The crowds began forming the night before.

By nightfall, around 100,000 people had gathered outside Buckingham Palace, ready for the nuptials of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.

Mingling amongst them, dressed in faded jeans, was a 26-year-old publishing assistant keen to soak up the atmosphere and coming to terms with the events of the previous thirteen months – the bride herself.

It had been a whirlwind courtship. Though the couple had known each other distantly since childhood, the relationship had only taken off just over a year before, after Sarah Ferguson was invited by Princess Diana to join the Windsor house party for Ascot.

Sarah was still living with a much older widower, Paddy McNally, who had made a fortune from advertising billboards for Formula One, but that relationship was nearing its end.

She was keen to get married, McNally was happy to remain single.

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Sarah Ferguson hit it off with Prince Andrew when she was invited by Princess Diana to join the Windsor house party at Royal Ascot in 1985. Above: Andrew seen with Sarah walking behind him

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Probably the most serious relationship of Andrew’s life had been with the actress Katherine ‘Koo’ Stark, before, during and immediately after his service in the Falklands War

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Prince Andrew proposed in the Scottish borders on his 26th birthday and Sarah found it so hard to believe she told him he could change his mind in the morning. Above: The couple after their engagement announcement

Prince Andrew, then the fourth in line to the throne, had also had his heartaches.

Probably the most serious relationship of his life had been with the actress Katherine ‘Koo’ Stark, before, during and immediately after serving in the Falklands War.

But the revelation that she had appeared nude in several films had put paid to the romance.

At Ascot, Andrew and Sarah were instantly attracted to each other and found they had a shared childish sense of humour.

They famously bonded over some chocolate profiteroles, which he had tricked her into eating.

Ferguson quickly ended her relationship with McNally and Andrew courted her assiduously throughout the autumn of 1985.

He would drive up each weekend from his naval base in the West Country to take her to the ballet or entertain her at Buckingham Palace.

That New Year she was a guest of the Royal Family at Sandringham.

In February, she joined Andrew at Floors Castle in the Scottish Borders and it was there, after a boisterous snowball fight, that he proposed on his 26th birthday.

Ferguson found it hard to believe and told him that he could change his mind in the morning but he did not.

The Royal Family had mixed feelings about her. She was known to have a racy past as a Swiss chalet girl, but they also wanted him to settle down.

They saw that she came from the right background, would fit into the family with her love of dogs and horses, and knew something of royal life as her father was polo manager to Prince Charles.

Most importantly, they could see Andrew had fallen deeply in love with her.

A public sign of approval came when she joined Prince Charles and Diana on a skiing trip in February whilst Andrew was at sea. ‘Why can’t you be more like Fergie?’ Charles asked Diana plaintively.

The engagement was announced on March 19th and Ferguson immediately moved from a flat share in Clapham to Buckingham Palace. Her life was about to change dramatically.

On July 23, 1986 they were married.

Sarah had, as tradition dictated, stayed at Clarence House the night before.

She now travelled in the Glass Coach with her father, flanked by eight Lifeguard troopers of the Sovereign’s Escort which he had once commanded.

The young bride entered Westminster Abbey to Elgar’s Imperial March with four-year-old Prince William as one of her page boys.

Her wedding dress with its 17 foot 6 inch train had been designed by Lindka Cierach, who revealed that she had to veto some of the bride’s bizarre dress requests, including decorative teddy bears and helicopters.

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Sarah arrived at Westminster Abbey with her father, Major Ronald Ferguson

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Sarah’s diamond tiara was hidden under a coronet of gardenias. She supposedly chose gardenias — a white, fragrant flower — because they were Prince Andrew’s favorite

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The bride’s train was 17ft and 6 inches long and was designed by Lindka Cierach

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Prince William, then aged four, was a page boy at the Yorks’ wedding

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The Duchess of York wearing the York tiara and Prince Andrew both bow and curtsey to Queen Elizabeth II

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When they were just about to go out on the balcony the Queen spotted a red stain on Sarah’s dress and sent for some soda water which did the trick

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The crowds were chanting ‘we want a kiss’ and they jokingly pretended they couldn’t hear

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They eventually gave the crowds what they wanted and they kissed on the balcony to huge cheers from all around Buckingham Palace

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Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson beam on the Buckingham Palace balcony after their wedding ceremony

Amongst the almost 2,000 guests was US First Lady Nancy Reagan, acting great Michael Caine, and showbiz stars Jackie Stewart, Barry Humphries, Joan Rivers, Billy Connolly and Elton John.

At the altar, Andrew stood with his younger brother Prince Edward. That morning he had been created Duke of York, the title traditionally carried by the monarch’s second son.

The service over, the couple returned to Buckingham Palace. As they were about to step on to the balcony to greet the crowds, the Queen noticed a deep-red stain on the wedding dress.

A bottle of soda water – on hand for any messes made by the corgis – was produced and the problem immediately rectified.

The crowds were chanting ‘We want a kiss, we want a kiss.’ Sarah, cupping her hand to her ear, pretended not to hear and then relented and kissed her new husband.

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British movie star Michael Caine at Prince Andrew’s wedding with his wife Shakira Baksh

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Sarah, Duchess of York, wearing an ivory-silk Lindka Cierach wedding dress, and Prince Andrew, Duke of York, wearing the ceremonial uniform of a Royal Navy lieutenant, arm-in-arm following their wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey

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Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson leave Buckingham Palace for their honeymoon after their wedding

At 4.20 pm the Duke and Duchess left the Palace in a horse-drawn landeau, amid a storm of 24,000 rose petals and accompanied by a giant teddy bear, to fly out to join the royal yacht Britannia for their honeymoon.

From there Andrew returned to his naval base and Ferguson to his apartment at Buckingham Palace, but within weeks there were problems in the marriage, because of his absence and the pressures of court life on her.

By 1992, amidst stories of extra marital affairs, they had separated. Four years later – the same year Prince Charles finalised his split from Diana – they divorced.

They have always remained close though and continue to live together at Royal Lodge in Windsor.

But rumours that they might re-marry have never been confirmed by the couple.