#RoyalWeddingAnniversary: Royal Weddings & Marriages throughout History

#RoyalWeddingAnniversary: Royal Weddings & Marriages throughout History

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Today marks the fourth anniversary of Prince William's wedding to Kate Middleton. In that time the gorgeous couple have had one cute little Prince and (at the time of writing!) another little bundle of joy overdue! To celebrate this special day, we have put together some of the most famous and extravagant royal weddings & marriages of all time. Enjoy!

Cleopatra, Pharaoh of Egypt and Mark Antony (Wedding Date: 36 B.C)

Often considered one of the greatest love stories of all time, Marc Antony and Cleopatra met for the first time in 41 B.C and are said to have fallen in love instantaneously. Cleopatra was the last pharaoh of Egypt and Mark Antony a senior general in the Roman army and right hand man to Julius Caesar, emperor of Rome. After meeting, Antony and Cleopatra soon became lovers but were separated for four years when Antony had to attend business in Greece. Cleopatra gave birth to their twins and the couple were eventually reunited and married in 36 B.C. However, their love story came to an abrupt and tragic end when Mark Antony, in honourable Roman military fashion, committed suicide by falling on his sword after being defeated at the naval Battle of Actium. Cleopatra killed herself upon hearing of his death by angering a poisonous Egyptian asp so that it would bite her.

Henry VIII of England and Jane Seymour (Wedding Date: 30th May 1536)

Jane Seymour was the third wife of Henry VIII and believed by historians to be the favourite of his seven wives. They married in 1536 and Henry was said to have showered her with wedding gifts including 104 manors in 4 counties and a huge golden cup designed by famous artist of the time, Hans Holbein. The wedding was marked by various public celebrations afterwards. Jane was the only one of Henry's wives that bore him a healthy son, who would later be crowned King Edward VI. However, their happiness was cut short when Jane died less than two weeks after giving birth to their son from complications of her long labour. Jane was the only one of Henry's wives to have a Queen's funeral and she was buried in 1537 at Windsor Castle. In the months following her death, Henry wore black. When he died ten years later in 1547, Henry was buried next to Jane Seymour at his request.

Queen Victoria of England and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (Wedding Date: 10th February 1840)

Brought up by a single mother (her father died when she was very young), Queen Victoria was fiercely independent and a marriage between her and Albert was first proposed by their Uncle (her and Albert were first cousins). They married on the 10 th February 1840 in a lavish ceremony. Queen Victoria chose a white dress for her wedding, which was considered unusual at the time, and she is often acknowledged for starting the tradition of women marrying in white wedding gowns. Victoria and Albert were happily married for over twenty years and had nine children. After Albert died in 1861 Victoria was never the same and wore black for the rest of her life. She reigned for a further 40 years before being buried next to Albert after her death in 1901.

Prince Charles and Diana Spencer (Wedding Date: 29th July 1981)

Prince Charles proposed to Diana with an engagement ring containing 14 diamonds and on the 29 th July 1981 they married in a ceremony that was watched by 750 million people worldwide. Diana's wedding dress is often considered one of the most famous dresses in the world and was designed by David and Elizabeth Emmanuel. Copies of the dress were available in a short space of time after the wedding ceremony. The couple went on to have two sons, William and Harry, and stayed together for eleven years before separating in 1992 and eventually divorcing in 1996. Charles and Diana remained amicable until 1997 when Diana was tragically fatally injured in a car accident in Paris. An estimated 2.5 billion people watched her funeral across the world.

Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Jetsun Pema (Wedding Date: 13th October 2011)

The King and Queen of Bhutan met at a family picnic when he was seventeen and she was just seven years old. It is believed that they agreed that if they were both still single when she grew up then they would marry. Fourteen years later, in 2011, they announced their engagement and on the 13 th October that same year they married in the Panukha Dong, which means 'palace of bliss'. The bride wore a wedding 'kira', which is the traditional wedding attire in Bhutan, which was woven with silk and took months to complete. The whole country had two days national holiday as part of the wedding celebrations and the ceremony was described as the biggest international media ever held in Bhutan.

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