It was the wedding that captivated the world. Lady Diana Spencer said "I will" to Britain's Prince Charles, becoming Princess of Wales and bringing fresh youth and glamour to Britain's royal family. Now, 36 years later, the AP has restored original footage from the July 29, 1981, wedding and is releasing it in 4K resolution on YouTube. (See it here.) The release comes ahead of Thursday's 20th anniversary of the Paris car crash that killed Diana.
The 25 minutes of footage (in separate clips) comes from the archive of British Movietone, which the AP acquired in 2016. British Movietone was the only company to film the wedding on high-quality 35 mm film, making it possible to restore it to a higher quality. "The restored 4K film is simply stunning and a world away from the 1980s videotape versions that we're familiar with," said Alwyn Lindsey, AP's vice president of sales for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. (More Princess Diana stories.)