Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer
| Date | 29 July 1981[1] |
|---|---|
| Venue | St Paul's Cathedral |
| Location | London, England |
| Participants |
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The wedding between Prince Charles (later King Charles III) and Lady Diana Spencer took place on Wednesday, 29 July 1981,[1] at St Paul's Cathedral in London, England. The groom was then-heir apparent to the British throne, and the bride was a member of the Spencer family.
The ceremony was a Church of England wedding service, with notable figures like members of other royal families, republican heads of state, and members of the bride's and groom's families in attendance. After the ceremony, the couple made the traditional appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. The United Kingdom had a national holiday on that day to mark the wedding.
Engagement
Prince Charles had known Lady Diana Spencer for several years. They first met in 1977 while Charles was dating her elder sister Lady Sarah.[2] He took serious interest in her as a potential bride in 1980 when they were guests at a country weekend, where she watched him play polo.
The couple then had several dates in London. Diana and Charles had been with each other for about six months when he proposed on 3 February 1981 in the nursery at Windsor Castle. Diana had planned a holiday for the next week, and Charles hoped she would use the time to consider her answer.[3] Diana accepted, but their engagement was kept secret for the following few weeks.[4] Diana later claimed that the couple had met only 13 times in total before the announcement of their engagement.[5]
Their engagement became official on 24 February 1981,[6] and the couple gave an exclusive interview.[7] During the public announcement of the engagement, Diana wore a "cobalt blue skirt suit" by the British label Cojana.[8][9]
Wedding
 Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer (1981) (external video) |
The wedding took place on 29 July 1981. 3,500 guests made up the service in St Paul's Cathedral.[3]
Charles and Diana selected St Paul's over Westminster Abbey, the traditional site of royal weddings, because St Paul's offered more seating[5] and permitted a longer procession through London.
References
- 1 2 "The Royal Wedding of HRH The Prince of Wales and the Lady Diana Spencer". BBC One. 29 July 1981. Archived from the original on 3 August 2019. Retrieved 25 December 2019.
- ↑ "Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's wedding". BBC History. Archived from the original on 21 March 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
- 1 2 Jone Johnson Lewis. "Princess Diana's Wedding". ThoughtCo. DotDash. Archived from the original on 22 June 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2020.
- ↑ Morton 1997, p. 118.
- 1 2 Miller, Julie (17 April 2018). "Inside Princess Diana's Royal Wedding Fairy Tale". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 5 June 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
- ↑ "Prince Charles' engagement announcements". The Royal Wedding of The Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer. BBC One. 12 January 2011. Archived from the original on 15 October 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ↑ Alexander, Ella (28 November 2017). "6 crucial differences between Charles & Diana and Harry & Meghan's engagement interviews". Harper's Bazaar. Archived from the original on 10 May 2018. Retrieved 9 May 2018.
- ↑ Holt, Bethan (24 February 2017). "No gloves and high split skirts: How Princess Diana rewrote the rules of royal dressing". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 4 April 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
- ↑ Bowles, Hamish (25 April 2011). "Photos: History of Royal Weddings". Vogue. Condé Nast. Archived from the original on 11 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.