Royal Bridesmaids: Why Children Are Preferred

Royal bridesmaids are often children or young teenagers, a tradition that has been followed since Queen Elizabeth's wedding. In British weddings, it is customary for children to act as bridesmaids and page boys, and this was the case for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding, where Princess Charlotte and Prince George played these roles. Royal bridesmaids typically wear white, which is believed to be due to a historical superstition that the colour wards off evil spirits.

It's British tradition

The tradition of children taking on bridesmaid duties at royal weddings goes back at least as far as 1885, when all 10 of Princess Beatrice's nieces played a role in her wedding to Prince Henry of Battenberg. In 1893, King George V's sisters and nieces were among his 10 bridesmaids at his wedding to Princess Mary of Teck. Then, in 1923, the Duke and Duchess of York continued the trend of large wedding parties by having eight bridesmaids, including Queen Mary's two nieces, Lady Mary and Lady May Cambridge.

The future Queen Elizabeth II herself served as a bridesmaid at her uncle's wedding in 1935, and again in 1946 at the wedding of Lord Brabourne and Patricia Mountbatten. Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth's sister, was also a bridesmaid at this wedding, and she went on to have a long career as a royal bridesmaid, reprising the role several times throughout the 1940s and 1950s.

The tradition has continued into more recent times, with Princess Charlotte and Prince George serving as a bridesmaid and page boy, respectively, at the weddings of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018, and Princess Eugenie in 2018.

They wear white to confuse evil spirits

Royal bridesmaids wear white due to the historical belief that the colour confuses evil spirits and thus protects the bride. This tradition is not exclusive to the British monarchy, as bridesmaids were dressed in white until the 1940s.

The practice of dressing bridesmaids in white is believed to have originated from Queen Victoria's wedding. In her journal, she wrote, "I wore a white satin gown with a very deep flounce of Honiton lace, imitation of old. I wore my Turkish diamond necklace and earrings, and Albert’s beautiful sapphire brooch." The late monarch's choice of a white wedding dress sparked a trend in bridal fashion that has continued for centuries.

While the tradition of dressing bridesmaids in white may seem outdated, it is still observed in royal weddings. For example, Pippa Middleton, the sister of Kate Middleton, wore a white dress as her maid of honour during her sister's wedding to Prince William. Similarly, Meghan Markle's bridal party, which included Princess Charlotte, also wore white.

In addition to confusing evil spirits, the colour white also holds symbolic significance. Colour expert Gabi Winters from Chromology notes that "Culturally speaking, white is a symbol of purity, cleanliness, immaculacy and perfection, which is why it's the natural colour choice for bridal dresses, doctors' coats and seafarers."

They're often related to the couple

Royal bridesmaids are often related to the couple. In British weddings, it is customary for bridesmaids to be children or young teenagers. This tradition has been upheld by the royal family, with royal bridesmaids typically being children or early teens since Queen Elizabeth's wedding.

In 1885, Princess Beatrice's nieces played a role in her wedding to Prince Henry of Battenberg. The wedding of King George V and Princess Mary of Teck in 1893 included all of the King's sisters and nieces as bridesmaids. In 1923, the Duke and Duchess of York continued the large wedding party trend, with eight bridesmaids, including Queen Mary's two nieces, Lady Mary and Lady May Cambridge.

In more recent years, royal bridesmaids have continued to be related to the couple. In 2011, Pippa Middleton, the sister of Kate Middleton, served as maid of honour at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. In 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding included Prince George and Princess Charlotte, the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, as page boys and bridesmaids.

They're usually flower girls and page boys

Royal bridesmaids are usually children or young teenagers. This tradition has been followed since Queen Elizabeth's wedding. In British weddings, it is customary for bridesmaids and pageboys to be children.

Princess Charlotte and Prince George, the children of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, served as a bridesmaid and page boy at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding. They reprised their roles at Princess Eugenie's wedding in October.

At the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the bridesmaids included Ivy Mulroney, Princess Charlotte, Florence van Cutsem, Zalie Warren, and two goddaughters of Meghan. The four page boys included Prince George, Harry's godson Jasper Dyer, and Brian and John Mulroney, the twin sons of Meghan's friend Jessica Mulroney.

The young bridal party clustered behind Meghan as she walked down the aisle and followed her out of the church after the ceremony. The page boys wore uniforms drawing their insignia from the Blues and Royals, an old Regiment of The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry. The silk bridesmaids' dresses were designed by Clare Waight Keller in the Givenchy Haute Couture Atelier in Paris.

They're rarely adults

Royal bridesmaids are rarely adults, and this is largely down to tradition. Royal weddings in the UK tend to have young teenagers and children as bridesmaids and page boys. This tradition has been in place since Queen Elizabeth's wedding.

In the US, bridesmaids are usually the bride's closest friends, but this is not the case in British royal weddings. For example, Meghan Markle chose not to have a maid of honour at her wedding to Prince Harry, as she did not want to choose between her close friends. Instead, she had children as bridesmaids, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Similarly, at the wedding of Prince William and Princess Kate, Kate's sister Pippa served as her bridesmaid, but this was an exception rather than the rule.

The choice of children as royal bridesmaids also ensures that all eyes are on the bride as she walks down the aisle.

Frequently asked questions