Rhiannon Hendricks
Meghan Markle was notably absent from Pippa Middleton's wedding ceremony in May 2017. However, Markle did attend the private reception at the Middleton family home in Bucklebury, England, arriving with her boyfriend at the time, Prince Harry. It was reported that Markle was uninvited from the ceremony at the last minute, with some speculating that the bride was concerned about being overshadowed by Markle, who was already a high-profile figure due to her relationship with Prince Harry.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews' wedding | 20 May 2017 |
| Location of wedding ceremony | St Mark's Church, Englefield, Berkshire |
| Location of wedding reception | Middleton family home, Bucklebury, England |
| Meghan Markle's attendance at the wedding ceremony | Absent |
| Reason for absence | To avoid attracting too much attention and distracting from Pippa's moment |
| Reason for invitation being revoked | Fear that Markle would "overshadow the main event" |
| Meghan Markle's attendance at the wedding reception | Present |
| Markle's arrival at the reception | Prince Harry drove to London to pick her up |
| Markle's attire at the reception | "Decidedly unflashy long black gown" |
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What You'll Learn
Meghan Markle was absent from the wedding ceremony
Meghan Markle was notably absent from Pippa Middleton's wedding ceremony in May 2017. Middleton married James Matthews at St Mark's Church in Berkshire, near the Middleton family home. While Prince Harry, Prince William, and the Duchess of Cambridge were all in attendance, Markle was not invited to the ceremony at the last minute.
Royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand's book, *Finding Freedom*, revealed that Pippa Middleton was reluctant to invite Markle to her wedding. Scobie and Durand wrote that the bride and her mother, Carole Middleton, "privately harboured concerns" that Markle's presence "might overshadow the main event". They also noted that the day of the wedding, a tabloid published a cover story comparing Pippa and Meghan, which made it even more challenging for Markle to attend the ceremony.
To avoid attracting too much attention and distracting from Pippa's moment, Markle and Harry agreed that she would not attend the ceremony. Instead, Harry drove an hour and a half back to London to pick her up, and they travelled another hour and a half together to the reception at the Middleton estate. Markle reportedly stayed in a rented Airbnb before the reception, changing into a "decidedly unflashy long black gown" and doing her own makeup.
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Markle and Prince Harry stayed in an Airbnb before the reception
It was widely assumed that Prince Harry drove back to Kensington Palace to pick up Meghan Markle, his then-girlfriend, after attending the wedding ceremony of Pippa Middleton and James Matthews at St. Mark's Church in Englefield, Berkshire. However, the royal biography, "Finding Freedom", reveals that the couple devised a "clever work-around" to avoid the lengthy 150-mile round trip.
According to the book, Prince Harry dropped Meghan off at a discreet Airbnb in Berkshire, rented by a close friend and fellow wedding guest, before the ceremony. Markle changed into a ""decidedly unflashy long black gown"" and did her own makeup, ensuring she wouldn't attract too much attention or distract from the bride, Pippa Middleton.
After the church service, Prince Harry returned to the Airbnb to have lunch with Markle. They then made their way together to the wedding reception on the grounds of the Middleton family home in Bucklebury, England. The couple's attendance at the private evening reception was confirmed by sources, who reported that they arrived just as a Supermarine Spitfire fighter plane was performing for guests.
The biography also mentions that, per Pippa's request, no couples sat together at the reception. Markle shared a table with Roger Federer's wife, Mirka, while Prince Harry spent time with TV news anchor Tom Bradby. The couple was later reunited on the dance floor, catching up about their day apart. They were driven back to Harry's home, Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, in the early hours of the morning.
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Pippa Middleton was reluctant to invite Markle
Pippa Middleton was reluctant to invite Meghan Markle to her wedding because she was afraid that Markle, an American actress, would "overshadow" her. Markle was the girlfriend of Prince Harry at the time, and the couple had been dating for less than a year. Markle was ultimately uninvited from the ceremony at the last minute, but she did attend the private reception afterward.
Royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, in their book Finding Freedom, revealed that Pippa "hadn't exactly been excited to invite" Markle. They wrote that Pippa and her mother, Carole Middleton, "privately harbored concerns" that Markle's presence alongside Prince Harry might "overshadow the main event."
The day of the wedding, The Sun ran a cover story comparing Pippa and Markle, which further fueled the concerns about Markle's attendance. To avoid the media frenzy, Harry and Markle devised a plan where Harry dropped Markle off at a friend's Airbnb before the ceremony. Markle changed into a "decidedly unflashy long black gown," did her own makeup, and then Harry returned to pick her up for the reception.
At the reception, held at the Middleton family home in Bucklebury, England, the couple was not allowed to sit together per Pippa's request for a strict seating plan that separated all couples. Harry sat with TV news anchor Tom Bradby, while Markle dined with Roger Federer's wife, Mirka.
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Prince Harry drove three hours to bring Markle to the reception
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's attendance at Pippa Middleton's wedding was a highly anticipated event. However, Markle was notably absent from the ceremony, which took place on 20 May 2017 at St Mark's Church in Englefield, Berkshire, near the Middleton family home.
Markle's absence from the ceremony was reportedly due to a last-minute decision made by the couple. There were concerns that her presence alongside Prince Harry might overshadow the main event and take attention away from the bride, Pippa Middleton.
Despite not attending the ceremony, Markle did make a grand entrance at the private evening reception held at the Middleton family home in Bucklebury, England. Prince Harry demonstrated his commitment to his then-girlfriend by driving an hour and a half back to London to pick her up, and then another hour and a half to the reception venue.
To avoid attracting too much attention and media scrutiny, Markle reportedly stayed in an Airbnb before sneaking into the wedding reception. She changed into a "decidedly unflashy long black gown" and did her own makeup to ensure she didn't upstage the bride.
At the reception, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were not allowed to sit together due to Pippa Middleton's unusual request for a strict seating plan that separated all couples. Markle dined with Roger Federer's wife, Mirka, while Prince Harry spent the evening with TV news anchor Tom Bradby.
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Markle and Harry were separated at the reception by a strict seating plan
Although Meghan Markle was uninvited from Pippa Middleton's wedding ceremony at the last minute, she did attend the private reception afterward. However, she and her boyfriend at the time, Prince Harry, were separated by a strict seating plan.
Markle and Harry were excited to attend the wedding reception together, but their plans were disrupted by the bride's unusual request. Pippa Middleton requested that no couples sit together at the reception, which meant that Markle and Harry were seated separately. According to reports, Harry dined with ITV News at Ten presenter Tom Bradby, while Markle shared a table with Roger Federer's wife, Mirka.
The decision to uninvite Markle from the wedding ceremony was made by the bride and her mother, Carole Middleton. They were concerned that Markle's presence alongside Harry might overshadow the main event and pull focus from Pippa on her big day. To avoid attracting too much attention and distracting from the bride, Markle and Harry agreed that she would not attend the ceremony.
Despite the last-minute change of plans, Markle and Harry found a way to attend the reception together. Harry drove an hour and a half back to London to pick up Markle, and then they drove another hour and a half to the Middleton estate for the reception. Markle stayed in an Airbnb before the reception, where she changed into a "decidedly unflashy long black gown" and did her own makeup.
The couple was eventually reunited after dinner, where they caught up about their evening apart by the dance floor. They then returned to Harry's home, Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, in the early hours of the morning.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Meghan Markle attended Pippa Middleton's wedding reception.
No, Meghan Markle was uninvited from the wedding ceremony at the last minute.
Pippa Middleton was reluctant to invite Meghan Markle to her wedding, fearing that the American actress would overshadow the main event.
Prince Harry drove an hour and a half back to London to pick up Meghan Markle and then another hour and a half to the Middleton estate for the reception. Meghan reportedly stayed in an Airbnb before sneaking into the wedding reception.
