Charles and Di: The wedding we can never forget
It's 40 years since Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in what the world thought a fairytale wedding. We take a look at why we're still talking about it decades later
It’s the royal wedding we just can’t forget.
When Lady Diana Spencer emerged from the Glass Coach on July 29 1981, the enchanted world thought we were watching a real-life fairytale. “The stuff of which fairytales are made,” gushed the Archbishop of Canterbury. “It was like fairyland,” said US First Lady Nancy Reagan.
Of course, we soon learnt it was the fairytale that wasn’t. “I was deathly calm,” Diana later told biographer Andrew Morton. “I felt I was a lamb going to the slaughter.” But 40 years on, had things played out as we had expected them, Charles and Diana would be celebrating their ruby anniversary, proud grandparents of five.
Instead, Diana is almost a quarter of a century gone and the only thing left of her in Kensington Palace is her wedding dress encased in a giant glass display cabinet and a new statue of her in the garden.
While other royal weddings have faded from memory – who among us can recall who designed Fergie’s wedding dress 35 years ago this month, for example (the answer is Lindka Cierach) – Charles and Diana’s nuptials have become legendary.
It’s not just that she set about to have the most lavish event – Diana designed the 7.6-metre train especially to be the longest royal wedding train ever and they held it in St Paul’s Cathedral because it could fit more people than Westminster Abbey - but the wedding defined a generation. For years afterwards, brides wore giant puff-sleeved princess-style gowns and the big white wedding was in vogue, only calming down in the past decade.
Some 600,000 people lined the streets of London and 750 million people around the globe tuned in to watch it on television. The dress, designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, was the embodiment of the 1980s. With giant puff-sleeves and frills of antique lace, the enormous taffeta frock was a bold statement by the young bride. “She couldn’t do a quiet-looking, low-key little gown,” said David Emanuel.
Diana did things her way. First, the venue was St Paul’s Cathedral, the only royal wedding to be held there, and controversially back then, she refused to say “obey” in her vows. With 3500 guests of royalty and heads of state, Diana later said she still picked out Camilla Parker Bowles in the pews. “Walking down the aisle I spotted Camilla, pale grey, pillbox hat, saw it all.”
Followed by five bridesmaids and two pageboys, Diana still managed to think of others during her big day, snapped comforting bridesmaid Clemmie Hambro who was crying. When Diana falteringly said her vows – accidentally fluffing the full name of Prince Charles – a cheer went up outside the cathedral.
One TV commentator said they were “a couple so obviously in love, a whole nation could forget its troubles for one day.” They wouldn’t be able to forget theirs, however, which makes the memories even more poignant. After the reception in Buckingham Palace, Diana changed into a pink Bellville Sassoon outfit and she and Charles drove away in a carriage with a Just Married sign and balloons on the back, chased by the Queen, Queen Mother and Princess Margaret.
Little did she know then, Diana would be pursued for the rest of her life.
After Harry’s book, when will we see Meghan’s memoir?
The big news this week was, of course, the announcement that Prince Harry is writing a memoir - or two. Due out next year, Harry said in a statement, “I’m writing this not as the prince I was born but as the man I have become.
“I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to share what I’ve learned over the course of my life so far and excited for people to read a first-hand account of my life that’s accurate and wholly truthful.”
But while royal commentators were predictably frothing with fury at the thought of it, the real question, Kerry asks, is when will Meghan’s memoir come out? In an opinion piece for The Sunday Telegraph, Kerry says you can be sure the Duchess of Sussex has a draft in the drawer and a deal on the table too, Barack and Michelle Obama-style.
Why wouldn’t she? Harry has reportedly signed a four-book deal, with a second memoir coming out after the Queen passes away and Meghan penning a wellness tome. There’s nothing stopping Meghan sharing her side of the story. She’s proven she can write, with her children’s book The Bench and her moving, personal piece on baby loss for the New York Times. You can bet publishers posted more proposals per day than Harry Potter got Hogwarts acceptance letters.
One thing is for certain, there will be more plot twists…
By George, he’s grown up
Prince George celebrated his eighth birthday on Thursday and to mark the occasion, Catherine continued with one of our favourite traditions of hers, by releasing a new snap of him.
In the photo, taken by the Duchess of Cambridge at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, George looked charmingly casual, in his £10 John Lewis striped polo shirt and a pair of his trademark blue shorts.
The sweet prince posed on the bonnet of a Land Rover Defender - thought to be a tribute to Prince Philip who loved driving Land Rovers and even adapted a Defender as the hearse for his funeral.
Anne’s Olympic message
She should win a gold medal for her prolific royal duties, but Princess Anne wished Team GB the best of luck this week as the Tokyo Olympics begin.
Anne, President of the British Olympic Association, said in a video, “As your President, I would like to wish you every success for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Although I am sad not to be there in person, I and the whole nation will be cheering for you and proudly supporting you from home.”
The Princess Royal was the first member of the Royal Family to have competed in the Olympic Games when she rode The Queen’s horse, Goodwill, in the equestrian three-day event at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. Daughter Zara competed in the same three-day event at the 2012 London Olympics, winning silver - and Mum even presented the medals.
Margaret’s great yarn
Our favourite royal story this week is that of 92-year-old Margaret Seaman, who has knitted a replica of the Sandringham estate that has gone on display in the royal home.
Margaret spent two years crafting a model of the Queen’s Norfolk home and says the monarch was impressed when she toured the masterpiece, which includes Sandringham House, St Mary Magdalene Church, the Nest summer house, gardens and miniature woollen visitors and members of the Royal Family.
Visitors can view it on display in the ballroom of Sandringham until October. For tickets, visit here.