With only a few weeks to go for the royal wedding of Prince Williams and long time fiancée Catherine Middleton, preparations are in full swing at the Buckingham Palace as hundreds of invitations are being sent to European royalty, diplomats, friends and family.

Scheduled to take place at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011, Prince William first met Middleton in 2001 while studying at the University of St. Andrews. A love story evolved throughout the years and finally, on October 2010, William proposed Catherine with the same engagement ring that his father had given to his mother.

Scanning through the historical vignettes of royal weddings and engagements, here is our pick of the top 5 royal weddings: