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Restored footage from Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding to be unveiled to mark 40th anniversary

Feature-length documentary to air on Britbox on Thursday 15 July

Olivia Petter
Thursday 15 July 2021 15:21 BST
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Footage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding restored in new documentary

A documentary will shine new light on Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding to mark 40 years since the two tied the knot at St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

The Wedding of the Century will air on BritBox on Thursday 15 July and feature restored high-definition footage from the 1981 event that was watched by a record 750 million people in 74 countries.

At the time of the wedding, video technology was insufficient and therefore couldn’t capture the details of the wedding for the public to enjoy, with the majority of footage considered to have been fairly poor in terms of quality.

Now, though, the BBC and ITV streaming service has retouched the filming of the ceremony to create a much clearer viewing experience.

The film will also include never-before-heard anecdotes about the ceremony from those in attendance.

These include the chief royal florist David Longman, who met with Diana to create a bouquet fit for a princess, musical director Barry Rose who conducted the choir inside St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Royal Navy head baker Dave Avery, who met with Diana before spending 14 weeks creating her wedding cake.

Additionally, royal photographer Kent Gavin, who captured the ceremony inside St. Paul’s, is interviewed in the series.

The new high definition footage will offer fans a closer look at the details of Diana’s famous ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown, designed by the Emanuels.

Touchdown Films, which is the production company behind the documentary, founder John Osborne said: “We are delighted to be working with BritBox on this new feature-length documentary that reframes one of the most iconic days in history like never before.”

The documentary comes shortly after Diana’s old Ford Escort sold in auction for £52,640 to a museum in South Africa.

The silver 1.6L Ghia saloon car was gifted to Diana by the Prince of Wales as an engagement present in May 1981, two months before they were married that July.

The Wedding of the Century is available on BritBox on Thursday 15 July

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