Inside the biggest royal weddings and the marriages which have ended in divorce
The weddings have been watched by millions all around the world over the yearsOver the years, there have been many royal weddings watched by millions around the globe.
From Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s 1947 ceremony to the Prince and Princess of Wales’ 2011 wedding, royal fans have loved seeing the celebrations on their screens.
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest royal weddings over the years and which ones have ended in divorce…
Royal weddings: Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip – 1947
In 1947, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip married at Westminster Abbey on November 20. They had first met in 1934, and announced their engagement in July 1947.
Just four months later, their wedding took place with 2,000 guests invited. 200 million people from all around the world tuned in to watch the then Princess Elizabeth marry.
The queen had eight bridesmaids, including her sister Princess Margaret. Her stunning wedding dress was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell, and it featured a heart-shaped neckline with a low v-pointed waist.
Following World War Two, rationing measures were in place so she had to use clothing ration coupons to pay for the dress.
After the ceremony, the newlyweds went out onto Buckingham Palace balcony to wave to the crowds below – a tradition which has been upheld at more recent royal weddings.
Following their wedding day, the couple spent their honeymoon at Birkhall on the Balmoral Estate. The queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were married for nearly 74 years up until his death in April 2021.
The queen died in September 2022, aged 96.
King Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding – 1981
The now King Charles married his first wife, Lady Diana Spencer, in July 1981. They tied the knot at St Paul’s Cathedral, and a whopping 750 million people tuned in to watch the nuptials – which was referred to as the “wedding of the century”.
They had announced their engagement in February 1981. At the time of their wedding, Diana was 20 and Charles was 32.
It’s said that the wedding estimated to have cost around $48 million in total. Diana’s stunning dress – designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel – was estimated to have cost £9,000 at the time. It featured sequins, 10,000 pearls and a 25-foot train.
3,500 guests attended the wedding. Later, Princess Diana and Prince Charles made the traditional balcony appearance with the crowds below erupting into cheers as they kissed. A wedding breakfast then took place at Buckingham Palace.
After they married, Diana became the Princess of Wales. They welcomed son Prince William in 1982 and Prince Harry in 1984.
Charles and Diana divorce
However, just a few years into their marriage and things turned sour for the couple. They split in 1992 and officially divorced in 1996.
During their relationship, Charles allegedly had an affair with his now wife Camilla Parker Bowles in 1986. In a 1994 TV interview, the then Prince of Wales admitted to an affair saying their marriage had “irretrievably broken down”.
It has been claimed Charles ‘regrets his bad behaviour’ that occurred before they broke up.
The Princess of Wales tragically died a year after the divorce in 1997, following a car crash in Paris.
King Charles had two royal weddings – marrying Queen Camilla in 2005
In April 2005, the then Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles married in a civil wedding ceremony at Windsor Guildhall.
A civil ceremony took place because the couple were refused permission to marry in a church by the Archbishop of Canterbury due to being divorcees.
Camilla was previously married to her first husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, from 1973 to 1995.
Charles and Camilla reportedly wanted to keep their wedding low key, so Buckingham Palace announced at the time that Queen Elizabeth II would not attend the wedding ceremony but would attend the church blessing and host a reception after.
For her wedding, Camilla wore a cream dress and coat with a matching hat.
Once married, Camilla became the Duchess of Cornwall. Following their wedding, the couple honeymooned at Birkhall.
She has now become Queen Camilla after Charles acceded the throne in 2022.
Princess Anne tied the knot twice – 1973 and 1992
Anne, Princess Royal, is another member of the royal family who has been married twice. She tied the knot with Mark Phillips in November 1973 at Westminster Abbey.
After meeting in 1968, they announced their engagement in May 1973. Their wedding day was watched by 500 million people worldwide. 1,500 guests attended the nuptials.
Princess Anne wore a Maureen Baker dress, which featured a high neck and “medieval -influenced sleeves”.
The newlyweds returned to Buckingham Palace after the service for the traditional balcony appearance, before enjoying a wedding lunch.
Following their wedding, Anne and Mark went on to have two children – Peter Phillips, now 47, and Zara Tindall, 43.
However, the couple split in 1989 and finalised their divorce in 1992.
