Spencers: Harry's Wedding Guests

Prince Harry invited his mother Princess Diana's entire family, the Spencers, to his wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018. Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, and sisters Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes attended, as did cousins Lady Kitty Spencer, Laura Fellowes, and Louis Spencer.

Princess Diana's siblings attended Harry's wedding

Princess Diana's siblings were among the guests who attended Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018. Diana's brother, Earl Spencer, and her sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes, were all in attendance.

The presence of Diana's family at the wedding was a way for Harry to keep his mother's memory alive. Harry is close to his mother's side of the family and wanted them all to be part of the celebrations at Windsor Castle.

Diana's siblings were also joined by her nieces and nephews, including Lady Kitty Spencer, Lady Eliza Spencer, and Louis Spencer, who is next in line to the earldom.

Harry's cousins attended the wedding

Harry's cousins certainly attended the wedding, and they caused quite a stir! Harry's cousin, Louis Spencer, Viscount Althorp, was noted for his dashing good looks and thick beard, which rivalled Harry's. Louis, who is next in line to the earldom, wore a skinny morning suit and was accompanied by his mother, Victoria Aitken, and sisters Lady Eliza and Lady Kitty Spencer. Lady Kitty Spencer, a model for Dolce & Gabbana, even walked down the catwalk in a tiara in February. Louis's good looks were said to be inherited from his mother, who was a model before marrying Louis' father in 1989.

Harry's other cousins in attendance included Laura Fellowes, one of Princess Charlotte's godparents, and George McCorquodale, who is said to enjoy a close relationship with his cousins.

Harry's aunt, Lady Jane Fellowes, was present

Lady Jane Fellowes has largely retreated from public life since the death of her sister, Princess Diana, in 1997. However, she has been present for key milestones in Harry's life, including the christening of his son, Archie.

Lady Jane Fellowes gave a reading at Harry's wedding, honouring the memory of her late sister. She also gave a reading at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, where she recited a poem by Henry Van Dyke Jr.

Harry has remained close with his aunt, and the two have even worked together on charity projects. Lady Jane Fellowes also attended the wedding of Harry's brother, Prince William, to Catherine Middleton in 2011.

Harry's uncle, Earl Spencer, was also there

Earl Spencer's presence at the wedding, along with Diana's sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes, served as a reminder that the groom was as much a Spencer as he was a Windsor. The inclusion of Diana's family in the ceremony was also a deliberate move to honour Harry's mother. According to his biographer, Angela Levin, Harry believes his mother is "watching, looking down on him, helping him to move forward."

Earl Spencer's attendance at the wedding also held significance in light of the decades-old rift between the Spencers and the Windsors. At Diana's funeral nearly 21 years ago, Earl Spencer directly challenged Prince William and Harry, pledging that their "blood family" would do all they could so that their "souls are not simply immersed by duty and tradition." While his words were not taken lightly by Buckingham Palace, they reflected the lamentations of a man who had lost a beloved older sister.

The royal wedding provided an opportunity for reunification between the two families. Prince Harry, in seeking to please his mother and hoping for her smile on his wedding day, may have also achieved a family reconciliation.

The Spencers and the Windsors have a 'stark divide'

The Spencers and the Windsors: A Stark Divide

The relationship between the Spencers and the Windsors has been under scrutiny for decades, with a "stark divide" becoming increasingly apparent. This divide was highlighted once again at a recent Invictus Games service for Prince Harry, where his uncle, Earl Spencer, and aunt, Lady Jane Fellowes, were in attendance, while no senior royals were present. This absence by the royal family has brought the rift between the two families into sharp focus.

Princess Diana's father, Earl 'Johnnie' Spencer, initially advised against her marriage to Prince Charles, as he wanted to protect his daughter from the intense public scrutiny that would come with being a member of the royal family. Despite his reservations, he eventually accepted the engagement and walked his daughter down the aisle at St. Paul's Cathedral. However, the Spencers never fully embraced the royal family, and Diana often reminded Charles that her royal lineage was more than equal to his own.

The Windsors, on the other hand, viewed the Spencers with suspicion due to rumors of "Mad Blood" in the family. When Diana's marriage to Charles fell apart, the Spencers naturally sided with her, but this created complications as Diana's sister, Lady Jane, was married to Robert Fellowes, a courtier to the Queen. This resulted in a rift between Diana and her sister, and it took the diplomatic skills of Raine, Countess Spencer, to maintain good relations between the two families.

The death of Princess Diana in 1997 further widened the divide, as the public's anti-royal sentiment intensified. Diana's brother, Charles, delivered a scathing eulogy at her funeral, directly attacking the royal family. This incident cemented another brick in the wall between the Spencers and the Windsors, and the divide has only grown deeper over the years.

The Invictus Games service, where Prince Harry was supported by his Spencer relatives, while the royal family stayed away, is just the latest example of the stark divide between the two families. It remains to be seen whether the two families can ever fully reconcile and move past their differences.

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