Royal life
As we approach Valentine’s Day, we take a look at some of the loveliest royal fairy-tale weddings
The Prince and Princess of Wales
In a classic tale of friendship blossoming into romance, the Prince and Princess of Wales first met in 2001 while studying at the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Fast-forward nine years, and they announced their engagement to the world after William, now 41, proposed with his late mother Princess Diana’s ring.
In April 2011, two billion people across the world watched as the sweethearts said ‘I do’ at London’s Westminster Abbey before sharing a kiss during the RAF flyover on Buckingham Palace’s balcony. Kate, now 41, looked incredible in a bespoke Alexander McQueen dress, and the couple, their family and close friends enjoyed a reception hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth and a private dinner arranged by William’s father, the then Prince Charles.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip
At just eight years old, the late Queen met Prince Philip when they were both guests at a wedding. Years later, they began exchanging letters, and in July 1947 announced their engagement; that November, the couple tied the knot in front of 2,000 people at Westminster Abbey. The then Princess wore a Norman Hartnell dress featuring 10,000 seed pearls and a 15ft train, and the newly-weds enjoyed a wedding breakfast with 150 guests at Buckingham Palace.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex
In November 2017, a year after they enjoyed their first date, it was announced that Charles and Diana’s youngest son Prince Harry, now 39, was engaged to American actor Meghan Markle. The following May, they wed in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle, in a ceremony viewed by 29.2 million viewers. But in the couple’s Netflix documentary, they revealed that they’d secretly exchanged vows three days before in a back garden ceremony. The wedding was a starstudded event, with the likes of Serena Williams and the Beckhams in attendance, while Idris Elba served as their DJ and Sir Elton John – who was a close friend of Princess
