Iconic Royal British Weddings of the Last 200 Years

The Evolution of British Royal Weddings

​When people talk about lavish and awe-inspiring weddings, it's hard not to mention the British Royal weddings. Aside from being exuberant events on their own, people always tune in when British Royals tie the knot.

​According to the Telegraph, the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle became the most-viewed television event of 2018. There's just something about these weddings that reminds people of fairy tales. 
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To satisfy your appetite (and ours) for British Royal weddings, here are facts about nine of the most popular ones in modern history.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in February 1940
The match had been set since the two were babies. In 1939, Queen Victoria, having been of higher status, proposed to Prince Albert. The latter accepted, and they married four months later at the Chapel Royal at St James' Palace. 

People were so eager to get a glimpse of the ceremony that some reportedly climbed nearby trees to get a better view. 

Queen Victoria was among the first brides to popularize white wedding dresses. Her dress was made entirely of materials from the UK. Both these trends have survived up to the present.

Princess Alexandra of Denmark and Albert Edward, Prince of Wales in March 1863
Princess Alexandra had to set aside a gift of a lace dress by King Leopold of Belgium because it had not been made British-made, and the materials are not from the UK.

​Princess Mary and Prince George in July 1983
Princess Mary was initially set to marry Albert Victor, the eldest son of the King and Queen. However, the Prince died just over a month before their date. Princess Mary ended up marrying Prince George, the second son. 

Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and King George VI in April 1923
In another royal wedding, Prince Albert, Duke of York, met Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon. When they got married, Elizabeth's dress was dubbed the simplest ever made for a royal wedding. It was the first Royal wedding that had cinema films made. It's not too far from the wedding video we have today. 

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh in November 1947
Queen Elizabeth II met Prince Philip when she was 13 years old. They regularly exchanged letters and ended up getting married eight years later. The dress of Queen Elizabeth II had only been delivered on the eve of the wedding. Their ceremony was the first wedding broadcast on the radio. It had over 200 million listeners around the world.

Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones in May 1960
Princess Margaret shared designer with her sister, Queen Elizabeth II. Her wedding was the first time in 200 years a member of the Royal family married a commoner. 

Princess Diana and Prince Charles in July 1981
Over 80 organizations from 50 countries covered the event. It was the only Royal wedding held in St Paul's Cathedral. Princess Diana's dress is easily one of the most iconic celebrity wedding dresses in modern history. Its train was over seven meters long. 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in April 2011
The BBC called it 'a fashion moment' when Kate Middleton stepped out from the Rolls Royce and the whole world finally got a glimpse of her wedding dress. 
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in May 2018
Like Kate Middleton, no one knew about Meghan Markle's dress until she arrived at St George's Chapel. The veil was edged with flora of each of the 53 countries in the Commonwealth. 

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by Iconic Chica Mag Contributors