Charles and Diana’s nuptials 43 years on: It was the ‘wedding of the century’ that broke records, before the fairytale ended in bitter divorce

Their high-profile marriage began with a fairytale wedding, followed by the births of two princes, but ended in a bitter divorce.

Lady Diana Spencer, aged 20, married Prince Charles, then 32, at St Paul’s Cathedral on July 29, 1981, in front of 3,500 guests.

Hailed as the ‘wedding of the century’, a record-breaking 750 million people in 74 countries across the globe tuned in to watch the event on television.

‘I remember being so in love with my husband that I couldn’t take my eyes off him,’ Diana told writer Andrew Morton. ‘I just absolutely thought I was the luckiest girl in the world. He was going to look after me.’

The jubilant occasion marked the first time that a British citizen had married an heir to the throne in 300 years. 

Charles and Diana had announced their engagement five months prior to the wedding, on February 24, 1981, with an exclusive interview. 

The Prince told the BBC that he was ‘delighted and frankly amazed’ that Diana was ‘prepared’ to take him on.

However, he upset his future wife when he was asked if they were in love. Diana replied, ‘Of course,’ while Charles quipped, ‘Whatever in love means’ – a comment she was believed to find ‘traumatising.’

During the discussion, Diana debuted her £47,000 engagement ring from jewellers Garrard.

It was a 12-carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire, surrounded by 14 diamonds, set in 18-carat white gold.

The breathtaking design, inspired by the brooch that Queen Victoria wore on her wedding day, was considered an unusual choice for royalty since it was not custom-made. 

Diana was the picture of elegance as she arrived at St Paul’s wearing a gown designed by the Emmanuels 

Diana’s father, Earl Spencer, accompanied her down the aisle

Charles wore his full dress naval commander uniform, with the blue sash of the Order of the Garter, the cross of a Great Master of the Order of Bath, and the stars of the Garter and the Thistle

The lavish ceremony was held at St Paul’s Cathedral, rather than Westminster Abbey, due to its larger capacity

The night before her wedding day, Diana stayed at Clarence House with her sisters and bridal party. 

According to journalist Penny Junor’s book, The Duchess: The Untold Story, Charles sent Diana a signet ring that bore his Prince of Wales feathers, accompanied by a note that read: ‘I am so proud of you and when you come up, I’ll be there at the altar for you tomorrow. Just look ’em in the eye and knock them dead.’

However, Diana’s personal astrologer, Penny Thornton, claimed in an ITV documentary that the royal also had a devastating confession for his bride.

‘One of the most shocking things that Diana told me was that the night before the wedding Charles told her that he didn’t love her,’ Thornton claimed. 

‘I think Charles didn’t want to go into the wedding on a false premise. He wanted to square it with her and it was devastating for Diana.’ 

The Prince and Princess of Wales made their way to Buckingham Palace in an open-top carriage after their wedding ceremony

Diana and Charles appeared on the Buckingham Palace balcony to wave to well-wishers

They were joined by Queen Elizabeth and other members of the royal family

L to R: The Queen Mother, Lord Nicholas Windsor, Edward Van Cutsem, Sarah Jane Gaselee, Catherine Cameron, Lady Diana Spencer, Prince Charles, Clementine Hambro, Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Edward and Prince Andrew

Diana beamed as she stood alongside her husband on the Palace balcony

But on the face of it, the wedding was a dream come true for the couple. 

An excerpt from Lady Colin Campbell’s The Real Diana quotes the bride: ‘It was heaven, amazing, wonderful, though I was so nervous when I was walking up the aisle that I swore my knees would knock and make a noise.’ 

The groom was also full of optimism, reportedly penning a letter to a friend reading: ‘There were several times when I was perilously close to crying from the sheer joy of it all.’ 

The lavish ceremony was held at St Paul’s Cathedral, rather than Westminster Abbey, due to its larger capacity. 

Lady Diana was the picture of elegance as she arrived at the venue with her father, Earl Spencer. 

He had suffered a serious stroke in 1978 and then endured a long recovery, so his presence held significant importance to Diana.

Months earlier, Buckingham Palace announced that Elizabeth and David Emanuel – who had previously worked with Diana – had been commissioned to create the royal wedding dress. 

The recent fashion school graduates, in their late 20s, crafted her iconic gown from lustrous ivory silk taffeta and incorporated a huge petticoat made from 90 metres of tulle.

Attention to detail was key: ruffles and bows were placed at the neckline and cuffs, while 10,000 pearls and sequins provided a glimmering finish.

