Harry And Meghan's Wedding: Media Inside

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on 19 May 2018 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, and was witnessed by an estimated 2 billion people worldwide. The ceremony was televised and included a gospel choir, a unique wedding cake, and a star-studded evening reception where Idris Elba served as DJ. The couple exchanged vows in a private ceremony three days before the official royal wedding.

Who was at the wedding?

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was attended by approximately 600 people, including members of the British royal family, celebrities, and close friends of the couple.

The royal family in attendance included Harry's grandparents Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, his father King Charles III (then the Prince of Wales), his brother Prince William, and his aunt, Baroness Fellowes, who all arrived at the chapel after the couple and other guests. Prince William also served as Harry's best man.

Other members of the royal family who attended the wedding include Princess Eugenie, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Florence van Cutsem, Zalie Warren, and Jasper Dyer.

Celebrities who attended the wedding include George and Amal Clooney, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, James Corden, Elton John, Joss Stone, Will Greenwood, James Haskell, Johnny Wilkinson, Nacho Figueras, David and Victoria Beckham, James Blunt, Marcus Mumford, Carey Mulligan, and Oprah Winfrey.

Close friends of the couple who attended the wedding include Meghan's Suits co-stars Patrick J. Adams, Gina Torres, Abigail Spencer, Sarah Rafferty, Rick Hoffman, and Gabriel Macht, as well as her non-work friends Serena Williams, Ben and Jessica Mulroney, Jill Smoller, Janina Gavankar, and Misha Nonoo. Harry's friends Thomas van Straubenzee and Hugh van Cutsem were also in attendance.

Who was not at the wedding?

While the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a star-studded affair, there were some notable absences.

Firstly, it was confirmed that Prince William would not be attending the FA Cup Final, which he would normally attend in his role as President of the Football Association. This was due to the date clash with his brother's wedding.

In addition, the couple's wedding was not attended by any political leaders. This was in contrast to the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, which had a large number of such guests due to his position as a future monarch. The decision not to invite political leaders was partly due to the limitations of the venue, and also took into account Prince Harry's position as sixth in line to the throne. The only politician invited was former Prime Minister Sir John Major, who had previously been a "special guardian" to Princes William and Harry after the death of their mother.

President of the United States Donald Trump and former president Barack Obama were also not invited to the wedding.

Furthermore, Harry's father-in-law, Thomas Markle, was not in attendance. Markle walked down the aisle solo, before being joined by Prince Charles.

It was also noted that few of Meghan's relatives were invited to the wedding.

In 2024, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were absent from the wedding of Hugh Grosvenor, the 7th Duke of Westminster, and Olivia Henson. Prince William was an usher at the ceremony.

What did Meghan wear?

On her wedding day, Meghan Markle wore two different dresses, both of which were designed by British designers. The first, which she wore for the ceremony, was designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy. The dress epitomised "a timeless minimal elegance", with a simple, classic design. It was made of double-bonded silk cady, with a boat neckline, three-quarter-length sleeves, a sculpted waistline and a train made of triple silk organza. The dress was inspired by Audrey Hepburn's iconic dress in the 1957 film Funny Face, as well as Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's wedding gown. The latter was a "goal" for Markle, who admired Bessette-Kennedy's style.

Markle's veil was 16 feet long and embroidered with a variety of flowers, including the California poppy, in honour of her home state, and wintersweet, which grows outside Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, where she and Harry lived. The veil also featured embroidered wheat, symbolising love and charity, and flowers representing the 53 countries of the Commonwealth. Markle's "something blue" was also stitched into the veil—a piece of fabric from the dress she wore on her first date with Harry.

The designer, Waight Keller, was chosen because Markle wanted to highlight the success of a leading British designer and to embrace her new British home. She also admired Waight Keller's "elegant aesthetic" and "relaxed demeanour". The dress was designed in Paris by a small team of ateliers, with Markle and Waight Keller working closely together.

For her reception gown, Markle wore a custom halter-neck sheath gown by Stella McCartney. The dress featured a high halter neckline and a slinky silhouette. McCartney was chosen in part because her design house promotes eco-friendly fashion, vegan leathers and sustainability, causes that Markle is passionate about. Markle paired the dress with an aquamarine ring that once belonged to Princess Diana.

What did Harry wear?

On his wedding day, Prince Harry wore a military uniform—the frockcoat uniform of the Blues and Royals—made of blue doeskin, with a white buckskin belt and sword slings. With his uniform, he wore four medal ribbons: K.C.V.O., Afghanistan with rosette, the Queen's Golden Jubilee medal, and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. He also wore his pilot's wings, which he earned while serving with the Army Air Corps for flying Apache helicopters.

Prince Harry's wedding band was made of platinum with a textured finish, breaking with the tradition of using Welsh gold, which has been used by the royal family for wedding rings since 1923.

Who performed at the wedding?

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle featured performances from a variety of talented musicians, including singers, choirs, and instrumentalists.

The ceremony included performances by the Choir of St. George's Chapel, directed by James Vivian, and the Kingdom Choir, a Christian gospel choir founded by Karen Gibson. The choirs were accompanied by instrumentalists from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the English Chamber Orchestra, and the Philharmonia. Notable instrumentalists included acclaimed Welsh soprano Elin Manahan Thomas, principal trumpet player David Blackadder, and organist Luke Bond, who is also the Assistant Director of Music at St. George's Chapel.

The ceremony also featured a special performance by 19-year-old cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who played a set of classical pieces while the newlyweds signed the register. Kanneh-Mason was personally invited by Markle after Prince Harry saw him perform at an event supporting the Halo Foundation charity.

The lunchtime reception following the ceremony featured a performance by Sir Elton John, who sang "Circle of Life," "Your Song," and "I'm Still Standing." Elton John's performance held special significance as he had also performed at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997, dedicating "Candle in the Wind" to her memory.

The evening reception was hosted by the Prince of Wales and reportedly included a DJ set by Idris Elba, who played songs like "Still D.R.E." and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" by Whitney Houston at the request of Meghan Markle.

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