She barely knew Charles, meeting with him only 13 times before their wedding day, when her protected world changed overnight. While Meghan was used to hugging strangers, William was used to more formal interactions, Harry wrote. The deafening loss of Diana was to define the kind of man William would become, and the kind of king he might be, just as her policy of holding her boys close (Hugging has no known side-effects, she once said) may have changed the monarchy forever. There were also no fewer than 27 wedding cakes, including the five-foot-tall (1.5 meter) official cake, which the couple cut after the ceremony. There is good reason to suspect that William would try to give his mother the ending she was denied. New York, For the first time in 14 years, Elton John will return to Westminster Abbey, where the iconic British singer sang a haunting version of "Candle in the Wind" in tribute to his friend Diana. The public expected me to be best man, and thus the Palace saw no choice but to say that I was," Harry wrote. The ring joined the two women whom William has loved most. Ahead of the service, Miss Middleton travelled by car with her father from the Goring Hotel, down The Mall to Parliament Square. Its an enormous blue sapphire, said to be inspired by one of the brooches Prince Albert gifted Queen Victoria. He added that he and his brother had been in an argument in the lead-up to the wedding because William was upset that Harry was allowed to keep his beard when he had been required to shave his off. But Diana later confessed she was miserable on the night before her wedding, feeling isolated and cut off. At 29, she is university-educated, the first to marry a future king and to hold a degree. Did Princess Di's Ghost Show Up at Will and Kate's Wedding? Though Westminster Abbey was a poignant venue choice, William and Kate likely chose it to ensure Diana was included in their day. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Both wore feathers in their caps and were often seen in red and black with hats to match. Just look 'em in the eye and knock them dead," according to Penny Junor's book "The Duchess: The Untold Story (opens in new tab)" (William Collins, 2017). Back then, Diana was a sheltered 19-year-old with absolutely no life experience of her own, who never had the chance to start either a career or a meaningful relationship before Charles. 30+ unseen pictures and moments from Lady Diana and Prince Charles #Shorts The ghost of Princess Diana at the wedding of William and Kate It later sold 33 million copies. Thank you for signing up to . "Prince Charles was playing polo, and she was there. added by fiyona. His bride wore Dianas engagement ring, a hymn from his late mothers funeral was sung at the service and guests included Elton John -- who sang Candle in the Wind at Dianas funeral in the abbey. Heres how it works. "She was very upset and left," he went on. You will receive a verification email shortly. Some would like to think that Middleton can fill Diana's shoes, as a beautiful and socially committed celebrity wife to the future king, but despite some similarities, the two are strikingly different. Sign up for Yahoo Lifes daily newsletter, Terry and Linda Jamison, Princess Diana also attended her older son, Meghan Markles beret has a sweet Princess Diana connection, Kate Middleton wears skinny black jeans in final public appearance before giving birth, Kate Middletons new baby already has an official royal website, Women who had ovarian cysts share their stories, Why 'Love Is Blind' star Deepti Vempati didn't talk about her eating disorder with her family, Christina Aguilera says stigma 'that it's shameful to get older' in the public eye makes her 'really sad'. Beyond the Palace gates, excitement about the forthcoming wedding was reaching fever pitch, with street parties planned all across the country. Both with this and the choice of Westminster Abbey, William would perhaps have felt closer to his mother than ever. Almost 2,000 people attended the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton in 2011, but it's who wasn't therethe groom's mother, Princess Diana that was a bittersweet undercurrent to. Almost 2,000 people attended the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton in 2011, but its who wasnt therethe grooms mother, Princess Dianathat was a bittersweet undercurrent to the celebratory occasion. All the essentials: top fashion stories, editors picks, and celebrity style. One of Dianas many gifts to William is a blessed easewith people from different backgrounds. Watch a special two-hour "20/20" tonight at 9 ET as Barbara Walters takes a look back at the wedding watched by the world. I cant begin to imagine what it must have been like for [Diana] going through this process by herself all those years ago. Harry and Meghans explosive Oprah interview, explained. On July 29, 1981, Lady Diana Spencer walked down the aisle of Westminster Abbey, London, leading her wedding dress' enormous train past 3,500 guests, including nobility, world dignitaries and . Harry Gave Diana's Engagement Ring to William for Kate - Insider And ever since then, Harry and Meghan have worked to align themselves with Dianas legacy. And that brought back memories. Memories, the implication was, of Diana. I put it to William, Diana told Martin Bashir in that notorious Panorama interview, that, if you find someone you love in life you must hang onto it and look after it, and if you were lucky enough to find someone who loved you then one must protect it. A crown may be hereditary, but adultery need not be. WEDDING ADDRESS The wedding address was delivered by the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, who knew Diana since her 1981 marriage to William's father Prince Charles and was an executor. as well as other partner offers and accept our. The BBC's 1995 Princess Diana Interview Was Obtained by "Deceit". He said she was upset the day before the wedding and left an event. Harry wrote