Harry's Wedding: Cancelled Or Cold Feet?

There have been several instances where people speculated that Prince Harry had cancelled his wedding. In 2018, Meghan Markle's half-brother, Thomas Markle Jr., wrote a letter to Prince Harry, urging him to call off the wedding. However, the wedding went ahead as planned. In 2024, Prince Harry pulled out of the Duke of Westminster's wedding, citing challenges of his attendance.

Harry's attendance at the Duke of Westminster's wedding

Prince Harry was invited to the wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, the Duke of Westminster, and his partner, Olivia Henson, at Chester Cathedral in northern England on June 7, 2024. However, it was mutually agreed upon between Harry and the Duke of Westminster that Harry would not attend the wedding. This decision was made due to the challenges and difficulties that Harry's presence would cause, especially given his strained relationship with his brother, Prince William, who served as an usher at the wedding.

The decision to decline the invitation was an "understanding between the two friends," as described by a source close to the Duke of Sussex and the bride and groom. It avoided the potential clamor and awkwardness that could have arisen if the estranged brothers, Prince William and Prince Harry, had both attended the nuptials, thus eliminating any possibility of the wedding being overshadowed for the couple.

Prince Harry sent his "love, support, and admiration" to the couple, and his decision to not attend was also influenced by security challenges and the removal of his official support in the UK after he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from their royal roles in 2020.

The Duke of Westminster's wedding was regarded as the "society wedding of the year" and was attended by prominent guests, including the Duke's sisters and their husbands. The Duke himself has strong ties to the royal family, being a godson of King Charles and a godfather to Prince William and Prince Harry's children.

Meghan Markle's brother's warning

Meghan Markle's brothers' warning

Thomas Markle Jr, the half-brother of Meghan Markle, has been accused of trolling the Duchess of Sussex by posting a series of "vile" and "abusive" videos on his YouTube channel. In the videos, Markle Jr is seen wearing a wig similar to the Suits actress' hairstyle and putting a pillow under his shirt in an attempt to mimic her. He also introduces himself as "Me-gain", a disparaging nickname internet trolls have used for the Duchess.

In the videos, Markle Jr fires off a series of insults and conspiracy theories, targeting his estranged half-sister and the royal family. He has also suggested that he plans to bring out his own range of merchandise, such as glasses, mugs, and t-shirts.

The videos have been condemned by royal experts and MPs, who have called for a crackdown on "harmful" content. Former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond slammed the videos as "grotesque" and accused Markle Jr of committing "the ultimate betrayal". Conservative MP and ex-tech minister Damian Collins said that social media companies must do more to combat harmful content, including "campaigns of harassment and intimidation".

Markle Jr's videos are the latest chapter in a long-running feud between Meghan Markle and her family, including her sister Samantha and their father Thomas Markle Sr. The trio have been at war with Meghan since she stopped speaking to her father after he cooperated with paparazzi and then missed her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.

Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle

Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding was a highly anticipated event that took place on May 19, 2018, at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. The ceremony was televised and witnessed by an estimated minimum of 2 billion people worldwide. The bride wore a boat-neck three-quarter-length sleeve silk dress, designed by Givenchy's then-creative director, Claire Waight Keller. Her 16-foot-long veil was designed by Keller as well and featured hand-stitched embroidery of a flower from every country in the Commonwealth.

The day before the wedding, Harry attempted a thoughtful gesture by picking flowers from the garden at Nottingham Cottage to add to Meghan's bouquet. Unfortunately, it didn't go according to plan due to unexpected snow ruining the flowers they had planted. Despite this, Harry still managed to honour his late mother, Princess Diana, through their choice of flowers, which included forget-me-nots, her favourite flower.

The couple exchanged vows in a fairytale wedding that included a gospel choir and numerous twists on royal wedding traditions. Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, escorted her from Cliveden House Hotel to the chapel, waving to the crowds through the car window. Meghan began her procession solo and was then joined by Prince Charles for the second half of her walk down the aisle.

Notable guests at the wedding included George Clooney, Serena Williams, and Harry's cousins Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. Harry's former flames, Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas, were also in attendance. The reception was a star-studded dance party with performances by Elton John, James Corden, and Idris Elba, who also DJed at the event.

Harry's cancelled appearance on 'I Wanna Marry Harry'

The 2014 reality TV show 'I Wanna Marry Harry' was cancelled by Fox after just four episodes due to dismal ratings. The show, which premiered on May 20, 2014, was a dating-deception show that saw an English working-class man, Matthew Hicks, pass himself off as Prince Harry to a group of twelve American women.

The premise of the show was similar to 'Joe Millionaire', with the women competing for the affections of the man they believed to be Prince Harry. Hicks, a Prince Harry look-alike, was given a crash course in how to look and sound like royalty, and was provided with a team of handlers and fake paparazzi to authenticate his importance.

Despite the show's outrageous premise, it failed to capture the audience's attention, with the premiere attracting only 1.91 million viewers. Ratings continued to decline, and by the fourth episode, the show had dipped below one million viewers.

The show's cancellation was announced on June 12, 2014, with Fox citing low ratings as the reason. The network decided to pull the show from its schedule, even though it was the low-ratings summer season.

While the show was cancelled on broadcast television, Fox made the remaining episodes available through video-on-demand and online platforms, including Fox.com, Hulu, and On Demand.

The show's winner, Kimberly Birch, later revealed that the production crew went to great lengths to convince the contestants that Hicks was indeed Prince Harry, including isolating them in hotel rooms without any entertainment or outside contact for a week before filming. Birch described the experience as "brainwashing".

Despite the show's cancellation, it developed a cult following, thanks in part to Hicks' genuine remorse for his deception and Birch's down-to-earth charm.

Harry's wedding to Meghan: the dress

For her wedding to Prince Harry, Meghan Markle wore a dress designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller, the artistic director of the fashion house Givenchy. Markle chose Keller as a tribute to her new country, and because she admired Keller's "elegant aesthetic" and "relaxed demeanour".

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 featured a timeless, minimal elegance with sleek lines and sharp cuts, and was without any lace or other embellishments. The dress was made in Paris by a small team of ateliers, with Markle and Waight Keller meeting for eight fittings.

Markle also wore a second dress to the reception, designed by Stella McCartney. This dress was a bespoke lily-white high-neck gown made of silk crepe.

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