Royal weddings are a thing of fairy tales, with intricate floral arrangements, gallant horses, and dresses with price tags that will make you gasp. Today, these weddings have become more accessible as the public can view them from home, making them a spectacle that many look forward to. But while we may see them as a dream (and the ultimate form of entertainment), the royal family sees picking the right person to marry not as a romantic endeavor, but as about producing heirs and solidifying alliances. These events can be quite tense, and photographs with undeniable body language from the monarchy’s most controversial royal dramas prove that.

1. Queen Elizabeth takes precedence in wedding photos with Prince Philip

The power imbalance was evident when Princess Elizabeth walked down the aisle alongside her Duke of Edinburgh beau Philip. While Elizabeth was preparing to become the monarch, Philip was seen as an inadequate match due to his lack of financial standing. Therefore, in these images, Elizabeth stands in the spotlight while Philip stands behind her, signifying that this was her moment, during which he was mostly ignored.

2. Princess Diana unhappily sits beside Prince Charles at the altar

Now we know that Princess Diana was aware of her philandering husband’s actions, but the incompatibility goes all the way back to their 1981 wedding. Everyone’s body language was tense; Charles was rubbing his head and looking frustrated, while Diana sat slouched with her hands in her lap, looking anxious. This makes sense, especially since Camilla decided to attend!

3. Prince Edward calmed down Duchess Sophie at their wedding

While King Charles III and Princess Diana failed to achieve their dream wedding, Prince Edward and Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, experienced a more joyous occasion. They finally tied the knot after dating for six years, but Sophie was understandably nervous on her big day. To calm her down, Edward gave her a wink and some cheeky grins, letting her know he had her back as they approached the crowd. He reassured her playfully, and it relaxed her jittery nerves.