Country Living
Posted: April 30, 2024 | Last updated: April 30, 2024
People lost their minds in 1981 when Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles. The dress! The ring! People couldn't get enough of the romance—and you've likely seen approximately two hundred million pictures from that day since as a result. But I dove deep into the archives to find some photos you probably HAVEN'T seen before. Prepare yourself for some serious gems.
The engagement ring of the century (yep, the same sapphire sparkler that Kate Middleton now totes around) made its debut when Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer announced their engagement on the grounds outside of Buckingham Palace.
Now that's how you tell the world you're off the market! Princess Di looked absolutely gorggg in a strapless black dress during her first night out as an engaged woman. The pair, who announced their engagement just two weeks earlier, were attending a recital at London's Goldsmith's Hall.
Prince Charles and Diana pose with Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace after she gave her consent for their wedding. Is it just me or does everyone look rather...tense?
Diana and Charles are seen leaving St. Paul's Cathedral after their first wedding rehearsal on June 12, 1981—47 days before the big day. Hey, if you were getting married in front of, oh, I don't know, the entire world, you'd want lots of practice too.
Diana is seen leaving Emanuel's after the final fitting for her wedding dress a week before the big day. The suspense!
Husband and wife designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel were tapped to design Lady Di's dreamy taffeta gown. The designs were kept secret until the day of the ceremony, when the press was given a sketch of what they'd see on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral.
As with any outfit, the dress just wouldn't be the same without the accessories. This sketch shows Princess Diana's heart slippers, created by Clive Shilton, along with the tiny golden horseshoe design sewn into her gown for good luck. And don't forget the lacy umbrella and pochette.
This sketch by the Worshipful Company of Gardeners shows the design of her bouquet. The long, flowing collection of flowers—which stood at 42-inches high and weighed a little over 4 pounds—became one of the most memorable in royal wedding history for a reason.
This time, Diana and Charles leave the church only two days before their wedding. Appropriate.
Crowds camped out along the procession route the night before the wedding to ensure a good view. Commitment, man.
A firework display took place over London on July 28, 1981, the eve of Charles and Diana's wedding.
On their wedding day, celebrations were seen throughout the United Kingdom. In Wales, the Royal Air Force performed a formation of the Prince of Wales Feathers over Caernarfon Castle.
The U.K. sure knows how to party. Celebrations continued throughout the area, including Liverpool's Chinatown. Here, the Lian Dancing Troupe perform a special routine in honor of the newlyweds.
Remember those campers? They lined the streets with British flags and decorations, hoping to get a glimpse at the two upon their arrival.
They also relayed messages of support for the royal couple along the procession route. Seeing these signs HAD to calm Diana's nerves.
Press from every nation, including the United States, set up outposts to live broadcast the events. Here, Today hosts Willard Scott, Jane Pauley, and Tom Brokaw enjoy a spot of tea (as one does) before the ceremony.
If you think that's Princess Diana, look again. And again. And maybe again. While the bride in the snap looks identical to the real royal, she's actually a lookalike posing for a TV segment. Talk about a doppelgänger!
After their engagement was announced, Prince Charles and Diana Spencer were everywhere—literally. Commemorative mugs, towels, plates, you name it.
Speaking of gifts, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia gifted the royal couple with jewelry that puts the "extra" in extravagant. Pictured here are the green malachite pieces crafted for the Prince and Princess of Wales 😍
Seriously, can you imagine driving past all this before your wedding?
Moments before Princess Diana's wedding dress reveal, the designers, David and Elizabeth Emanuel, sat down with NBC to give an interview about the bride. No spoilers, of course. Everyone had to wait for her to step out of the carriage for the big reveal.
Robert Runcie, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was baaaasically the most important person at the royal wedding. He not only performed the ceremony, but was instrumental in the planning.
Wedding guests were shown to assigned seats by ushers as St. Paul's Cathedral prior to the bride and groom's arrival. Sure, the venue was packed, but 750 million people were watching worldwide. So, like, no pressure.
Two of the most ~stylish~ royals, Princess Anne and Princess Margaret, arrived first and did not disappoint. Those colors! Those coordinating fascinators! Just wow.
Queen Elizabeth looked flawless as mother of the groom and, you know, sovereign of the nation, in a light blue coat dress and matching fascinator.
Princess Diana's bridesmaids were treated like royalty (granted, some of them WERE royalty), arriving in a gold carriage.
The day's festivities drew some of the most important royals from around the world—including Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco. Sorry, but how chic is she?!?!
First Lady Nancy Reagan wore a blush outfit to the nuptials. Unparalleled glamour, I tell you.
Prince Charles waves to the excited crowds along the processional—an appropriate response to the many people who camped out ahead of his wedding, if you ask me.
There are few moments more anticipated by the public than this one. Princess Diana arrived at St. Paul's Cathedral and everyone finally got to see her dress. How Diana managed to fit all that taffeta into one carriage, the world will never know.
When the bride stepped out of the carriage, she revealed a 25-foot-long train and veil. Absolutely breathtaking.
