Royal Photos Reveal Key Differences Between Charles And Diana’s Wedding And William And Kate’s Wedding

The then-Prince of Wales’ wedding to Diana Spencer was an era-defining event — as was Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding a few decades later. But while one marriage ended in heartbreak and chaos, the other is going strong to this day. If you compare photos from both weddings, you can see almost straight away the stark differences between the two. And it’s extremely telling of the fates that would befall each couple.

1. The carriage ride

You only have to look at this photo of Diana in the wedding carriage to get the feeling she absolutely didn’t want to be there. But the second the engagement ring had gone on her finger, she couldn’t back out. In comparison, Kate and William seem very happy waving to the crowd, and more importantly, they seem very happy with each other too.

2. Special tiaras

It isn’t a proper royal wedding if the most stunning tiaras ever made aren’t on display. For Diana’s wedding, she wore the Spencer tiara, which had been passed down through her family for generations. And for Kate’s big day, the bride was given a loan of the Cartier Halo tiara, which is part of the Queen’s collection and constructed from hundreds of diamonds.

3. Walking down the aisle

These photos are so very similar, but also so very different. As Diana walks out through the church with Charles, she looks hidden inside her massive dress and very nervous under that veil. She’s not holding his hand, just clinging to his arm. But Kate is holding hands with her new husband and the pair look happy to be married at last.

4. The monarch

Queen Elizabeth II oversaw the marriages of both her son Charles and her grandson William, and both times she wore something understated yet elegant to the ceremony. In 1981 she wore a blue ensemble, and in 2011 she picked a light-yellow coat and hat by Angela Kelly. Both times she accessorized with expensive pieces of jewelry and her now-famous gloves.

5. Giving away the brides

Both Diana and Kate were walked down the aisle by their fathers, Earl Spencer and Michael Middleton, respectively. Diana’s father had an aristocratic title while Kate’s did not, and in the run-up to the 2011 wedding much was made of the bride’s family’s humble beginnings. But Kate went from “commoner” to future Queen Consort with barely a bump in the road.

6. The engagement photos

William and Kate seemed to deliberately echo Charles and Diana in their engagement photos. They didn’t, though, echo the extremely awkward moment that took place after the Palace announced the heir was to be married. Back then, Charles was asked by an interviewer if he was in love and he answered, “Whatever ‘love’ means.” Diana was sitting right there. Ouch.

7. The wedding dresses

Diana and Kate both wore white for their weddings, but the dresses weren’t exactly similar in style. Diana’s was a frilly, fancy creation by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, while Kate’s was a modern-but-classic number by Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton. Both dresses had something in common, though. Each had a tiny blue bow sewn into the gown to represent “something blue.”

8. The crowds

Both the Charles-Diana wedding and the William-Kate one attracted thousands of people to London and persuaded millions more to turn on their TVs. At least 750 million tuned in to see the former ceremony live, a record that wasn’t even bested by William and Kate’s nuptials. Despite the option to livestream existing by that point, their wedding attracted “only” 162 million global viewers.

9. The merchandise

In the run-up to both royal weddings, boxes upon boxes of merchandise were produced for enterprising shopkeepers to sell to fans and tourists. This was one of the reasons why backing out was impossible for the reluctant Diana. Allegedly her sisters had sat her down and told her, “Your face is on the tea towels so you’re too late to chicken out now.”

10. The quiet cousin

Lady Sarah Chatto, daughter of Princess Margaret, is one of the lesser-known royals. When she was a teenager she played a big part in Diana’s wedding though — she was chief bridesmaid, the one responsible for herding all the little bridal party members into the church. And she was at Kate and William’s wedding as well — but as a guest.

11. Flowers with hidden meanings

Royal wedding bouquets are always laden with meaning. Diana’s apparently-very-heavy one contained myrtle from a plant grown by Queen Victoria, odontoglossum orchids like the ones in Elizabeth’s own wedding bouquet, and a rose named “Earl Mountbatten” after Charles’ late uncle. Kate had many of the same flowers, but she also had some “sweet William” in there. No prizes for guessing who that was referencing!

