Royal watchers throughout the world are counting down the days until May 19 when Prince Harry, grandson to Queen Elizabeth II, will marry Hollywood actress Meghan Markle.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will exchange their vows at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle and hundred of millions of eyes from around the world will be watching.
When it comes to pomp and pageantry, royal weddings take on a life of their own. The venues are extraordinary. The dresses are gorgeous. The guest lists include so many decorated people. It’s impossible not to get taken up in the excitement.
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1) Royal Wedding of Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini (Brunei, 2012)
Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah, and Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini, were presented to the royal court in a lavish traditional ceremony at the sultan’s 1,700-room palace after a week of festivities which included nightly vigils, a reception for approximately 3000 guests and a 17-gun salute. For the wedding, the princess dressed in sparkling gold. She carried a bouquet of jeweled flowers and wore a diamond tiara.
Source: Wikipedia.org
2) Royal Wedding of Princess Victoria and Daniel Westling (Sweden, 2010)
Victoria, the Crown Princess of Sweden and Daniel Westling her former personal trainer were married in Stockholm Cathedral with 1100 guests present. The bride wore a dress made of cream-colored duchess silk with a train nearly 5 meters long designed by Pär Engsheden. Keeping with tradition, she wore the Cameo Tiara, believed to be a gift from Napoleon to his wife, the Empress Josephine.
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3) Royal Wedding of Princess Charlene and Prince Albert (Monaco, 2011)
Described as Monaco’s “biggest party in 55 years,” Charlene Wittstock and Albert II, Prince of Monaco were wed in an extravaganza inside the Prince’s Palace. A two day public holiday was declared for the celebration. Wittstock, an Olympic athlete, first met the Prince at a swimming meet in Monaco. The impressive guest list included royalty, heads of state, celebrities and sports personalities.
Source: hellomagazine.com
4) Royal Wedding of Queen Maxima and King Willem-Alexander (Netherlands, 2002)
Maxima Zorreguieta Cerruti married the then Prince Willem-Alexander at a 15th century church in Amsterdam. The bride wore a beautiful gown by Valentino made of ivory mikado silk complete with a stunning 16.4 foot lace train. In 2013, the couple officially became the King and Queen of the Netherlands following the abdication of Willem-Alexander’s mother, Beatrix.
Source: Getty images
5) Royal Wedding of Lady Charlotte Wellesley and Alejandro Santo Domingo (Spain, 2016)
Lady Charlotte Wellesley, daughter of the Duke of Wellington and financier Maxima Zorreguieta Cerruti married in the 16th century Church of the Incarnation in Illora Spain. The ceremony was replete with VIPs, including The Duchess of Cornwall Camilla Parker Bowles, the former King of Spain Juan Carlos I and singer James Blunt, whose wife Sofia Wellesley is Lady Charlotte’s cousin. The reception was held at the Duke’s nearby 2400 acre estate.
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6) Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton (UK, 2011)
Kate and William were married at London’s Westminster Abbey in front of 1900 people. Over a million people lined the street between the Abbey and Buckingham palace to get a look of the newlyweds while over 25 million Britons watched the broadcast on television. The bridal dress was made of satin and Kate wore the same tiara handed down to Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) from her mother on her 18th birthday.