The details behind Princess Diana’s ‘disastrous’ wedding day from perfume spill ‘nightmare’ to Queen Camilla’s scandalous appearance

Princess Diana’s wedding to then-Prince Charles looked every inch the royal spectacle. But 45 years on, reports around the 1981 ceremony have put a spotlight on the mishaps that played out before and during the service.

Princess Diana’s wedding to then-Prince Charles took place at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on July 29, 1981. On the big day, 3,500 people attended, while around 750 million viewers watched across 74 countries.

The ceremony was vast in every sense. The cost was estimated to be £36m, which it said would be around £135m today. It also described the day as the first time in 300 years that a British citizen married an heir to the throne.

But even a royal wedding planned on that scale could not avoid a few awkward moments.

Diana reportedly spilled perfume on her dress

One pre-ceremony scare allegedly involved Diana’s famous gown.

As per reports, a royal insider claimed Diana spilled an entire bottle of perfume over her dress while getting ready. The perfume was by House of Houbigant, described in the report as the official royal perfumer.

The dress itself was designed to make a huge impression. Designer Elizabeth Emanuel told British Vogue in 2020: “It was all about drama and making Diana a fairytale princess.”

She added: “The gown was typical of early ’80s style — overblown, romantic, flouncy — but we had to get it right because we knew it would go down in history.”

Their wedding day wasn’t perfect despite the optics (Credit: Everett/Shutterstock)

The gown arrived creased

Then came the carriage problem.

Diana’s ivory silk taffeta gown was made over three months and featured ornate hand embroidery, including 10,000 micro pearls. It also had a full skirt, puffed sleeves and a 25-foot train.

However, the size of the dress created its own issue. The report said the gown had to be fitted into a small carriage as Diana travelled to the cathedral with her father. By the time she arrived, the dress was wrinkled.

Diana mixed up Charles’ names

Another moment came during the vows.

The Express reported that Diana accidentally swapped Charles’ first names, calling him Philip Charles Arthur George instead of Charles Philip Arthur George.

The ceremony also included a notable change to the vows. Diana did not use the word “obey”. Instead, she said she would “love him, comfort him, honour and keep him, in sickness and in health”.

Rainy day preparations

Although it turned out to be a bright day, Princess Diana wasn’t exactly well-equipped if there was a downpour.

In fact, all she had on hand was a lace and pearl parasol.

“It was probably a good thing – it was made of such light material that it certainly wasn’t waterproof,” Emanuel quipped to the Daily Mail.

“It wouldn’t have done her much good!”

Camilla Parker-Bowles was present

Famously, Charles’s rumoured then-mistress Camilla Parker-Bowles was on the guest list and wore a strikingly pale grey dress on Diana’s special day.

Decades later, the details are a reminder that even a ceremony watched by hundreds of millions could still be hit by spills, creases and nerves.

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