A look back at Prince Charles and Princess Diana's iconic wedding, 40 years later

Though their marriage would end in divorce in 1996, the wedding of <strong><a href=/tags/0/prince-charles>Prince Charles</a></strong> and <strong><a href=/tags/0/princess-diana>Princess Diana</a></strong> had all the makings of a fairytale. <p>Lady Diana married the Prince of Wales on July 29, 1981 in a gorgeous ceremony at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. The event, which featured 3,500 guests, was watched by about 750 million people. More than half a million other people also lined the streets of London hoping for a glimpse of Diana in her spectacular wedding dress. <p><strong>As we mark the 40th anniversary of Charles and Diana's wedding, scroll through the gallery – or click through, if you're on desktop – to look back at all the memorable moments from their big day!</strong> <p>Photo: &copy; Anwar Hussein/WireImage
The Prince announced his engagement to 19-year-old aristocrat Diana Spencer on February 24, 1981. <a href=/tags/0/queen-elizabeth-ii>The Queen</a></strong>'s eldest son had proposed with a diamond and sapphire ring during a private dinner at Buckingham Palace. <p>Decades later, the couple's son <a href=/tags/0/prince-william><strong>Prince William </a></strong>would pop the question to his longtime love <strong><a href=/tags/0/kate-middleton>Kate Middleton</a></strong>, now the Duchess of Cambridge, with the same beautiful gem. <p>Photo: © Tim Graham/Getty Images</p>
For her big day, Diana wore a stunning silk taffeta gown by Welsh designers <strong>David</strong> and <strong>Elizabeth Emanuel</strong>. <p>The dress was embellished with pearls, sequins and antique lace and featured a 25-foot train – the longest in royal history! <p>Diana looked breathtaking as she walked up the steps of St. Paul's with the long train unfurling behind her. <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
Diana's bridesmaids <strong>Clementine Hambro</strong> (left), <strong>Catherine Cameron</strong> (third left), <strong>Sarah Jane Gaselee</strong> (fifth left), <strong>Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones</strong> (right, later <strong><A href=/tags/0/lady-sarah-chatto>Lady Sarah Chatto</a></strong>) and pageboys <strong>Lord Nicholas Windsor</strong> and <strong>Edward Van Cutsem</strong> followed right behind her. <p>Photo: &copy; Anwar Hussein/Getty Images
The beautiful 20-year-old bride was escorted by her father, <strong>Earl John Spencer</strong> for the three-and-a-half minute walk down the aisle. <p>It was an emotional moment for Diana and her father, who had had a stroke a few years before that had affected his mobility. He walked her all the way to the altar. <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
Charles and his princess were wed in front of 3,500 guests, which included the Queen, <strong><a href=/tags/0/prince-philip>Prince Philip</a></strong> and the <strong><a href=/tags/0/queen-mother>Queen Mother</a></strong>. <p>Photo: © Tim Graham/Getty Images</p>
Diana was the first British citizen to marry an heir to the British throne in 300 years. <p>Photo: © Serge Lemoine/Hulton Archive/Getty Images</p>
The newlyweds departed the cathedral to the refrain of Edward Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance" before taking an open-topped State Landau carriage to Buckingham Palace. <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
The Queen travelled from the cathedral to the palace with her new in-law, Earl Spencer, after the lavish ceremony. <p>Photo: © Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images</p>
The father of the groom, Philip, and the mother of the bride, <strong>Frances Shand Kydd</strong>, rode together in an open carriage on their children's wedding day. <p>Photo: © Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images</p>
Diana and Charles were escorted to the palace by the Household Cavalry as they waved to the huge crowd of well-wishers. <p>Photo: © Tim Graham/Getty Images</p>
About 600,000 spectators lined the streets of London. <p>Photo: © Terry Fincher/Getty Images</p>
The Prince and Princess of Wales's wedding was attended by a number European royals, including the crowned heads of Norway, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Liechtenstein and Monaco. <p>Photo: © OFF/AFP/Getty Images</p>
At 10 minutes past 1 p.m., Charles and Diana emerged on the balcony of Buckingham Palace with their wedding party, along with the Queen and the Queen Mother, where they shared a public kiss. <p>Photo: © Getty Images</p>
After their kiss, the newlyweds retired back inside the palace for toasts and a wedding breakfast with 120 of their closest friends and family. <p>Photo: © Tim Graham/Getty Images</p>
The royal couple had 27 wedding cakes for their big day — however, the official cake, which stood over five-feet tall, was made by <strong>David Avery</strong>, the head baker of the Naval Armed Forces. <p>The cake featured Charles's coat of arms, in addition to Diana's family crest and their first name initials. The impressive dessert was topped off with roses, lilies of the valley and orchids. <p>Photo: © Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images</p>
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