Letting their hair down. Princess Eugenie and new husband Jack Brooksbank continued their wedding celebration for a second day on Saturday, October 13, with a festival-themed party in the grounds of the Royal Lodge in Windsor, England.
The third event was a much more laid-back affair than the formal lunch reception held by the Queen after the couple’s nuptials at Windsor Castle on Friday, October 12, and a private black-tie dinner that night.
On Saturday, friends and family joined the newlyweds for a light-hearted day of fun that included a carousel and Ferris wheel, food stalls offering popcorn and burgers and, according to the Daily Mail, Bloody Marys for those with hangovers.
The bride, 28, who is the youngest daughter of Prince Andrew and his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, wore a custom-made pale pink silk biker jacket by designer Sam Dougal that featured the words Mrs Brooksbank written across the back in silver sequins in Eugenie’s handwriting. She teamed the jacket with a white mini dress.
“The look is an exciting and unusual one for a royal wedding, and had to go with the feel of the day,” Dougal told Harper’s Bazaar. He worked with Eugenie and her stylist, Sarah Price, and “decided to go with a young and super fun aesthetic. Much like Eugenie, the look is totally unique and full of fun.”
Guests included Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece, Pixie Geldof, socialite Tamara Beckwith, heiress Hayley Bloomingdale, comedian Jack Whitehall, reality TV star Ollie Proudlock and singer Robbie Williams and his wife, Ayda Williams, whose 6-year-old daughter, Teddy, served as a bridesmaid at the wedding ceremony at St George’s Chapel on Friday. Ellie Goulding also performed at the celebration.
Beckwith posted a photo of her son, Vero, holding a cupcake on a sofa in a huge, beautifully decorated marquee and congratulated the mother of the bride for “having no boundaries when it comes to letting your incredible imagination run riot. What a glorious tent for us all to share Love in.. Lucky girls having you as a Muma.”
“Well that was WoW… a mini marathon,” she added in the caption of another pic of her family. “Met so many fabulous 30 year olds..! Way too much tequila! A truly inclusive Wedding.. Thank you.”
The fairground bash came after an evening celebration for 300 people held at the Royal Lodge (home to Prince Andrew and his ex-wife) that featured emotional speeches, gourmet pizzas and pink cocktails.
The Daily Mail reports that at one point supermodel guests Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne and Naomi Campbell did a “fake catwalk” routine on the dance floor, while Williams took to the stage late in the night, at Duchess Sarah’s urging, to sing hits including “Let Me Entertain You” and “Angels.”
Eugenie’s sister, Princess Beatrice, played MC for the night, while the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra played music during dinner.
There were bottles of Casamigos tequila (Brooksbank is an ambassador for the brand founded by George Clooney) on every table along with bottles of vintage wine as well as a cocktail called Genie in the Bottle, named after the bride and made of rose water, vodka and cassis.
The groom gave a speech in which he spoke about the day he met Eugenie, describing it as love at first sight. Eugenie also spoke at the reception, revealing her diary entry from the night she met her “cute” future husband in 2010.
Dr. Anthony Wallersteiner, headmaster of Stowe School, where Brooksbank was a pupil, told the Mail that the speeches were “amazingly warm, witty and positive,” and added that the groom told guests that his new wife “lights up my life and makes me feel complete.”
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan were not at the evening celebration as they are en route to Australia for an official tour, but Prince William and Duchess Kate were in attendance.
Earlier in the day, Prince Andrew went against royal protocol to hug his new son-in-law. At the wedding breakfast held by Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle, the father of the bride praised Brooksbank in his speech to the 800 guests and said, “I am going to break York house rules now,” and walked over to the groom and embraced him. “It was a lovely human moment,” Wallersteiner told the Mail, noting that there was “a real connection between father and son-in-law.”
He added that Andrew, who was seen adjusting his daughter’s train before she walked down the aisle on Friday, “gave a lovely tribute to Eugenie. He said how she was quite strong-willed.”
