On July 29, 1981, one of the most iconic weddings in history took place: the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in London, England.
The wedding was a grand affair, watched by a global television audience of 750 million people. Lady Diana arrived at the cathedral in a glass coach, wearing an ivory taffeta and antique lace gown, which boasted a 25-foot train, the longest in royal history.
The ceremony was attended by 3,500 guests, including many dignitaries and members of royal families from around the world. The couple exchanged traditional vows, though Diana famously reversed the order of Charles' names, saying "Philip Charles Arthur George" instead of "Charles Philip Arthur George."
After the ceremony, the couple made the traditional appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where they delighted the crowd by sharing a kiss, a departure from royal protocol at the time.
The wedding was not without its controversies. It was revealed years later that Charles had been pressured into the marriage and that he maintained an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles throughout his relationship with Diana.
Despite the fairy-tale nature of the wedding, the marriage was troubled and ended in divorce in 1996. However, the day remains a significant one in the history of the British royal family and in popular culture. The image of Diana in her wedding dress is one of the most iconic of the 20th century, and the wedding itself set a new standard for royal weddings that continues to this day.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
