Who Was Missing From Meghan Markle's Wedding Party?

Meghan Markle did not have a maid of honour at her wedding to Prince Harry. Markle's bridal party included six bridesmaids and three page boys, all of whom were children. This is in keeping with British royal wedding tradition. Markle's decision to forgo a maid of honour was reportedly due to her not wanting to choose one close friend over another.

Royal wedding tradition

According to British and European royalty expert Marlene Koenig, "Most royal brides do not have adult bridesmaids. It would be unusual for a royal bride to have a woman in her late 30s as a maid or matron of honour." The same can be said for the best man, a role that does not exist at a royal wedding, though the groom may have a "supporter".

At her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018, Meghan Markle followed this tradition. Markle's bridal party consisted of six bridesmaids, ranging in age from three to seven. They included Princess Charlotte, the daughter of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and goddaughters of the bride and groom: Remi and Ryan Litt, Ivy Mulroney, Zalie Warren, and Florence van Custem.

Markle's decision not to have adult bridesmaids may have been influenced by the desire to avoid choosing one close friend over others, as stated by Jason Knauf, communications secretary to Prince Harry: "She has a very close-knit group of friends and did not want to choose one over the other."

Didn't want to choose one friend over another

Meghan Markle did not have a maid of honour at her wedding to Prince Harry. Instead, she had six bridesmaids, including Princess Charlotte, Remi and Ryan Litt, Ivy Mulroney, Zalie Warren, and Florence van Custem.

Markle's decision to forgo a maid of honour was reportedly due to her desire to avoid choosing one friend over another. According to Prince Harry's communications secretary, Jason Knauf, "She has a very close-knit group of friends and did not want to choose one over the other." Markle's choice to have a group of bridesmaids instead of a maid of honour is in line with British royal wedding traditions, where attendants tend to be children rather than adults.

Markle's bridesmaids received special gifts from the bride, including white leather Aquazurra shoes monogrammed with their initials and the wedding date, as well as flower crowns selected by the couple. The shoes were described as a "thoughtful touch" and a "keepsake of the special day."

While there was much speculation about who would be in Markle's bridal party, her decision to include a group of young bridesmaids instead of a maid of honour showcases her close relationships with her friends and her desire to include them all in her special day.

Kate and Meghan's disagreement over bridesmaid dresses

In his memoir, *Spare*, Prince Harry reveals that a disagreement over bridesmaid dresses took place between Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton in the lead-up to his wedding to Markle in 2018.

The disagreement centred around Princess Charlotte's bridesmaid dress, which, according to Harry, Kate claimed was "too big, too long, too baggy" for her daughter. Kate texted Meghan, telling her that Charlotte "cried when she tried it on at home". Meghan responded by instructing Kate to take Charlotte to see the tailor at Kensington Palace, but Kate insisted that all the dresses needed to be remade. Meghan, who was already under a lot of stress with the wedding, told Kate that she was not sure what else to say, and that if the dress didn't fit, she should take Charlotte to see the tailor.

The argument caused Meghan to break down in tears. The next day, Kate stopped by to apologise, bringing flowers and a card to make amends.

The tailor in question, Ajay Mirpuri, has since spoken out about the incident, confirming that he altered all six bridesmaid dresses, including Princess Charlotte's, before the wedding. Mirpuri noted that he didn't witness any argument between Kate and Meghan firsthand, but he recognised that emotions tend to run high during the wedding planning process and that he could understand why anyone would be upset if the dresses weren't fitting.

Meghan's bridesmaids were all under 10 years old

Meghan Markle's wedding to Prince Harry on May 19, 2018, was a highly anticipated event, with much speculation about the bride's dress, her friends' involvement, and the bridal party. Markle's choice of bridesmaids deviated from the typical American tradition of selecting close friends to stand by her side. Instead, she opted for a group of young girls, all under the age of ten, to accompany her on her special day.

Markle's bridesmaids included Princess Charlotte, who was three years old at the time, and her brother, Prince George, who served as a page boy. Also among the bridesmaids were Markle's goddaughters, Remi and Ryan Litt, Ivy Mulroney, and Harry's goddaughters, Zalie Warren and Florence van Custem. These young girls, with their adorable presence, added a unique charm to the royal wedding.

The choice to have young bridesmaids is not uncommon in British royal weddings. According to British and European royalty expert Marlene Koenig, most royal brides do not have adult bridesmaids. She notes that if you look at royal weddings since Queen Elizabeth's, "you will find that most of the bridesmaids are early teens or children." This tradition stands in contrast to American weddings, where bridesmaids typically represent the bride's closest friends.

The young bridesmaids at Markle's wedding received special gifts from the bride, including monogrammed white leather Aquazurra shoes and flower crowns designed by florist Philippa Craddock. These flower crowns were carefully selected by Prince Harry and Markle to include Princess Diana's favourite flowers, mirroring the blooms in the bride's bouquet.

In summary, Meghan Markle's choice to have bridesmaids under the age of ten aligns with British royal wedding traditions and adds a charming and unique touch to her special day. These young girls, with their adorable presence and thoughtful gifts, played an important role in the highly anticipated wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.

The bridesmaids' shoes and flower crowns

The bridesmaids at the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry received a pair of white leather Aquazurra shoes monogrammed with their initials and the wedding date as a gift from Meghan. The shoes were custom-designed and not available on the Aquazurra website.

> What I loved were the little bridesmaid shoes—the way that Meghan gave them as a gift and they had those initials embroidered on the front.

> India Hicks, Prince Charles' goddaughter and Princess Diana's bridesmaid

The bridesmaids were also given flower crowns, specifically chosen by the couple. The flowers were some of Princess Diana's favourites and were designed to mimic the blooms in the bride's bouquet. The crowns were created by florist Philippa Craddock.

The six bridesmaids, ranging in age from 3 to 7, included Princess Charlotte, Remi and Ryan Litt, Ivy Mulroney, Zalie Warren, and Florence van Custem.

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