Millions tune in to witness Charles, Diana wedding

To mark our 175th anniversary year, we feature a different front page each week from past Ottawa Citizens. Today: July 29, 1981

“The man born to be king took a 20-year-old kindergarten teacher for his bride today as church bells rang, great choirs sang and millions cheered the wedding of the century.”

So reported the Ottawa Citizen on July 29, 1981. It was all that and more, as an estimated 750 million people worldwide tuned in to watch the fairy tale wedding between Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer.

And while the Citizen sent reporters Michael Prentice and Chris Cobb to London to cover the pageantry, it also sent reporters throughout Ottawa to get residents’ reactions — especially those, such as Lydia Skuce, who were up at 4:30 a.m. to watch the royal nuptials.

An avid monarchist, Skuce had driven 200 kilometres home from her Barry’s Bay-area cottage, where TV reception was poor, “to catch every tint of the colorful event,” the Citizen reported.

“It was fabulous,” said Skuce, “out of this world.”

Many other Ottawans shared Skuce’s enthusiasm. Jules Arnal, a jewelry store employee, was also up early to watch the St. Paul’s Cathedral ceremony. “It’s about time we had someone young and fresh (Princess Diana) around,” he told the Citizen.

Cowley Avenue residents Val and Cary Jensen, meanwhile, hosted a wedding-watching party with two televisions and lots of champagne and orange juice. Among the guests in attendance were Nancy Brown, sporting a flowered gown, leg garter, veiled hat and long white gloves, while her husband, Rod Patterson, favoured leotards, a crown and a mink stole.

Not all, of course, were as enthusiastic. One area businessman who elected to keep his identity a secret said, “It’s the last splash the royalty is going to make. The time has passed for that sort of thing.”

Alas, happily ever after was not to be. Charles and Diana announced their separation in 1992, and divorced in 1996.

Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.