With only a few weeks to go for the royal wedding of Prince Williams and long time fiancée Catherine Middleton, preparations are in full swing at the Buckingham Palace as hundreds of invitations are being sent to European royalty, diplomats, friends and family.
Scheduled to take place at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011, Prince William first met Middleton in 2001 while studying at the University of St. Andrews. A love story evolved throughout the years and finally, on October 2010, William proposed Catherine with the same engagement ring that his father had given to his mother.
Scanning through the historical vignettes of royal weddings and engagements, here is our pick of the top 5 royal weddings:
In the picture: Prince Charles and Princess Diana stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, following their wedding at St. Paul's Cathedral.
750 million people across the globe watched this iconic wedding on television in June 29, 1981 as the heir to the British throne; Prince Charles tied the knot of matrimony with Diana. Widely referred to as a “fairytale wedding”, the bride looked enchanting besides her distinctive groom who breathed royalty and sophistication.
Reuters.In the picture: Exiled Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece (centre left) stands with Miss Marie-Chantal Miller, and one of Pavlos's best men, Crown Prince Felipe of Spain (centre right) at the altar, during Pavlos and Miller's wedding ceremony, July 1. Guests included members of the royal houses of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Britain, Belgium and Bulgaria
Theirs was a marriage of royalty blending with New York high society. Eldest son of Greek King Constantine II and Queen Anne-Marie and heir to an exiled monarchy, Prince Pavlos married Marie-Chantal Miller of the US in 1995.
The wedding which took place at St. Sophia's Greek Orthodox Cathedral in London is regarded as one of the most expensive and posh weddings in European history.
Reuters.In the picture: Prince Joachim of Denmark and his bride Princess Marie leave following their wedding in Mogeltonder May 24, 2008.
Younger son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark and sixth in line to the Danish throne, Prince Joachim got engaged to Marie Cavallier on October 2007.
Over 200 royal guests and dignitaries were invited for the royal wedding which took place in a 800-year-old church in Denmark.
Reuters.In the picture: Lord Freddie Windsor poses with his bride, actress Sophie Winkleman, in the Base Court, minutes after their wedding in the Chapel Royal at Hampton Court Palace to the west of London, September 12, 2009.
Member of the House of Windsor and only son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Lord Freddie Windsor married actress Sophie Winkleman known for her role in comedy series, Peep Show. The wedding, which took place the Hampton Court, included over 400 guests and members of the Royal family.
Reuters.In the picture: Prince Nikolaos, son of Greece's deposed King Constantine, and his bride Tatiana Blatnik holds hands during their wedding on the Greek island of Spetses August 25, 2010.
Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark is the second son and third child of King Constantine II of Greece and Anne-Marie of Denmark. Nikolaos married long-term fiancée Tatiana Blatnik on August 2010 and theirs was a widely reported marriage which received huge media attention in the country.
The wedding was attended by the entire Danish Royal Family including Queen Sofía of Spain and her children and their spouses, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent with her daughter Lady Gabriella Windsor, Crown Prince of Norway, and The Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima of the Netherlands.
Reuters.
