After Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip tied the knot on November 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey, their royal wedding went down in history. From the intricate wedding dress covered in 10,000 pearls to the live broadcast on BBC Radio, the late couple’s big day shaped many subsequent nuptials in England’s royal family and made a lasting impact on the world. While their affair was heavily reported on and talked about in the ensuing days, months, and years after they said “I do,” there are some facts that most of the public—even diehard royal fans—simply don't know.

For example, you might not know that Prince Philip had to make a huge sacrifice in order to marry his fiancée—or that Queen Elizabeth received an extravagant wedding gift that cost millions of dollars. Some of these surprising facts were a result of the post-World War II era, while others reflected royal protocol to help maintain the royal family’s public image. Then, you have others that entailed disruptive and dramatic mishaps or sentimental and personal details.

Nearly 80 years following Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s royal wedding, here are 10 facts about their nuptials that you probably didn’t know. Prepare to be enlightened as you scroll on.

Prince Philip couldn't invite his sisters.

You’re probably well aware that the guest list was a large and prestigious one, but did you know that Prince Philip was prohibited from inviting most of his siblings? Since the couple’s big day took place in the aftermath of World War II, the late prince was unable to invite three of his four sisters because they were all married to Germans, per Biography. The royal family felt that it was better to leave Philip's sisters and their respective spouses off of the guest list.

Prince Philip gave up smoking on his wedding day.

On his wedding day, Philip decided to quit smoking—cold turkey. Philip knew that Elizabeth hated her father’s smoking habit (and smoking-related health problems eventually contributed to his death), so the groom agreed to give up the vice before he married his future wife, Biography reported.

Queen Elizabeth paid for her own wedding dress with rationing coupons.

Queen Elizabeth’s wedding dress is considered to be one of the most influential of all time—the duchess satin gown's intricate, symbolic embroidery required a team of 25 needlewomen and 10 embroiderers to create. The final product cost $42,000 (which is equivalent to $1.6 million today). Because materials were scarce at the time, as the United Kingdom was recovering from World War II, there were strict postwar economic measures that everyone had to follow—including the royal family. For that reason, the bride had to use rationing coupons to pay for her own wedding dress, according to Vanity Fair. While she saved up many of her coupons to fund the dress, she also used 200 that the government gifted her.

Some U.K. citizens sent their own rationing coupons to be used towards her wedding dress, which was illegal.

Since creating Queen Elizabeth’s wedding dress was an expensive task in the aftermath of the war, the public wanted to chip in. Many civilians who were excited about the royal wedding tried to help the bride pay for her big-day getup by sending her their own rationing coupons through the mail. Because this activity was considered illegal, every coupon was returned to their rightful owner.

The bride forgot her pearl necklaces.

Before Elizabeth got married, her father gifted her a special royal heirloom: a set of pearl necklaces that Queen Anne and Queen Caroline once owned before her. Elizabeth planned on wearing these vintage jewels on her special day, but as she was getting ready, she realized that she left them at St. James’ Palace, which is where she lived at the time. Fortunately, her private secretary was able to quickly retrieve them from her home, so she could sport them when she walked down the aisle.

Winston Churchill caused a false alarm when he arrived.

While guests were gathered inside Westminster Abbey for the ceremony, eagerly awaiting the couple’s arrival, Winston Churchill, the former prime minister, caused a false alarm. Churchill and his wife were late to enter the church, so when they opened the doors, everyone expected to see the bride. When they saw Churchill, instead, it was a bit of a disappointment. The former prime minister also caused another disruption during the ceremony: According to Vanity Fair, he abruptly stood up in the middle of the service to put on his coat.

King George VI wrote a private letter in lieu of a speech.

Royal wedding receptions usually include speeches, but the bride’s father, King George VI, opted to write a heartfelt letter, instead. According to a transcript of the letter, which the royal family posted on their website, Elizabeth’s dad shared emotional words with his daughter: “I was so proud of you and thrilled at having you so close to me on our long walk in Westminster Abbey, but when I handed your hand to the Archbishop, I felt that I had lost something very precious. You were so calm and composed during the service and said your words with such conviction, that I knew everything was all right.”

“I have watched you grow up all these years with pride under the skillful direction of Mummy, who, as you know, is the most marvelous person in the world in my eyes, and I can, I know, always count on you, and now Philip, to help us in our work,” he continued. “Your leaving us has left a great blank in our lives, but do remember that your old home is still yours and do come back to it as much and as often as possible. I can see that you are sublimely happy with Philip, which is right but don't forget us is the wish of your everloving and devoted, Papa.”

Queen Elizabeth received a $6.2 million wedding gift.

The couple received their fare share of wedding gifts after their nuptials, but one particular present was extremely valuable and sentimental. After the duo traded vows, Elizabeth’s father gave her a Victorian-era necklace, composed of sapphires and diamonds, and matching earrings, known as the George VI Victorian Suite. The gift was one of Elizabeth’s most cherished pieces in her jewelry collection, and in the 1960s, she revamped the necklace by turning the largest sapphire into a pendant and also added a coordinating bracelet. Altogether, Maxwell Stone, creative director of fine jewelry company Steven Stone, says the set has an estimated value of $6.2 million. 

The wedding cake was three feet taller than Prince Philip.

During Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's post-ceremony breakfast reception, they served 11 royal wedding cakes. There was one confection that stood out among the bunch, though—primarily because it was a nine-foot-tall, 500-pound cake. While Prince Philip was considered tall for his time, with a height of six feet, the wedding cake towered over him—it was a whole three feet taller than him. The four-tiered fruitcake, which was intricately decorated and made with globally sourced ingredients, produced 2,000 slices of cake.

The couple distributed surprisingly simple wedding favors.

Royal guests received a surprisingly simple wedding favor following the newlyweds’ nuptials. At the end of the reception, they were given a memento that was composed of white heather, tied with a silver ribbon. Heather was somewhat of a motif at the royal affair: At one of the reception tables, which housed “foreign royalties,” per Royal Central, the centerpiece boasted white heather, along with myrtle from Queen Victoria’s own wedding bouquet and pink carnations. Since heather was a long-lasting bloom, the royal news source said it was a practical decision following World War II.