12. The venues

Charles and Diana actually broke royal tradition by having their wedding at St. Paul’s Cathedral. It hadn’t been used for a royal wedding since 1501, and Charles’ mother and grandfather had both been married at Westminster Abbey. But St. Paul’s held more people, so it was the better choice for such a high-profile event. William and Kate, on the other hand, chose Westminster.

13. Pre-wedding snaps

Kate and William looked perfectly happy together in the run-up to their wedding, but the same couldn’t be said of Charles and Diana. Di’s astrologer Penny Thornton claimed to People magazine in 2020, “One of the most shocking things that Diana told me was that the night before the wedding Charles told her that he didn’t love her. I think Charles didn’t want to go into the wedding on a false premise. He wanted to square it with her and it was devastating for Diana.”

14. The bridesmaids

The little girls who accompanied Diana up the aisle were Catherine Cameron, Clementine Hambro, Sarah-Jane Gasalee, Sarah Chatto, and India Hicks. Kate also picked some adorable kids from her circle: Margarita Armstrong-Jones, Grace van Cutsem, Eliza Lopes, and Louise Windsor. Royals tend to have children rather than adults for their bridesmaids; Kate was unusual in that she included her sister Pippa in the bridal party as well.

15. The kiss

Each wedded couple had a big kiss moment on the balcony. For Charles and Diana, though, this kiss was only because they hadn’t kissed at the end of their ceremony: in the heat of the moment, they forgot! Oh dear. Still, locking lips on the balcony proved to be a crowd-pleasing decision, so it all worked out… for the time being.

16. Royal dolls

One of the strangest bits of merch that fans can buy for a royal wedding: dolls of the bride! Kate was reportedly unimpressed the first time she saw one of herself, but the best of the available dolls do at least have some work put into them: a good “bride Kate” doll even has a tiny replica of the engagement ring.

17. Impressive trains

Diana’s wedding dress train was the stuff of legend. It was a whopping 25 feet, the longest train in the recorded history of royal weddings. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Kate didn’t try and break the record once her turn came. Her train was “only” almost 9 feet long: much more manageable! After all, Diana’s did actually wrinkle a lot after being stuffed into the carriage for the ride to the church.

18. The photobomb

When Charles and Diana’s little bridesmaids joined them on the balcony, they near-perfectly behaved for the photographs. But that’s not how kids really are most of the time! There was a moment of realism at William and Kate’s wedding where, as they kissed and the cameras clicked, three-year-old Grace van Cutsem covered her ears and made the grumpiest face you’ve ever seen.

19. The cakes

Charles and Diana opted for a traditional wedding fruitcake. It was definitely one fit for royalty though — it weighed 225 pounds and was 5 feet tall. Kate and William’s one was a bit smaller: 220 pounds and 3 feet. But what it lacked in size, it made up for in detail. It featured hundreds of delicate designs handcrafted in sugar.

20. Mothers of the brides

Both Diana’s mother Frances Shand Kydd and Kate’s mother Carole Middleton came to their daughter’s respective weddings in grand carriages. Sadly, though, the brides might have had very different feelings upon seeing their mothers take their seats. Diana never got along with her mother and they were actually estranged when she died. Kate, on the other hand, is reported to have a very close bond with Carole.

21. Adoring fans

Fans turned out in their thousands for both Charles and Diana’s and William and Kate’s weddings. In fact, chances are a lot of the people who went to the first, attended the second as well. And they came carrying flags and handmade banners to wave at the cameras. After Diana’s tragic death, some of those banners have a certain poignancy now.

22. Charles’ and William’s uniforms

It’s traditional for royal grooms to wear military uniform, so Charles wore the full dress of a Royal Navy commander. It was covered in medals, including the Queen’s Coronation medal, the Queen’s Silver Jubilee medal, and the Maltese Cross. William’s Irish Guards uniform had fewer medals — including the St. George’s Cross and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal.

