Royal wedding: What past events were like

• Dresses, food and gifts
• Something old, something new

How royal weddings have changed - and stayed the same - in the past 100 years, from that of William's great-grandparents to his father's second marriage. Watch clips of these events, drawn from the BBC's archives, on our History of Royal Weddings page.

Recipe for a royal wedding
Happy couple	British dress	Uniformed groom	Controversy	Notable gifts	What they ate	Key quote
Prince Albert (future George VI) and Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, 1923	By court dressmaker Mme Handley Seymour	His Royal Air Force uniform	First British "commoner" to marry into the royal family - she only accepted his proposal at the third attempt	Jewellery from his parents, King George V and Queen Mary, and the Strathmore Rose Tiara from her father	Supremes de saumon Reine Mary (salmon filets), cotelettes d'agneau Prince Albert (lamb cutlets), fraises Duchesse Elizabeth (strawberries)	"Ma gnikniht oot hcum" Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon - using mirror writing code in her private diary - on her indecision about marrying royalty [translation: "Am thinking too much"]
Princess Elizabeth (soon to be queen) and Philip Mountbatten, 1947	Designed by Norman Hartnell	His Royal Navy uniform	With rationing still in place, women sent clothing coupons to help the princess obtain material for her dress. These had to be sent back, as it was illegal to give them away	Ingredients for wedding cake from Australian Girl Guides and cotton shawl woven by Gandhi - Queen Mary mistook it for a loin-cloth	Filet de sole Mountbatten, perdreau en casserole (partridge), bombe glacee Princess Elizabeth	"I was so happy and enjoying myself so much that I became completely selfish and forgot about your feelings or anyone else's!" Elizabeth, in a letter to her mother while on honeymoon
Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones (Lord Snowdon), 1960	Designed by Norman Hartnell	Morning dress, as he was a civilian	Five years earlier, Margaret cancelled plans to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend, he was divorced and this displeased the political establishment and the Church	Ten acres in Mustique, a private island in the West Indies, on which Margaret built a beloved retreat	Filet de boeuf Princesse, haricot verte, souffle surprise Montmorency	"I'm not royal. I'm just married to one" Lord Snowdon, as he grew tired of official duties
Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips, 1973	Designed by Maureen Baker	Dress uniform of his regiment, Queen's Dragoon Guards	Only second time in more than 200 years that a British royal had married a commoner - they met through a shared interest in horses	Many equestrian gifts - and a rug from the Cabinet for which ministers chipped in £10.53 each	Lobster, partridge, fresh peas, peppermint ice cream, and 5ft 6ins (168cm) wedding cake - the bride's height	"An occupational hazard of being a wife" Anne, on pregnancy
Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, 1981	Designed by Emanuel	His Royal Navy uniform	She omitted the traditional promise to obey her husband - unlike other royal brides	More than 6,000 gifts, including solid gold model of a sailing dhow from Emir of Bahrain, thought to be worth £500,000-£1m	Quenelle of brill in lobster sauce, Princess of Wales chicken (chicken breast stuffed with lamb mousse), strawberries with Cornish cream	"Whatever 'in love' means" Charles, asked if he and his fiancée Diana were in love
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, 1986	Designed by Lindka Cierach	His Royal Navy uniform	Sarah - the Duchess of York - later told a US magazine the marriage began to break down within a week because of Prince Andrew's naval duties	Sunninghill Park, a 12-bedroom house in Surrey, from the Queen - the tabloids dubbed it "SouthYork" after Southfork in TV soap Dallas	Eggs Drumkilbo (hard-boiled egg moulded with lobster, prawns and mayonnaise - the Queen Mother's favourite), lamb with mint sauce, strawberries and cream	"I had been working in London and living in a small flat with my best friend, and suddenly I married a prince" Sarah Ferguson
Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones, 1999	Designed by Samantha Shaw	Morning dress, as no longer in armed forces	Before the wedding, the Sun published a 1988 photo of Chris Tarrant lifting Sophie's bikini top - the tabloid later apologised. Duchess of York wasn't invited - she and Prince Andrew divorced in 1996	Gifted the titles of Earl and Countess of Wessex by the Queen, his brothers were made dukes when they married	Buffet of beef stroganoff, smoked haddock in pastry, raspberries and cream	"No hats" Dress code on invitations, reflecting the couple's wish for a low-key royal wedding
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles, 2005	Two dresses, both by Robinson Valentine	Morning dress, as no longer in armed forces	The widower and divorcee wed 30-odd years after their romance began. The Queen didn't attend the private civil ceremony, the Palace said it was to keep it low-key	Sari for her and Indian headdress for him from Mumbai's tiffin carriers, and comedian Stephen Fry said the groom was hard to buy for, so he gave "coffee made from Cambodian weasel vomit"	Lavish traditional tea, including egg and cress sandwiches, mini Cornish pasties and boiled fruit cake	"I'm very proud and and wish them well" Queen's toast to the couple

Sphere: Related Content