6 royal March brides

March brings the first sights of spring and what could say new beginnings better than a wedding. Although it can't match the sunnier months of April, May and June for royal brides, it's still been the choice of wedding date for some of the most famous princesses of recent years. As the sunshine of spring starts to break through, here's a look back at six famous royal March brides.

Infanta Elena of Spain, March 18th 1995, Seville Cathedral
Back in the late 20th  century, when Spain's monarchy enjoyed record breaking approval ratings. the marriage of the eldest child of King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofia was a huge and happy event. The Infanta Elena Maria Isabel Dominica was then second in line to the throne of Spain and her wedding to Jaime de Marichalar at Seville Cathedral drew crowds of thousands and a TV audience of millions. The newlyweds enjoyed the title of Duke and Duchess of Lugo and went on to have two children, Felipe Juan Froilan and Victoria Federica, but they parted in 2007 and divorced two years later. 

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Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands, March 10th 1966, Westerkerk, Amsterdam

Another first born royal daughter said 'I do' on a March day but rather than move further away from the throne as time went on, this bride ended up a queen. Princess Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard of the Netherlands had been heiress to her country's throne since her mother's accession as Queen Juliana in 1948. But this royal wedding proved controversial as the groom, Prince Claus, had grown up in Nazi Germany and had - like many other young men - been part of the Hitler Youth. There were protests as the bride and groom made their first appearance as a married couple. But by the time Beatrix became Queen of the Netherlands in 1980 he had become a popular member of the Dutch Royal Family and this March bride and groom stood side by side until his death in 2002 when he was widely mourned. 

Princess Martha of Sweden, March 21st 1929, Oslo

In contrast, the marriage of another royal March bride in 1929 was about as popular an event as you could find. The lady in white was Princess Martha Sofia Louisa Dagmar Thyra of Sweden and her groom was the dashing and popular Crown Prince Olav of Norway. These cousins had fallen in love and their wedding, at Oslo Cathedral, was the first royal marriage in Norway for over three centuries. The new Crown Princess became hugely popular and a friend of Franklin D Roosevelt who helped her flee to the United States following the Nazi invasion of Norway. She made impassioned calls for the liberation of her adopted country and was even more loved when she returned after the War. But she never became Queen of Norway - Crown Princess Martha died in 1954, three years before her husband became King Olav V.

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Princess Louise Margaret of Prussia, March 13th 1879, St George's Chapel, Windsor This royal bride went on to be the ancestor of several of today's crowned heads of Europe. Louise Margaret Alexandra Victoria Agnes of Prussia married Arthur, Duke of Connaught who was the third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and a godson of the German Emperor, Wilhelm I - a great uncle of the bride. It's safe to say that most people involved in this marriage knew one another already. Louise Margaret became Duchess of Connaught following her wedding and had three children. The eldest, Margaret, became Crown Princess of Sweden and her descendants include King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece.

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Princess Louise, March 21st 1871, St George's Chapel, Windsor This March royal bride caused a big stir with her choice of husband but then contemporaries of Princess Louise, fourth daughter of Queen Victoria, expected nothing less that a bit of controversy from this forward thinking royal. Louise had been a bit of a regal rebel, asking her mother to drop the restrictions imposed by mourning for her father, Prince Albert, so that she could have a birthday ball. She rejected the idea of several royal matches including discussion of a wedding to the Crown Prince of Denmark and in the end set her heart on John, Marquess of Lorne. Despite protests from some parts of the Royal Family, Louise got her man and following her wedding she rebelled even further by sometimes calling herself Mrs Campbell when out and about on her travels.

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Princess Alexandra of Denmark, March 10th 1863, St George's Chapel, Windsor Not many royal brides have to compete with a marble bust of their new husband's dead father in the wedding photos but that was the task that faced Princess Alexandra of Denmark following her marriage to Edward, Prince of Wales in 1863. Alexandra Caroline Marie Charlotte Louise Julia of Denmark had been talked about as a royal bride for the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Albert before the death of the Prince Consort in December 1861 but a proposal didn't happen until 1862 and when Alexandra arrived in England to marry her prince, she found his mother and the court still in deep mourning. Alexandra had a fantastic white dress for her wedding - she was known for her love of fashion - but everyone else was observing mourning and had to wear black, mauve or grey. The guest list was limited, Victoria was miserable and that was before we get to the famous photos of the couple with Victoria and the marble bust. Alexandra proved a devoted wife and popular princess despite her husband's wandering eye and she became even more loved as a queen consort and dowager.