The 1980s saw many milestones - the first Apple Mac computer was invented, the first mobile phone was introduced, and a young woman named Diana Spencer would change history forever.
While many of us were busy perfecting our perms or keeping up with the newest pop stars on MTV, the Royal Family had a lot going on.
Heirs (and spares) were born, the closest thing to a real life fairy tale wedding took place and Queen Elizabeth II continued to break new ground, 30 years into her reign.
The most decade defining royal moments of the 80s
Prince Charles and Diana’s wedding
Up there with the fall of the Berlin Wall, the wedding of the then-Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer was one of the biggest global events of the entire decade.
Widely considered one of the biggest weddings anyone has ever seen - indeed, even the Archbishop of Canterbury got caught up in the moment, saying during the ceremony, "here is the stuff of which fairy tales are made" - an estimated 750 million tuned in to watch the wedding on July 29, 1981.
And what a sight all those millions witnessed, from Diana's wedding dress, made from ivory silk taffeta and featuring a 25-foot train, to the full scale of Britain's pomp and ceremony on display.
Diana and Charles started a much-loved tradition, almost by accident
Everything about Charles and Diana's wedding was momentous, but one iconic incident that started a royal tradition came about almost by accident.
One of the most famous parts of the day was a rare spot of public affection between the royals, as Charles and Diana enjoyed a kiss on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.
It was the first kiss between royal newlyweds and has since become a highlight for fans on the day of a Royal Wedding, with subsequent royal couples like Prince William and Kate Middleton following the tradition.
A future King was born
On June 21, 1982, people in the United Kingdom weren't just celebrating midsummer and the longest day of the year, the joyful news of Princess Diana and King Charles' first son was announced.
Prince William - the man who will become king one day - was born at the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital. He became the first future heir to the throne to be born in a hospital, with all of Queen Elizabeth's children having been born at Buckingham Palace.
A historic visit from President Reagan
In 1982, the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Reagan, paid his first trip to the United Kingdom.
They took a horse ride together around the grounds of the castle and Reagan became the first president to stay overnight at the castle.
Queen Elizabeth and Pope John Paul II make history
On October 17, 1980, Queen Elizabeth II made history by becoming the first British monarch - the Head of the Church of England - to travel to the Vatican, to meet the Pope, God's representative on Earth for Catholics.
It was a rare example of Her Majesty breaking protocol too, wearing black – usually reserved for periods of mourning – as a sign of respect for the Pontiff.
The 'other royal wedding' of the decade
On July 23, 1986, there was the second royal wedding of the decade - that of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.
While it was hard following the wedding of Charles and Diana five years earlier, an estimated 500 million people still tuned in to watch the wedding.
The Duchess of York wore a duchesse ivory satin gown complete with extensive silver embroidery and beading. The dress included symbolic detailing, including anchors, waves, thistles, and bumblebees, representing the likes of Prince Andrew's sailing background and Sarah's family crest.
Queen Elizabeth is shot at during Trooping the Colour
In June 1981, during the annual Trooping the Colour parade, which celebrates the monarch's summer birthday, six shots were fired at Queen Elizabeth as she rode down the Mall.
The shots were blanks fired by a teenager, Marcus Sarjeant, who had reportedly planned to kill the Queen but was unable to get a licence for a real gun.
He was charged under the 1848 Treason Act and jailed for five years.
Zara Phillips was born
On May 15, 1981, Princess Anne gave birth to her second child with her first husband, Mark Phillips.
While any birth is a cause for celebration, Zara Phillips' arrival was extra special as she was the late Queen and Prince Philip's first granddaughter, and second grandchild overall after Zara's older brother, Peter Phillips.
The Queen makes history (again)
By the 1980s, Queen Elizabeth was in her third decade as Queen, yet she never rested on her laurels.
Continuing to be visible and foster connections around the world, Her Majesty and Prince Philip paid a historic first visit to China. This made Elizabeth II the first British sovereign to visit the country, and marked a new chapter in the dynamics between the UK and the People’s Republic of China following the agreement that sovereignty over Hong Kong would be returned to China in 1997.
Diana debuts *that* engagement ring
While the wedding was one of the decade's most iconic moments, before the big day, Charles and Diana had to actually announce their engagement.
And on February 24, 1981, they did just that, and introduced the world to one of the most famous engagement rings in history.
The ring that would eventually pass along to Kate Middleton, Diana debuted the 12-carat oval Ceylon sapphire surrounded by 14 round diamonds and set in white gold. The ring was chosen from Garrard's catalogue and not custom-designed - a rarity for a royal ring - and the reasoning was reportedly that it would flatter Diana's blue eyes.
