None sets the standards for opulence as high as the royalties. They leave no stone unturned to make their weddings look like a fairytale: from the venue to designer dresses and jewellery.
The first things that comes to our mind when we hear about royal weddings, it’s always of luxury and extravagance. The royals not only rule their region of residence but also have all the riches in the world after all. Which is why their weddings are marked as one of the most luxurious affairs. These weddings are set to be recorded in history which is why it’s not just a romantic or social affair but political too.
The budget and guest list of every royal wedding is always massive, because of their global status which differentiate them from us ‘commoners’. These matrimonial ceremonies are often televised for the countrymen and onlookers so the royals always have a society to please. From the venue to the dress and jewellery, the royal weddings are known to stun people. Here we have listed down some of the most expensive royal weddings that the world has ever witnessed.
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The royal Emirati wedding of Sheikha Hind Bint bin Maktoum to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum takes the crown for being the most expensive royal wedding in the world. The ruler of Dubai, Bin Rashid, married his first cousin, Princess Sheikha, in 1979. Their wedding had a week-long celebrations, and the couple had even declared five days of holiday in the state in celebration of their union. 20,000 guests graced the ocassion for which a new stadium was built. There were bejewelled camels sent to the stadium to entertain and deliver gifts to the guests .
This was the first wedding in history where Dubai's Police Air Wing performed a public flying display with aerobatics. The wedding was a massive affair in Dubai, but inside pictures of the ceremony were never released in the media. After the wedding, Sheikh himself visited each house under his rule and fed all the inhabitants in celebration of his wedding.
King Charles and Lady Diana got married back in 1981 where, a total of 35,000 guests were invited to witness the royal union. The entire wedding was live televised with an average viewership of 750 million. Diana walked down the aisle in a USD 46,785-worth ivory silk gown, which is, to date, one of the most expensive white gowns ever made. The dress was designed by British duo, Elizabeth and David Emanuel, who decorated it with lace, hand embroidery, sequins, and 10,000 pearls.
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The entire Buckingham Palace was decked for the occasion. Fireworks and 100 beacons lit up the whole estate, welcoming the new couple. The palace spent USD 600,000 on the security of the wedding, which, in addition to the other expenses, made this the most expensive wedding of the time. The cost of the wedding was later estimated to be USD 100 million in total which made people tag this royal union as 'the wedding of the century'.
The prince of Monaco, Albert, in 2011 tied the knot with Princess Charlene of Monaco. The couple had a traditional catholic wedding in the medieval Palace of Monaco. Their wedding was termed as the 'biggest party in 55 years', as it was the biggest celebration of Monaco after Prince Albert's parents' wedding. American rock band, Eagles performed at the wedding while Andrea Bocelli serenaded the 450 guests who attended the royal affair.
The bride wore an off-white Armani Prive gown, studded with 40,000 Swarovski crystals and 20,000 mother teardrop pearls. Prince Albert donned a white-hued suit with golden details and a diamond brooch. After the ceremony, the couple drove off in style in their custom-made Lexus hybrid.
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Spain's now king and queen got married in a grand ceremony in 2004. Almost 25 million people worldwide tuned in to their TV sets to watch the live wedding ceremony of the royal couple. Prince Felipe married former journalist, Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano at the Santa María la Real de La Almudena Cathedral, Madrid. Almost 1,500 guests attended their wedding, and about 1,000 bottles of Champaign were served at their reception.
Former journalist and now queen, Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano donned Spanish designer, Manuel Pertegaz's custom-made gown. Which was a high-collar lace gown with gold details, the dress even had a 4.27-meter long veil trail. The bride's diamond tiara was also the talk of the town for several years and is still considered iconic.
Brunei’s Sultana Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah in 2012 tied the knot with her non-royal husband, Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini. The lavish wedding was held at a 1,700-room palace on Borneo Island. It is estimated that a total of USD 20 million was spent on the wedding, which 3,000 people attended.
The outfits of the couple screamed of extravagance and luxury. The bride donned a heavily embellished gown in silver and beige hue along with a diamond-crowned veil. The sultana was decked in jewels and looked every bit of royalty as she rightfully is.
We are in gaping in awe looking at these extravagant royal weddings. Let us know which one of these royal weddings is your favourite?
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