The royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer at Saint Paul’s Cathedral on July 29, 1981 was watched by 750 million people around the world. Dubbed “the wedding of the century” for its extravagance, it has broken new records and set global fashion trends, while breaking tradition in a refreshing way.
After the Privy Council sanctioned their marriage, Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles pose with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace in March 1981.
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The bride
Lady Diana Spencer, later known as the “People’s Princess,” was the first British citizen to marry an heir to the throne in over 300 years, although she was far from a commoner. Diana was the daughter of Edward John Spencer and Frances Ruth Burke Roche, Viscount and Viscountess Althorp. Diana first met Charles, Prince of Wales – a man 13 years her senior – when his family rented Queen Elizabeth II’s estate, Park House, during Diana’s childhood.
Charles briefly dated Diana’s older sister Lady Sarah before wooing his future wife. He offered Diana a 12-karat sapphire engagement ring surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds after meeting Diana only 13 times. To audiences, the whirlwind romance between the shy 20-year-old kindergarten teacher and the Crown Prince was something of a fairy tale.
The wedding of Charles, Prince of Wales, and Lady Diana Spencer in St Paul’s Cathedral on July 29, 1981.
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Royal wedding guest list
The wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was the first royal wedding to be held at St Paul’s Cathedral in London since the 1501 nuptials of Prince Arthur (son of King Henry VII) and Princess Catherine. St Paul’s massive interior was more suitable for accommodating their 3,500 guests than Westminster Abbey, the traditional site of royal weddings such as Queen Elizabeth II’s 1947 wedding to Prince Philip.
The guest list was not without drama. Although all European leaders were invited, some declined to attend. “The President of the Republic of Ireland has declined the invitation due to disputes over the status of Northern Ireland,” says historian Carolyn Harris. “The President of Greece did not attend because the former King Constantine of Greece, a cousin and friend of Prince Charles, was invited to the wedding with the title of ‘king'” and “King Juan Carlos and the Queen Sofia of Spain (born Princess Sofia of Greece, a cousin of Prince Philip) did not attend the wedding because Charles and Diana were planning to board the Royal Yacht Britannia for their honeymoon in Gibraltar, British territory since 1704 but claimed by Spain.
America was represented by First Lady Nancy Reagan. Press around the world reported on what world leaders wore, who they spoke to and where they celebrated in London ahead of the big day.
Charles, Prince of Wales, and his wife, Princess Diana, wave to the crowd after their wedding ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Jayne Fincher / Princess Diana Archives / Hulton Royals Collection / Getty Images
Royal wedding hype
In the months leading up to the wedding, the public was thrown into a frenzy by media coverage of the impending nuptials. BBC News royal correspondent Jonny Dymond said Charles has been actively looking for a wife for six to seven years. “There had been a constant drumbeat from the papers about when and who,” Dymond says. “There was also this curious juxtaposition here in Britain of very difficult economic times. Unemployment was rising to almost unimaginable numbers, there was disorder in the streets, riots in major British cities. Then, this “fairytale wedding”. The last time the heir to the throne married was Queen Elizabeth in 1947. “
The wedding was broadcast in 74 countries and watched by 750 million people around the world. Americans have set their alarm clocks early to listen live, and in the UK, the wedding date – July 29, 1981 – has been declared a national holiday so more royal subjects can watch. More than 600,000 spectators have taken to the streets of London hoping to catch a glimpse of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Jeffery Simpson from Globe and Mail reported: “Throughout the service, the royal couple could clearly hear the cheers of thousands outside … After such a cheer, Lady Diana turned to Prince Charles and smiled under her veil .
Diana, the Princess of Wales and Prince Charles pose for Lord Lichfield’s official photo at Buckingham Palace during their wedding.
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Princess Diana’s wedding dress
Princess Diana’s wedding dress was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel for Alexander McQueen. Crafted from silk taffeta, it had the longest train in royal history at 25 feet and was embroidered with 10,000 beads. Princess Diana paired it with the Spencer tiara, a tiara that had been in her family for over 100 years and a 153-meter veil.
The famous kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the wedding ceremony of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.
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The royal wedding ceremony
Princess Diana was the first royal to omit the phrase ‘obey’ her traditional wedding vows, a deliberate choice that sparked controversy. There were several unexpected moments of the ceremony that also raised eyebrows. Diana accidentally referred to her husband by the wrong name, calling him “Philip Charles Arthur George” instead of “Charles Philip Arthur George”.
Prince Charles slipped off forgetting to kiss his bride at the altar after exchanging vows, a mistake he made up for by kissing Diana on the balcony in front of exulting crowds, a tradition repeated by their eldest son, Prince William, at his 2011 wedding to Kate Middleton.
Royal commemorative plaque to mark the marriage of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer.
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Cultural impact of the “ wedding of the century ”
In his address to the assembled wedding guests, the Archbishop of Canterbury said, “All couples are royal couples on their wedding day,” and the wedding industry has taken that to heart. “Marriage was the start of Diana-mania and people were copying and copying what she did, what she wore,” Dymond says. “If you look back at the ‘new look’ after WWII in Europe and years of austerity, you have seen women suddenly again luxurious. The same happened with the -the best creations that Diana wore during and after marriage, as Britain emerged from an era of industrial conflict. There was a romantic style explosion.
Those who couldn’t afford dresses with 25-foot trains settled for commemorative tea towels, posters, Coca-Cola bottles and even a Royal Mint commemorative coin depicting the bride and groom.
The marriage was not to last – Charles and Diana divorced in 1996 – but the lasting legacy of the “wedding of the century” could be felt in the fashion, culture and in the weddings of the couple’s sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, each of which have become world events in their own right.