Princess Diana helps fight the stigma around AIDS
In April 1987, Princess Diana proved that her heart was even bigger than her wedding dress or her worldwide fan base.
Defying public fear at the time, Diana opened the first purpose-built HIV/AIDS unit in the UK.
At the opening, she famously shook hands with a patient - something which made headlines and helped to destigmatise the lives of those living with the disease at a time when fear and misinformation ran rampant.
Princess Diana started a feminist trend for future royal brides
Despite the eyes of the world scrutinising her wedding to the future King, Princess Diana still found a way to introduce some of her independent nature into the nuptials.
The late Princess of Wales famously omitted the line in her wedding vows that requested the bride to "obey" her husband. Instead, she said she would, "love him, comfort him, honour and keep him, in sickness and in health."
Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle similarly omitted the line from their vows.
First came the heir, then came the spare…
Another defining moment of the 1980s saw the arrival of another royal prince - this time it was Harry, arriving three years after his brother.
Prince Harry was born on September 15, 1984. At birth, Harry was third in line to the English throne behind his father and older brother.
Princess Diana fever sweeps the globe
It's hard to overstate the emergence of Princess Diana, and how quickly she became one of - if not the - most famous woman on the planet.
Everywhere she went, Diana drew massive crowds and what she wore ignited trends and copycats. And she used her platform to modernise the royals, showcasing a warmer, more relatable face of the monarchy.
A dance with Danny Zuko makes headlines
Since her engagement was announced and later her wedding to the future King Charles in 1981, Diana ascended quickly to a global phenomenon. She was credited for bringing a new level of fame and attention to the royals, especially for a younger crowd.
And proving how she had become something of a celebrity in her own right, one of the starriest moments of the 80s saw the Princess of Wales twirl around the White House floor in the arms of Grease icon John Travolta.
Diana makes a friend at her first royal engagement (who issued an accurate premonition)
In the 25th anniversary edition of her official biography, Diana: Her True Story ‒ In Her Own Words, written by Andrew Morton, Princess Diana recalled the evening she befriended another iconic Princess - Grace Kelly.
Princess Grace of Monaco attended a musical recital at Goldsmiths’ Hall the same night as Diana and Charles in their first outing since announcing their engagement.
According to the book, Diana opened up to her about her anxiety, Grace reportedly comforted her with some dark humour that, eerily, proved to be too true for both princesses, who suffered sadness in their marriages and tragic endings, saying, "Don’t worry, it’ll only get worse."
Someone breaks into Buckingham Palace
In 1982, Michael Fagan broke into Buckingham Palace. And then he did it again, just to really show off.
While stories have gone on to exaggerate the events of the second break-in to suggest that he ended up actually chatting with Queen Elizabeth II in her bedroom, Michael told the Independent in 2012 that, while he did reach her chambers, she left the room immediately.
During his two breakouts, however, he did claim to have sat on a throne and drank half a bottle of white wine.
It’s a Royal Knockout
In 1987, the royals, spearheaded by Prince Edward, who was exploring a possible burgeoning alternative career in TV production, took part in a televised special of the game show, It’s a Knockout.
The game saw Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, Princess Anne, and Prince Edward head up teams of celebrities who competed in bizarre and comical challenges for different charities.
Although the programme had huge audience figures of more than 18 million and raised £1.5 million for charity, it was considered one of the worst decisions made by the royals, tarnishing their reputation and causing embarrassment.
Princess Diana’s first Trooping the Colour
Princess Diana attended her first Trooping the Colour event in 1981, just weeks before her wedding to Prince Charles.
For the occasion, which royal watchers tuned in with glee to see how the (at the time) future Queen would handle herself, the young Lady Diana Spencer opted for a Bill Pashley outfit with a matching hat in hues of light blue.
Introducing Princess Beatrice
On August 8, 1988 (making her birthday 8/8/88!), the last of the royal babies born in the 1980s would arrive - Princess Beatrice.
Beatrice is the first child of Andrew and Sarah Ferguson, and she was joined by her sister, Eugenie, in 1990.
Popular rumour has it that Beatrice's name wasn't revealed for two weeks after her birth because the late Queen wasn't a fan of the name Andrew and Fergie had initially picked out - Annabel.
Princess Diana falls asleep in public (but she had good reason!)
We've all been there - finding ourselves nodding off at work. And even if your work involves getting glammed up for a night at the Victoria & Albert Museum, that sleepiness can still kick in as Diana found out in 1981.
The Princess made headlines after falling asleep right there in public during the Splendours Of The Gonzaga Exhibition.
However, it would later be announced that Diana was expecting her first child (Prince William), so the sleepiness during the first trimester was more than forgiven.
