Paris: Their fairy-tale wedding was dubbed the “wedding of the century” 40 years ago this month.
but for the prince Charles And Lady Diana Spencer It would all end in tears, blame and tragedy, the consequences of which are still felt by British royals today.
Presidents and prime ministers as well as crowned heads from Europe and beyond were displayed at St Paul’s Cathedral in London for the ceremony on July 29, 1981, which was watched on television by 750 million people around the world.
Here’s an account of the wedding based on AFP reporting at the time.
AFP special correspondent Michelle Leclerc wrote that day that Charles, the bachelor, 32, and his blushing bride, 20, were a prime mix of “love and protocol”.
famous kiss from the balcony of Buckingham Palace Which was featured on front pages around the world the next day, against a backdrop of British fanfare, accompanied by horse-drawn carriages and trumpets.
People around the world watched from their chairs as the Lady Diana She got out of the glass carriage that had brought her to St. Paul’s Cathedral.
As she reached the arm of her father, Earl Spencer, the woman who was to become Princess of Wales revealed the day’s best kept secret: her stunning wedding gown.
Paul in her ivory taffeta dress, a 7.5-metre (22-foot) train behind her, and a diamond tiara on her head.
“When she appeared dressed in ivory, hidden under numerous pleats, frills, mother of pearl sequins and crinoline, a terrifying roar erupted from the crowd,” wrote AFP.
Following her bride and groom, she walked slowly down the aisle in front of 2,500 chosen guests to join Prince Charles, who wore the full-dress uniform of a Royal Navy commander.
As the world watched, the royal couple was clearly feeling the pressure.
Under St. Paul’s dome and in the silence of thunder, the voice of the future king trembled as he said “I will”.
Despite Charles’s smile of encouragement, the bride faltered as she read the wedding vows.
“As she repeated the ritual word, Lady Diana chuckled nervously and reversed the prince’s names,” AFP wrote.
Diana also said timidly, “I will”. It was already decided that she would not swear to obey her husband, breaking with tradition that still raised some eyebrows in those days.
Prince Charles then placed a gold ring on his left hand and at exactly 12:20 AFP wrote: “Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer are married.”
New Zealand soprano Kiri Te Kanawa sang Handel’s “Let the Bright Seraphim” as part of a concert to a crowd outside.
Britain’s Queen Mother, then 81, shed a tear, while Charles’ mother, wearing a turquoise dress and matching hat, had “damp eyes” on several occasions during her service to Queen Elizabeth II, AFP wrote.
Britain is doing what its media has commented – it does best – on the occasion of a state – it was a British affair.
“The British press did not dedicate a line to the makeup of Princess Grace of Monaco, the suit of French President François Mitterrand or the light pink suit worn by Nancy Reagan (US First Lady),” AFP wrote.
It was a national holiday in Britain and around 600,000 people gathered in the streets, some waving Union Jack flags and camped all night as they crossed London on the three-kilometer (two-mile) route from the church. Saw two newlyweds. His open-topped state carriage.
The gathering then cheered the famous kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
The “secret kiss” signifies “a marriage where the spontaneity of love managed to win over tradition”, AFP wrote, somewhat telling, as things would turn out.
Britain danced to the tune of the wedding, the largest security operation since World War II, in which the British mainland was still vulnerable to an Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombing campaign.
Hair salons were advertising the “Diana Cut” and fans bought commemorative mugs and plates containing a photo of the royal couple, among other royal gadgets.
After major fanfare, the couple attended a more intimate reception at the Palace where Diana was photographed kissing her youngest bridesmaid, a five-year-old, before departing on the cruise to the Mediterranean on honeymoon on the royal yacht Britannia.
In his sermon, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcy, called the wedding a “fairy tale”.
But it lasted less than five years, during which the “heirs and extras”, Prince William and Harry, were born.
After that, the marriage gradually became acrimonious, with stories of infidelity, embarrassing leaked telephone conversations, and Diana’s bulimia and suicide attempts.
The royal couple separated in 1992 and then divorced in 1996.
Diana’s death in a car accident in Paris in 1997 caused a deep crisis and shook the monarchy.
The queen, whose distance and reserve separated her from her subjects, was accused of heartlessness.
On April 9, 2005, in a civil ceremony, Charles married his new wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, who had emerged as the true love of his life and whom he reportedly took for each other with the initials of their surnames. The engraved bracelet was given to – Fred and Gladys – the night before his wedding to Diana.
