4 Beautiful Churches Where the British Royal Family Has Gotten Married

Updated on 4/30/2017 at 4:00 AM

Getting married can be a stressful process for anyone, but tying the knot as a member of the British royal family is even more complex. Luckily, once the special permission slips have been signed and the guest list approved, the soon-to-be newlyweds don't have to put too much thought into where they'll actually make things official. Over the last century, the royals have gotten married in only a handful of churches in the UK, which really narrows down the choices. From the sprawling St. Paul's Cathedral to the intimate St. George's Chapel, read on to see every location fit for a royal wedding.

The Chapel Royal at St. James's Palace

If you're a royal couple looking for a traditional place to get married, The Chapel Royal at St. James's Palace is the place to do it. The site is located in central London and housed the high-profile weddings of everyone from Queen Anne in 1683 to Queen Victoria in 1840 and King George V in 1893. Because the space only seats 100, it's been much too small for the more recent royal wedding spectacles. Fortunately, it was big enough for Prince George's christening in 2013!

Westminster Abbey

Westminster Abbey might be synonymous with royal weddings today, but between 1382 and 1918 not a single member of the royal family hosted their nuptials there. It wasn't until Princess Patricia of Connaught decided to hold her 1919 ceremony at the famed church that the location once again became a go-to. King George V's only daughter, Princess Mary, got hitched there three years later, followed by Queen Elizabeth II's parents in 1923, Prince George and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark in 1934, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1947, Princess Margaret and Antony Charles Robert Armstrong-Jones in 1960, Princess Alexandra of Kent and Angus Ogilvy in 1963, Princess Anne and Captain Mark Anthony Peter Phillips in 1973, Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson in 1986, and most recently, Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011.

St. Paul's Cathedral

Prince Charles and Princess Diana's lavish wedding on July 29, 1981, at St. Paul's remains one of history's most iconic, but their choice of venue actually bucked royal tradition. Theirs was the first royal wedding at the massive cathedral after a solid 480 years, since the last took place all the way back in 1501 when Prince Arthur, the eldest son of King Henry VII, got married to Princess Catherine, the youngest daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Sadly after just five months of marriage, Arthur died from an unknown illness, so he never became king. Charles and Diana's marriage obviously didn't fare well, either. What's the deal, St. Paul's?

St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle

After a civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall in 2005, longtime loves Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles held a formal wedding at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. It's a small space like the Chapel Royal, but it's held its fair share of weddings. Peter Phillips (the son of Princess Anne) got married there in 2008, preceded by Prince Edward in 1999, Lady Helena Cambridge in 1919, and more stretching all the way back to 1863.