11 Ways Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Wedding Will Make History
Updated: Oct. 03, 2018The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle isn’t going to be quite the same as past royal weddings. But it will, no doubt, still go down in history.
1. Meghan Markle Is American
Meghan Markle is the first American to be officially engaged to a British royal. A few other firsts this bride-to-be checks off: she’s a woman of colour, divorced, a well-known actor, and was raised Catholic. Markle was just recently baptized and confirmed in the Church of England. After her wedding to Prince Harry, she will have to go through the process of becoming a citizen of the U.K.
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2. The Date
The day that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will exchange vows is May 19, 2018, which breaks a couple of royal traditions. To start, the wedding is on a Saturday. In the past, royal weddings have typically been held on a weekday. Queen Elizabeth II got married on a Thursday, Prince Charles and Princess Diana on a Wednesday, and Prince William and Kate on a Friday. Also, the wedding will be held on the same day as Britain’s historic soccer cup competition, the Emirates FA Final Cup. Prince William is the president of the Football Association and usually makes an appearance at the Final Cup. But this year, we guess he has other events to attend!
3. Their Cake
This is just a rumour, but there has been talk that the royal couple’s wedding cake will be banana. Multi-tiered fruitcake has typically been the wedding cake choice of royal couples before them. Formal royal chef Darren McGrady said that Harry has always loved anything made with bananas, so it could be the chosen dessert at their wedding.
4. It’s Not a Holiday
When Prince Harry and Markle announced their engagement, the British government told the public that there “isn’t a precedent in this area” for a bank holiday to be declared for the royal wedding. The date, however, falls on a Saturday, so it’s likely that crowds will still be able to gather to celebrate the royal nuptials.
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5. It Won’t Be as Grand as Previous Royal Weddings
Yes, in comparison to your average wedding, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding will be extremely grand. But in comparison to other royal weddings, it’s going to be much more low-key. Since Prince Harry is fifth in line to the throne, there’s less pressure for him to have a super traditional wedding. It’s going to be held in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle just outside of London, which is a little quainter than Westminster Abbey where Prince William and Kate wed.
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6. There Won’t Be a Famous Balcony Kiss
Many recently married royal couples have kissed on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. However, since their ceremony is taking place at St. George’s Chapel, they likely won’t be making the hour-long trip back to London and Buckingham Palace to capture this classic royal moment.
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7. There Will Be No Procession Through London
You probably guessed that this isn’t going to happen either. Since the couple likely won’t be coming back to London after the ceremony, there won’t be a London procession for the public to congratulate them—however, Kensington Palace announced there will be a procession through Windsor directly following the ceremony at 1 p.m. local time.
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8. They Invited the Public to Their Wedding
Prince Harry and Markle want the public to feel as though they are a part of the celebration as much as possible—so they plan to invite 2,640 members of the public to watch them arrive and depart from St. George’s Chapel. Those lucky enough to be chosen to attend the royal wedding will be allowed onto the grounds of the castle for the nuptials.
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9. There Won’t Be as Many Dignitaries in Attendance
According to royal sources speaking to Vanity Fair, the wedding is a family affair, not an official state occasion. Because of this, the royal couple likely doesn’t feel as much pressure to invite global dignitaries, members of foreign royal families, or politicians. There will still be a lot of important and well-known people in attendance, but definitely not as many as William and Kate’s wedding.
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10. There Will Be Many More Celebrities in Attendance
Given Markle’s career, she will most likely invite many of her celebrity friends to the royal wedding. She is very close with stars such as Priyanka Chopra, Serena Williams and Patrick J. Adams, her Suits co-star. However, one high-profile couple that may or may not make the guest list? Former President Barack Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama. Although Prince Harry and Obama have struck up quite the friendship over the years, rumour has it the invite could cause some international tension.
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11. Meghan’s Father May Not Escort Her Down the Aisle
Meghan Markle is certainly not afraid to do her wedding her own way. Markle reportedly wants her mother, Doria Ragland, to walk her down the aisle. While this isn’t that much of a surprise given Markle’s close relationship with her mother—and many brides have chosen to forgo the classic tradition of having their father walk them down the aisle—for a royal wedding, it’s definitely something new.
Plus: This Is Why Meghan Markle Won’t Technically Be Called a Princess
