Nothing captures the attention of the public quite like a royal wedding.
Some of the most famous nuptials are those of the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth wed Prince Philip in 1947, and their union became one of the longest royal marriages in history. Her eldest son, the future King Charles, married Princess Diana in 1981, and their nuptials remain one of the most talked-about ceremonies, thanks in part to Diana’s 25-foot wedding dress train.
However, other royal families have also held memorable weddings. When Prince Rainier of Monaco married Oscar-winning actress Grace Kelly in 1956, their wedding was attended by over 600 guests and broadcast to the public. Meanwhile, the now-Emperor of Japan Naruhito’s 1993 wedding to Masako Owada was celebrated as a national holiday.
Below, here’s a look at 16 vintage royal wedding day photos.
Prince Edward and Princess Alexandra of Denmark
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Prince Edward, who later became King Edward VII, married Princess Alexandra of Denmark on March 10, 1863, at St. George’s Chapel.
Prince Albert and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
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The wedding of Prince Albert, Duke of York — who later became King George VI — and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon — also known as the Queen Mother — took place on April 26, 1923, at Westminster Abbey. Elizabeth chose to break royal tradition and wear a crown of myrtle for her big day instead of a tiara.
Prince Edward and Wallis Simpson
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Prince Edward and Wallis Simpson wed on June 3, 1937, at the Château de Candé in France. Edward became King of England in January 1936 after the death of his father, King George V, but abdicated the throne after less than a year to marry Simpson.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip
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Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip tied the knot on Nov. 20, 1947, at Westminster Abbey. After the ceremony, the pair rode back to Buckingham Palace in a glass coach and famously waved at about 100,000 spectators from the balcony.
Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly
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On April 19, 1956, Prince Rainier of Monaco married actress Kelly at the Saint Nicholas Cathedral. The glamorous nuptials were broadcast live by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios to more than 30 million viewers.
King Constantine II and Princess Anne-Marie
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King Constantine II of Greece acceded to the throne in 1964 and married then-Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark that same year. The pair tied the knot at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens on Sept. 18, 1964.
Princess Margrethe II and Count Henri de Laborde de Monpezat
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Princess Margrethe II of Denmark — who acceded to the throne in 1972 — married Count Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat of France on June 10, 1967, in Copenhagen. Henri’s name was Danicized to Henrik upon their marriage, and he later became the Prince Consort of Denmark.
Princess Anne & Mark Phillips
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Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth’s only daughter, married Mark Phillips at Westminster Abbey on Nov. 14, 1973. Anne accessorized with the Queen Mary Fringe tiara — the same one her mother wore on her wedding day — for her nuptials, which were covered in an eight-hour BBC broadcast.
The couple ultimately separated in 1989 and finalized their divorce in 1992.
Princess Caroline and Philippe Junot
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Princess Caroline of Monaco, the eldest child of Prince Rainier and Princess Grace, married French businessman Philippe Junot on June 28, 1978, at the Palace of Monaco. However, the pair divorced two years later and were granted an annulment by the Catholic Church in 1992.
King Hussein and Lisa Halaby
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King Hussein of Jordan and Lisa Halaby wed at Zahran Palace on June 15, 1978. Prior to their wedding, Halaby adopted the name Queen Noor al-Hussein, which is Arabic for “Light of Hussein,” per The New York Times. According to the outlet, a statement by the royal palace that broadcast on television referred to the bride as “the Moslem Miss Noor Halaby,” which signaled she had embraced the Islamic faith.
King Charles and Princess Diana
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The now-King Charles and Princess Diana tied the knot at St. Paul’s Cathedral on July 29, 1981. Their wedding was the first royal affair to be held at the church since 1501 and was attended by over 3,000 guests. Years later, the pair finalized their divorce in 1996.
Prince Naruhito & Masako Owada
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Prince Naruhito and former diplomat Masako Owada — now the Emperor and Empress of Japan — wed at Tokyo’s Imperial Palace on June 9, 1993. Their traditional Shinto nuptials were celebrated as a national holiday, and Masako wore a 12-layer silk wedding kimono that cost more than $300,000 before changing into a white floral gown.
Prince Abdullah & Rania al-Yassin
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On June 10, 1993, Prince Abdullah and Rania al-Yassin — now the King and Queen of Jordan — tied the knot at Zahran Palace in Amman.
Prince Pavlos and Marie-Chantal Miller
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Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and Marie-Chantal Miller — now Crown Princess of Greece — wed on July 1, 1995, at St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Cathedral in London. The lavish nuptials were attended by other royals, including Queen Elizabeth and King Hussein of Jordan.
Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones
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Prince Edward, Queen Elizabeth’s youngest child, married Sophie Rhys-Jones on June 19, 1999, at St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle. The now-Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh only had 560 guests at their wedding, but an estimated 200 million viewers tuned in to the broadcast worldwide.
