As the daughter of Princess Margaret and niece of the Queen, Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones might have expected all eyes to be on her when she got married 30 years ago today.

But as she and actor Daniel Chatto tied the knot in the modest surrounds of London’s St Stephen Walbrook church, much of the attention was on another royal couple: the warring Prince and Princess of Wales.

The ceremony came just over two weeks after 13 million people had tuned in to watch Charles confess his adultery with the then Camilla Parker Bowles to interviewer Jonathan Dimbleby on TV.

That same evening, Diana had scored a memorable PR victory by wearing her black Christina Stambolian ‘revenge dress’ for a defiant appearance in front of the cameras at a dinner in London‘s Serpentine Gallery.

The wedding would be the first time since then that the estranged couple had appeared at the same public event and journalists were keen to analyse their every move.

Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones married actor Daniel Chatto 30 years ago today in the modest surrounds of St Stephen Walbrook church in central London. Above: Lady Sarah stuns in a white silk Georgette and organza Jasper Conran gown as she enters the church with Zara Phillips – Princess Anne’s daugther – attending her

The Princess received the largest cheer of the day as she hurried from her chauffeur-driven limousine with just a quick backward glance at the waiting crowd. She wore a navy and cream skirt suit with matching strapped sling-back shoes and a pearl choker

Prince Charles arrived 45 seconds after his estranged wife. He escorted his frail grandmother, the Queen Mother. The royal matriarch sat between her grandson and his wife at the ceremony

The Princess received the largest cheer of the day when she arrived, as she hurried from her chauffeur-driven limousine with just a quick backward glance at the waiting crowd.

Timing was crucial because she did not want to bump into Charles, who arrived just 45 seconds later.

The Prince then escorted his grandmother the Queen Mother into the church via a side entrance and the royal matriarch sat between him and his wife.

It was noticed that the frosty couple didn’t exchange a word during the ceremony.

Charles and Diana had wanted very much to attend the wedding since they were both close to the bride.

As a child, Sarah had spent many holidays with her Windsor cousins and, though sixteen years younger than Charles, the two had much in common – especially a love of music and painting.

Sarah was chief bridesmaid to Diana at her 1981 wedding in St Paul’s Cathedral and three years later she was asked to be a godmother to Prince Harry.

The two were neighbours at Kensington Palace and shared a mischievous sense of humour.

Both Charles and Diana had had stressful news on the day of the wedding.

Diana, always sensitive to press criticism, was embarrassed about reports in that morning’s newspapers that ten days earlier her chauffeur had used a blue flashing light to speed her through traffic as she strove to catch a flight to Geneva from Heathrow.

The incident earned her an official reprimand, because the light should only have been used if a police officer was with her (which wasn’t the case), or if she was on official duty, which again she wasn’t.

Charles was also subdued because, shortly before setting off for the nuptials, he received a phone call from Camilla to tell him that her mother, Rosalind Shand, had died earlier that morning aged 74 as a result of her osteoporosis.

Camilla and her sister Annabel were comforting their father Major Bruce Shand when Charles rang the family to offer his condolences.

Both Charles and Diana had had stressful news on the day of the wedding. Diana, always sensitive to press criticism, was embarrassed about reports (above) in that morning’s newspapers that ten days earlier her chauffeur had used a blue flashing light to speed her through traffic as she strove to catch a flight to Geneva from Heathrow

Lady Sarah arrived at the church in a limousine with her father, Lord Snowdon

Lady Sarah and Mr Chatto after tying the knot inside St Stephen Walbrook church in the City of London

Queen Elizabeth wore a salmon and white summery dress which she had worn the previous month at the D-Day commemorations in Normandy

The proud parents of the bride, Princess Margaret with her ex-husband, Lord Snowdon

Princess Diana was absent from the official picture taken to mark Lady Sarah’s wedding. Above: The new husband and wife with senior royals including the Queen (right, seated), Princess Margaret (standing, next to the bride) the Queen Mother (left, seated), Prince Charles (fifth from left), Prince Edward (second from left), Prince Philip (fifth from right) and Princess Anne

Sarah was chief bridesmaid to Diana at her 1981 wedding in St Paul’s Cathedral. Above: Lady Sarah seen following behind the newly-married Charles and Diana

Charles admitting adultery on ‘Charles: The Private Man. The Public Role’ just two weeks before the wedding

It may have been a royal wedding with a guest list headed by the Queen and Prince Philip, but Lady Sarah and Mr Chatto wanted it as low key as possible.

So rather than tying the knot somewhere like St George’s Chapel at Windsor, they chose the small 17th century St Stephen Walbrook church, designed by Christopher Wren.

A stone’s throw from St Paul’s, it seats just two hundred guests.

The service was conducted by the Prebendary, Dr Chad Varah, the founder of the Samaritans crisis hotline.

The thirty-year-old Sarah looked stunning in a white silk georgette and organza Jasper Conran gown with shoes by Manolo Blahnik.

She was attended by her half-sister Lady Frances Armstrong-Jones, as well as by Princess Anne’s 13-year-old daughter Zara Phillips, who was also wearing Conran couture.

Other than the mother of the bride or groom, royal ladies tend not to wear new designs themselves at the weddings of family and friends so as not to upstage the bridal party.

So Queen Elizabeth wore a salmon and white summery dress which she had worn the previous month at the D-Day commemorations in Normandy.

Diana, similarly chose an outfit worn at a D-Day ceremony: an elegant, understated navy and cream skirt suit with matching strapped sling-back shoes and a pearl choker.

After the ceremony, there was an awkward wait for the bridal car to leave and Diana nervously waited behind her father-in-law  Philip, lightly touching his arm at one point

Diana failed to raise her head as Charles and the Queen Mother slowly drove away from St Stephens Church

The Daily Mail’s front page reporting on Lady Sarah’s wedding day on July 14, 1994

The Mail’s coverage of Lady Sarah Chatto’s wedding 30 years ago today

The service lasted a mere 33 minutes and then outside there was an awkward wait for the bridal car to leave followed by the senior royals.

Diana was seen nervously waiting behind Prince Philip, even gently touching him on the arm at one point.

She also chatted to the Princess Royal, who had arrived without her husband, Commander Timothy Laurence.

Diana failed to raise her head as Charles and the Queen Mother slowly drove away from St Stephen’s.

It was no doubt with a sigh of relief that she eventually hurried to her own car, giving another quick smile to the crowd as she left.

She had cut a lonely figure in what amounted to a gathering of the most senior members of the Royal Family.

And no one could have predicted on that gloriously sunny July day that it would be the last royal wedding she would attend.