The wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer

Charles, Prince of Wales, met Lady Diana Spencer in 1977 when he met with her older sister, Lady Sarah . He showed interest in Diana as a potential bride in 1980. Charles invited her over the weekend to Cowes , aboard the British Royal Yacht, and then followed by an invitation to Balmoral Castle , the Scottish summer residence of the Windsor , to introduce his family . Diana was well received by Queen Elizabeth II , the Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Mother . After the couple had several dates in London. Diana and Charles were together for about half a year when he proposed to her on February 3, 1981 at the Windsor Castle nursery. He knew that she was planning a vacation next week, and hoped that she would use this time to consider his proposal. Diana accepted the offer, but their engagement was kept secret for several more weeks.

The engagement was officially announced on February 24, 1981, and the couple gave an exclusive interview. Diana chose an engagement ring worth 30 thousand pounds, created by the jewelry company Garrard & Co. It was made of white gold with 12-carat Ceylon blue sapphire surrounded by 14 diamonds . In 2010, Diana's eldest son, Prince William , presented this ring to his fiancee Katherine Middleton in honor of their engagement. A huge number of copies of the ring were made in different jewelry stores.

At the wedding in the Cathedral of St. Paul was attended by 3,500 people. The wedding was not held at Westminster Abbey , because St. Paul's Cathedral could accommodate more guests, and because the location of the cathedral allowed for a longer march along the streets of London. The service was held traditionally, in accordance with the canons of the Church of England .

At ten in the morning, the wedding procession moved along the streets of London. The first carriages drove with Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh and members of the royal family. Then it was the groom's turn. Prince Charles was wearing the full dress uniform of a navy officer, and his brother, Prince Andrew, rode with him. Lady Diana, along with her father, Earl Spencer , arrived at the cathedral in the almost at the start of the ceremony, which was held at 11:20 UTC; the bride was accompanied by six riding officers. The procession was attended by regiments from the countries of the Commonwealth , including the Royal Canadian Regiment. There were 4,000 police officers and 2,200 crowd control officers at the procession.

Earl Spencer and his daughter marched to the altar to the sounds of the anthem Jeremy Clark . The wedding ceremony was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Rancy . The answers of the bride and groom - “I agree” and “I agree”, reinforced by the speakers, came far beyond the borders of the cathedral. From excitement, Diana, pronouncing the names of her future husband, mixed up their sequence and instead of Charles Philip Arthur George said Philip Charles Arthur George . In her oath, she also missed the promise to “obey” him. This word was excluded from the traditional oath at the request of the couple, and at that time it became a sensation. Charles, in turn, instead of saying as it should: "I promise to share with you everything that belongs to me," said: "I promise to share with you everything that belongs to you." Traditionally, the engagement rings for Charles and Diana were made of , mined at the mine in north Wales . This tradition of using Welsh gold for royal family engagement rings has been around since 1923.

Diana's wedding dress , valued at 9 thousand pounds (£ 33,884 for 2018), was designed by designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel in accordance with the wishes of the bride. It was sewn from ivory silk taffeta and decorated with lace, hand embroidery, sequins and ten thousand pearls. The dress had a 25-foot (7.6 m) ivory taffeta train trimmed with old lace. On top of a silk tulle veil, Spencer's family tiara was worn. Diana's ivory silk shoes were embroidered with sequins and pearls.

According to custom, adding to the bride’s dress “ ”, the old on Diana’s dress was “something old”, sewn in the corsage, the blue bow is “something blue,” and the Spencer tiara and diamond earrings, owned by are “something borrowed.” On the orders of the queen, two similar bouquets were prepared for the bride from “ gardenias , stefanotis, orchids , lilies of the valley , roses, freesia , veronica , ivy , myrtle and tradescantia ”.

The “controversial” “spare” princess wedding gown was auctioned off in 2005 for £ 100,000, two times its original cost. The dress was sold to an unknown collector by telephone at Cooper Owen auction in London. In fact, a copy of this dress was sold, the original is stored in Madame Tussauds. The designer of this dress, David Emanuel, insisted that Princess Diana never wear this alternative dress. There is only one original dress, and it is in its rightful place in Althorp under the supervision of Count Diana Spencer's brother.

The history of the copy is as follows. Diana chose a dress, but before the wedding she lost weight. The dress was returned to the workshop with a request to be sacked. However, the craftsmen decided to sew it again. And the open dress lay in the bag for a long time. The designer added that he hoped that the buyer of this dress was fully aware of the status of this dress.

Charles put on his dress uniform as a naval commander.