Diana’s bridal look featured the longest train in royal history, measuring 25 feet. 

To ensure it was the perfect width, Elizabeth and David secretly measured the aisle of St Paul’s with a tape measure. 

The designers also created a spare petticoat and a silk skirt, which could be fitted over the original in case of emergency. 

Diana attended around 15 fittings and required five bodices to accommodate her rapid weight loss.

When she arrived at her first dress fitting, Diana’s waist measured 29in, but it had decreased to 23.5in by the wedding day.

The newlyweds delighted fans with a kiss, which became a royal tradition

Prince Charles and his bride, Diana Spencer, were seen laughing with the bridal party

Lady Diana Spencer on the arm of her father Earl Spencer as they walked up the aisle of St Paul’s Cathedral as they walked past Camilla Parker Bowles just behind Lady Sarah Spencer

3,500 guests were invited to the royal wedding. In front are Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik of Denmark, and following them is King Harald V of Norway

The fruit wedding cake, made by the Royal Naval Cookery School at Chatham, stood five feet high and weighed over 11 stones

Eschewing royal tradition, Princess Diana chose to wear a tiara belonging to her father, John Spencer.

Dating back to 1919, the Spencer tiara was crafted using a variety of diamonds from the family collection. 

It was gifted to Diana’s grandmother Cynthia, on the occasion of her marriage to Albert, Viscount Althorp,

Cynthia was serving as a Lady of Bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth and required extravagant jewellery for when she accompanyed Her Majesty at events.

The impressive garland-style headpiece featured a central heart, flanked by continuous running scrolls that are interspersed with star-and trumpet-shaped flowers.

The bride carried a cascading bouquet, incorporating classic wedding blooms and nods to her husband’s heritage, such as stephanotis, freesias, gardenias, lily of the valley and Earl Mountbatten roses.

Meanwhile, Charles wore his full Royal Navy uniform, with the blue sash of the Order of the Garter, the cross of a Great Master of the Order of Bath, and the stars of the Garter and the Thistle. 

He carried a full dress sword tasseled in gold.

As well as the Queen, Prince Philip and most other members of the Royal Family, the guests included prime minister Margaret Thatcher, US First Lady Nancy Reagan and Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco.  

Some 150 attendees were invited to Buckingham Palace for the wedding breakfast after the ceremony.

They were treated to a slice of fruitcake, which stood five feet high and weighed more than 11stone. It was made by the Royal Naval Cookery School at Chatham.

Diana and Charles’s kiss on the Palace balcony, which was lapped by tens of thousands of people massed down The Mall, began a royal custom that continues to this day. 

Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles pose with Queen Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace, London, in March 1981, after their wedding was given the go ahead by the Privy Council

It was reported that Diana and Charles received 3,000 presents between the time of their engagement and their big day, and also had a secret registry. 

Approval was needed by Buckingham Palace to view the list at General Trading Company, which is said to have included wine coolers, bed trays and gardening furniture. 

In addition, the couple were given a number of extravagant gifts from their most noble guests. 

The Reagans presented them with an engraved Steuben glass bowl; Crown Prince Fahd of Saudi Arabia sent a diamond and sapphire parure that comprised a watch, bracelet, pendant, ring and earrings.

Another guest gifted an Art Deco clock from Cartier. 

On June 21, 1982, Diana gave birth to Prince William. They began a new royal tradition by presenting their first son to the world outside St Mary’s Hospital’s Lindo Wing.

When Prince Harry was born two years later, on September 15, 1984, William was so excited that he had to be stopped from climbing into his brother’s cot. 

But it was not long after Harry’s arrival that rumours of trouble in the royal marriage started to emerge.

An official photograph of the Prince and Princess of Wales, taken at Buckingham Palace after their wedding at St Paul’s Cathedral on July 29, 1981

By 1986, both were having extramarital affairs. Whilst Charles was seeing Camilla, the love of his life, Diana was having a dalliance with Army officer Captain James Hewitt.   

In 1994, two years after their separation, Charles would admit to his infidelity on national TV, on the same night that Diana wore the outfit later dubbed the ‘Revenge Dress’.  

In August 1996, their divorce was finalised and they continued to co-parent their sons – until Diana’s tragic death in a car crash in Paris one year later.

It was not until 1999 that Charles and Camilla felt able to ‘come out’ as a couple. 

They did so by allowing a photo to be taken of them as they left the Ritz hotel in London, having attended a 50th birthday party. 

It would take a further six years before they could marry, and that ceremony was nowhere near as lavish or high-profile as Charles and Diana’s nuptials.