It is no secret that Princess Diana and Prince Charles were unhappy together. Although they were married in one of the most memorable and expensive royal weddings in history, they were not a perfect match.
They often argued, and despite entering the marriage in hopes of making it work, Diana admitted that she had no high expectations for the union. Read on to learn more about Charles and Diana’s marriage.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana married in 1981
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July 29, 1981 is the day that Charles and Diana exchanged vows. In what quickly became known as the “wedding of the century” they spared no expense. The bride walked down the aisle at St. Paul’s Cathedral in her now iconic wedding gown accented with a 25-foot train.
Millions of people worldwide tuned in to watch the ceremony live on television. Decades later, it remains one of the most viewed royal weddings in history. The public later learned that both Charles and Diana wanted to cancel the wedding.
After the breakup of her marriage, Diana spoke about her wedding in a series of secret tapes. Used by author Andrew Morton to write Diana’s biography, she described her wedding day as “the worst day of my life.”
Princess Diana’s hopes for marriage ‘cut short for day 2’
Although Charles was in love with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Diana entered her hopeful marriage. At least a little. But just a few days after officially becoming a husband and wife, their hope for union was shattered.
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Years later, Diana told Morton that “the tremendous hope was reduced on day two,” according to Reader’s Digest. And according to Tina Brown’s book, The Diana ChroniclesThe mother of two children once wrote, “I feel so small, so lonely, so out of my reach.”
They didn’t have a nice honeymoon
Possibly the terrible honeymoon had to do with Diana losing hope of her marriage so quickly. After her and Charles’ spectacular royal wedding, they embarked on an equally impressive honeymoon.
The newlyweds set sail aboard the Royal Yacht Brittanica for a 14-day excursion in the Mediterranean. They ended their journey with a stay at the royal family’s Balmoral estate in Scotland.
Diana hoped to spend time talking to her new husband on their romantic cruise. Meanwhile, Charles brought books and painting supplies thinking he would use downtime to enjoy some of his hobbies. This led to arguments between the couple.
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To make matters worse, Diana discovered that Charles had twins, a gift from Camilla, with C intertwined. Not only that, but she also had a photo of Camilla in her schedule.
When they got to Balmoral, Charles resorted to leaving alone while letting his staff members sit with an upset Diana.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana separated after 15 years of marriage
In the early 1990s, Charles and Diana were dropping the facade of their marriage. In public, they used to at least pretend to be happy. But for 1991 and 1992 they seemed miserable just sitting next to each other.
Thanks to their marital problems in the media, it was not a big surprise when they announced their separation in late 1992. In August 1996 they made their official division when they divorced.
The following year, on August 31, 1997, Diana died in a car accident in Paris, France, at the age of 36. Charles married Camilla in April 2005.
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