Chicago Tribune Original 1981 Vintage Magazine -The Fairy-tale Wedding -July 19, 1981 Section 9. Includes Wear and Tear. Not For Reading. 11x13 inches The wedding of The Prince of Wales and The Lady Diana Spencer took place on Wednesday, 29 July 1981,[1] at St Paul's Cathedral in London, United Kingdom. The groom was the heir apparent to the British and Commonwealth thrones, and the bride was a member of the Spencer family.Their marriage was widely billed as a "fairytale wedding" and the "wedding of the century". It was watched by an estimated global television audience of 750 million people.[2][3] Events were held around the Commonwealth to mark the wedding. Many street parties were held throughout the United Kingdom to celebrate the occasion. The couple separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996 after fifteen years of marriage.