Did You Watch the “Wedding of the Century”?
On July 29th, 1981 the world watched as Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles.
Billed as the “wedding of the century” by most media outlets, it was watched by over 750 million people worldwide. I remember my mother telling me about waking up at 5am in the states to watch all the pomp and circumstance going on in London.
The wedding, very formal and royal, was attended by 3,500 guests. Millions watched as Diana, soon to be Princess of Wales, stepped out of the carriage in front of St Paul’s Cathedral draped in ivory silk taffeta, lace, sequins and pearls – literally a princess dress. The gown also donned a 25-foot train and a 153-yard tulle veil and was estimated to cost $115,000.
During the vows, Diana accidentally changed the order of Charles’s names and she did not promise to “obey” him as part of traditional wedding vows. The couple opted to eliminate that word, which was quite the headline back in 1981.
The affair was later estimated to cost $48 million dollars.
The couple was dogged by media and tabloid reports for the entirety of their marriage. There was an insatiable appetite for anything royal family-related, especially Princess Diana who became a massive celebrity all over the world. Personally, I was enamoured with her beauty, charity work and class.
Diana and Charles had two sons, Princes William and Harry, who would also later deal with tabloid and media scrutiny when they became older.
Unfortunately, the marriage did not last, as the couple separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996.
Princess Diana tragically passed away in 1997 in a car accident in Paris where the driver was trying to escape the paparazzi.
Written by: Rachel Pitts | Pop Culture writer & child of the ’80s.