Wedding Blog: A Comparison of the Royal Weddings - Kate & William and Charles & Diana
If you are a fan of Royal Weddings, you will no doubt remember the wedding of Diana Spencer and Prince Charles and, while staying abreast of all the latest details revealed of Kate Middleton and Prince William’s wedding, you are probably noting the similarities as well as the differences between the two.
Let’s take a look at this:
The Date
Diana and Charles got married on July 29, 1981, opting for Summer nuptials. Kate and William have chosen a Spring wedding, set for April 29, 2011. Both weddings have had to been scheduled around parliament and Anglican holidays, despite being Royal Weddings. This latest Royal Wedding is scheduled between Lent, Easter and a busy political program in May and June.
Age
The media has clearly pointed out Kate being older, 9 years older than Diana, at the time of their weddings. William, on the other hand, is going down the altar 4 years earlier than his father did.
The Engagement Ring
William proposed to Kate with the same ring his father proposed to his mother with. He carried that 18-carat oval sapphire, surrounded by diamonds in his backpack for 3 weeks, while vacationing in Kenya. This $60,000 ring was chosen by Diana and not without controversy by the British press, because of its affordability to the commoners. It's referred to as the “commoner’s sapphire”. As Kate is also a commoner, just like Diana was, the stone is additionally appropriate for Kate.
Engagement Photos
Both couples chose to have casual pre-wedding shots, by the same photographer who photographed many of Diana’s later shots. The casual embraces of both couples are very similar, but Kate and William’s is airbrushed. The clothing in both were casual, Diana and Charles in blue denim shirts and Kate wearing a Whistles blouse, made in the UK.
Location
Diana and Charles’ wedding was indeed a grand wedding in a grand location, the massive St. Paul’s Cathedral. Kate and William, are having a more intimate wedding and following in the Queen’s footsteps, exchanging their vows at Westminister Abbey. As stated to the BBC by Prince William’s private secretary, Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the couple chose the Abbey for its ‘staggering beauty’, 1000-year royal history and its feeling of intimacy. Diana and Charles had a huge wedding of 3500 guests, while Kate and William will wed in the Abbey, which seats 2000.
Bachelor Party
Maybe it is the difference in decades, but these 2 bachelor parties will not have the same tone. While Prince Charles had his bachelor party at White’s, a 300-year-old gentlemen’s club in London, William’s brother, Harry, will be planning a celebration of William’s last days. It's expected to be a little wilder than their father’s.
Guests
As mentioned, Kate and William will be having 1500 less guests than Diana and Charles had. Many friends, royalties, political members and family attended Diana and Charles’ huge wedding. Kate and William have made it clear that they intend to have only people who share a close connection with them, on top of the 100 members of the public who have yet to be chosen. Foreign leader, Stephen Harper and the Governor General are on this list, as both have met with the Royals, but Barack Obama is not (a shock to many). Diana and Charles had most of Europe’s crowned and elected heads attend their wedding.
Wedding Gifts
Receiving over 6000 gifts that needed unwrapping, William and Kate have asked guests for donations to charities, in lieu of gifts.
Transportation
Traditional and in all royalty, Diana rode in the Royal carriage all the way to her wedding and back. Kate will be riding in a car to the wedding, but after officially becoming William’s wife, the royal couple will be brought back to the palace by horse-drawn carriage.
Dress
Diana’s flowing silk taffeta gown with its eight-meter train was designed by designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel. Although we are mere weeks away from Kate and William’s big day, Kate's dress designer and dress style is still a big mystery. Some guesses have been Brazilian-born designer, Daniella Helayel or the classic bridal label Phililipa Lepley. Paparazzi took many shots of the bride with her mother and sister near the shop of Bruce Oldfield, who was one of Diana’s favorites, leading to a strong suspicion of Oldfield being the chosen one.
This Royal Wedding next month will be under immense speculation and comparison. Similarities will shine through, yet we can expect to see notable differences in aspects of the day. Whatever we witness this April 29th, despite having differences, will still surely be majestic and royal and to always be marked the historical event it is.
Written by Rita Wong, Rita Wong Events http://www.ritawongevents.com
Rita Wong is a wedding and events planner and owner of Rita Wong Events. Based in Montreal, Rita also plans many weddings every year for brides living in Toronto and abroad. She is a dedicated follower of new trends and her goal is to give each bride a wedding that is fresh, unique, and a personal reflection of who they are. She now shares her professional insights with slice.ca.
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