10 fascinating royal wedding facts

The hotly anticipated royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is now just hours away.

So it's only natural the upcoming celebration is the topic on everyone's lips... which means it doesn't hurt to brush up on some royal wedding trivia!

1. Diana said the wrong name during her vows
   But don't worry, the slip wasn’t as awkward as it sounds! Instead of calling her groom “Charles Philip Arthur George,” Diana swapped the names to “Philip Charles Arthur George.”
   
   
2. Queen Elizabeth used ration coupons to pay for her dress
   After World War II, then-Princess Elizabeth wasn’t exempt from clothing rations. So the British public tried sending her their own coupons to help pay for her dress.
   
   
3. Kate Middleton had two wedding dresses
   After William kissed his bride, Kate Middleton ditched the nine-foot train and slipped on another white floor-length satin gown featuring a sweetheart neckline, a circle skirt and a diamante belt.
   
   
4. Diana had a stain emergency
   On her way to the ceremony, Diana reportedly spilled perfume all over her gown while trying to dab it on her wrists. Luckily, her makeup artist showed her how to hold the dress to cover the stain, keeping viewers none the wiser.
   
   
5. Royal brides have one bouquet in common
   In 1840, Queen Victoria’s bouquet included a sprig of myrtle, symbolising love and fertility. Since then, every royal bride has kept a sprig of the flower.
   
   
6. Kate’s bouquet was a nod to her groom
   In addition to the myrtle, the Duchess of Cambridge’s bouquet included a bloom with a touching sentiment: sweet William.
   
   
7. Princess Diana’s shoes held a secret message
   Diana's wedding shoes featured the letters C and D (for Charles and Diana) painted underneath the heel, with a heart on the top of them.
   
   
8. Kate Middleton did her own makeup
   Before the big day, Kate reportedly took lessons from makeup artist Arabella Preston.
   
   
9. Diana had the longest train in royal history
   While Kate’s train was VERY impressive, Diana won first place for the longest train. Coming in at 25-feet long... her veil was even longer!
   
   
10. Queen Victoria launched the white gown trend
    In the Victorian era, brides generally wore the nicest dress they could buy in whatever colour they liked. But that all changed when Queen Victoria donned a white gown in 1840 when marrying Prince Albert. She chose white — then the colour to wear to funerals, not weddings — mainly to match the lace on her dress, but it didn’t take long for brides to follow her lead.

Meghan and Harry will on May 19 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle.

The royal Wedding will be broadcast on TVNZ 1 from 9:05PM or live streamed at tvnz.co.nz.