Princess Anne’s second husband Timothy Laurence
That same year, the Princess Royal married her second husband, retired Royal Navy officer Timothy Laurence. After meeting on the Royal Yacht Britannia, they struck up a romance.
However, the Church of England didn’t permit remarrying so Anne and Timothy travelled to Scotland to elope.
The couple chose to have a smaller celebration at Crathie Kirk, with 30 guests including her mother the queen.
For the occasion, Anne wore a high-neck midi dress and matching jacket.
The couple remain married to this day, and have no children together.
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson special day
In 1986, Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey. He proposed to Sarah in February that year when he was 26. Their engagement was officially announced in March.
The pair then tied the knot a few months later on July 23. For the wedding, Andrew’s younger brother Prince Edward was his best man while his older brother Charles read a lesson during the service.
Following with tradition, the couple kissed on the Buckingham Palace balcony in front of thousands of people below.
After a wedding breakfast at the palace with 120 guests, Andrew and Sarah enjoyed a party with 300 guests at Claridge’s hotel.
Sarah’s Lindka Cierach dress featured a 17-foot train and a 20-foot-long veil. She reportedly said she had lost 26 pounds to get into the dress.
Upon their marriage, Sarah became the Duchess of York. They welcomed two children – Princess Beatrice in 1988 and Princess Eugenie in 1990.
However, in 1992, the couple split and then finalised their divorce in 1996.
The pair still remain on good terms to this day though, with Sarah often gushing over what a good father and grandfather Andrew is. They also both live at Royal Lodge in Windsor.
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal wedding
More recently we have seen a couple of big royal weddings including Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s nuptials in April 2011.
The now Prince of Wales married Kate, now the Princess of Wales, at Westminster Abbey. After initially meeting back in 2001, they briefly split before rekindling their romance. William proposed to Kate in 2010 during a trip to Kenya with his late mother Diana’s engagement ring.
Their 2011 wedding was reportedly watched by a billion people worldwide. They also appeared on the palace balcony and shared a kiss, much to the delight of members of the public below. It was rare to see the couple embrace PDA in front of fans.
Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen designed Kate’s stunning lace dress, which featured long sleeves and a long train.
Following their nuptials, they became the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. They have since welcomed three children – Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, nine, and Prince Louis, six.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the beginning of King Charles’ reign, William and Kate became the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding
In May 2018, Prince Harry married American actress Meghan Markle in a stunning ceremony at St George’s Chapel, at Windsor Castle.
Harry had proposed to Meghan in November 2017 during an intimate dinner at his home in Kensington Palace. He popped the question with a gorgeous ring, which included diamonds from his mother Princess Diana’s collection.
2,640 people were invited to watch the nuptials from inside Windsor Castle’s grounds.
Prince Harry’s best man was his brother, William. Meghan was accompanied by her mother, Doria Ragland, in the procession before the now King Charles walked her half-way down the aisle (the duchess wanted to walk some of it herself).
Meghan became estranged from her father, Thomas Markle, in the lead-up to the wedding.
Meghan Markle’s wedding dress was designed by one of her favourite brands
Clare Waight Keller designed Meghan’s stunning wedding dress for Givenchy. It featured long sleeves, an open bateau neckline and a five-meter-long veil. The veil represented all 53 of the commonwealth countries.
After the service, the newlyweds made their way outside to the roaring crowds and shared a kiss on the steps of St George’s Chapel.
A carriage procession then took place around Windsor. Later a wedding reception took place in St George’s Hall, hosted by Queen Elizabeth II.
Harry’s father Charles then hosted a private evening reception at Frogmore House. It’s estimated that around 1.9 billion people watched Harry and Meghan’s wedding from all over the world.
After the wedding, the couple became the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. They have welcomed two children – Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three.
The couple now live in California after stepping back from their senior royal roles in 2020.
Other royal weddings
Other royal weddings include Prince Edward’s nuptials to Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999. They tied the knot at St George’s Chapel.
Meanwhile, Princess Beatrice – the eldest daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York – married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in July 2020 at the Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge in Windsor. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic, meaning it was a smaller affair.
Her younger sister Princess Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank in October 2018 at St George’s Chapel.
Which of the above royal weddings have you watched? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page @RoyalInsiderOfficial.
