WEDDING PRINCE CHARLES - CAMILLA

Charles and Camilla are married

The Daily Telegraph, 9/IV/2005

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles have received a church blessing at St George's Chapel following their civil wedding at Windsor Guildhall.

Camilla, who is now known as HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, changed into a long, flowing silver/grey dress for the blessing.

Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles arrive at the Windsor Guildhall

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, read the general confession to a kneeling couple.

Prince Charles and Camilla said: "Heavenly Father, we offer thee our souls and bodies, our thoughts and words and deeds, our love for one another. Unite our wills in thy will, that we may grow together in love and peace all the days of our life: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

The service was attended by about 750 guests including members of the royal family, statesmen and celebrities.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were at the blessing having decided not to attend the civil ceremony at Windsor town hall. The Queen wore an off-white coat-like dress.

Following the blessing, Charles and Camilla greeted some of the invited guests outside the chapel, such as people who work for his charities.

Earlier the couple had emerged from the Guildhall as husband and wife.

Camilla had worn an ivory, with a chiffon dress, oyster silk coat and large hat, while Prince Charles wore a morning suit with a pale grey waistcoat, grey tie and light blue shirt.

They briefly waved at the cheering crowds, which had swelled to about 15,000. They arrived together barely pausing before entering the town hall and did not take part in any walk-about.

Camilla looked nervous before and after the ceremony, clutching her hand bag.

After the ceremony they walked to their Rolls Royce Phantom VI car arm in arm before being driven back to WindsorCastle for the reception.

Camilla had earlier this morning travelled to Windsor Castle from Clarence House where she spent the night.

Prince Charles had travelled to Windsor from his Gloucestershire home of Highgrove where he spent the night with his two sons.

The Guildhall had been bedecked in growing jasmine plants. The flowers in the Ascot Room for the civil ceremony had been cut from the gardens at Highgrove and Raymill.

Bunches of Lily of the Valley - a favourite of both the Charles and Camilla - also decorated the room. Traditionally, Lily of the Valley symbolise the return of happiness.

About 20,000 had descended on the town when Prince Edward married Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999 and about 600,000 spectators turned out for Charles's first wedding to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 in St Paul's Cathedral in London.

Minutes before the service began officials announced that three last minute objections to the civil ceremony, including one from a Church of England vicar, had been dismissed by the deputy registrar general Dennis Roberts.

The run-up to the wedding has been beset by problems. The pair had to switch venues from St George's chapel in WindsorCastle to the Guildhall and faced legal opposition to their nuptials.

The wedding should have taken place yesterday but had to be put back a day because of the funeral of Pope John Paul II, which the Prince attended.

When Charles slipped the wedding ring, crafted from Welsh gold, on to Camilla's finger, she became the most senior female member of the Royal Family after the Queen.

 

Music before the service

 

Suite from Henry V Sir William Walton (1902-83)

 

Adagio in E FrankBridge (1879-1941)

 

Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C J S Bach (1685-1750)

 

Excerpt from Suite No. 3 in G from Water Music G F Handel (1685-1759)

 

Excerpt from Suite No. 1 in F from Water Music G F Handel (1685-1759)

 

Romance in E Flat Major for String Orchestra Gerald Finzi (1901-56)

 

Farewell to Stromness Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (b. 1934)

 

Serenade for Strings Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934)

 

Last Spring from Two Elegiac Melodies Edvard Grieg (1843-1907)

 

Adagio from Oboe Concerto No. 2 in D Minor Tomaso Albinoni (1671-c1751)

 

The music for the service is performed by: Members of the Philharmonia Orchestra, Conductor, Christopher Warren-Green

 

The Choir of St George’s Chapel, Director of Music,Timothy Byram-Wigfield Organist, Roger Judd, Soloist, Ekaterina Semenchuk of the Marinsky Theatre

 

The musical arrangements are by Rosemary Furniss and Julian Milone

 

All stand as Members of the Royal Family, having been received at the Galilee Porch by the Canons of Windsor, are conducted to their places in the Quire.

 

All stand as Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh are conducted by way of the North Quire Aisle and the Organ Screen to their places in the Quire by the Dean of Windsor.

 

All stand as Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall are conducted to the Quire by way of the North Quire Aisle and the Organ Screen by the Dean of Windsor. All remain standing as the Choir and Clergy enter the Quire by way of the Nave Aisles and Organ Screen. The Choir and the Succentor proceed to their stalls in the Quire, the Canons of Windsor, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Dean of Windsor proceed to their places in the Sanctuary.

 

Order Of Service

 

All remain standing to sing the Processional Hymn: Immortal, invisible, God only wise, Words W Chalmers Smith (1824-1908) Music Adapted from a Welsh song set to a hymn in John Roberts’ Caniadau y Cyssegre 1839

 

The congregation remains standing.

 

Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall stand before the High Altar.

