When Mrs. Diana Spencer married Prince Charles on July 29, 1981, at the age of just shy of 20, she removed the word “obey” from her vows; according to the Mirror, she grew so concerned about Prince Charles' relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles that she She said she changed them.

All royal brides before her, including Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, and Princess Anne, had promised to “obey” their husbands in their wedding vows, as stipulated in the Church of England's Book of Common Prayer, which dates back to 1662, the Mirror reported. Princess Diana, however, did not make that vow to herself, but said in a widely watched ceremony at St. Paul's Cathedral that she would “love him, comfort him, honor him, and keep him, in sickness and in health.”

The New York Times reported at the time that Prince Charles and Princess Diana had “very serious” discussions with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Robert Runcie, about the inclusion (and eventual exclusion) of these words.

Dr. Edward Carpenter, Abbot of Westminster Abbey, said in an interview that he was “absolutely delighted” with Charles and Diana's final decision and that “marriage is a relationship where there should be two equal partners, and if there is a dominant partner, this vow If there is a dominant partner, this vow would not be enough to settle the issue,” he said. I think this is much more Christian.” [Like Sarah Ferguson, who married Prince Andrew in 1986, or Sophie Rhys-Jones, who married Prince Edward in 1999. However, perhaps to show solidarity with their late mothers-in-law, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle avoided using “obedience” when they married William and Harry in 2011 and 2018, respectively.

When we spoke with Andrew Morton for his 1992 book Diana: Her True Story, Diana “recalled her growing suspicion that Charles and Camilla were still having an emotional relationship and and reportedly found a bracelet with her name on it that Charles had bought for Camilla just before their wedding,” writes the Mirror. (When Diana: Her True Story was published, the book was thought to be a biography; five years later, Morton confirmed that Diana was the primary source for the book, making it closer to an autobiography.)

Diana wanted to cancel the wedding altogether, but her sisters, Lady Sarah and Lady Jane persuaded her. Diana also claimed that Charles had worn cufflinks given to him by Camilla on their honeymoon.

Charles and Diana separated in 1992, and their divorce was finalized in 1996. Less than eight years later, Charles and Camilla were married on April 9, 2005, and celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary earlier this year.