, FEMAIL looks back on the second-biggest royal wedding of the 1980s as the eyes of the nation watched Andrew and Fergie say ‘I do’…

The Dress

Sarah Ferguson exceeded expectations with her figure-flattering gown, designed by the young British designer, Lindka Cierach.

The duchess satin creation featured an impressive 17-foot train and 20-foot long veil which trailed behind the bride as she processed with her father, Major Ronald Ferguson.

The 80s-style puff sleeves were paired with an embellished bodice, decorated with thistles and a bumblebee from the bride’s coat of arms and anchors to represent Prince Andrew’s naval career.

Fergie later revealed that she lost 26 pounds in order to fit into the dress, writing in her autobiography, My Story: ‘We’d chosen duchess satin because it is the creamiest material in the world.

‘It never creases. It is smooth as glass and hangs beautifully, without a single bulge; it made my reduced figure look even better.’

In a romantic gesture, the dramatic train was also decorated with the couple’s initials, A and S.

The Tiara

When Sarah Ferguson first entered Westminster Abbey, she donned an elaborate flower crown brimming with gardenias – Prince Andrew’s favourite flower.

But after she signed the marriage certificate, the flowers were removed to reveal a brand new tiara, to signify Fergie’s transition into the Royal Family.

The York tiara, which is made of platinum and diamonds with a leaf detail, was purchased for the duchess from the jeweller Garrard by the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

The beautiful head piece remained the Duchess of York’s property even after her split from Prince Andrew, and she wore it on several occasions following her divorce.

She later stopped wearing the accessory to public engagements, with one of its last appearances being at the White Ball, where Fergie wore a glamorous black gown in 2001.

But the tiara made its first reappearance in twenty years when Sarah’s daughter, Princess Beatrice, wore the piece for a state banquet in Jordan to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Hussein and his wife, Rajwa.

Wedding party

Young attendees often make an impression at royal weddings and in 1986, Prince William was no exception.

The four-year-old prince served as one of the pageboys, who were dressed in sailor outfits to hint at Prince Andrew’s career in the navy.

Little William struggled to stay awake and was captured yawning during the ceremony – in scenes royal fans would now associate with his youngest son, Prince Louis.       

Meanwhile the bridesmaids, which included the five-year-old Zara Phillips, wore peach dresses with a lace trim.

Andrew chose younger brother, Prince Edward, to serve as his best man and Charles was asked to give a reading.

Charles arrived at the ceremony with Diana, who wore a blue polka dot dress with a matching hat for the service.

Fergie and Diana had met as teenagers and the pair were friends before they both entered the royal family, with Diana reportedly setting her friend up with Andrew.

In their engagement interview, Prince Andrew joked that him and Sarah were ‘made to sit next to each other’ at a party hosted by the late Queen during Royal Ascot in 1985.

He said: ‘It was at Ascot, as it were, that the whole thing took off.’

The Queen made an elegant appearance at the wedding in a blue coat dress with a matching hat, arriving in a carriage with Prince Philip for the occasion.

After the service, the parents of the bride and groom swapped over for the return journey to Buckingham Palace, with the Queen riding in a carriage with Fergie’s father and Prince Philip joining her mother, Susan Barrantes.

Adorable footage later emerged of the late Queen chasing after a young Prince William as he ran after the carriage carrying the newlyweds headed for their honeymoon.

Queen Elizabeth, then 60, makes a grab for her grandson’s hand in the video to stop him getting too close to the carriage.

Flowers

As well as Fergie’s statement flower crown, an array of 30,000 flowers were used to decorate Westminster Abbey for the ceremony.

The bride held a unique cascading bouquet, filled with white and yellow flowers provided by Jane Packer.

Gardenias, roses and lily of the valley were used for the arrangement as well as a sprig of myrtle – a tradition which dates back to the time of Queen Victoria.

Her daughter, Princess Victoria, carried the flower at her wedding in 1858 and the myrtle now used at royal weddings is taken from a bush that has grown from a plant originally given to Queen Victoria. 

After the wedding, Sarah Ferguson’s bouquet was placed on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, in keeping with a poignant royal tradition begun by the late Queen Mother in 1923.

The thousands of other flowers which had decorated the Abbey on the day were donated to charity, according to Hello! magazine.

They reported that the flowers were given to hospices to add brightness to the lives of others.

The Balcony Appearance

The Duke and Duchess of York left the Abbey and headed for Buckingham Palace in the 1902 State Landau carriage, where they were greeted by waiting crowds.

They later appeared on the Palace balcony alongside other members of the Royal Family, including the pageboys and bridesmaids, the late Queen and the Queen Mother.

In a famous gesture to the onlooking crowds, the pair seemed to be saying they could not hear them asking for the famous balcony kiss – before they then followed through with the tradition.

The Party and The honeymoon

After their Westminster Abbey wedding and the appearance at Buckingham Palace, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson had a party at Claridge’s Hotel.

Their towering rum-soaked cake was over 5ft tall and was prepared by the navy supply school HMS Raleigh.

The Duke and Duchess of York then set off for Heathrow Airport in a horse-drawn carriage complete with confetti, flags, an oversized teddy bear and a pole with the message ‘Phone home’.

For her going away outfit, Fergie opted for a floral blue ensemble featuring a peplum jacket with puffed sleeves paired with white high heels.

They spent five days cruising the Azores on board The Royal Yacht Britannia and it was reported that staff on the vessel hardly saw the couple, who at one point hosted guests for a cocktail party on the deck.

According to the Daily Mail, the commander of the ship said: ‘My instructions from Buckingham Palace are that this honeymoon is to stay entirely private.’