The Royal Wedding: Meghan's Choice To Shun Bridesmaids

Meghan Markle did not have a maid of honour at her wedding to Prince Harry. According to Prince Harry's communications secretary, she did not want to choose one of her close friends over the others. Markle was accompanied by six bridesmaids, including Princess Charlotte, Remi and Ryan Litt, Ivy Mulroney, Zalie Warren, and Florence van Custem. The bridesmaids wore dresses designed by Clare Waight Keller in the Givenchy Haute Couture Atelier in Paris.

Meghan Markle didn't want to choose one friend over another

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding was one of the most highly anticipated events of 2018. With the couple's nuptials in sight, many were curious about the bride's wedding dress designer, the groom's choice of best man, and who would be in the bridal party.

Speculation was rife that Markle's celebrity pals, such as Serena Williams, Priyanka Chopra, and Suits co-star Sarah Rafferty, would play a role in the wedding. However, Markle chose to follow British tradition and opted for children in her bridal party instead.

Markle's decision to not have adult bridesmaids was reportedly due to her not wanting to choose one friend over another. According to a spokesperson for the couple, "She has a very close group of friends and didn't want to choose one over the other." Markle's decision aligns with the tradition of most royal brides, who typically do not have adult bridesmaids.

Instead of adult bridesmaids, Markle had six bridesmaids, including Princess Charlotte, Remi and Ryan Litt (Markle's goddaughters), Ivy Mulroney, Zalie Warren, and Florence van Custem (Harry's goddaughters). The bridesmaids were all under the age of seven, adding a touch of youthful charm to the royal wedding.

Markle's choice to include children in her bridal party and to forgo adult bridesmaids showcases her thoughtful consideration for her friends and her desire to uphold royal traditions.

Royal brides typically don't have adult bridesmaids

Royal brides typically do not have adult bridesmaids. Meghan Markle, for instance, did not have any adult bridesmaids at her wedding to Prince Harry. Instead, she had six bridesmaids, including Princess Charlotte, and four pageboys.

According to British and European royalty expert Marlene Koenig, it is unusual for a royal bride to have an adult bridesmaid. Koenig told Town & Country:

> "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 Duchess of Cambridge having her sister, Pippa, was unusual. I would be less surprised, however, if one of [Meghan's] friends read a lesson during the service."

Koenig further explained that, historically, the Queen herself was an exception to this tradition, as her female attendants were largely all in the same age group, including her sister, Princess Margaret, and cousins. Since the Queen's wedding, most royal bridesmaids have been in their early teens or children.

Another exception was Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, who named her sister, Pippa Middleton, as her maid of honour at her wedding to Prince William in 2011. However, there have been no other royal weddings since Margaret's in 1960 with adult maids of honour.

Meghan followed British tradition by choosing children for her wedding party

Meghan Markle's wedding to Prince Harry saw her follow British tradition by choosing children to be in her wedding party. Markle's bridesmaids included Princess Charlotte, the daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Ivy Mulroney, the four-year-old daughter of Markle's close friend, Jessica Mulroney. Jessica's three sons, Brian, John, and Jasper Dyer, served as page boys. Markle's goddaughters Remi and Ryan Litt, the daughters of Benita Litt, were also bridesmaids, as were Harry's goddaughters, Zalie Warren and Florence van Cutsem.

Markle's decision to have children in her wedding party is in keeping with British royal tradition. According to British and European royalty expert Marlene Koenig, most royal brides do not have adult bridesmaids. Koenig notes that royal weddings since Queen Elizabeth's have featured bridesmaids who are in their early teens or are children. For example, at Princess Alexandra's wedding in 1963, Princess Anne, the only daughter of the Queen, was the eldest bridesmaid at just 13 years old.

Another notable exception was Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, who named her sister, Pippa Middleton, as maid of honour at her wedding to Prince William in 2011. However, there have been no other royal weddings since Margaret's in 1960 with adult maids of honour.

In contrast to British royal weddings, bridesmaids in US weddings typically represent the bride's closest friends. By choosing to have children in her wedding party, Markle respected British tradition and distinguished her wedding party from those that are customary in the US.

Meghan and Harry didn't want to ask all royal children to be involved

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding was a highly anticipated event, with much speculation about the bridal party. While Harry chose his brother, Prince William, as his best man, Meghan decided not to have a maid of honour. A spokesperson for the couple explained that Meghan "has a very close group of friends and didn't want to choose one over the other." Instead, she followed British tradition and chose to have children as her bridesmaids and page boys.

The decision to include children in the bridal party led to further questions about why Meghan and Harry didn't ask all the royal children to be involved. It is believed that they wanted to include Meghan's friends' children as well, and out of fairness to Meghan, they didn't want to choose too many royals. Royal correspondent Duncan Larcombe commented, "I guess they wanted Meghan to be represented and therefore not choose too many royals."

One of the royal children who was notably absent from the bridal party was Mia Tindall, the daughter of Zara Tindall, who is the daughter of Princess Anne. Zara is Harry's cousin, and it is said that he shares a close bond with her and her family. However, it was speculated that Mia's exclusion was due to Meghan not knowing her very well, as the bride was reportedly in charge of selecting the bridal party. A royal spokesperson, Penny Junor, commented, "Harry was always very close to Peter and Zara."

In addition to wanting to include some of Meghan's friends' children, another reason for not involving all the royal children could be to keep the bridal party to a manageable size. With a large number of young bridesmaids and page boys, it can become challenging to coordinate and manage them all.

Overall, Meghan and Harry's decision to include some royal children and not others was likely a result of their desire to balance representation of both their families, as well as keeping the bridal party to a manageable size.

Meghan's estranged half-sister was not considered for the role

Meghan Markle did not have a maid of honour at her wedding to Prince Harry. Instead, she had six bridesmaids, all of whom were under the age of seven. They included Princess Charlotte, the daughter of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and Miss Florence van Cutsem, the goddaughter of Prince Harry.

According to Prince Harry's communications secretary, Meghan did not want to choose one of her close friends over the others. "She has a very close-knit group of friends and did not want to choose one over the other," Jason Knauf, the communications secretary, said.

Meghan Markle only has one sibling—her estranged half-sister, Samantha, who was reportedly working on a memoir about their family, titled "The Diary of Princess Pushy's Sister".

Given that Meghan did not have any adult bridesmaids, it is safe to assume that her half-sister was not considered for the role. This is also in line with royal tradition, as most royal brides do not have adult bridesmaids, according to British and European royalty expert Marlene Koenig, who spoke to Town & Country.

"It would be unusual for a royal bride to have a woman in her late 30s as a maid or matron of honour," Koenig said. "The Duchess of Cambridge having her sister, Pippa, was unusual. I would be less surprised, however, if one of [Meghan's] friends read a lesson during the service."

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