23. Poignant earrings

A royal wedding is a chance to wear the finest earrings in your jewelry box… especially if you’re the bride. Diana wore a pair of diamond earrings passed down from her mother, while Kate wore leaf-shaped earrings that were a present from her parents. Touchingly, Diana’s wedding earrings were actually present at her son’s wedding: they were worn by her sister, Sarah McCorquodale.

24. The wacky headgear

Perhaps you remember the sensation caused by Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice’s fascinators at the William-Kate wedding? Beatrice’s bizarrely shaped one especially spawned Facebook pages and endless internet memes. But she was following what appears to be quite a tradition of weird headgear at royal weddings — check out the strange orangey-yellow creation that Princess Anne was wearing back in 1981.

25. The honeymoon

After the wedding came the honeymoon period. The snap of Charles and Diana about to leave seems very formal, as if they’re still at work, but Kate and William’s is different. They’re even holding hands! So much changed between the 1981 royal wedding and the 2011 one, but there was another set of royal nuptials that eagle-eyed onlookers couldn't help but compare. In the span of just a decade, the House of Windsor threw two historic fairytale weddings — each with subtle differences.

26. Kate Vs. Meghan

The key differences between Kate And Meghan's special days are clearly visible in their wedding photos. The celebrations for two very dissimilar couples reflected their own tastes and styles — within the scope of royal tradition, of course. But with one pair on the pathway to taking over the throne and the other breaking off on their own, how do their big days reflect two sides of the royal coin?

27. The dresses

In an iconic fashion moment, Kate Middleton emerged in her $450,000 classically elegant Alexander McQueen gown. With a nine-foot train and intricate lace, the dress was one to remember. While Meghan's gown isn't as lauded, it was just as elegant. Her boatneck silhouette and 16.5-foot long veil balanced simplicity with royal grandeur. Not to mention, she included something blue, a piece of the dress worn on her first date with Prince Harry.

28. The rings

For the rings, Harry and William chose jewels that belonged to their mother. Kate's engagement ring is set with a 12-carat blue sapphire, with a price tag of $400,000. As for Meghan Markle's $350,000 ring, her framing diamonds were once Diana's. And if that's not sentimental enough, the center was selected by Prince Harry in the place where their romance all began, Botswana.

29. The grooms

Which prince was the better groom? Well, we'll let you judge. On their wedding days, both William and Harry donned their military regalia. William stood out in his red Irish Guard uniform, designating his rank as a colonel. Rather, Harry, who reached the rank of captain, wore the more common Blues and Royals uniform designated to the rank of major.

30. Bouquets

Just when you thought the royals couldn't sneak any more symbolism into every single element of the wedding, they proved you wrong. The bouquets, for example, were designed with a specific intention. Kate's was composed of all-white flowers, representing steady love and happiness. Meghan's, on the other hand, symbolized dedication and love. Plus, it even included some flowers handpicked by Harry himself! 

31. The Queen's ensemble

Always one to rock a bit of color, the Queen looked radiant in the primrose yellow she wore to William and Kate’s wedding. And the same could be said about her in the pastel green number chosen for Harry and Meghan’s, too. Staying true to her signature style, she paired her looks with white gloves, bold hats, and her trademark handbag. No favoritism at play then, or so it seemed...

32. Waving expectations

No, "waving" doesn't refer to the fun activity crowds do in arenas, but rather, the gesture the newlywed royals have to do to the crowd and millions of viewers across the globe. After saying “I do” one of the first duties is waving to crowds appreciatively in the carriage after the ceremony. Kate opted for a close-fingered wave, while Meghan kept things casual and natural.

33. Who carried the train?

Carrying the train is an important job that comes with added pressure. Pippa Middleton was in the hot seat for the first royal wedding of the decade as Kate's Maid of Honor. The second couple did things differently, though. Meghan ditched the Maid of Honor entirely and instead asked her close friend's twin sons to be her page boys on the big day. Aww!

