Wedding Of Prince & Princess

Diana and Charles had been seeing each other for about six months when he proposed on February 3, 1981, at a dinner for two at Buckingham Palace. He knew she planned a vacation for the next week, and hoped she'd use the time to consider her answer.

Officiants at the wedding of Diana and Charles included the Archbishop of Canterbury and 25 other clerics, some of other denominations. The service was a traditional Church of England wedding service.

There were 3,500 people in the congregation at St. Paul's Cathedral. Another 750 million people watched the ceremony worldwide; this figure rose to a billion when the radio audience is added in. Two million spectators lined the route of Diana's procession from Clarence House, with 4,000 police and 2,200 military officers to manage the crowds.

Diana arrived at St. Paul's Cathedral in a glass coach, escorted by five mounted military police officers. The carriage was too small to comfortably hold Diana's father and Diana in her dress and train.

Diana's wedding dress was a puff ball meringue wedding dress, with huge puffed sleeves and a frilly neckline. The dress was made of silk taffeta, decorated with lace, hand embroidery, sequins, and 10,000 pearls. It was designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel, and had a 25-foot train. Charles wore his full dress naval commander uniform.

After the ceremony, the couple went to Buckingham palace for a small dinner for 120. Appearing on a balcony, Diana and Charles pleased the crowd by kissing. Diana was the first British citizen to marry an heir to the British throne in 300 years.

Source : womenshistory.about.com/od/diana/a/diana_wedding.htm

Royal Wedding Aparted

Diana and Charles' marriage fell apart in the early 1990s.  They had already been seeing less and less of each other for years, alternating between two royal residences - Kensington Palace in London, and their country home in Highgrove.  They kept the marital problems private at first, but after the media found out, it became a national scandal.

Both the Prince and Princess of Wales allegedly spoke to the press through friends, each blaming the other for the marriage's demise.   She found him unsupportive and insensitive to her needs.  He found her needy and emotionally unstable.  Her bulimia started as early as the first year into the marriage.

In December 1995, triggered by the Panorama interview, and to end the unbearable public speculation and accusations, the Queen asked Charles and Diana to divorce.  While Charles agreed right away, it took Diana till February 1996 to agree, negotiating the divorce terms along the way.  The divorce was finalised on August 28, 1996 -- the day Diana told her friend was the "saddest day of my life."

She was no longer to be addressed as "Royal Highness," but was allowed to keep her title as "Princess of Wales."  As mother to William and Harry, who they've decided to raise jointly, she was also allowed to live in Kensington Palace until they came of age.

Source : www.britishroyals.info/diana/biography6.html