Queen Elizabeth has had a difficult year navigating the first big milestones following the death of her husband and 'rock' Prince Philip, but 20 November will likely be particularly heartbreaking since it would have marked the couple's 74th wedding anniversary.
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The royals, who started to exchange love letters when Elizabeth was a young teenager, had known each other for years before they got married at Westminster Abbey in 1947 – the same venue where Prince William and Duchess Kate wed in 2011. At the time, the royal ceremony was recorded and broadcast by BBC Radio to 200 million people around the world, but we've taken a look back at historic footage showing the best clips from the reigning monarch's big day – including the iconic moment that newlyweds Elizabeth and Philip greeted crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony.
WATCH: Look back at the royal couple's 1947 wedding
The black-and-white video shows the Queen, who was then Princess Elizabeth, wearing her beautiful soft white satin gown. The dress was designed by Britain's Norman Hartnell, who was known for his work with the royal family.
The 18-minute clip shared on YouTube perfectly captures the excitement and buzz on that winter's day in London. Crowds had gathered outside Westminster Abbey, with some even clambering on top of telephone boxes in the hope of catching a clearer glimpse of the action.
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Thousands of well-wishers lined the Mall and Buckingham Palace and were able to witness the iconic moment when Elizabeth, who was 21 at the time, and her husband Philip made their first appearance on the balcony as newlyweds.
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Joining the married couple were King George VI and his wife Queen Elizabeth, who later became the Queen Mother, and the bride's younger sister Princess Margaret, who was a bridesmaid.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Queen wore a beautiful soft white satin dress that was designed by Britain's Norman Hartnell
Elizabeth had eight bridesmaids in total, including her cousins Princess Alexandra of Kent and Lady Mary Cambridge.
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The nostalgic footage showed other highlights from the day, including a close-up shot of Elizabeth and Philip's signed marriage certificate. Another sweet moment captured the newlyweds walking down the aisle and filing out of Westminster Abbey behind the Archbishop of Canterbury, Geoffrey Fisher, who officiated the ceremony.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThey waved to crowds from the palace balcony
The video has been released by the Associated Press and British Movietone, and it is just one of thousands of videos that have been uploaded on YouTube by the two organisations.
More than 550,000 video stories dating from 1895 to the present day have been made public, for educational purposes and sources of inspiration for history enthusiasts and documentary filmmakers.
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