King Charles and Princess Diana Started This Iconic Royal Tradition During Their 1981 Wedding
King Charles and Princess Diana Started This Iconic Royal Tradition During Their 1981 Wedding
Laura Rizzo ChaganiTue, April 28, 2026 at 3:40 AM UTC
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King Charles and Princess Diana’s 1981 wedding was the event of the decade, and they are credited with starting the iconic royal tradition of sharing a kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Charles, then 32, and Diana, then 20, were reportedly very nervous for their wedding. They had only met around 13 times before getting married and were already experiencing underlying issues in their relationship. To add to the pressure, the $48 million televised event was attended by 3,500 guests in St. Paul's Cathedral and was watched by approximately 2 million spectators in London. The global TV audience was roughly 750 million people.
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - JULY 29: Prince Charles And Princess Diana Kissing On The Balcony Of Buckingham Palace On Their Wedding Day. (l To R) Lord Nicholas Windsor, Edward Van Cutsem, Sarah Jane Gaselee, Catherine Cameron, Princess Diana, Prince Charles, Clementine Hambro And Queen Elizabeth II. The Princess Is Wearing A Wedding Dress Designed By David And Elizabeth Emanuel. (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images
Thanks to their nerves, Charles and Diana forgot to kiss at the altar during the ceremony. Afterward, the couple presented as husband and wife on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with Queen Elizabeth II. Traditionally, newlyweds would wave to the crowd, but perhaps to make up for the omission, Charles and Diana shared a kiss in front of the crowd and cameras.
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The kiss began as an impromptu gesture, but it quickly became an iconic memory from their wedding. The moment was recreated by other royal couples, most notably Prince William and Kate Middleton during their 2011 wedding.
TOPSHOT - Combo picture shows Britain's Prince Charles kissing Diana, Princess of Wales during their wedding in London on July 29, 1981 and (on right) Britain's Prince William kissing his wife Kate, Duchess of Cambridge on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on April 29, 2011, in London. AFP PHOTO (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images
Although Charles and Diana were public darlings, their relationship began on shaky footing. Diana called her wedding the "worst day of my life” and felt like "a lamb to the slaughter” during an interview she secretly recorded with a friend on behalf of reporter Andrew Morton in Buckingham Palace in 1991.
"I don't think I was happy. I never tried to call it off, in the sense of really doing that, but I think [it was] the worst day of my life,” the Princess of Wales said at the time.
Diana claimed she found a bracelet Charles had made for Camilla Parker-Bowles before their wedding and confided in her sisters about the doubts she was having.
"[They said,] bad luck, Duch," Diana recalled. "Your face is on the tea towels, so you're too late to chicken out."
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In the book The Duchess: The Untold Story, royal author Penny Junorreported that Charles sent his bride-to-be a letter and gift to help calm her nerves the night before the big day.
“The night before the wedding, which Diana spent at Clarence House with her sister, Jane, he sent her a note, along with a signet ring bearing the Princes of Wales feathers,” Junor wrote. The note allegedly read, “I’m so proud of you, and when you come up, I’ll be there at the altar for you tomorrow. Just look ‘em in the eye and knock ‘em dead.”
The thoughtful gesture, unfortunately, contradicted a conversation the pair had before their big day, according to Penny Thornton, Diana’s astrologer.
“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,” Thornton said on the ITV documentary The Diana Interview: Revenge of a Princess. “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.”
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Charles and Diana separated in 1992 after welcoming their two kids, Prince William and Prince Harry, and their divorce was finalized in 1996. Diana died after a high-speed car crash in Paris in August 1997 with her lover, Dodi Fayed.
The former Prince of Wales, who met Camilla in 1970, confirmed his extramarital affair during an interview in June 1994. At the time, he claimed the affair started only after his marriage to Diana had "irretrievably broken down." Charles and Camilla wed in 2005, and she became the Duchess of Cornwall.
This story was originally published by Parade on Apr 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