34. Tiaras

Not every bride wears a tiara, but in the royal family, that's a non-negotiable. Kate's was borrowed from the late Queen. It's worth noting that the tiara was gifted to Elizabeth on her 18th birthday, so it's a big deal that she chose to share! Luckily, the monarch had quite the collection of tiaras, so Meghan also donned one of the Queen's pre-loved pieces. Taking a modern twist on tradition, Meghan personalized it by swapping in a diamond center stone. They weren't the only ones who turned heads, though. 

35. Mothers of the brides

Both Carole Middleton and Doria Ragland wore pastel shades with matching hats to witness their daughters marry into royalty. In Middleton's case, her dress was designed by Catherine Walker, while Ragland wore a mint Oscar de la Renta creation. We're sure you'll agree — they both looked stunning. 

36. What Charles wore

King Charles switched up his outfits for his son's weddings. The first time around, he went for a military look, wearing his regalia-covered royal uniform. Then, he put on a dashing three-piece gray suit for Harry and Meghan's wedding, complementing Camilla's outfit perfectly.

37. What Kate wore

When it was her time to attend another huge royal wedding, this time as a guest, the Princess of Wales caused a bit of a stir with her outfit choice. While the receipts say her Alexander McQueen coat was a shade of "primrose yellow," some felt Middleton came awfully close to committing the ultimate taboo — wearing white to someone else's wedding.

38. Down the aisle

Headlines swirled about the absence of Meghan Markle's father at her wedding and her partial-solo walk down the aisle. But traditionalists were assuaged when King Charles met her halfway. In contrast, Kate was escorted by her father, Michael Middleton.

39. The kisses

Every diehard royal fan anticipates the newlywed couple's first public smooch. William and Kate shared their first liplock as husband and wife on the balcony at Buckingham Palace. On the other hand, Harry and Meghan chose to kiss right after their ceremony in front of the crowd gathered outside St. George's Chapel. 

40. Reception venues

Only a select group of those packed into the church pews for the ceremony were invited to the royal receptions. William and Kate's nearest and dearest celebrated in the lavishness of Buckingham Palace, while Harry and Meghan's guests popped bottles at Windsor Castle's St. George’s Hall. We'd have happily accepted an invite to either! 

41. Reception dresses

Slipping into some staggeringly expensive gowns for the reception, Kate and Meghan chose beautiful dresses that reflected their personal styles. The Princess of Wales wore a classic and conservative Alexander McQueen number. While Meghan donned a sleek $157,000 Stella McCartney crisp-white halter gown.

42. The cakes

When it came to the cake, William and Kate went all out. Their eight-tier fruitcake cost a whopping $160,000! But don't worry, there was a chocolate cake on standby for all the fruitcake haters in attendance. In contrast, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex ordered a smaller lemon sponge with elderflower syrup and Almalfi lemon curd, with an estimated price tag between 60-75k. 

43. What the Middletons wore

As old-school British elites, Michael and Carole Middleton were well prepared for their royal wedding fashions. Michael wore a traditional suit and top hat on Kate's big day, and Carole sported a light blue tailored dress with a matching hat. And since it worked the first time, they wore almost the same thing to the next wedding!

44. The costs

What's the budget for a royal wedding? Well, a lot. In 2011, the monarchy shelled out $34 million for the marriage of the Prince and Princess of Wales. Upping the ante, Harry and Meghan threw a $55 million bash, even though they had 600 fewer guests than Will and Kate.

45. The sizes

When William and Kate married, it was considered the wedding of the century, so a lot more people flocked to witness that piece of history. A crowd of about 1,300 turned up at Westminster Abbey. Far fewer people showed up to see Harry and Meghan wed, but then, they also had a much smaller venue. Numbers aside, the world still watched as they became official members of the royal family.