A royal wedding invites a lot of speculation about what the bride will wear, who the guests will be and, for bakers everywhere, what the cake will look like. The cutting of the wedding cake has traditionally been the first task that the couple are expected to do together, which is why it plays a large part in the routine of the reception. Without a wedding cake a reception is just a party, and a royal wedding requires a cake that’s both impressive and unique.
In the history of royal weddings, Queen Victoria was the true trendsetter. Her dress and wedding cake were unusual at the time, and are still emulated by brides to this day. Before her wedding in 1840 brides just wore a nice dress, but not necessarily a white one. (Black was a common color for dresses until well into the 20th century, as a matter of fact.) Similarly, before Victoria’s marriage, wedding cakes weren’t the tall, white confections that they are today.
Queen Victoria had multiple cakes, which were sliced thin and boxed for the guests at the reception. Pieces were also sent to Victoria’s royal relatives all over Europe as souvenirs. Her main cake was nine feet across, weighed 300 pounds, and was covered in white icing that later became known as "royal icing." Pieces of the cake are still in existence, and will occasionally go on display or show up at auction.
Royalty who followed had cakes that were even more elaborate. In 1923, the future King George VI had a cake that was nine feet tall and weighed over 790 pounds. Prince Charles and Princess Diana had a very classically styled cake that stood five feet tall and had five tiers. It was made of traditional British wedding cake, which is a rich fruitcake soaked in brandy. This was covered with royal icing and then decorated with miniatures of the royal coat of arms.
The American tradition of saving the top tier of the wedding cake for the first anniversary comes from the British tradition of saving a tier for the first child’s christening. Keeping with this, one tier from Princess Diana’s cake was saved and was later used for Prince William’s baptismal cake.
The speculation is that William and Kate will forgo the British fruitcake in favor of a more modern flavor selection, but if they do, it will be a major step away from tradition. The design of the cake is still a mystery as well. Until it’s unveiled on the day of the wedding, we won’t know whether they’ll go with a formal design or something more modern.
My guess is that there will be a selection of cakes, some more modern and some more traditional, and that the main cake will be a traditional one. There are certain aspects that make a royal wedding a royal wedding, and an elaborate, formal white wedding cake is one of them.
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This column showcases the musings or anecdotes (all positive or upbeat, of course!) from Celebrations readers who also love to write. To submit a piece for consideration, email Celebrations@timesdispatch.com. Subject: Expressions
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