Princess Diana and Prince Charles’s 1981 Wedding
Updated: Aug 28
On Thursday, August 31, Diana Spencer died 20 years ago. It was on August 31, 1997 that Lady Di's car, where she was with her boyfriend, the Egyptian millionaire Dodi al-Fayed, crashed into the pillar of the Tunnel Alma in Paris.
In the United Kingdom and around the world, admirers of Lady Di organized ceremonies in honor of the "people's princess", one of the most popular in recent history. Since the beginning of the week, flowers and cards have piled up in front of Kensington Palace, where Diana lived in London.
The princess's heirs, Princes William and Harry, visited a garden created in her honor at Kensington Palace on Wednesday (30) and attended a meeting with representatives of charitable organizations that she supported.
Today we will remember the wedding of the beloved Lady Diana and Prince Charles and we will also talk about the accident that caused her tragic death.
Diana's wedding to Prince Charles
It was on July 29, 1981, 36 years ago, that Diana Spencer married Prince Charles, heir to the English crown. The ceremony was watched by approximately 1 billion guests, being via satellite to the entire world. The wedding had gigantic proportions and took place in the Cathedral of Saint Paul, on a Wednesday, for 3,500 people.
Diana's dress was one of the highlights. The piece was commissioned by Buckingham Palace and created by fashion designers David Emanuel and Isabel Emanuel.
Every step of the process was completed in complete secrecy to ensure that no one knew which costume was chosen, especially the press. The model was one of the most requested by brides that year, it was a puffy dress that did not let the silhouette show through.
The tiara worn by Diana was gold with diamonds set in silver. Lady Di's shoes had 150 pearls that covered the central heart-shaped motif. Prince Charles donned a naval uniform.
The engagement ring? A jewel created by Garrards in 1980, with a 12-carat sapphire surrounded by 14 solitaire diamonds, set in 18-carat white gold. The ring, of Welsh gold. The princess's wedding ring was made from the “remnant” of a soft nugget of Welsh gold, extracted from the famous gold mine “Clogau St David”. The same nugget also provided the Queen Mother, The Queen, Princess Margaret and Princess Anne rings. Inside the simple gold wedding ring, they engraved the words “I Love You, Diana”.
Upon marriage, Lady Diana was jointly crowned Princess of Wales with Her Royal Highness. While she was married, her title was: Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, Countess of Chester, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay, Countess of Carrick, Baroness of Renfrew, Lady of the Isles and Princess of Scotland. Charles and Diana separated in 1992, but the divorce was only finalized in 1996.
The Story of Diana and Charles
The romance began in 1981. Charle and Diana began to appear publicly and the tabloid "The Sun" gave the scoop, showing that the two were together. Every moment she left her apartment, Diana was followed by journalists.
That same year, on February 6th, Charles arranged a meeting with his – then-girlfriend at Windsor Castle. It was there that he asked for Diana's hand in marriage.
Buckingham Palace announced their engagement on February 24, when she moved in, but stayed with two servants until she got married and could sleep next to Charles.
the tragic accident
Diana died on August 31, 1997, when the car where she was with her boyfriend, the Egyptian millionaire Dodi al-Fayed crashed into the pillar of the Tunnel Alma in Paris.
According to British police investigations, the accident was caused by excessive speed and drunkenness of the driver, Henri Paul. The only survivor of the tragedy was the princess's bodyguard Trevor Rees-Jones, who was in the passenger seat. Paul and Dodi died instantly.
Diana and her bodyguard were rescued and taken to a hospital. She died a few hours after being admitted to the Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital from internal bleeding, severe chest and head injuries, and lung injuries.
Want to know more weddings and news like these? Check out our special articles on the topic.
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