Weddings, even those steeped in tradition, rarely run perfectly
– and royal weddings are no exception. At Princess Alexandra’s
marriage to Angus Ogilvy on 24 April 1963, Queen Elizabeth II found
herself in a delicate situation, having to apologise to a fellow
monarch.

Footage from the day shows the Queen inadvertently stepping on
the foot of King Olav V of Norway as guests gathered to see the
newlyweds off. The Queen quickly realised her misstep, especially
as King Olav flinched slightly. Fortunately, the two monarchs were
close relatives – second cousins – and the moment dissolved into
shared laughter.

On this day in 1963, Princess Alexandra
married Angus Ogilvy at Westminster Abbey.

Outside, the Queen was filmed accidentally standing on the foot of
King Olav V of Norway. 😅 pic.twitter.com/amH6rbbOX3

— The Royal Family Channel (@RoyalFamilyITNP) April 24, 2021

Elizabeth II and Olav V were linked through King George V of the
United Kingdom and Queen Maud of Norway, who were siblings. Maud
married the future King Haakon VII of Norway, born Prince Carl of
Denmark, making the pair aunt and uncle to King George VI,
Elizabeth’s father. Haakon was even born on the Sandringham Estate
in 1903, a tie that further cemented the families’ closeness.

The bonds deepened during the Second World War, when the
Norwegian Royal Family lived in exile in London. King Haakon and
then-Crown Prince Olav spent the years in Britain, and Elizabeth
referred to Haakon as “Uncle Charles” throughout his life. When
Elizabeth had her first son, Prince Charles, in 1948, she
reportedly named him in honour of the King of Norway. Olav
continued to visit the United Kingdom annually for Remembrance Day
until his death in 1991.

Princess Alexandra’s wedding was a grand affair, attracting
royals from across Europe. As the only daughter of Prince George,
Duke of Kent, and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark, Alexandra
was connected to nearly every royal house. Guests included Queen
Ingrid of Denmark, the future Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, Queen
Louise of Sweden, Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain, Queen Mother
Helen of Romania, Princesses Irene and Margriet of the Netherlands,
the Margrave and Margravine of Baden, and Prince and Princess Paul
of Yugoslavia, among others.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, were in
attendance to support their cousin. The day remains a charming
reminder that even the most dignified of events can be punctuated
by human – and very royal – moments of levity.