The Queen and Philip visit Canada
The late Queen and Prince Philip carried out a few royal tours throughout the 80s, and one such tour that kept them busy was a trip to Canada in 1984, visiting New Brunswick and Ontario to celebrate the bicentennials of the two provinces.
The trip was notable, as just before boarding a plane at one point on the trip, the Queen and Prince Philip briefly shared a very rare public kiss.
Princess Margaret’s lung surgery, with a painful parallel to her father
The 1980s were relatively low-key for the larger-than-life Princess Margaret, after finalising her divorce from Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1978.
However, Princess Margaret did cause headlines when it was revealed she had to have emergency lung surgery, which saw part of her left lung removed.
For the likes of Margaret, the Queen Mother and the late Queen Elizabeth, the health scare must have carried extra weight, as King George VI had to have his lung removed following a cancer diagnosis, and he died a year after, with some thinking the blood clot in his coronary arteries could have been a result of the cancer.
Prince William joins his parents at work... aged one-years-old
For their very first royal tour together as a married couple, Prince Charles and Princess Diana visited Australia and New Zealand in 1983.
By then, they were parents, having introduced Prince William to their family in 1982.
Ripping out the royal rule book, Diana eschewed the royal tradition of leaving the children behind and brought William along for his first royal tour at just one year old.
Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips call it quits
The 1980s weren't the most successful for royal marriages, and Princess Anne was the first to kickstart a chain of divorces.
After having been married for 15 years when they announced their separation in 1989, Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips announced their split.
They eventually divorced in 1992, and later that year, the Princess Royal became the first child of a British monarch to remarry, when she wed Timothy Laurence.
Cracks start to show with the ‘fairy tale’ marriage
Charles and Diana would eventually split in 1992, but the latter years of the 80s were spent with widespread media scrutiny about their marriage.
Not only did rumours of Charles’ relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles resurface in the late 80s, but there are rumours that Princess Diana also sought comfort in army captain James Hewitt.
Indeed, Charles and Camilla rekindled their romance once again in 1986, just five years after getting wed, per Jonathan Dimbleby's authorised biography of the King.
Princess Anne gains a special title
Royal by blood, Princess Anne was always a Princess. But in 1987, she became Anne, Princess Royal.
The prestigious title is traditionally carried by the British monarch’s oldest daughter, and once given, is held for life.
Anne is only the seventh woman to hold the title since 1642 and while it's not clear why it took nearly two decades after the death of the last Princess Royal (her great-aunt, Princess Mary) for her to receive the title, it can be assumed that it was a sign of respect from her parents as Anne had become one of the hardest working royals by the late 80s (and remains so, to this day).
Diana dances at the Royal Opera House
Just shy of forty years after Princess Diana danced on stage at the Royal Opera House, Netflix's The Crown would air fictional recreations of the moment, causing many to wonder... is it true?
It was. Halfway through a gala performance in 1985, the Princess quietly slipped away and joined dancer Wayne Sleep on stage, dancing together to Billy Joel's Uptown Girl.
And like depicted in The Crown, rumours at the time suggested Charles was less than pleased about the antics.
The Queen Mother celebrates a milestone birthday
In 1980, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother celebrated quite a milestone birthday - her 80th. For many, that's an impressive age to reach, but, of course, the Queen Mother would go on to have 21 more, dying at a magnificent age of 101.
To celebrate her 80th, the Queen's Christmas Broadcast for that year reflected on celebrations for it.
Princess Anne marks a royal first for the modern era
Times were a-changin', as they say, in the late 80s. And the likes of Princess Diana and Sarah, Duchess of York, had turned the royals into celebrities akin to the movie stars of the day.
So it was no surprise to see the savvy royals adapt and evolve, with Princess Anne becoming the first member of the royal family to appear on a TV quiz show when she competed on the BBC panel game A Question of Sport in 1987.
It was a perfect fit for the Princess Royal, who in the previous decade had become the first royal to compete at the Olympic Games.
A future Queen was born
On January 9, 1982, despite not being royal at the time, a very important figure to the family was born. Kate Middleton - the now Princess of Wales and future Queen Consort - was born at the Royal Berkshire Hospital to parents Michael and Carole Middleton.
Princess Diana uses fashion for subtle messaging early on
The royals love using fashion as more than decoration. It's often used to send signals, offer diplomatic meanings and much more.
And Diana might have been something of an early pioneer for this, starting as early as 1981.
In 1981, just four months after announcing her engagement to Prince Charles, the 19-year-old Lady Diana Spencer attended a polo match in a distinctive black-sheep knit by Warm & Wonderful.
She wore it again in 1983, and, with the gift of hindsight, many have taken it as Diana’s subtle riposte to feeling like a literal black sheep in the royal family.
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