Princess Diana Had a Secret Wedding Registry—and You Needed a Secret Code to See What Was on It

 When it came to her wedding, Princess Diana wasn't messing around. From her backup dress (ya know, in case pics got out) to her catalogue-selected sapphire ring, no part of the $48 million nuptials was left unplanned—including her (and Prince Charles’s) wedding registry. 

But this was no ordinary registry. Not surprisingly, the people’s princess made sure it was as classy and high-profile as she was, forcing users to be approved before accessing it. 

Sure, dignitaries and world leaders sent gifts of their own choosing—such as an engraved Steuben glass bowl from America, a roomful of antique Canadian furniture from (you guessed it) Canada and whisky from Scotland, to name a few. But for their friends, Diana and Charles set up a registry at General Trading Company, a fashionable store in Chelsea, Manhattan. However, if anyone wanted to shop from it, they had to get pre-approval from Buckingham Palace. OK, now that’s exclusive.

So, what was on it? According to Vanity Fair, garden furniture, a wine cooler and a pair of breakfast-in-bed trays.

These days, however, (ex)members of the royal family seem to be taking a different approach when it comes to wedding gifts. In 2018, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry opted against a Zola registry and, instead, asked those who would like to send a gift to do so in the form of a charitable donation. And being the ardent humanitarians that they are, the couple hand-selected seven charities close to their hearts, which include organizations combating everything from HIV to homelessness.

Looks like we have more in common with Princess Di than we thought (we had a wine cooler on our registry, too).