On the early evening of the 3rd February 1968, Fredensborg was dressing in its best splendour again, just as it has been for the wedding of Hereditary Princess Margrethe and HRH Prince Henrik in June 1967. The difference being that, this time, the wonderful country Palace would be the setting for the whole event, including the religious ceremony, what gave the whole wedding a more familiar aspect, in great contrast with the wedding in Copenhagen the year before. The intention, nevertheless, was clearly to show that this wedding was a much more private and intimate event, despite all the grandeur of the uniforms and the fabulous jewels that would be worn. As the few hundreds of guests began arriving with their most lavish uniforms and most elegant dresses and jewels, the unique and magical atmosphere surrounding royal events got delineated.
Inside the small but elegant marble chapel of the Palace, the decoration was simple but also extremely graceful. Around the altar, the decorations in white flowers and candles gave somehow added to the familiar aspect of the scene. The couple would sit a bit isolated from their guests, over a Persian carpet, the only decoration in the otherwise nude floor of the church. The Royal Family would sit to the left of the couple, as would the most senior royal guests, while to their right would sit Prince Richard’s mother, HSH Princess Marguerite zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and his family, as well as other German princely guests and the new Government of the Kingdom. Guests began arriving at 4.45 pm and the bridegroom arrived only 30 minutes later, wearing for the first time the sash and star of the Danish Order of the Elephant that HM The King, his future father-in-law, had bestowed on him on the eve. Prince Richard was accompanied by his brother, HSH Prince Robin zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg.
Guests continued to arrive as music arose from the organ, having been through the corridor that leads to the chapel, where a regiment of Royal Hussars was in attendance. The contrast of the lavish uniforms, glamorous dresses and splendid jewels with the simplicity of chapel grew stronger with the most senior royal guests began to take their places to the left of the altar, a cortege closed by HM The Queen of Denmark and her father, HM The King of Sweden. As silence fell over the assembly, heads turned to the door of the chapel. Meanwhile, King Frederik and Princess Benedikte went slowly through the corridor that leads to the chapel and were presented arms by the regiment. In the gallery of the church, the pure voices of the members of the choir resplendently broke the silence with the beautiful “Sicut Cervus” by Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, that had also led Hereditary Princess Margrethe and the King to the altar of Holmens Kirke a few months before.
Read more about Princess Benedikte’s Wedding Dress
Magnificently and ceremoniously, the King helped his daughter come down the few steps that led to the aisle of the chapel. Clearly moved and brilliantly dressed in his uniform of Admiral of the Fleet, wearing the sash and big diamond star of the Order of the Elephant and the diamond neck-badge of Grand-Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog, His Majesty led the Princess, his last single daughter, to the altar and her destiny as the wife of the man she loved, a German Prince, head of the House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. The Princess looked radiant in her beautiful and simple dress, but emotion won over her as they arrived at the altar. Prince Richard welcomed her with a kiss on the cheek and then a kiss on her hand, and as the Princess turned to her father he spontaneously kissed her, while she curtseyed. The King’s eyes were also displaying the emotion of that moment, since as father he had accomplished his role of raising his three daughters and leading them to the altar on their wedding days.
The ceremony was shorter and simpler than the one of the wedding of Copenhagen, the year before. It began with a psalm, joyously sang by the whole assembly as they sat. The maid of honour of the Princess collected her beautiful bouquet and delivered it to Queen Anne-Marie. Afterwards, Erik Jensen, Bishop of Aalborg and Chaplain of the Court, delivered the sermon. It was actually both during and after the sermon that the most delightful scenes of the wedding took place. As in all families, a small child came into the limelight as she tried escaping a ceremony that she was already finding somewhat boring: HRH Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark, the eldest child of TM The King and Queen of The Hellenes, after trying to climb one of the marble columns of the chapel, tried to draw her father, her mother and her grandmother out from the row of guests. After all the insistence, the little Princess finally managed to convince her mother to leave the chapel with her for some moments, Queen Anne-Marie returning alone to witness the rest of the ceremony.
After the sermon, the couple and the whole assembly rose for the moment of the exchange of vows and the exchange of rings, followed by the blessing of the couple by the Bishop, during which the Princess and Prince kneeled. Apart of Princess of Denmark, title by which she would continued to be known, Princess Benedikte was henceforth also Princess Richard zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. Afterwards, the magnificent sound of Hćndel’s “Hallelujah”, from the “Messiah”, echoed through the marble chapel of Fredensborg Palace. Afterwards, the guests sang another psalm, following which HM Queen Anne-Marie went forward to deliver the bouquet to her sister. Has music broke on the organ, the royal couple turned back and faced their guests. Immediately, the Princess curtsied and the Prince bowed to the Danish sovereigns, after what the bridesmaids helped Princess Benedikte with her train.
See more pictures of the ceremony in the Chapel of Fredensborg Palace
