26 Of The Most Glamorous Royal Weddings In History

Who doesn't want to have a glamorous wedding? Who doesn't love gushing over glamorous, royal weddings?

Maryjane

• Published in Film & TV
• April 10, 2022

We all read books and watched movies as children about princesses and princes marrying and living happily ever after. While growing up can burst our fantasy bubbles and bring us all back to reality, royal weddings remind us all that fairytales can still exist outside of the pages of storybooks and Disney movies.

Each royal family, from deposed princes to reigning kings, has its own unique culture and traditions, all of which are brimming with splendor. For generations, royal weddings have captivated ordinary people like us, and we love talking about them.

In 2011, for example, Prince William and Kate Middleton enthralled the world with a staggering 2 billion global viewers. Perhaps it's the attire: tiaras, 25-foot trains, and grooms dressed in full military regalia.

Although Prince Charles of Wales and Princess Diana's marriage was doomed and Diana's life was sadly cut short in an accident, their wedding sparked a royal family frenzy around the world. Their wedding also sparked a paparazzi frenzy and became the most-watched television show in history. 

We look back on 26 of the most memorable royal weddings, from Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi to Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov and Victoria Romanovna Bettari, and counting. So keep scrolling and enjoy!

1. Princess Elizabeth & Prince Philip

Britain's future queen celebrated her marriage to the handsome naval officer she'd loved since she was 13. There were 2,500 in attendance on that November day in 1947.

2. Prince Rainier III & Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly met Monaco's prince in the French Rivera and they got married at St. Nicholas Cathedral as the wedding of the century. The two literally sailed off into the sunset on their new 147-foot yacht. 

3. King Constantine & Princess Anne-Marie

Danish princess wedded Greece's newly appointed King. Guests gathered in the candelabra-filled Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation on Sept. 18, 1964 to watch them wed.

4. Princess Anne & Mark Phillips

Queen Elizabeth''s first child, Anne's November 1973 vows were declared a national holiday, with 2,000 guests at Westminster Abbey and thousands waiting outside.

5. King Hussein bin Talal & Lisa Najeeb Halaby

The 1978 affair between Jordan's king and the Royal Jordanian Airlines exec, his fourth bride, was somewhat understated. They walked in as their 500 guests waited and they toasted.

6. Princess Caroline of Monaco & Philippe Junot

Crowds gathered in the June sun to watch Grace Kelly's eldest daughter marry banker Philippe in the courtyard of the Royal Palace of Monaco in 1978.

7. Prince Charles & Lady Diana Spencer

The iconic ivory taffeta gown worn by Lady Diana featured antique lace dating back to Queen Mary, some 10,000 pearls, and a stunning 25-foot train. There were 3,500 guests and 27 wedding cakes.

8. Prince Naruhito & Masako Owada

Masoka wedded Emperor Akihito's eldest son in 1993. The 800 invited guests weren't witness to the actual 15-minute ceremony on the grounds of the Imperial Palace.

9. Prince Abdullah & Rania al-Yassin

The eldest son of King Hussein saw Kuwait-born business grad Rania, he knew it was love at first sight. He proposed and they wedded.

10. Prince Pavlos & Marie-Chantal Miller

The July 1995 ceremony took place at London's Greek Orthodox St. Sophia's Cathedral. 1,300 guests dined, danced and rode a carousel under a marquee.

11. Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau & Mabel Wisse Smit

The two wedded at the City Hall in Delft, followed by a religious service at the Oude Kerk.

12. Prince Philippos & Nina Flohr

The Prince of Greece and Denmark wed Nina Flohr in a small ceremony in St. Moritz, Switzerland. 

13. Prince Felipe VI & Letizia Ortiz

They wedded at Madrid's Almudena Cathedral in May 2004.

14. Prince Charles & Camilla Parker Bowles

They wedded in April 2005.

15. Princess Victoria & Daniel Westling

They exchanged vows at Storkyrkan Cathedral in June 2010 with a military guard and fighter jets accompanying their horse-drawn carriage ride through the streets of Stockholm.

16. Prince William & Kate Middleton

The future Duchess of Cambridge was regal in a custom lace Alexander McQueen gown. They had a horse-led, open-carriage processional from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace.

17. Prince Albert II & Charlene Wittsock

They had a three-day $55 million 2011 vows and a Roman Catholic ceremony in the palace's courtyard.

18. Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah & Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini

In the Nurul Iman Palace, the Sultan of Brunei's daughter wedded civil servant Pengiran in 2012 with 3,000 guests present.

19. Prince Guillaume & Countess Stéphanie

The religious ceremony took place at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Luxembourg in 2012.

20. Princess Madeleine & Christopher O'Neill

The Slottskyrkan chapel at Sweden's Royal Palace was the venue for their wedding in 2013.

21. Prince Félix & Claire Lademacher

Took place in September 2013 at the Basilique Sainte Marie-Madeleine.

22. Prince Carl Philip & Sofia Hellqvist

Carl Philip became a Swedish tabloid fixture when he ended a 10-year romance with an ad exec and met waitress Sofia in a Stockholm club. The June 2015 wedding happened at the Slottskyrkan chapel.

23. Prince Harry & Meghan Markle

They had a romantic, countryside celebration where the duchess-to-be walked herself partway down the aisle like a queen.

24. Princess Eugenie & Jack Brooksbank

The October 2018 bash had an Aston Martin getaway car, two performances by legendary Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and Queen Elizabeth's eye-catching, emerald-studded Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara.

25. Princess Beatrice & Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi

The wedding saw less than 20 guests including the Queen and Prince Philip.

26. Grand Duke George Mikhailovich Romanov and Victoria Romanovna Bettarini

The October 2021 ceremony happened at the city's St. Isaac's Cathedral.

Throughout history, members of royal families from26 Of The Most Glamorous Royal Weddings In History all over the world have been married in a classic way with their grand weddings. They spend millions of dollars on gowns, security, and multi-day parties.

You can call us hopeless romantics, but royal brides and their real-life Prince Charmings, not to mention those tiaras and carriages, have us swooning.

Maryjane