Charles and Diana's wedding mishaps - private note and last-minute doubts

Charles and Diana's wedding mishaps - private note and last-minute doubts Behind the pomp and pageantry of Charles and Diana's 1981 royal wedding lay a series of hidden dramas – from a secret note Charles sent Diana the night before to last-minute doubts that nearly derailed the ceremony of the century Prince Charles married Princess Diana 45 years ago today in what seemed like a fairytale ceremony. The pair tied the knot at St Paul's Cathedral on July 29 1981, in front of 3,500 invited guests, including the Royal Family, while 750 million people tuned in to watch the wedding of the century from home. Excitement reached fever pitch when a 20-year-old Diana stepped from her carriage at the cathedral in her ivory silk taffeta gown, and cheers erupted when the couple exchanged their vows. Yet decades on, we now understand that the fairytale ceremony didn't evolve into a fairytale marriage. Eleven years after the wedding, having welcomed sons Princes William and Harry, the pair announced their separation following the collapse of their relationship. They divorced in 1996, just a year before Diana's tragic death in 1997. The wedding has been scrutinised for decades, with photographs from the day becoming iconic. Here we reveal some of the details of the wedding that you may have overlooked. Charles' secret note to Diana Charles and Diana had only met a handful of times before they became engaged, and Diana had just turned 20 as the wedding approached. And with the gaze of the world about to be upon them, it's understandable that the bride felt anxious. But to calm her nerves, her future husband, then 32, sent her a secret note on the eve of their wedding which offered sweet advice. In her book about Camilla, titled The Duchess: The Untold Story, royal author Penny Junor revealed: "The night before the wedding, which Diana spent at Clarence House with her sister Jane, he sent her a note, along with a signet ring that bore the Prince of Wales feathers. "He wrote: 'I'm so proud of you and when you come up I'll be there at the altar for you tomorrow. Just look 'em in the eye and knock 'em dead'." Ms Junor also claims Charles believed the wedding was a mistake but felt it was too late to back out. She claimed that demeanour changed in the run-up to the ceremony, becoming increasingly moody and tearful. The author wrote: "Charles was not convinced he was doing the right thing in marrying Diana but there was no way out and, bolstered by the hope that things would be different once they were married, he put a brave face on it." Shocking admission and doubts Despite penning that supportive note, Charles allegedly left his bride-to-be utterly heartbroken with a devastating confession the night before the wedding, as he "did not want to go into the marriage on a false promise". Diana's astrologer, Penny Thornton, who worked closely with the princess, claims Charles told his fiancée that he didn't love her. Speaking on ITV documentary The Diana Interview: Revenge Of A Princess, she said: "One of the most shocking things that Diana told me was that the night before the wedding Charles told her that he didn't love her. "I think Charles didn't want to go into the wedding on a false premise. He wanted to square it with her and it was devastating for Diana. She didn't want to go through with the wedding at that point, she thought about not attending the wedding." Charles wasn't the only one harbouring doubts, as Diana was also said to have had second thoughts, confiding in her sisters before the big day. In his book Diana: Her True Story, Andrew Morton wrote Diana said: "I can't marry him, I can't do this, this is absolutely unbelievable." They allegedly told her it was too late to back out because "your face is [already] on the tea towels".. Diana's excitement Despite her reservations and misgivings, Diana was said to be both excited and nervous on the eve of her wedding. To let off steam, she reportedly jumped on a bicycle, rode it round in circles and sang: "I'm going to marry the Prince of Wales tomorrow!" The tale was revealed in the book The Diana Chronicles, penned by former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown, as she recounted how, unable to sleep, Diana headed downstairs to chat with the Queen Mother's former steward William Tallon, also known as Backstairs Billy, and to fetch herself a drink. But as she made her way through, she spotted a bicycle propped in the corner, promptly hopped on and pedalled around in circles, ringing the bell while singing aloud. Back-up dress One of the most unforgettable moments of the wedding came when the public caught their first look at Diana in her bridal gown. The task of creating the dress was entrusted to up-and-coming designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel, who went to extraordinary lengths to keep it under wraps until the big day. The pair even destroyed their sketches immediately after showing them to Diana, ensuring they could never end up in the wrong hands. And should the design somehow be leaked, they crafted a second backup dress as a precaution. David previously told People magazine: "At the time we wanted to make absolutely sure that the dress was a surprise. We didn't try it on Diana. We never even discussed it. We wanted to make sure that we had something there; it was for our own peace of mind, really." Diana never actually set eyes on the second dress, which was crafted from identical fabric to the first and also featured ruffles around the neck. A second bouquet As if two dresses weren't enough, Diana also had two bouquets prepared for the special day. According to a documentary, this was because she wished for one to be laid upon the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey. Florist David Longman, who oversaw the floral arrangements at the 1981 wedding, told The Wedding of the Century programme: "She was very easy to deal with. She wasn't particularly demanding. She was always charming." "If you look at the photographs from Princess Elizabeth's [the Queen] wedding, you will see that the big photograph with all the bridesmaids, everyone is carrying a bouquet, except the bride. The princess asked for her bouquet to be put on the tomb of the Unknown Warrior. Lady Diana had heard this story so she said: 'Please can we have two bouquets?' "So, we had one that went straight onto the tomb and the other that was delivered to Buckingham Palace ready for the photographs." Hidden message on Diana's shoes Despite being virtually invisible beneath her gown, Diana's shoes were equally stunning as her gown. They featured 542 sequins and 132 pearls, with Diana selecting a graceful heart-shaped design. And concealed beneath the modest heels was a hidden message - a discreet 'C and D' painted underneath. The shoes, which required six months to craft, were designed by renowned cobbler Clive Shilton. Speaking to the Daily Mail, he remembered: "No one even saw the bottom of the shoes, but it was important to us that they looked fantastic. You would have seen much more of them if she'd tripped!" Camilla was invited In the run-up to their big day, Diana was growing increasingly anxious about Charles's connection with his former flame Camilla Parker Bowles. Just days before exchanging her vows, Diana discovered a bracelet engraved with the letters G and F — standing for Gladys and Fred, the pet names Charles and Camilla had for one another — in Charles's private secretary Michael Colborne's office. So when the momentous day finally arrived, it came as little surprise that she felt deeply unsettled upon spotting Camilla seated in one of the pews at St Paul's Cathedral. Speaking on the Channel 5 documentary Charles and Camilla: King and Queen in Waiting, royal expert Jennie Bond said: "Diana told me much later in one of our private conversations that she had felt like a lamb to the slaughter as she walked up the aisle, which was very sad. "I think she knew that things weren't quite right, and when she saw Camilla in the congregation, was immediately uneasy about it." Sobbing bridesmaid One of the most unforgettable moments of the day came when Charles, Diana and the rest of the wedding party stepped out to greet the crowds from the Buckingham Palace balcony. Yet one bridesmaid appeared far from thrilled about the occasion — and was spotted in tears. It transpires, however, that Clementine Hambro — the youngest bridesmaid at just four years old — had actually taken a tumble inside the palace before making her way out onto the balcony. Recounting the experience on US television in 2011, Clementine said: "I remember being quite a bit excited. I remember being very proud to be involved but actually, I had very little idea of all this sort of situation that was going on."