After squishing a 25-foot taffeta train into a small carriage, it fell on the bridesmaids to make sure everything was sorted out before Diana processed up the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral.
Prince Charles patiently waits for Diana to arrive while flanked by his two groomsmen.
Diana and her father make their way to the altar. Can you imagine how wild their nerves must have been at this moment??? P.S. Take a closer at the Spencer Tiara—yep, she wore her own family jewels for her big day.
The pews were packed with more than 3,500 guests. Shout out to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to Diana's right.
Honestly, how gorge is St. Paul's Cathedral? Magnificent.
Every bride wants to impress their mother-in-law, but when your MIL also happens to be the Queen, it's customary to give a curtsy upon seeing her—even at your own wedding. (File this info away for when you marry a prince, kay?)
Sarah Armstrong-Jones (AKA Princess Margaret and the Earl of Snowdon's daughter) was the chief bridesmaid.
Princess Diana had a total of five bridesmaids: Clementine Hambro, Catherine Cameron, Sarah-Jane Gaselee, India Hicks, and Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones. Sarah was even trusted with holding Diana's bouquet!
Only a few of Diana's family members are given the front pew in the cathedral. After walking Diana down the aisle, her father, the Earl of Spencer, took his seat next to his ex-wife, their son Charles, and his mother-in-law, Lady Fermoy.
Diana let her nerves show when she accidentally mixed up Prince Charles' full name (referring to him as Philip Charles Arthur George rather than Charles Philip Arthur George). But I mean, who can blame her, that name is a mouthful!
The couple share a private moment during the ceremony. What do you think they were talking about?? How much they wanted a glass of bubbly??
The couple looked b-e-y-o-n-d regal as they made their way down the aisle after saying "I do."
At the end of their processional, Prince Charles and Princess Diana faced hoards of cheering fans outside of the cathedral. You know, just your typical post-wedding stuff.
Sure, you've seen this shot, but have you ever noticed the mountains of flowers displayed at the entrance of church? Didn't think so.
As is traditional, the Queen lead the charge for departing guests.
Charles and Diana were greeted by more than 60,000 well-wishers as they made their way from St. Paul's Cathedral to Buckingham Palace.
The couple's carriage drove along Fleet Street on their way to Buckingham Palace.
Police were out in full force to manage the massive crowds along the procession route—because wouldn't you fight your way through to catch a glimpse at the newlyweds?
Prince Charles and Princess Diana's signatures, along with those of their family as witnesses, make it official official.
The couple's processional ran from St. Paul's Cathedral to Buckingham Palace after the wedding. The newlyweds sat in an open air carriage and were escorted by the Household Cavalry.
Crowds lined up outside of the gates at Buckingham Palace in order to spot the couple arriving for their reception or perhaps an appearance on the balcony.
The couple had their reception at Charles' home, which just so happens to be, ya know, Buckingham Palace. The Queen was one of the first to arrive.
The newlyweds also arrived at the private entrance of Buckingham Palace for their reception, wedding party in tow.
A *very* important task.
Just imagine looking out at this sea of well-wishers on the day of your wedding. After everyone returned to Buckingham Palace for the reception, the crowd was allowed to move up to the gates.
The Queen and her new daughter-in-law share a laugh while on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Charles and Diana appear rather bashful on the balcony (where it's customary to share a kiss). TBH, a pretty normal reaction, considering the enormous crowds that were watching.
The couple eventually gave the people what 👏 they 👏 wanted 👏!
After giving the crowd a royal-worthy balcony kiss, Princess Diana flashed spectators with one last smile before heading inside. I love it!!
As the reception commences, royal staffers are spotted carrying bottles of champagne into Buckingham Palace.
Remember cramming into your high school club photo? This was a lot like that, except instead of a bunch of ultimate frisbee kids, it's a giant group of all of Europe's royal families. Casual.
When you have to feed thousands of guests at your reception, one cake will not do—so they had 27. But their official cake was a multi-tiered fruit cake made by the head baker at the Royal Naval Cookery School.
In keeping with tradition, Diana's bouquet was laid upon the tomb of the Unknown Warrior Grave in Westminster Abbey. The Princess' bouquet, made up of white orchids, freesias, gardenias, and lily of the valley flowers, weighed around 2 kilos (that's over 4 lbs!) and was nearly 42 inches long.
After the wedding of the century, Charles and Diana made their way through the crowds once more, this time to embark on their honeymoon.
The newlywed's carriage was decorated with a "Just Married" sign, as well as mylar balloons with the Prince of Wales feather on them.
In a glamorous exit, the couple departed from Waterloo Station by train. They spent their first three nights as a married couple in the Broadlands, the same place Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth spent their wedding night.
Where does a royal couple honeymoon, you ask? On the royal yacht, of course. After the Broadlands, Charles and Diana set sail from Gibraltar to travel around the Mediterranean.
The couple arrived in Scotland for the final leg of their honeymoon, looking quite ~sun-kissed~.
The couple welcomed photographers to Balmoral, the Queen's estate in Scotland, for a photo call at the end of their trip, officially closing out the royal wedding extravaganza.
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