The bride and bridegroom waving to a delirous crowd while returning from the cathedral after the ceremony
It was a rigidly formal occasion of state, a display of ceremonial pomp and pageantry, a fairy-tale romance come to life and a unanimous affirmation of the survival of one of the world's oldest monarchies. Transposed into the 20th century, last month's Royal Wedding between Britain's Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer, provided a heady escape from the darker realities of life in Britain.
