Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer

The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer took place on 29 July 1981 at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. The groom was the heir apparent to the British throne, and the bride was a member of the Spencer family. Notable figures in attendance included many members of other royal families, republican heads of state, and members of the bride’s and groom’s families.

About Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer in brief

The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer took place on 29 July 1981 at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, United Kingdom. The groom was the heir apparent to the British throne, and the bride was a member of the Spencer family. The ceremony featured many ceremonial aspects, including use of the state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry. Notable figures in attendance included many members of other royal families, republican heads of state, and members of the bride’s and groom’s families. After the ceremony, the couple made the traditional appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The United Kingdom had a national holiday on that day to mark the wedding. The couple separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996 after fifteen years of marriage. Their marriage was widely billed as a \”fairytale wedding\” and the \”wedding of the century\”. It was watched by an estimated global TV audience of 750 million people. Many street parties were held throughout the United Kingdom to celebrate the occasion. The cost of the wedding was later estimated to be USD 48 million, with 600,000 police and 2,200 military officers to manage the crowds. The Queen hosted a dinner for a crowd of 90 individuals two nights before the wedding at Buckingham Palace, and a reception with dancing for 1,500 people was also held. 150 people, including heads of states and governments, were invited for a dinner with the Queen the night before the ceremony. The traditional Church of England wedding service was presided over by the Most Reverend Alan Webster, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Very Reverend Robert Runcie, Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Two million spectators lined the route of Diana’s procession from Clarence House, with 4,200 police and sharpshooters to manage crowds. In 2010, the Queen Mother gave Diana a sapphire and diamond brooch as an engagement present. In a series of tapes recorded for her 1992 biography, Diana said that she recalled discovering a bracelet which Charles had bought for his longtime lover Camilla Parker Bowles shortly before their wedding. She later claimed that the couple had met only 13 times in total before the announcement of their engagement. The ring was made by the Crown jewellers Garrard, and became the engagement ring of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in 2010, in 2010. Charles and Diana selected a large engagement ring that consisted of 14 solitaire diamonds surrounding a 12-carat oval blue Ceylonsapphire set in 18- carat white gold, which was similar to her mother’s engagement ring. Charles proposed on 3 February 1981 in the nursery at Windsor Castle, and Diana accepted, but their engagement was kept secret for the next few weeks. Diana was well received at Balmoral by Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, and Queen Elizabeth theQueen Mother, and Prince Philip. The couple then had several dates in London. Diana later claimed she wanted to call off the wedding but was put off the idea by her sisters.

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