There’s always something special about royal weddings. These events are filled with the kinds of pomp and circumstance that fill even the most jaded hearts with pure wonder. Plus, these weddings are filled with famous people dressed to the nines, and it’s fascinating to see the awesome (and sometimes awful) looks that these royals come up with for the big day.
Of course, there’s another reason to enjoy royal weddings: the unexpected moments! No matter how much time and attention goes into a wedding, there’s always room for something to go wrong. And for those not familiar with every royal protocol (which, let’s face it, is almost everybody), even a by-the-numbers wedding can be full of some shocking surprises.
Don’t worry, we brought the receipts. Keep reading to discover the most unforgettably wild royal wedding moments!
Prince Charles apologized for his adulterous ‘sins’
There was plenty of drama already baked into the wedding of Charles and Camilla. The reason for that is that these two had been engaging in an affair for many years before they tied the knot. The affair was messy and very public, and everyone knew that this is what caused Charles and Diana to divorce. Considering how beloved Princess Diana was, it was difficult for the average person not to see Charles as the bad guy in that situation.
What does this have to do with Charles’ and Camilla’s wedding? The royal family is Christian and their weddings are very religious affairs. Because their affair was common knowledge, the two (as reported by CNN) had to read from the Book of Common Prayer, saying, “We acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, Which we, from time to time, most grievously have committed, by thought, word and deed, Against thy Divine Majesty, Provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us.”
Sure, the wedding went off without a hitch, and the two have seemingly gone on to live happily ever after. But it’s not every day that you see a future king renounce his sins in front of the world, making this one of the wildest moments in royal wedding history.
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When Queen Elizabeth’s tiara broke
The late, great Queen Elizabeth got married way back in 1947. Even back then, the ceremony was a major multimedia event, and the entire royal family knew that clips of the wedding would be broadcast on television. The world was watching, and everything had to be just perfect. Before the wedding, Elizabeth’s hairdresser accidentally broke the tiara that the Queen was going to wear!
Fortunately, the Royal Family didn’t let this moment ruin the big day. Police escorted the royal jewelers away with the tiara, and they were able to use their skills to put the fancy headpiece back together. If you check out photos or videos of he wedding, you can see the uneven gap in Queen Elizabeth’s tiara. It seemingly didn’t bother her, though, and she and Philip had a long and reportedly very happy marriage.
Kate Middleton’s Wedding Hair Broke Royal Tradition
Kate Middleton’s wedding to Prince William on April 29, 2011, was a historic event that captivated the world — and not just for the grandeur of the ceremony. While her gown, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, adhered to the royal tradition established by Queen Victoria — using English fabric and craftsmanship, as noted by Historic Royal Palaces — it was Kate’s hairstyle that truly turned heads. The dress remained a closely guarded secret until its dramatic reveal outside Westminster Abbey.
Rather than following the centuries-old custom of royal brides wearing their hair entirely up, Kate chose a half-up, half-down style known as a demi-chignon, according to the Daily Mail. As explained in the documentary William & Kate: The Journey (via Marie Claire), royal insiders had strongly suggested she wear her hair up for the occasion. Reporter Ashley Pearson noted that Kate had to stand firm: both she and William preferred her hair down and softly curled. They eventually reached a compromise that honored both tradition and personal style. To ensure the look complemented the Cartier Halo tiara loaned by Queen Elizabeth II, Kate’s stylists even prepared mood boards ahead of time.
George Clooney attended Harry and Meghan’s wedding but never met them
Every day, the line between royals and traditional celebrities gets a little blurrier. Because of that, it wasn’t very surprising to see George Clooney and his wife, Amal, attending Harry and Meghan’s wedding. And because Meghan was a big-time actor, you might assume that she and Harry were friends with the Clooneys and extended them an invite. But in a truly weird twist, it seems like these royals didn’t know the Clooneys at all!
This info comes to us courtesy of Carolyn Bartholomew, who conveyed the info to Air Mail. Bartholomew (who is actually Harry’s godmother) claimed that the Clooneys told her they didn’t know the couple. This kicked off public speculation that their presence, along with other big celebs like Idris Elba and Oprah Winfrey, was intended to make this royal wedding seem fancier than it really was.
Harry and Meghan doing something over-the-top just to get attention? Color us (or should that be “colour us?”) shocked!
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Diana got Charles’ name wrong during her vows
Here’s an interesting fact about royals: they normally go by just one name, like “Queen Elizabeth” or “Prince Harry.” This is true even for those who marry into the family, which is why Kate Middleton is now referred to simply as “Princess Kate.” Ironically, though, royals sometimes have longer names than most of us, and that ended up causing an embarrassing moment when Princess Diana was taking her vows.
As part of her vows, Diana had to give Prince Charles’ full name: Charles Philip Arthur George. But while she was speaking, Diana ended up mixing up the name, saying “Philip Charles Arthur George” instead. In a normal wedding, this would have been a simple flub everyone could laugh off. But because this was the future king’s wedding, there was extensive media coverage, and Diana’s simple mistake was heard all across the world.
Prince Charles Walked Meghan Markle Halfway Down the Aisle
Prince Charles hasn’t always been the media’s favorite, especially in conversations about Princess Diana. But on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding day, he played a pivotal role. Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle, was unable to attend the wedding due to health concerns reportedly triggered by news that he had posed for paparazzi photos for money.
With the traditional “walk down the aisle” in question, Harry turned to his father for support. “I asked [Charles] to, and I think he knew it was coming, and he immediately said, ‘Yes, of course, I’ll do whatever Meghan needs and I’m here to support you,’” Harry told the BBC (via E! News). “For him, that’s a fantastic opportunity to step up and be that support, and you know he’s our father, so of course he’s going to be there for us.”
According to Robert Hardman’s Queen of Our Times: The Life of Elizabeth II, Charles and Meghan agreed on a compromise that suited everyone. When Charles offered to escort Meghan, she didn’t give a simple yes. Instead, she asked, “‘Can we meet halfway?’” Hardman wrote (via Newsweek). This solution allowed Meghan to enter the ceremony on her terms while giving Charles the chance to support both his son and daughter-in-law.
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