Though their marriage would end in divorce in 1996, the wedding of the then Prince Charles and Princess Diana had all the makings of a fairytale. The Prince announced his engagement to 19-year-old aristocrat Diana Spencer on February 24, 1981. When the pair married, Diana became the first British citizen to marry an heir to the British throne in 300 years.
The couple had reportedly only met 13 times when Charles popped the question but their nuptials were hailed as the "wedding of the century". The wedding had a profound effect on the couple, with Charles reportedly telling a friend: "There were several times when I was perilously close to crying from the sheer joy of it all." Meanwhile, Diana said: "It was heaven, amazing, wonderful, though I was so nervous when I was walking up the aisle that I swore my knees would knock and make a noise."
Relive the big day and moments leading up to it below...
Engagement and pre-celebrations
There are conflicting reports on how Charles proposed to Diana with some saying the future King popped the question during a private dinner in Buckingham Palace, while others report that he proposed to Diana in the nursery at the Palace. A biography from Andrew Morton said the proposal caught Diana off-guard and she responded with a "giggle". The late Queen's eldest son proposed to his future bride with a diamond and sapphire ring during a private dinner at Buckingham palace. Decades later, the couple's son Prince William would pop the question to his longtime love Princess Kate with the same beautiful gem.
Ahead of the wedding, the couple hosted a lavish hour-long rehearsal which was topped off with a gala ball hosted by the late Queen, with 1,400 guests in attendance. The country was then treated to the grandest fireworks display, with the groom lighting the bonfire at Hyde Park. 250 musicians performed at the event playing 'The Royal Fireworks. Diana was not present at the event, instead spending the night with her bridal party and sisters ahead of her 6:30am wake-up for the big day.
Venue
The couple chose St Paul's Cathedral as their wedding venue, which was the landmark's first major royal event since 1501. One of the reasons for the choice of venue was it featuring a higher capacity than Westminster Abbey, a normal favourite for royal weddings, and Charles being a fan of the acoustics. "If you have something rather quiet, you start hearing your ankles cricking, you know what I mean?" he reportedly noted.
Guest list
Charles and his Princess were wed in front of a congregation of 3,500, which included the late Queen, Prince Philip and the Queen Mother. 600,000 spectators lined the streets of London, while an estimated 750 million people watched the event on television.
The guest list included a number of European royals including Queen Margarethe, Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, King Baudouin of Belgium, King Olav of Norway and Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg. Also present were British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, Diana's close friend Sarah Ferguson and Charles' future bride, Camilla Parker Bowles.
Wedding dress and tiara
For her big day, Diana wore a stunning silk taffeta gown by Welsh designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel. The dress was embellished with pearls, sequins and antique lace and featured a 25-foot train – the longest in royal history! Speaking exclusively to HELLO! in 2020, David said of the dress: "We wanted drama, we wanted her to look young and fresh. She was going in as Lady Diana Spencer and coming out as the Princess of Wales. I wanted it light, we did sparkles in the veil. St Pauls is vast, so it couldn't have been a quiet little dress."
The designer added: "We introduced romance into bridal dresses. And now women are coming in asking for ballgowns, they want to make a statement. A full-blown dress, you want to be noticed."
It wasn't just her dress that made Diana look like a fairytale princess, but also her dazzling tiara, which came from the Spencer family vault. The piece had a sweet family connection, with Diana's sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes, wearing it on their respective wedding days.
Arrival to the wedding
Diana and Charles were escorted to the palace by the Household Cavalry as they waved to the immense crowd of well-wishers. The couple's wedding party consisted of two pageboys and five bridesmaids, including Charles' cousin, Lady Sarah Chatto. Charles had reportedly wanted his godson, Tom Parker Bowles, as a pageboy, but this was vetoed by Diana. In her book, The Duchess, Penny Juror wrote: "She [Diana] agreed to several of his other godchildren, but there was a big scene about Tom Parker Bowles and Charles backed down."
The ceremony
The beautiful 20-year-old bride was escorted by her father Earl Spencer for the three-and-a-half minute walk down the aisle. The couple's vows were a break from tradition with Diana dropping the word "obey", although the decision was agreed by the pair after talks with the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The newlyweds departed the cathedral to the refrain of Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance before taking an open-topped State landau to Buckingham Palace. The late Queen travelled from the cathedral to the palace with her new in-law, Earl Spencer, after the lavish ceremony while the father of the groom, Prince Philip and the mother of the bride, Frances Shand Kydd, rode together in an open carriage.
Departure and reception
At ten minutes past one, Charles and Diana emerged on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with their wedding party, along with the Queen and the Queen Mother, where they shared a public kiss, something that would be replicated by royal couples Prince William and Princess Kate and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. After their kiss, the newlyweds retired back inside the palace for toasts and a wedding breakfast for 120 guests.
The royal couple had 27 wedding cakes for their big day — however, the official cake, which stood over five-feet tall, was made by David Avery, the head baker of the Naval Armed Forces. The cake featured Charles' coat of arms in addition to Diana's family crest and their first name initials. The impressive dessert was topped off with roses, lilies of the valley and orchids.