Top 10 Hello! front pages

So which of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s new twins has the better name? Knox Leon or Vivienne Marcheline? Knox Leon, obviously, because Fort Knox will presumably be required to stash all the money their parents made from the pictures Photograph: Hello!

But don’t expect the Brangelina twins to become the biggest selling Hello! ever. That accolade goes to the September 1997 issue featuring coverage of Princess Diana’s funeral. It sold 1.123 million copies Photograph: Hello!

In 1997 a nation mourned - and bought copies of Hello! by the barrowload. This edition, which commemorated Diana's life was number two in the sales chart, selling 903,551 copies Photograph: Hello!

Pop royalty is also a surefire sales winner for Hello! Here a January 2001 edition contains pics of the christening of Madonna and Guy Ritchie's son Rocco. It sold 722,903 copies Photograph: Hello!

From pop royalty back to the real thing, albeit of the minor variety – it’s the wedding of Prince Edward and the adorable Sophie Wessex! What a royal knockout, with sales of 679,193, in June 1999. If Sophie and Ed could shift that many, imagine what Hello! would have sold if it had been around for Charles and Di’s 1981 nuptials? Photograph: Hello!

While Edward opted for a traditional groom’s outfit, Paul Gascoigne chose something slightly more colourful for his wedding to Sheryl Failes. Alas Sheryl’s maiden name was an unfortuate omen for the fate of their marriage. It was July 1996, Euro 96 fever was in full swing, Chris Evans was on the Radio 1 breakfast show, Britpop ruled the airwaves, and this copy of Hello! sold 646,092 copies Photograph: Hello!

Diana, Edward and Sophie … and now it’s Sarah, Duchess of York’s turn. “My story”, says the headline on the front page. What, the kiddies’ one about the helicopter? No, her life story. Can’t remember what it said now, but it was doubtless very interesting to the 640,823 people who bought it in November 1996 Photograph: Hello!

A measly 80 pages were devoted to the nuptials of Edward and Sophie. Peter Phillips and Autumn Kelly, whoever she is, got 100! Whoever said the royals were turning themselves into a soap opera? Total sales: 617,421 Photograph: Hello!

More Diana now, and this cover from a time when she was actually alive. This survey of 'the most and least elegant outfits worn by Diana in 1996' sold 588,832 copies in January 1997. Least elegant? Please, a little respect Photograph: Hello!

Take a look at these hilarious lookalikes. Oh hang on, this is the genuine article, the wedding of Elizabeth Taylor and Larry Fortensky – us neither - in 1991. Michael Jackson’s presence doubtless helped push sales to 577,865 Photograph: Hello!

If a good idea’s worth doing once, then it’s worth doing twice. Yes, it’s time for Princess Diana’s 'most and least elegant outfits', this time from 1996. If you think you’ve heard that phrase somewhere before, you’d be right. In other news: Cheryl Baker, and why cooking for the family is her ideal way of spending Christmas. Circulation: 576,272 Photograph: Hello!