9 Princess Diana Wedding Details You Probably Never Knew

Jul 01, 2021

Prince Charles and Princess Diana were married on July 29, 1981, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England. They had been together for a couple of years prior to their wedding and celebrated their love for each other in front of 3,500 of their loved ones. Not only that but it was also televised to a worldwide audience. The happy couple had a beautiful, traditional ceremony and there were even events held around the Commonwealth so everyone could join in on the romantic festivities.

From her stunning wedding dress to the beautiful ring she wore, Diana was the epitome of elegance and grace on her special day. 

Charles and Diana had the wedding of the century, and it was a perfect fairytale moment. Although it was televised and seen by millions of people across the world, there are still some surprising facts about the wedding. Here are nine details about the wedding between the Prince and Princess of Wales that you probably never knew.

Right before the ceremony started, Diana had a moment that would cause most brides to become a complete wreck. She spilled perfume on her gorgeous wedding dress that was designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel. Diana’s makeup artist Barbara Daly revealed that the princess left a spot of perfume on her dress just minutes before she walked down the aisle, as per People. She tried to dab some on her wrist, but it spilled, so Diana simply covered the spot with her hand as she made her grand entrance.

The New York Times reported that when Diana recited her vows to Charles, she promised to “love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and health,” but she did not say the traditional line that included the word obey. Prince William and Kate Middleton took the same vows during their own ceremony in 2011.

In 1981, the wedding cost a whopping $48 million. When you convert that to today’s dollar rate, it would come to be a total of $110 million for the entire wedding ceremony, according to Business Insider.

Diana had a backup dress waiting for her in the wings just in case something happened to her gown or if anyone saw it ahead of time. In case the media got ahold of pictures of her wedding dress before the big day, the Emanuels had an alternative dress plan and made sure to rip up the sketches after showing them to the Princess of Wales, according to Yahoo News.

Diana’s bridal shoes did more than just help her walk down the aisle to her husband. They also held a secret message. Adorned with 540 sequins and 130 pearls, the shoes had a “C” and “D” hand-painted on the soles.

There was a diamond-studded horseshoe sewn into the waistband of the princess’ dress. Vanity Fair reported that it was for good luck.

While Alanis Morrisette has dubbed rain on your wedding day as ironic in her song “Ironic,” the Princess of Wales and her wedding dress designers had a plan just in case it happened on the special day. The designers wanted to make sure that their work wouldn’t get ruined in the rain. After picking up some parasols, they decked them out with white and ivory fabric, and had the same lace as Diana’s dress.

With such a grandiose event that was well-known and well-received by the public, Diana and Charles had to keep a few tricks up their sleeves in order to hold on to some intimate moments. They decided to have a secret wedding registry for their friends that was set up at General Trading Company, according to Yahoo News. If anyone chose to shop from there, they had to get approval from Buckingham Palace.

Of course, the dress is one of the most important pieces to stun people with on your wedding day, but the ring is just as important. Diana, who married into the royal family, bought her iconic sapphire ring from a catalog. In fact, Diana opted for Garrard, a jeweler that has become a favorite within the royal family. Her ring is now worn by Kate as it was a gift from William.

Did you know any of these details about Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding day? What did you think about their special day back in 1981? Let us know, and be sure to send this on to your friends and family, too!