MOTHER-to-be Marina Ogilvy finally became Mrs Paul Mowatt yesterday in
a royal wedding with a difference.
The five months pregnant 23-year-old daughter of Princess Alexandra
walked up the aisle at an unassuming brick-built church for a quiet, no
fuss family service.
The invited guests were far outnumbered by the press photographers
outside and the occasion was in sharp contrast to the wedding of Miss
Ogilvy's brother, James, less than two years ago.
Then the Queen, the Princess of Wales, Prince Edward, Princess
Margaret and many other members of the royal family were among the
congregation.
Yesterday, only Miss Ogilvy's parents, her brother and his wife Julia
were there.
The bride wore a rust-coloured velvet bolero-style jacket with gold
tassels, a tight fitting calf-length black velvet dress and a
broad-brimmed black hat for the marriage to her 26-year-old photographer
boyfriend Mr Paul Mowatt.
Her bitter outburst against her parents published in a national
newspaper last autumn appeared forgotten when she arrived at the parish
church of St Andrew's, Ham, Surrey.
Her father Sir Angus Ogilvy, who gave her away, stepped forward and
greeted her with a kiss on the cheek, asking: ''How are you darling?''
Then he took her arm and led her into the nineteenth century building,
which lies close to Thatched House Lodge in Richmond Park, the mansion
Miss Ogilvy forsook to live with Mr Mowatt at his mother's mock Tudor
''semi'' in nearby Kingston.
Miss Ogilvy kept one time-honoured tradition -- like so many brides
she arrived five minutes late.
The bridegroom, in a dark suit and grey tie, was 20 minutes early for
the 2pm service. He arrived with his best man Mr John Gaughan, and
another male friend, who sported a ponytail and a silver earring.
A few minutes later Princess Alexandra, elegant in a purple velvet
suit and a matching hat, was warmly greeted with applause and cheers.
''Hope you have a lovely day,'' shouted someone in the crowd. The
Princess smiled and stopped to chat with some of the well-wishers.
Princess Alexandra's verdict on the ceremony was: ''It was a lovely
wedding.'' Sir Angus declared himself to be ''delighted'', while Mrs
Catherine Mowatt said ''it was absolutely wonderful.''
News of the wedding broke at the beginning of the week almost four
months after Marina's bitter outburst in the Today newspaper. She was
quoted as saying that when she told her parents about her baby, which is
due in May, they gave her an ultimatum to have an abortion or to get
married by special licence.
Sir Angus and Princess Alexandra took the unusual step of issuing a
statement declaring their love for their daughter and expressing concern
at ''inaccuracies'' in the report.
They said their daughter was always welcome at home and that they had
not, as had been suggested, cut her off.
The Queen gave her consent for the marriage under the Royal Marriages
Act of 1772 before she left on her official visit to New Zealand. Miss
Ogilvy is 24th in line to the throne
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