Harry's Wedding: Who Was Invited?

Prince Harry invited his mother Princess Diana's entire family to his wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018. Harry's uncle, Earl Spencer, and aunts, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes, were among the guests. Harry's cousins, including Lady Kitty Spencer, also attended the ceremony and the intimate after-party at Frogmore House. Earl Spencer and Lady Fellowes were also present at the unveiling of Princess Diana's statue at Kensington Palace in 2021. However, Harry and Meghan did not attend the wedding of his cousin, Lady Kitty Spencer, in 2021, nor did Prince William and Kate Middleton.

The wedding dress

The dress was made of silk with three-quarter-length sleeves, an open boat neckline, and a train with a built-in triple silk organza underskirt. It was designed with sleek lines and sharp cuts, paying homage to the history of the Givenchy house. It was made in Paris by a small team of ateliers, with only five months to manufacture the dress and veil. Markle and Waight Keller worked closely together on the design, with the latter chosen because she "wanted to highlight the success of a leading British talent".

The dress was without lace or any other embellishments, and its simple design was a departure from previous royal wedding looks. Markle's veil was 5 metres long and hand-embroidered with a variety of flowers on its hem, including flowers representing the countries of the Commonwealth, the California poppy, and wintersweet, a flower that grows at Kensington Palace. The veil took longer to create than the dress itself, with embroiderers spending 500 hours completing it.

Markle's wedding dress received mixed reviews from the public, with some describing it as "beautiful" and "stunning", while others called it "boring" and "ill-fitting". Despite the mixed reviews, the dress became one of the most celebrated royal fashion moments in history.

The ceremony

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday, 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor. The ceremony was steeped in tradition and featured several personal touches from the couple.

The wedding service was conducted according to the Christian liturgy for Holy Matrimony as set out in Common Worship of the Church of England. The Dean of Windsor, David Conner, conducted the service, with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, performing the marriage ceremony.

Hymns sung at the wedding included "Lord of All Hopefulness" and "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer", the latter of which was a favourite of Harry's mother, Princess Diana, and was also sung at her funeral in 1997.

Two choirs, an orchestra, the chapel organ, and fanfare trumpeters provided music for the service. In addition to the Choir of St George's Chapel, the Kingdom Choir, a gospel group led by Karen Gibson, sang "Stand By Me". The State Trumpeters of the Household Cavalry, which included Kate Sandford, the first female state trumpeter at a British royal wedding, played a fanfare.

The reception

The evening reception was hosted by Prince Charles at Frogmore House and was attended by 200 of the couple's closest friends and family. The bride and groom arrived in a vintage blue Jaguar E-type convertible, adorned with a special license plate bearing the date of their nuptials. Meghan changed into a custom halter gown with an open back by Stella McCartney, while Harry wore a black tuxedo. The wedding cake broke from royal tradition, with a lemon sponge cake with elderflower syrup, Amalfi lemon curd, and a Swiss meringue buttercream topping infused with elderflower. The cake was created by London-based baker Claire Ptak and her team, who spent five days perfecting it. Idris Elba served as the DJ for the evening, and guests danced the night away. George Clooney tended the bar, showing off his bartending skills, and Serena Williams played beer pong. Harry and Meghan both gave touching speeches, expressing their excitement for their future together.

The guest list

Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018 was a star-studded affair, with a host of celebrities and members of the royal family in attendance. However, the guest list also included several members of Harry's extended family, including his mother Princess Diana's side of the family, the Spencers.

The Spencers were well-represented at the wedding, with Princess Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, and her sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes, all in attendance. Earl Spencer's children, including Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp, and Lady Kitty Spencer, also attended the wedding. Lady Kitty Spencer, a model, turned heads at the event with her stunning hand-painted green Dolce & Gabbana dress.

The presence of the Spencers at the wedding was particularly notable given the reported "stark divide" between them and the royal family, with some commentators observing a "lack of love lost" between the two families. Despite this, Harry has maintained a close relationship with his mother's side of the family, and was all smiles as he greeted his uncle, aunts, and cousins at the wedding.

The Spencers have also been present at other significant events in Harry's life, including the unveiling of a statue of Princess Diana at Kensington Palace in 2021. However, it is worth noting that the relationship between the Spencers and the royal family is not without its complexities, with Princess Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, notably delivering a scathing eulogy at her funeral, criticising the royal family and their treatment of his sister.

The wedding cake

The cake was created by London-based baker Claire Ptak, owner of Violet Cakes, and her team. It was a lemon elderflower cake, a departure from the traditional fruit cake typically favoured by royal couples. The cake was covered in buttercream and adorned with fresh flowers, adding a touch of elegance and sophistication.

The ingredients for the cake were carefully selected, including 200 lemons from the Amalfi Coast, 500 organic eggs from Suffolk, 20kg each of butter, flour, and sugar, and 10 bottles of elderflower cordial from the Queen's Sandringham estate. The cake was made up of lemon sponge, elderflower syrup drizzle, Amalfi lemon curd, and Swiss meringue buttercream with elderflower.

The final assembly of the cake took place at Windsor Castle on the morning of the wedding. It was presented on a striking gold stand and consisted of multiple tiers sitting on different platforms, "rough iced" and topped with fresh flowers. The cake not only delighted the royal couple and their guests but also became an inspiration for brides-to-be around the world.

Overall, the wedding cake for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding was a masterpiece that combined flavour, aesthetics, and a touch of modernity, creating a memorable and delightful addition to their special day.

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