Look back at royal weddings of the past

Recognition: Camden/INFphoto.com; Express Newspapers/Getty Images

Look back at royal weddings of the past: William and Kate, Charles and Diana, and more

The ghosts of royal weddings are over! When a member of the royal family gets married, it becomes a celebration that catches the eye of the whole world. When Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip tied the knot in 1947, the UK was recovering from the aftermath of World War II. Supplies and materials – especially for a wedding dress – were scarce. She saved her clothing coupons and even received donations from the public to get her dream dress: a Norman Hartnell piece with 10,000 beads sent from the United States. The couple’s wedding ceremony took place at Westminster Abbey in London and Her Majesty ascended the throne a few years later. The two were married for over 70 years and had four children together: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. Almost 40 years later, Queen Elizabeth II’s eldest son, Prince Charles, married Princess Diana (née Spencer). The event was considered the “wedding of the century” with more than 750 million viewers. The former couple were the first to start the tradition of kissing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in front of a crowd. While Charles and Diana were married, they welcomed sons Prince William and Prince Harry 1982 and 1984 respectively. However, the two finally divorced in 1996 after 15 years of marriage. Diana died in a tragic car accident the following year.
[jwplayer 0gUAFueR-zhNYySv2]Charles’ sons were the next two royals to tie the knot. Prince William got married Duchess Kate at Westminster Abbey in 2011 after years of dating off-and-on. His younger brother acted as his best man, while Kate’s sister Pippa Middleton served as her maid of honor. William later returned the favor when Harry and Megan Markle get married in 2018. The suits Alum revealed in March 2021 that she and Harry secretly exchanged vows in their backyard three days before their televised ceremony. “We got married three days before we were married,” the Archetypes podcast host said during the couple’s CBS interview at the time. “We called the Archbishop [of Canterbury, Justin Welby] and we just said, ‘Look, this thing, this spectacle is for the world, but we want our union between us.’” The Archbishop also officiated their official ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. Take a trip down memory lane to the most famous royal weddings in history:

Recognition: Benjamin Wheeler/PA Wire/Shutterstock

Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

on July 17, 2020, Princess Beatrice married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in a secret and private ceremony at Windsor Great Park in Berkshire, England. The small celebration had to be postponed due to the corona pandemic. Beatrice borrowed a dress from the Queen for her special day.

The couple had a small guest list of 20 including Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Sarah Fergusonprince andrew, Princess Eugenie, Jack Brooksbank, Alessandro Mapelli Mozzi and Nikki Williams Ellis.

After their wedding, the couple welcomed daughter Sienna Elizabeth in September 2021.

Recognition: Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank

Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank married five months after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The longtime love tied the knot at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle on October 12, 2018 after dating for seven years.

The couple said “Yes, I do” in front of more than 800 guests. Eugenie stunned in a long-sleeved Peter Pilotto dress and opted to forego a veil.

In February 2021, the two welcomed their first child, son August Philip Hawke.

Recognition: David Fisher/Shutterstock

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

On May 19, 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married in front of 600 guests at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. Most of the royal family was in attendance, but Meghan’s mother, Doria RaglandShe was the only member of her family present on the big day.

The former actress wore a stunning long-sleeved wedding dress by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy while Harry wore his military uniform.

Many celebrities were also guests of the event, including Victoria and David Beckham, George and Amal Clooney, Serena Williams, Priyanka Chopra and Markle’s former suits fellow players, Gabriel power, Gina Torres, Rick Hoffman, Sarah Rafferty, Abigail Spencer and Markle’s TV husband Patrick J Adams.

Prince William served as Harry’s best man, while his children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, served as page boy and bridesmaid. Prince Louis, who was a newborn at the time, was not present.

Five months after the wedding, the couple announced that they are expecting their first child. Meghan gave birth to their son Archie in May 2019. They later welcomed their daughter Lilibet in June 2021.

Recognition: David Parker/ANL/Shutterstock

Prince William and Duchess Kate

Before officially becoming the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, after dating on and off since 2003. Queen Elizabeth II’s Tiaras, as they exchanged vows in front of 1,900 guests including Elton-John and David and Victoria Beckham.

Harry served as William’s best man while Kate’s sister Pippa Middleton was her maid of honor. After a carriage ride to Buckingham Palace, the newlyweds were cheered on by admiring citizens as they exchanged kisses on the palace balcony. The ceremony was watched by tens of millions of people around the world with 23 million viewers in the US.

The couple have two children: Prince George, 4, Princess Charlotte, 3, and Prince Louis, who was born on April 26, 2018.

Recognition: Shutterstock

Prince Charles and Princess Diana

Years before William and Harry were born Prince Charles and Princess Diana married 29 July 1981 at St. Paul’s Cathedral in front of 3,500 guests. Diana, who was just 19 at the time, looked stunning in a dress designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, which had a train so long it barely fit in the carriage she was riding in to the ceremony.

The duo became the first couple to kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in front of the crowd and 750 million people around the world watched their wedding.

Charles and Diana welcomed William and Harry in 1982 and 1984, respectively, but their marriage eventually ended in divorce in August 1996. Diana died after a car accident in August 1997 at the age of 36.

Recognition: Hulton Archives/Getty Images

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip exchanged vows at Westminster Abbey on November 20, 1947. The Queen wore a beautiful Sir Normal Hartnell gown in ivory silk with 10,000 pearls on it.

Queen Elizabeth had eight bridesmaids, including her younger sister Princess Margaret, while Prince Phillip’s best man was his cousin. David Mountbatten, Milford Haven’s third marquee. 2,500 guests were in attendance, including six kings and seven queens. Their wedding was broadcast on the radio to millions of listeners.

The couple have been married for over 70 years and have four children together: Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. The monarch died on September 8, 2022 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, aged 96. Prince Philip died a year earlier on April 9, 2021.