The suite of the bride and groom were seven people. The Page Boys are Lord Nicholas Windsor (11 years old), son of the Duke and Duchess of Kent , and Edward van Katsem (8 years old), both godchildren of the Prince of Wales. The bridesmaids were Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones (17 years old), daughter of Earl Snowdon and Princess Margaret , India Hicks (13 years old), granddaughter of Count Louis Mountbatten , Catherine Cameron (6 years old), daughter of Donald and Lady Cecil Cameron, granddaughter of the Marquis Lothian, Sarah Jane Heysily (11 years old), daughter of Nick Heysily, and Clementine Hambro (5 years old), daughter of Rupert Hambro and the Honorable Madame Hambro (now Countess Pill), granddaughter of Lord and Lady Soames and great-granddaughter of Sir Winston Churchill . The bridegroom was accompanied by his younger brothers as princes - Prince Andrew (21) and Prince Edward (17).

After the ceremony, the couple went to Buckingham Palace for lunch for 120 people. Appearing on the balcony, Diana and Charles kissed the crowd below.

This couple had 27 wedding cakes along with the main wedding cake provided by the Armed Forces. David Avery, the head of the bakeries at the Royal Navy's cooking school, baked these cakes. It took him 14 weeks, and the bottom layer of the main one took 12 hours. They made 2 identical cakes, in case one would be damaged during transportation. One cake was damaged and it was divided between the workers of the naval cuisine. Each received 2 pieces, one for himself and one for his mother. Avery never tried the end result. Another wedding cake was created by the Belgian confectioner SG, which was known as the “baker for kings.”

After that, they enjoyed toast and a wedding breakfast with 120 family guests. The Newlyweds flag was attached to Prince Andrew’s landau, and Edward lifted it, smiling as the couple rode across Westminster Bridge to take the train from Waterloo Romsay Station in Hampshire to start their honeymoon.

Representatives of the ruling monarchies

• King and Queen of Belgium Baudouin and Fabiola ;
• Queen of Denmark Margrethe II and Prince Consort Henrik of Denmark ;
• Crown Prince of Jordan Hassan and Princess Sarvat al-Hassan;
• Queen Lesotho Mamohato (representative of King Lesotho Moshveshwe II );
• Prince and Princess of Liechtenstein Franz Joseph II and Dahlia ;
• Hans-Adam, Crown Prince of Liechtenstein, with his wife, Princess Marie ;
• Grand Duke of Luxembourg Jean and Grand Duchess Josephine Charlotte of Luxembourg ;
• Princess of Monaco Grace with her son, Crown Prince of Monaco Albert ;
• Prince of Nepal Gyanendra with his wife, Princess Komal (representatives of the King of Nepal, Birendra );
• Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands with her husband, Prince Consort Klaus ;
• King of Norway Olaf V ;
• Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Norway Harald and Sonya ;
• leader of the state of Samoa, Malietoa Tanumafili II Susuga ;
• Princess of Thailand Maha Chakri Sirindhorn (representative of King Rama IX of Thailand);
• King and Queen of Tonga Tauf'ahau Tupou IV and Halaaelu Mataaho;
• King and Queen of Sweden Charles XVI Gustav and Sylvia ;
• Crown Prince of Japan Akihito with his wife, Princess Michiko .

Monarchs in exile

• Aga Khan IV and Princess Salima Aga Khan;
• Prince Ludwig and Princess Marianna Baden (Ludwig, cousin of Prince Charles, husband of Princess Marianne von Aursperg, son of Berthold, Margrave of Baden and Princess of Greece and Denmark Theodore (1906-1969), aunt of Prince Charles, sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh)
• Tsar and Queen of Bulgaria (in exile - Simeon Saks-Coburg-Gotha and Margarita Gomez-Eisebo wai Sejela)
• King of Greece (in exile - Constantine II, cousin of Prince Charles)
• His Royal Highness the heir to Greece, Prince Pavlos
• His Royal Highness Nikolaos, Prince of Greece and Denmark
• Her Royal Highness Princess of Greece and Denmark Alexia
• Prince George William and Princess Sofia of Hanover (Aunt of Prince Charles, sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh)
• His Royal Highness Prince George of Hanover (cousin of Prince Charles, son of the Princess of Greece and Denmark Sofia)
• Prince Carl and Princess Yvonne of Hesse (Prince Carl of Hesse, cousin of Prince Charles, son of Prince Christoph Hesse and Princess of Greece and Denmark Sophie)
• Princess Christina Hesse and Mr. Robert van Eyck (cousin of Prince Charles, daughter of Prince Christoph Hesse and Princess of Greece and Denmark Sophie, aunt of Prince Charles, sister of the Duke of Edinburgh)
• Princess Dorothea Hesse and His Highness Prince Friedrich Karl zu Windisch-Gretz (Dorothea, cousin of Prince Charles, wife of Prince Friedrich Karl zu Windisch-Grec, daughter of Prince Christoph Hessen and Princess of Greece and Denmark Sophie, aunt Prince Charles, sister of the Duke)
• Princess Marina zu Windish Grets
• Her Royal Highness Princess Hesse and the Rhine
• Prince Kraft and Princess Charlotte zu of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (Prince Hohenlohe-Langenburg, cousin of Prince Charles, husband of Princess Charlotte von Croy, son of Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess of Greece and Denmark Margarita, aunt of Prince Charles of Philip, sisters )
• Prince Andreas and Princess Louise zu of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (Prince Hohenlohe-Langenburg, cousin of Prince Charles, husband of Princess Louise von Schötburg-Waldenburg, son of Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess of Greece and Denmark Margarita, aunt of Prince Charles, Duke of Edinburgh)
• Prince Albrecht and Princess Maria-Hildegard zu of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (Prince Albrecht of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, cousin of Prince Charles, husband of Maria-Hildegard Fischer, son of Gottfried, Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess of Greece and Denmark Margaretza Margaret, Duke of Edinburgh)
• Princess Beatrix zu of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (cousin of Prince Charles, daughter of Gottfried, Prince Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess of Greece and Denmark Margarita, aunt of Prince Charles, sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh)

