A collection of candid photographs capturing the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana the Princess of Wales are to be put up for auction, over three decades after they were taken.
The 12 photos offer a rare glimpse into the ill-fated couple’s private wedding reception, which was held in Buckingham Palace on 29 July 1981.
Princess Diana holds five-year-old Clementine Hambro, her youngest bridesmaid. (Image: RR Auction/PA Wire)
The wedding party was thrown after a ceremony a St Paul’s Cathedral, which was watched on television by an estimated 750million people at the time.
Comprising of seven black-and-white and five colour prints, the images are taken from a collection owned by an assistant to photographer Patrick Lichfield, who later became Lord Lichfield - the only photographer allowed to take informal images of the wedding party at the palace.
Prince Charles and Princess Diana stand on the Buckingham Palace balcony (Image: RR Auction/PA Wire)
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Half of the photos depict Princess Diana in her wedding dress beside members of her future family, including Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Princess Margaret and Prince Andrew.
Another shows the Princess clutching five-year-old Clementine Hambro, her youngest bridesmaid, in her arms.
Princess Diana greets guests alongside Prince Charles (Image: RR Auction/PA Wire)
The set will go under the hammer at the Remarkable Rarities live auction event at RR Auction in Boston, Massachusetts, on 4 September.
The winning bidder will also receive a detailed letter of provenance identifying the subjects in each photograph and offering further specifics from the assistant to Lord Lichfield.
Auction spokesman Bobby Livingston said: “These never-before-seen photographs capture the candid and unrehearsed moments of the fairytale wedding.”
Additional reporting by PA
