When Did Princess Diana & Prince Charles Get Married? Millions Watched The Event

There's nothing quite like a royal wedding, right? When Prince William married Kate Middleton, for instance, it looked like the couple were pulled straight from a Disney movie. And, when younger brother Prince Harry married Meghan Markle, fans couldn't wait to see the two tie the knot in St. George's Chapel. But it was one special wedding decades prior that captured the hearts of millions — the nuptials of Princess Diana and Prince Charles. And if you're feeling a little nostalgic lately, you might be wondering: When did Princess Diana and Prince Charles get married?

Amazingly enough, almost 20 years have passed since Princess Diana and Prince Charles tied the knot. They were engaged in February 1981 and wed on July 29 of the same year in front 3,500 people at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, according to The Guardian. The ceremony was presided by the Archbishop of Canterbury and 25 other clerics.

Although it was quite a fantastic sight inside of the cathedral, the scene outside was also magnificent spectacle, only something a royal wedding could produce. Over 1 million spectators lined the procession from the cathedral all the way to Clarence House, the British Royal Residence, according to People.

With an additional estimated 17 million people watching around the globe, according to Fortune, the world was truly focused on this lavish, once-in-a-lifetime wedding. Of course, supporters couldn't have predicated the marriage would end in divorce 15 years later.

To give a little context into the former couple's relationship, Princess Diana was just 20 years old when she married and Charles was 32, an arguably significant age gap. And previous to his relationship with Princess Diana, he had been in a long term relationship to Camilla Parker Bowles, the same woman he's married to now, according to Town & Country.

As for the Princess Diana and Prince Charles' relationship timeline, things moved quickly, with the now grandfather proposing to his girlfriend after just 12 dates, according to POPSUGAR.

In regards to Princess Diana's engagement ring, it now sits on the finger of Kate Middleton, given to her by Prince William when he proposed, according to The Sun. The ring features 14 solitaire diamonds surrounding a 12-carat oval blue Ceylon sapphire, all set in 18-carat white gold.

Although Princess Diana and Princes Charles' relationship wasn't perfect, there were some high points to their union, or more specifically two of them. Prince William was born in 1982 followed by his younger brother Prince Harry in 1984. And, judging from archival pictures and accounts, these two royal princes were the loves of her life.

This made her passing in 1997, one of the most tragic deaths in royal history. Not only did she die just one one year after her divorce from Prince Charles, but she left behind two future kings who would grow up without their beloved mother.

There's a lot to be said about Prince Charles and Princess Diana's "wedding of the century," as it was dubbed by the press. It paved the way for future royal weddings and the excitement surrounding these events.