Monarch's Reservations About Key Aspects of Meghan and Harry’s Nuptials Revealed
It has been revealed that the late Queen Elizabeth II harboured reservations about a key moment during the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, despite the event’s outward success.
Over six years have passed since Meghan Markle walked down the aisle at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, to marry Prince Harry. While the day appeared to unfold without a hitch, new details suggest that the late Queen was uncomfortable with certain aspects of the ceremony.
One of the most notable gestures of the day was when then-Prince Charles stepped in to walk Meghan down the aisle, after her father, Thomas Markle, announced just days before the wedding that he would be unable to attend due to health issues. While this act was seen as a sweet and supportive gesture by many, royal biographer Ingrid Seward claims in her book My Mother and I that the Queen was uneasy with the arrangement. The monarch was reportedly concerned not only about Charles standing in for Meghan's father but also about a 96-year-old Prince Philip walking down the aisle without a stick, just weeks after undergoing hip replacement surgery.
Following the wedding, it was revealed that Prince Harry had asked his father to step in, a request that Charles immediately accepted. In the documentary Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70, Harry recalled, "I asked him to, and I think he knew it was coming. He immediately said, 'Yes, of course, I'll do whatever Meghan needs and I'm here to support you.'"
In another revelation, royal author Robert Hardman, in his book Queen of Our Times, shared that Meghan’s response to Charles’ offer to walk her down the aisle was unexpected. According to Hardman, Meghan’s four-word reply, "Can we meet halfway?" indicated her determination to assert her independence on her wedding day.
The wedding, while a celebration of love, also saw some deviations from royal tradition. Seward’s book further notes that the only comment the Queen made about the wedding was regarding Meghan’s Givenchy wedding gown, which she felt was "too white" for a divorcee remarrying in church, considering it too "flamboyantly virginal."
