Kate and Meghan’s Royal Weddings – Do They Stack Up To Diana’s?
In the past four decades, time and time again, millions worldwide have proven how much they love royal weddings. The recent fascination began back in 1981, when Princess Diana and Prince Charles tied the knot. Royal Family fans needed to wait another thirty years for a royal wedding, when Kate Middleton and Prince William wed in 2011.
Thankfully, they didn’t have to wait that long again! Less than a decade later, in 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said “I do” in one of the most lavish weddings of all time. Now, looking back at the royal wedding photos, many wonder if that wasn’t the exact moment that Meghan and Harry decided to flee the British Royal Family. Once and for all, let’s see who had the better wedding, and if that’s really why Harry and Meghan left the Royal Family…
It All Begins With A Venue
All weddings start with a venue! After all, you can’t have a wedding without a place to hold it. Duchess Kate Middleton and Prince William ultimately landed on the famous Westminster Abbey. One of Britain’s most iconic landmarks, both Elizabeth of York and current monarch Queen Elizabeth II also married in Westminster Abbey.
Meanwhile, it seems Meghan Markle and Prince Harry wanted to remain different from the very start. For their ceremony, they selected St George’s Chapel, the location of Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones union in 1999. Though many say neither could hold a candle to the venue of Diana…
Charles And Diana’s Hallowed Halls
Princess Diana and Prince Charles wed in St Paul’s Cathedral, one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, without a doubt. The building, with its elegant English Baroque architecture, dates back to the 17th century. However, the people of the British Isles have used the site for religious ceremonies since 604 AD. How incredible!
As you might imagine, throughout the centuries, St Paul’s Cathedral has housed some of the most important ceremonies in the world. While it was used for the funerals of Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher, Queen Victoria also used it for religious jubilee services. It’s truly an awe-inspiring building.
Modern-Day Crowds
Here are the cold hard facts: fewer people attended Harry and Markle’s wedding than William and Middleton’s. However, it all might come down to venue, believe it or not. You see, Markle and Harry could not house as massive of a crowd around St. George’s Chapel, given it’s much smaller layout than Westminster Abbey. Meanwhile, at Westminster, William and Middleton had no problem welcoming one of the biggest royal wedding crowds ever.
However, while William and Middleton welcome more people, both royal weddings achieved similar TV ratings worldwide. Of course, neither could ever hope to beat Diana and Charles’ wedding, one of the most-viewed public functions ever…
Diana’s Crowd and Viewing Figures
It’s hard to believe, but nearly one million people turned up for the wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles. That’s right! Outside of St. Paul’s Cathedral, over 650,000 people, by conservative estimates, lined the route from Clarence House to the Cathedral. Looking back at the photographs, it is truly a sight to behold.
Meanwhile, Diana and Charles also managed to smash the world record for the number of people watching a live event, a record still held to this day. On July 29, 1981, over 750 million people watched the royal couple wed. Of course, the crowds outside and around the world were just spectators. Many of the world’s most elite earned actual invites to these royal weddings…