For most betrothed couples screaming babies, slurred vows and spilled red wine are at the top of their list of wedding day worries.
But when you’re a royal and the entire world is watching, the pressure to stage the perfect day is on a completely new level.
As eagle-eyed viewers around the world prepare to watch Harry and Meghan tie the knot in May, Palace aides will no doubt be hoping for a smoother ride than the Queen and Prince Philip, who endured a broken tiara and a bridesmaid tantrum on their big day.
Good Housekeeping has compiled some of the most monumental royal wedding fails of recent years – so Harry and Meghan know what to avoid when they say their vows at Windsor Castle.
The Prince of Wales and Princess Diana, July 29 1981
Princess Diana and Prince Charles got their vows mixed up and one of the bridesmaids allegedly had a tantrum when they tied the knot at St. Paul’s Cathedral in 1981
If you’re getting married it’s probably a good idea to say the name of your partner correctly, but a flustered Diana Spencer famously referred to her husband to be as ‘Philip Charles Arthur George’ rather than ‘Charles Philip’.
To then add to this blunder, Charles then offered to give her ‘thy goods’ instead of his ‘worldly goods’.
There were also said to have been tears on 29 July 1981 when a bridesmaid tripped and started crying, with bride Diana rushing to comfort the youngster.
As well as muddled vows and tears, Princess Diana is believed to have had a splitting headache all day from her tiara that she was wearing.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, April 29 2011
When Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot in 2011 a horse escaped from the parade
The little bridesmaid on the left will look back on this photo in years to come and chuckle
Prince William only had half an hour’s sleep the night before his wedding to Kate Middleton, now the Duchess of Cambridge, in 2011.
The royal was kept awake by cheering crowds and nerves, as he later revealed: ‘They were singing and cheering all night long, so the excitement of that, the nervousness of me and everyone singing – I slept for about half an hour.’
As well as a sleepy royal, there was also a commotion caused by a spooked horse, who threw his rider off and ran past the royals during the ceremony – luckily no one was hurt.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip
The Queen’s hairdresser broke the tiara originally made for Queen Mary in 1919. It was instantly sent away to be fixed so Queen Elizabeth could walk down the aisle wearing it
Usually you might borrow something from a family member to wear on your wedding day, like a bracelet or a nice pendant, but for Queen Elizabeth she was borrowing a tiara made in 1919 for Queen Mary.
In a heart stopping moment the hairdresser who was getting the Queen’s hair ready for the big day broke the tiara. It was rushed off by police escort to the royal family’s jewellers to be fixed.
Luckily they got it back to her before the ceremony and she was able to walk down the aisle with the newly mended headpiece.
Newly betrothed: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to tie the knot in May next year, and Palace aides will no doubt be hoping the big day goes more smoothly than their predecessors
Princess Nathalie and Alexander Johannsmann of Denmark
Princess Nathalie of Denmark had to wait outside the church for 10 minutes after forgetting her bouquet
Princess Nathalie forgot her bouquet so ended up waiting outside the church for 10 minutes while someone fetched it for her when she married Alexander Johannsmann in 2010.
She seemed in good spirits and had a good laugh about it, as the photos show.
Lady Charlotte Wellesley and Alejandro Santo Domingo
Lady Charlotte nearly lost her extremely long veil when she walked to the church to get married in 2016
Lady Charlotte, a relation of Queen Victoria and daughter of the Duke of Wellington, nearly lost her veil when she got married in 2016. The wind lifted it sky high, but she stayed completely calm and got into the church with her headpiece in tact.
She married Alejandro Santo Domingo in 2016.