 

The Archbishop says:

 

The Lord be with you; And with thy spirit. Charles and Camilla, you stand in the presence of God as man and wife to dedicate to him your life together, that he may consecrate your marriage and empower you to keep the covenant and promise you have solemnly declared. You now wish to affirm your desire to live as followers of Christ, and you have come to him, the fountain of grace, that, strengthened by the prayers of the Church, you may be enabled to fulfil your marriage vows in love and faithfulness.

 

All kneel

 

Let us keep silence and remember God’s presence with us now.

 

All keep silence

 

God is love, and they that dwell in love dwell in God and God in them. Let us pray.

 

All say:

 

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts be open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord.

 

Amen.

 

The Archbishop continues:

 

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Let us come to the Lord, who is full of compassion, and acknowledge our transgressions in penitence and faith.

 

All say:

 

The General Confession

 

The Archbishop continues:

 

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him: Have mercy upon you; pardon and deliver you from all your sins; confirm and strengthen you in all goodness; and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Amen.

 

O God our Father, who by thy holy Apostle hast taught us that love is the fulfilling of the law; Grant to these thy servants that, loving one another, they may continue in thy love unto their lives’ end; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God world without end. Amen.

 

All sit.

 

The First Reading: Revelation 21. 1-7 read by

 

The Right Reverend and Right Honourable the Lord Carof Clifton

 

The Choir sings a setting of a Creed from the Russian Orthodox Liturgy by Aleksandr Gretchaninov (1864-1956).

 

All stand.

 

Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall stand before the Archbishop, who says:

 

Charles and Camilla, you have committed yourselves to each other in marriage, and your marriage is recognised by law. The Church of Christ understands marriage to be, in the will of God, the union of a man and a woman, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till parted by death. Is this your understanding of the covenant and promise that you have made?

 

Husband and Wife It is.

 

The Archbishop continues:

 

Charles, have you resolved to be faithful to your wife, forsaking all others, so long as you both shall live?

 

Husband That is my resolve, with the help of God.

 

Camilla, have you resolved to be faithful to your husband, forsaking all others, so long as you both shall live?

 

Wife That is my resolve, with the help of God.

 

The Archbishop continues:

 

Heavenly Father, by thy blessing let these rings be to Charles and Camilla a symbol of unending love and faithfulness and of the promises they have made to each other; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

The Archbishop says to the Congregation:

 

Charles and Camilla have here affirmed their Christian understanding and resolve in the marriage which they have begun. Will you, their families and friends, support and uphold them in their marriage, now and in the years to come?

 

All say We will.

 

Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall kneel and say together:

 

Heavenly Father, we offer thee our souls and bodies, our thoughts and words and deeds, our love for one another. Unite our wills in thy will, that we may grow together in love and peace all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

The Archbishop continues:

 

Almighty God give you grace to persevere, that he may complete in you the work he has already begun; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

The Lord bless you and watch over you;

 

The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you;

 

The Lord look kindly on you and give you peace all the days of your life. Amen.

 

Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall return to their places.

 

Remain standing to sing the Hymn:

 

Love Divine, all loves excelling, Words Charles Wesley (1707-88) Music Blaenwern William Rowlands (1860-1937)

 

All sit.

 

The Second Reading from Ode on Intimations of Immortality by William Wordsworth (1770-1850) read by Mr Timothy West

 

All kneel as the Dean of Windsor, The Right Reverend David Conner, leads the Prayers from the Lectern in the Nave.

 

Almighty God who dost send thy Holy Spirit to be the life and light of all thy people, open the hearts of these thy servants to the riches of his grace, that they may bring forth the fruit of the Spirit in love and joy and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

 

Eternal God, true and loving Father, who in Holy Matrimony dost make thy servants one; may their life together witness to thy love in this troubled world; may unity overcome division, forgiveness heal injury and joy triumph over sorrow; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

OGod our Father who, for them that love thee, makest all things work together for the good; we thank thee that, of thy faithfulness, thou dost come out to meet us on our pilgrimage of life. Stay with us now and grant that, as we learn to love thee more, we may deepen our dedication to thy service, and find in thee the fullness of eternal life. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer.

 

Amen.

 

As our Saviour Christ hath commanded and taught us, we are bold to say: The Lord’s Prayer

 

All stand to sing the Hymn: Praise, my soul, the King of heaven; Words H F Lyte (1793-1847) Music John Goss (1800-80) Descant Christopher Robinson (b. 1936)

 

All kneel.

 

The Archbishop pronounces the Blessing: God the Holy Trinity make you strong in faith and love, defend you on every side, and guide you in truth and peace; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.

 

Amen.

 

All stand to sing The National Anthem:

 

The Voluntary Celebration Fanfare Alun Hoddinott (b. 1929)

 

Music following the Fanfare

 

Alla Hornpipe from Water Music Suite No. 2 in D G F Handel (1685-1759)

 

Prelude and Fugue in G

 

J S Bach (1685-1750)

 

British Royal Family