that William was "freaked out" and "recoiled" when Meghan tried to hug him when they first met in 2016. Will you support Voxs explanatory journalism? It was the first time that the family got to see how incredible she is at the job, Harry said of Meghan. In "The Diana Story," a three-part documentary now streaming on Amazon . The video shows the famous couple, Wills and Kate, on the balcony of the palace after their wedding ceremony, waving to the public. Whatever view you take of her conduct, the Princesss love can be seen as a force field which insulated her boys from royal hauteur and schooled them to be better husbands than the one she had. But theyre also offering their audience something new and powerful: the chance for absolution. After all, that was the way the fairy tale, which began with the royal wedding of Prince Charles to the blushing, virginal Lady Diana Spencer in St Pauls Cathedral back in 1981, was supposed to turnout. (Because its like, who else could understand what its actually like on the inside? she told Oprah.) On the day of the wedding, Gavin was inside St. Paul's Cathedral, so he saw Diana and the rest of the royal family enter. "The last time we were in Westminster Abbey, my heart sank when I saw those two boys walking behind the coffin," Elton told ABC's Barbara Walters of William and brother Prince Harry. Trevor Rees-Jones, who was Dodi Fayeds bodyguard and the only survivor of the crash in Paris, once told me he was amazed that Diana had managed to bring the princes up to be so nice and normal. Even today, the Palace dare not give the former Mrs Parker Bowles her correct title of Princess of Wales, lest Dianas ghost once again provoke that combustible mixture of sorrow and vengefulness which shook the monarchy back in the summer of 1997 and caused an irreversible shift in what it meant to be British. The only downside on a perfect day was Diana not being there, her brother Charles Spencer told the BBC after the wedding service. It's been 40 years since Princess Diana and Prince Charles' wedding. Even Williams choice of Miss Middleton from Bucklebury, Berkshire the first commoner to win a Princes heart for 350 years comes straight out of the Peoples Princess Handbook. During their much-discussed CBS interview with Oprah that aired March 7, Harry and Meghan further established that alignment, presenting a subliminal argument about Diana. But that relationship lasted only a short while and fell apart when Sarah spoke to the press about Charles. However, the happy day, which according to the BBC was witnessed by more than 750 million live television viewers around the world, masked the now-infamous and tragic reality of the couple's relationship, marred by infidelity, loneliness and unrequited love. They couldn't get enough of the romanceand you've likely seen . newsletter. Specifically, they have positioned themselves as heirs to the idea of Diana as the one who almost got out the royal escapee whose freedom was tragically cut short. In fact, Diana had been born in Park House on the Sandringham Estate, Queen Elizabeth II's country home (Diana's family lived there before her father inherited the Spencer earldom). Breathtaking photos of Princess Diana's grave site at childhood home as This candid reveal about his wedding day is just one of many emotional moments in HBO and ITVs new documentary, which shows that even though Princess Diana is gone, shes not forgottenespecially by the children she left behind. Something went wrong. Former White House Photographer Says Princess Diana Was . Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. In 1994, the future King Charles publicly admitted to having an affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. ", Related: Family ties: 8 truly dysfunctional royal families. Please enter a valid email and try again. Gavin developed a close relationship with the princess in the years after the wedding. According to Terry and Linda Jamison, Princess Diana also attended her older son Williams 2011 wedding to Kate Middleton. The princess spoke candidly about the royal family, mental health, and the breakdown of her relationship with the Prince of Wales in a series of secret tapes recorded in 1991. At least she will breed height into the line, was the Duke of Edinburghs splendidly laconic observation when 32-year-old Prince Charles finally did his dynastic duty and wed the 19-year-old Lady Diana Spencer. 0:23. Kate has clearly been thinking a lot about Diana, too. His privately stated aim to continue for as long as possible in the military and seek an inspirational leadership role will put him on a crash course with the Firm. Our Royal Insider Facebook group is the best place for up-to-date news and announcements about the British royal family, direct from Insider's royal reporters. In an interview with the BBC that day, Diana looked obviously besotted with her prince, but when asked if the couple were in love Charles again replied with "Whatever 'in love' means." Thats just scratching the surface. Princes Diana and Prince Charles leave Buckingham Palace after publicly announcing their engagement. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. The explicit parallels would come later. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. It is very special to me, William told ITNs Tom Bradby, It was my way to make sure my mother did not miss out on today and the excitement that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together. Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding in April 2011 featured several heartfelt elements that linked back to Princess Diana. I will most definitely be present for Harry and Meghans wedding, the twins, who collectively share the nickname Nostradamus in Stilettos, they quoted the princess. Others on the guest list who hark back to Diana's days are former Prime Minister John Major, who was appointed to care for both the princes at her death, and her brother, Earl Spencer, and other family members.