A look back at Britain's 3 most fascinating royal weddings that have captured hearts, minds and TV ratings
As Prince Harry prepares to marry US actress Meghan Markle on May 19, we look back at three glamorous royal weddings
Britain has long entranced the world with its spectacular royal weddings, occasions of glittering pageantry and glamour that feed into a fascination with the monarchy.
As Prince Harry prepares to marry US actress Meghan Markle on May 19, we look back at the weddings of three other top royals.
Elizabeth and Philip: 1947
Hundreds of thousands of people thronged London’s streets to cheer future Queen Elizabeth, then a 21-year-old princess, as she married Prince Philip, aged 26, more than 70 years ago on November 20, 1947.
In post-war Britain, it was “a flash of colour on the difficult road we’re taking”, says former prime minister Winston Churchill, then leader of the opposition Conservative Party.
It was the first British royal wedding to be filmed and broadcast live on BBC radio, with 200 million people tuning in, according to the palace.
There were 2,000 guests, among them six kings and seven queens. But memories of the second world war were fresh and so several of Philip’s German relatives, including three surviving sisters, were not invited.
Wartime rationing was still in place, even for the royal family, and the government allocated Elizabeth an extra 200 clothing coupons for her satin dress, newspapers reported.