• King and Queen of Romania (in exile - Mihai and Queen Anne)
• Princess Margaret and Mr. John Ambler (Princess Margaret, Ms. Ambler)

• His Royal Highness Crown Prince of Yugoslavia (in exile - Alexander, Prince-heir to Yugoslavia)
• Prince Tomislav of Yugoslavia and Princess Margarita of Yugoslavia (Princess Margarita of Baden, cousin of Prince Charles, wife of Prince Tomislav, daughter of Berthold, Margrave of Baden and Princess of Greece and Denmark Theodore, aunt of Prince Charles, sister of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh)
• His Royal Highness Prince Nicola of Yugoslavia (Prince Nicola) (son of Prince Tomislav and Princess Margarita Baden, cousin of Prince Charles, wife of Prince Tomislav, daughter of Bertold, Margrave of Baden and Princess of Greece and Denmark Theodore, aunt of Prince Charles, sister of Prince Philipburg Hero, )
• Her Royal Highness Princess of Yugoslavia Katarina (daughter of Prince Tomislav and Princess Margarita Baden, cousin of Prince Charles, wife of Prince Tomislav, daughter of Bertold, Margrave of Baden and Princess of Greece and Denmark Theodore, aunt of Prince Charles, sister of Prince Philipburg, Duke)
• His Royal Highness Prince of Yugoslavia Christopher (son of Prince Andrei of Yugoslavia and Princess Christina of Hesse, cousin of Prince Charles, former wife of Prince of Yugoslavia Andrew, currently wife of Robert Van Eyck, daughter of Prince Christoph Hesse and Princess of Greece and Denmark Sophie, aunt Prince Charles sister of the Duke of Edinburgh)
• Her Royal Highness Princess Yugoslavia Maria Tatyana (daughter of Prince Andrei of Yugoslavia and Princess Christina of Hesse, cousin of Prince Charles, former wife of Prince of Yugoslavia Andrew, currently wife of Robert Van Eyck, daughter of Prince Christophom Hessen and Princess of Greece and Denmark Sofia, aunt Prince Charles , sister of the Duke of Edinburgh).
• Her Royal Highness Princess Yugoslavia Olga (Princess of Greece and Denmark Olga is the widow of Prince Yugoslavia Paul, a cousin of the Duke of Edinburgh).
• Prince of Yugoslavia Alexander and his second wife, Princess Lichtenstein Barbara (Prince Alexander, second cousin Prince Charles, husband of Princess Lichtenstein Barbara, son of Prince Yugoslavia Paul and Princess of Greece and Denmark Olga, cousin of the Duke of Edinburgh).
• Her Royal Highness Princess Yugoslavia Elizabeth (cousin of Prince Charles, daughter of Prince Yugoslavia Paul and Princess of Greece and Denmark Olga, cousin of the Duke of Edinburgh).

The couple set off from Waterloo Station on the British Royal Train at Broadlands Estate, where Prince Charles's parents spent their wedding night. Then they flew to Gibraltar , where they boarded the royal yacht Britannia and embarked on an 11-day Mediterranean cruise, visiting Tunisia , Sardinia, Greece and Egypt . They then flew to Scotland, where the rest of the royal family gathered at Balmoral Castle, and spent time in a hunting lodge on the estate, during which the press was allowed to photograph the newlyweds.

• Dimbleby, Jonathan. The Prince of Wales: A Biography. - New York: William Morrow and Company, 1994 .-- ISBN 0-688-12996-X .
• Morton, Andrew. Diana: Her True Story - In Her Own Words. - New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997 .-- ISBN 0-684-85080-X .

• Wedding of Charles and Diana (Neopr.) . Times Online Archived on May 19, 2009.
• The Royal Wedding Cakes , Classic Celebration Cakes