While Diana would have become queen if Charles ascended the throne, Camilla would only be the queen consort.
but for the prince Charles And Lady Diana Spencer It would all end in tears, blame and tragedy, the consequences of which are still felt by British royals today.
Presidents and prime ministers as well as crowned heads from Europe and beyond were displayed at St Paul’s Cathedral in London for the ceremony on July 29, 1981, which was watched on television by 750 million people around the world.
Here’s an account of the wedding based on AFP reporting at the time.
AFP special correspondent Michelle Leclerc wrote that day that Charles, the bachelor, 32, and his blushing bride, 20, were a prime mix of “love and protocol”.
famous kiss from the balcony of Buckingham Palace Which was featured on front pages around the world the next day, against a backdrop of British fanfare, accompanied by horse-drawn carriages and trumpets.
People around the world watched from their chairs as the Lady Diana She got out of the glass carriage that had brought her to St. Paul’s Cathedral.
As she reached the arm of her father, Earl Spencer, the woman who was to become Princess of Wales revealed the day’s best kept secret: her stunning wedding gown.
Paul in her ivory taffeta dress, a 7.5-metre (22-foot) train behind her, and a diamond tiara on her head.
“When she appeared dressed in ivory, hidden under numerous pleats, frills, mother of pearl sequins and crinoline, a terrifying roar erupted from the crowd,” wrote AFP.
Following her bride and groom, she walked slowly down the aisle in front of 2,500 chosen guests to join Prince Charles, who wore the full-dress uniform of a Royal Navy commander.
As the world watched, the royal couple was clearly feeling the pressure.
Under St. Paul’s dome and in the silence of thunder, the voice of the future king trembled as he said “I will”.
Despite Charles’s smile of encouragement, the bride faltered as she read the wedding vows.
“As she repeated the ritual word, Lady Diana chuckled nervously and reversed the prince’s names,” AFP wrote.
Diana also said timidly, “I will”. It was already decided that she would not swear to obey her husband, breaking with tradition that still raised some eyebrows in those days.
Prince Charles then placed a gold ring on his left hand and at exactly 12:20 AFP wrote: “Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer are married.”
New Zealand soprano Kiri Te Kanawa sang Handel’s “Let the Bright Seraphim” as part of a concert to a crowd outside.
Britain’s Queen Mother, then 81, shed a tear, while Charles’ mother, wearing a turquoise dress and matching hat, had “damp eyes” on several occasions during her service to Queen Elizabeth II, AFP wrote.
Britain is doing what its media has commented – it does best – on the occasion of a state – it was a British affair.
“The British press did not dedicate a line to the makeup of Princess Grace of Monaco, the suit of French President François Mitterrand or the light pink suit worn by Nancy Reagan (US First Lady),” AFP wrote.
It was a national holiday in Britain and around 600,000 people gathered in the streets, some waving Union Jack flags and camped all night as they crossed London on the three-kilometer (two-mile) route from the church. Saw two newlyweds. His open-topped state carriage.
The gathering then cheered the famous kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
The “secret kiss” signifies “a marriage where the spontaneity of love managed to win over tradition”, AFP wrote, somewhat telling, as things would turn out.
Britain danced to the tune of the wedding, the largest security operation since World War II, in which the British mainland was still vulnerable to an Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombing campaign.
Hair salons were advertising the “Diana Cut” and fans bought commemorative mugs and plates containing a photo of the royal couple, among other royal gadgets.
After major fanfare, the couple attended a more intimate reception at the Palace where Diana was photographed kissing her youngest bridesmaid, a five-year-old, before departing on the cruise to the Mediterranean on honeymoon on the royal yacht Britannia.
In his sermon, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcy, called the wedding a “fairy tale”.
But it lasted less than five years, during which the “heirs and extras”, Prince William and Harry, were born.
After that, the marriage gradually became acrimonious, with stories of infidelity, embarrassing leaked telephone conversations, and Diana’s bulimia and suicide attempts.
The royal couple separated in 1992 and then divorced in 1996.
Diana’s death in a car accident in Paris in 1997 caused a deep crisis and shook the monarchy.
The queen, whose distance and reserve separated her from her subjects, was accused of heartlessness.
On April 9, 2005, in a civil ceremony, Charles married his new wife, Camilla Parker Bowles, who had emerged as the true love of his life and whom he reportedly took for each other with the initials of their surnames. The engraved bracelet was given to – Fred and Gladys – the night before his wedding to Diana.
While Diana would have become queen if Charles ascended the throne, Camilla would only be the queen consort.
.