In the weeks leading up to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's much-anticipated wedding in May 2018, the royal family faced a series of challenges that left even Queen Elizabeth II feeling uneasy. According to new revelations in royal biographer Ingrid Seward's book, My Mother and I, the late Queen harbored concerns about several aspects of the wedding, from who would walk Meghan down the aisle to the appropriateness of the bride's attire.
The wedding, held at St. George's Chapel in Windsor, was a global spectacle, watched by an estimated 1.9 billion people. Despite the public's perception of a seamless and joyous event, Seward's book reveals that behind the scenes, the Queen was uncomfortable with certain key decisions made in the days leading up to the ceremony.
One of the primary sources of the Queen's discomfort was the decision for then-Prince Charles to walk Meghan down the aisle. Meghan's father, Thomas Markle, had withdrawn from attending the wedding due to health issues, leaving his daughter without someone to escort her. In what was seen by many as a gracious and supportive gesture, Prince Charles stepped in to fill the role. However, Seward writes that the Queen was not entirely comfortable with this arrangement.
"The Queen was not comfortable with the Prince of Wales standing in for Meghan's father, Thomas Markle," Seward reveals. The monarch's unease extended to Prince Philip, who was 96 years old at the time and had recently undergone a hip replacement. The Queen was reportedly concerned about her husband's decision to walk unassisted during the ceremony, just weeks after his surgery.
Prince Harry later shared in the documentary Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70 that he had asked his father to walk Meghan down the aisle. "I asked him to, and I think he knew it was coming, and he immediately said, 'Yes, of course, I'll do whatever Meghan needs, and I'm here to support you,'" Harry recalled. While Charles's willingness to step in was well-received by many, it appears the Queen's traditional views left her feeling uneasy about the arrangement.
Another point of contention for the Queen was Meghan's wedding dress. Designed by Givenchy, the gown was a statement piece that garnered widespread acclaim for its elegance and simplicity. However, Seward's book reveals that the Queen found the dress to be "too white," particularly given that Meghan was a divorcee. In the Queen's view, the dress's color was too suggestive of a traditional virgin bride, which she felt was inappropriate for a second marriage taking place in a church.
Seward's account also touches on Meghan's independent spirit, which manifested in her response to Prince Charles's offer to walk her down the aisle. According to Robert Hardman's book, Queen of Our Times: The Life of Elizabeth II, Meghan's response was not what Charles expected. "The reply, according to one friend, was not quite what he was expecting: 'Can we meet halfway?' Here was an indicator that this was no blushing bride, but a confident, independent woman determined to make a grand entrance on her own," Hardman wrote.
The wedding, which was the last major royal event attended by Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip together, marked a significant moment in the history of the British monarchy. While the public celebrated the union, the behind-the-scenes tensions hinted at the growing divide between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the rest of the royal family-a divide that would widen in the years to come.
The rift became more apparent in 2020 when Harry and Meghan made the decision to step back from their roles as senior royals and relocate to California. This move reportedly left the Queen "severely disappointed." Their departure from royal duties, coupled with subsequent public criticisms of the royal family, has further strained relations between the couple and the monarchy.
Meghan's mock curtsey during the 2022 Netflix documentary Harry & Meghan-a gesture aimed at the late Queen-was seen by many as a symbol of the deepening estrangement. The once harmonious relationship between the Sussexes and the royal family now seems distant, with lingering tensions underscored by these revelations about the wedding.
