30+ Most Spectacular Royal Weddings From Around the World

By Stuart Wolf - Feb 5, 2025

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Everyone loves a fairy tale Royal Wedding, right? For centuries, flag-waving fans have lined the streets to see royals like Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and Prince William and Kate Middleton tie the knot with horse-drawn carriages, designer dresses, tiaras, and giant wedding cakes! So here are some of the most lavish, memorable, and glamorous royal unions from around the world and from recent times and yesteryear.

Prince William and Kate Middleton

Prince William and Kate Middleton married at London's Westminster Abbey in April 2011. Almost 2,000 guests attended the Royal Wedding, including Will's Best Man, Prince Harry, The Queen, David and Victoria Beckham, Sir Elton John, and Mr. Bean, while 170 million people watched on TV.

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Kate wore an ivory satin and lace gown by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, although she was somewhat upstaged by her sister Pippa's derrière! The happy couple honeymooned on a private island in the Seychelles.

Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, and Mary Donaldson

Not all princes and princesses meet in fairytale encounters. Prince Frederik met Australian Mary Donaldson in a pub during the 2000 Sydney Olympics! He didn't tell her he was the Crown Prince of Denmark until they were already dating.

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They married four years later in Copenhagen Cathedral in a lavish ceremony. Pub-goer Mary became Her Royal Highness Crown Princess of Denmark, and she and her husband became King and Queen of Denmark following his mother, Margrethe II's abdication in January 2024.

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Sofia Hellqvist

Prince Carl Philip of Sweden caused quite a stir when he married former glamor model Sofia Hellqvist in June 2015. The Swedish press insisted Sofia was not welcome in the royal family, so he called them bullies.

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The couple’s fairytale wedding at Stockholm's Royal Palace chapel, included a wedding cake filled with Pop Rocks, performances by Avicii and Icona Pop, and a Swedish version of Rihanna's “Umbrella.” After the ceremony, Prince Carl declared he was “the happiest man in the world.” Aww, bless!

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip

In 1947, Princess Elizabeth married her second cousin, once removed Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, at a grand Royal Wedding at Westminster Abbey. Two hundred million people across the Commonwealth and beyond listened to the bride walk down the aisle in a Norman Hartnell gown embroidered with 10,000 seed pearls and white beads.

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Five years later, her father, George VI, passed away unexpectedly. Queen Elizabeth II ruled as one of the world's most beloved monarchs for over 70 years.