From Victoria and Albert to Prince William and Kate Middleton, here are some Royal Weddings to remember
A Royal Wedding is a special occasion in the life of a nation — here are some that have thrilled and enthralled us
WE all love a royal wedding, with Harry and Meghan’s big day the latest in a line of special occasions that have thrilled and enthralled us for generations.
From Queen Victoria’s trend-setting white wedding to the marriage of Harry’s parents Diana, and Prince Charles, Nick Pritchard looks at royal weddings to remember.
Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
February 10, 1840
VICTORIA is credited with starting the trend for brides to wear white.
At the time, most wore coloured gowns with silver and gold embroidery but Victoria decided on white when she wed Albert in the Chapel Royal of St James’s Palace in London.
She loved her dress so much she wore it through the decades.
The couple’s 300lb wedding cake was three yards in circumference. Slices still survive — one sold for £1,500 in 2016.
The Queen and Philip Mountbatten
November 20, 1947
THE then Princess Elizabeth arrived at Westminster Abbey in the same carriage as her father, King George VI.
After the wedding, Elizabeth’s dress went on a UK tour for people to see it.
Mahatma Gandhi sent the couple a piece of cotton lace he had spun, embroidered with the words “Jai Hind”, meaning “Victory to India”.
In 2007 the Queen became the first British monarch to celebrate a diamond wedding anniversary.
Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones
May 6, 1960
THE Queen’s free-spirited sister tied the knot with fashion photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey, in what was the first ever televised royal wedding.
Antony’s best man was Dr Roger Gilliatt, a neurologist and son of the Queen’s gynaecologist Sir William Gilliatt.
Some 120 guests attended the wedding breakfast. The band of the Grenadier Guards played songs from Oklahoma!, the Princess’s favourite musical.
Princess Anne and Mark Phillips
November 14, 1973
ON Prince Charles’ 25th birthday, around 500million TV viewers around the world saw his younger sister Anne marry Olympic Gold medal-winning horseman Mark Phillips.
The day was declared a Bank Holiday and Princess Anne wore an embroidered Tudor-style silk wedding dress featuring a high collar and medieval sleeves.
Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer
July 29, 1981
WHEN Charles and Diana married in what was widely billed as the wedding of the century, 750million watched on TV. Diana’s iconic dress, designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel, had the longest train in royal history at 25ft — and cost £90,000.
In 2014 a piece of their wedding cake sold for £825, still in its white and silver box.
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson
July 23, 1986
THERE was a star-studded guest list for Andrew and Sarah’s Westminster Abbey wedding. It included Nancy Reagan, then First Lady of the United States, Elton John, Billy Connolly, David Frost and Michael Caine.
After the ceremony, the playful couple teased the crowds by waiting for a big cheer before leaning in for a kiss.
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles
April 9, 2005
CHARLES’ second wedding was a simple civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall.
The Queen and Prince Philip did not attend but went to a Service of Prayer and Dedication held afterwards in St George’s Chapel.
The wedding was postponed for a day so Charles could attend the funeral of Pope John Paul II.
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Kate Middleton and Prince William
April 29, 2011
WHEN Wills and Kate emerged on the Palace balcony after getting married, they greeted the crowd and kissed.
Afterwards, 600,000 of the 24.5million British TV viewers put the kettle on, according to the National Grid, which noted a spike in electricity use.
Gifts included a £500 tandem “Boris bike” from then Mayor of London Boris Johnson.