Princess Diana & Prince Charles' Wedding: A Look Back (PHOTOS)

What we're going to do now is go back.

Way back, to July 29, 1981, when 20-year-old Diana Spencer married Prince Charles at St. Paul's Cathedral as 750 million folks watched on TV and another 600,000 lined the streets of London.

Princess Diana picked a taffeta and lace gown by David and Elizabeth Emanuel for her walk down the aisle -- attached to it, the now-infamous 25-foot-long train. The ceremony went off without a hitch, other than Diana's reversal of Charles' first and middle names when reciting her vows. Whoops. Also of note, she did not say she'd "obey," her future husband.

Diana and Charles inaugurated the balcony kiss at Buckingham Palace, where they held a reception with 27 wedding cakes. Did you know that a slice of the dessert sold for $1,830 at auction in 2008?

Take a look back at Princess Diana's wedding.

***For more royal wedding news, visit our Royal Wedding page.***

Comments

[melobster78]

05:19 PM on 05/03/2011

I am just amazed that she was able to walk down the aisle without falling every 3 feet in that gown!! The thing looks like it weighed a ton!! As for Diana being silly and niave,she probably was hoping that even though it was an arranged marriage that Charles would come to love her. Almost every woman wants her Prince Charming. Unfortunately,it was anything but a fairy tale. It had to have been horrible knowing that Charle's true love was sitting in that church watching this farce. Charles was miserable even before the ceremony began! I'm sure if they had a say at the time they would have not gotten married. Everyone would have been saved from much unhappiness. I only hope that William and Catherine will have a marriage filled with love that will last for years. It's sad to know that their marriage was more a business deal : Marry Diana who is a virgin of 19 and produce an heir to the throne. She gave him 2 heirs and it still wasn't enough. Tragic!

[archarabia]

12:27 PM on 05/03/2011

@southernblue my sentiments exactly. His son looked happier.

[LMPE]

02:34 PM on 05/01/2011

Wasn't Fleet Street where Sweeney Todd lived?

[sempronia]

10:44 AM on 04/30/2011

I'm sorry, but I just can't get past the way that Diana's dress is just so big -- she looks like she's swimming in that bodice. Actually, it seems an apt metaphor for her being completely unprepared for what she got herself into.

[TchoupitoulasCanal]

03:22 AM on 04/30/2011

Wow, Prince Charles really DID look emotionally detached in all of those photos. That's just incredible.

[Christine Hart]

09:56 AM on 04/30/2011

He certainly did! What a contrast to yesterday's obvious joy and love between Kate and William!! Let's hope they have a happier life,together.

[LMPE]

02:33 PM on 05/01/2011

I read Johann Hari's article about Charles. It sounds as though "emotionally detached" is one of the nicer ways to describe Chuck.

[sf girl]

07:12 PM on 04/29/2011

Man, Prince Charles looked miserable. Looking back on it now, knowing what we now know, I feel bad for both him and Diana.

[shuffleoff]

07:32 PM on 04/29/2011

F&F sf girl...you said it for me...

[naschkatze]

11:49 PM on 04/29/2011

That's what strikes me. He looks so sad in these photographs, but at the time no one really noticed.

[peptobismal]

11:58 PM on 04/30/2011

I'm not sure he was sad as much as resigned. His mum probably told him to quit cavorting with a married woman and get married and produce some heirs. It looks like he grabbed the first female around that had some good look genes. A 19 yr. old girl that wouldn't pay lip service to anyone and they could try to mold her into what they wanted. She gave him tall, handsome, and unlike the rest of the bunch, thoughtful sons. She fooled them all in the end. Her sons are a daily living reminder of her and the lessons she taught them. Charles is just dam lucky to have those "boys". She gave him the light of his life. Jerk.

[maidenofdforest]

01:08 PM on 04/29/2011

It was a one way affair. She loved him--he did not. But, Diana's wedding gown suits her personality just like Kate did today!

[lotus321]

02:02 PM on 04/29/2011

Prince Charles looked unhappy from the beginning in these photos.

[maidenofdforest]

02:07 PM on 04/29/2011

The prince was already enamored - make that, more than enamored of Camilla but she still was married. Then she became divorced, and he was done with Diana, then came the affair, Diana's rebound affairs and the fallout. But she was a very good mother thru and thru and Charles did his part too. Just sad it ended that way. But present is what it is now.

It's just funny how we talk of other people's...just as an afterthought. :-)

[ColoradoCool]

01:28 AM on 04/30/2011

Well then, why didn't he man up and refuse to marry someone he didn't love and was so miserable with?

[cyoohoos]

05:59 AM on 04/30/2011

I think age has something to do with it. Younger brides are still attached to the whole wedding Barbie thing. Older brides are more mature and that showed in Kate's dress. Both, however, were beautiful.

[sempronia]

10:42 AM on 04/30/2011

I was thinking that, but I wasn't sure how off I was in my assessment of 1980s trends.

Actually, my mother's 1980 dress (she was in her late 20s) has a lot more in common with Kate's dress, with the simplicity and the lace around the shoulders. And I have noticed, thanks to facebook, that the older my acquaintances have been when getting married, generally, the nicer the dresses.

[maidenofdforest]

10:50 AM on 04/30/2011

You are actually right on all counts.

I married at 27...but I would pick Dian'as gown, if I were made to choose as a personal personal preference and wouldn't know about Barbie in that! :-)

But cheers! Both brides were radiant indeed!

[nwfurn]

12:56 PM on 04/29/2011

Knowing how this unfolded, it doesn't appear to have been a particularly happy day.

[cyoohoos]

06:00 AM on 04/30/2011

Unfortunately, that is how it unfolds for >50% of marriages. I say, have your children and love them. Your spouse... well... like them?

[gndungi]

12:26 PM on 04/29/2011

I remember this farce. I remember how glad we all were when it finally ended. I also remember what had to happen to Princess D because of this rabid celeb worship! http://qalil-com.blogspot.com/2011/04/10-things-id-rather-be-doing.html

[joyf1]

10:26 AM on 04/29/2011

I wonder why some of the pictures were in black and white.

[Telly Savalas]

09:13 AM on 04/29/2011

Dear Wills & Kate:
Please take the first available time machine back to the 18th century?
And take all your family with you!
Have nice life there........

[ColoradoCool]

01:29 AM on 04/30/2011

Without modern dentistry and medicine, I think I'll pass on the time travel business.

[Lucille]

02:17 PM on 04/30/2011

Well I'd try time travel, as long as it was in the future. That being said, if I could go back to 1980 and had the ability to stop Diana from marrying Charles I would.

[Sweet-Marie]

08:41 AM on 04/29/2011

Well, he got his dog in the end. Sad irony.

[trish74]

06:41 AM on 04/30/2011

LOL. That's just mean.

[southernblue]

07:24 AM on 04/29/2011

Charles didn't look as happy as his son did today.

[xlntcat]

08:53 AM on 04/30/2011

He was marrying a woman that he barely knew and had never been in love with nor she him.  Some arranged marriages work out but having never been in love with the other person typically leaves a void.

[Fi]

03:53 AM on 04/29/2011

Never, ever liked that dress.

[Rosanneofpgh]

03:57 AM on 04/29/2011

I agree. It was all wrong for her. Too fussy and overwhelming and just plain ugly!

[naschkatze]

11:50 PM on 04/29/2011

Blowsy.

[REMEMBER2050]

11:17 AM on 04/29/2011

Me neither, hated it in fact, but she sure did pull it off.