As one of the most prominent royal families in the world, the British Royal Family has always received an abundance of media attention. However, none of their events have received quite as much attention as the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Their wedding took place on July 29, 1981, and it was hailed as the “wedding of the century.”
The Royal Wedding: A Grand Event
The wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was nothing short of grand and opulent. The wedding ceremony took place at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, which can hold up to 2,000 people. The ceremony was broadcast live on television, which means that millions of people all around the world had the privilege of witnessing the historic event. Over 600,000 people lined the streets of London to catch a glimpse of the royal couple as they made their way to and from the cathedral.
The dress worn by Princess Diana was undoubtedly one of the most iconic aspects of the wedding. The dress was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel and was made with over 10,000 pearls. The train of the dress was a whopping 25 feet long, which made it a true statement piece. The style of the dress was called “the puffball,” which was a mix of romantic and modern designs.
A Global Spectacle
As previously mentioned, the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was a global event. Millions of people tuned in to watch the ceremony on television, which meant that there was a lot of pressure on the couple to make everything perfect. Luckily, everything went without a hitch, and the wedding was a huge success.
The marriage between Prince Charles and Princess Diana was seen as a step towards modernizing the royal family, who had previously been seen as rigid and stuffy. The wedding ceremony reflected this new direction, as it was a mix of traditional and modern elements. For example, the bride and groom exchanged personalized vows, which was uncommon for royal weddings at the time. Additionally, the wedding cake was a modern design that featured the Prince and Princess’s coat of arms as well as various symbols that represented their interests.
The Aftermath
After the wedding, Prince Charles and Princess Diana became one of the most beloved couples in the world. However, their marriage was not without its difficulties. The couple had two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, but they eventually separated and divorced. Princess Diana tragically passed away in 1997 in a car crash, which was a devastating event that caused immense grief around the world. Prince Charles went on to marry Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005.
Conclusion
The wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was undoubtedly the wedding of the century. The grandeur of the event, combined with the fact that it was broadcast live to millions of people, meant that it will always be remembered as an historic day. The dress worn by Princess Diana, in particular, has become one of the most iconic dresses of all time, and it has even been recreated by various designers over the years. Although their marriage did not end happily ever after, the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana will always be remembered as a momentous occasion and a shining example of the grandeur and opulence associated with the British Royal Family.
FAQ
Why did the Queen not attend Charles and Camilla’s wedding?
The wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles was a highly anticipated event, but it also garnered some controversy. One of the most notable aspects of the wedding ceremony was the absence of the Queen, who did not attend the actual wedding ceremony. Instead, she only attended the church blessing and hosted the reception afterwards.
The announcement of the Queen’s absence from the wedding ceremony came on 22 February, just a few weeks before the scheduled wedding. The palace specifically stated that the reason for this was because the couple wanted to keep the occasion low key. This meant that the wedding ceremony was a more intimate affair, with only close family and friends in attendance.
However, many people speculated that there were other reasons behind the Queen’s decision not to attend. Some suggested that the Queen was still unhappy about the scandal surrounding Charles and Camilla’s relationship and did not want to appear to be endorsing it by attending the ceremony. Others believed that the Queen was simply too busy with other royal duties to attend the wedding.
Regardless of the specific reason, the absence of the Queen at the wedding ceremony was a significant departure from tradition. Historically, it has been customary for the Queen to attend the weddings of her immediate family members. However, the fact that she only attended part of the wedding and not the actual ceremony suggests that there were extenuating circumstances that led to her absence.
In the end, the wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles was a controversial and highly publicized event. The absence of the Queen from the wedding ceremony added to the controversy, and many people speculated about the reasons behind her decision not to attend. While the official reason was that the couple wanted to keep the occasion low key, many believe that there were other factors at play.
Did Diana want to call off the wedding?
According to information provided by James Colthurst, who was a friend of Princess Diana, she did consider calling off her marriage to Prince Charles. Colthurst claims that Diana had confided in him and expressed doubts about the wedding. He also reported that she had found a bracelet that Charles had bought for Camilla Parker Bowles and was devastated by it.
In addition to Colthurst’s account, the documentary “Diana: In Her Own Words” includes audio recordings of Diana talking about her engagement and early days of the relationship with Charles. In the recordings, Diana mentions that she sought advice from her sisters and that they had both told her that marrying a prince was a chance of a lifetime. However, Diana also mentions that she was not happy with Charles’s indecisiveness and lack of commitment in the relationship.
Furthermore, during her 1995 BBC interview with Martin Bashir, Diana confessed that she and Charles were both involved in affairs during their marriage. This revelation suggests that Diana may have had reservations about the wedding, knowing that her relationship with Charles was not stable.
While there is no definitive evidence to prove that Diana wanted to call off the wedding, the available information suggests that she had doubts and concerns about marrying Prince Charles. Despite these reservations, the wedding went ahead, and the couple married on July 29, 1981, at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.
Why did Charles wear blue to Diana’s funeral?
When the world mourned the tragic loss of Princess Diana in 1997, millions of eyes were on the royal family as they said their goodbyes to the beloved princess. Among the prominent figures in the funeral procession was Diana’s ex-husband, Prince Charles, who chose to wear a navy suit to the ceremony. The move was an unusual one for a royal funeral, where traditional somber black clothing is typically worn, and it prompted speculation about why he chose to wear such a muted shade of blue.
Many royal fans and Diana’s admirers assumed that Prince Charles’s choice of dress was a tribute to the late Princess. Diana herself was reportedly partial to the color navy and was known to favor navy clothing on the men around her. In a 2003 biography of Charles, Penny Junor wrote that Diana had once urged Prince Charles to wear more blue. She reportedly told him, “You look really good in navy, Charles. It makes your eyes look blue-er.”
Princess Diana had a close relationship with her former husband despite their highly-publicized divorce, and the two were still on speaking terms before her untimely death. Charles also reportedly helped to plan some aspects of the funeral, and the navy suit could be seen as a subtle nod to his ex-wife’s personal preferences and as a final tribute to the woman who had captured the world’s hearts and imaginations.
While his outfit choice may have been unexpected, it was not the only tributes that Charles paid to Diana. When he delivered his eulogy at the funeral, Charles spoke movingly about his ex-wife, describing her as “the most marvelous person” he had ever met and praising her beauty, compassion, and good humor. The speech remains one of the most poignant royal moments of the last century, and Charles’s choice to wear blue to Diana’s funeral will be remembered as one of the many touching ways in which he honored her memory.