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Topics: Royal Family, Princess Diana, Prince Charles, News, UK News
Lucy Devine
Topics: Royal Family, Princess Diana, Prince Charles, News, UK News
It's been 44 years since Princess Diana and the now King Charles tied the knot.
The pair were married at St Paul's Cathedral on Wednesday, 29 July 1981, when Diana was aged 20 and Charles was 32.
During the televised ceremony - which 750 million people in 74 countries tuned in to watch - Diana put her own spin on her wedding vows, opting not to use the word 'obey'.
Instead, she said during the widely-watched ceremony at St. Paul’s Cathedral that she would ‘love him, comfort him, honour and keep him, in sickness and in health’.
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The New York Times reported that Charles and Diana held some ‘very serious’ discussions about including the word.
But it wasn't the only change to their vows that Diana made.
Albeit likely to be accidental due to the nerves of the day, Diana actually said Charles' name incorrectly at the altar.
In Sally Beddell Smith's book, Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life, Smith explained that Diana referred to Charles as 'Philip Charles Arthur George', rather than 'Charles Philip'.
The BBC also reported the error at the time, explaining: "Wedding day nerves were apparent during the ceremony. Diana mixed up the Prince’s names, calling him Philip Charles Arthur George, rather than Charles Philip."
Meanwhile, Charles also made his own blunder, saying 'thy goods' instead of 'my worldly goods'.
Recently, we told you how an unearthed letter written by Diana two days after her wedding revealed how she felt about the day.
PEOPLE obtained the letter - which is now live via Julien's Auctions - on 30 May, and shared that it was sent from Diana to Mark Simpson, a footman at Buckingham Palace.
It was dated just two days after her wedding on July 31, where she wrote of how he had comforted her during her stay at Buckingham Palace.
She wrote to him: “I just wanted to thank you for all your kindness + patience you’ve showed towards me since I moved into B.P. My stay was made so much easier by your company as it was so terribly lonely + we had so many laughs for that I can’t thank you enough.”
There were many rumours that Diana was isolated during her time in the palace, with her own interviews claiming that she was depressed, and received no support from the royal family.
She added in her writings: “Do hope you were able to enjoy Wednesday + that you liked my dress? I’m off to Britainia tomorrow, what with all those men around. I will have to keep a watchful eye on Evelyn!”
Charles and Diana would have been married 44 years today.
They divorced in August 1996, two years before Diana's tragic death in Paris at the age of 36.