Royal Wedding 16 Surprising Rules Meghan Markle Has To Follow Before The Big Day
These days, people just can't stop talking about Meghan Markle's upcoming wedding to Prince Harry. Tons of women and girls must be wondering what it's like to be in her shoes right now. She must be in a total haze, pinching herself to make sure that she's not dreaming from time to time. And things have definitely changed fast for Meghan Markle as of late. In a short amount of time, she's had to get used to the Royal way of life, and it's not all easy. Behind the walls of Buckingham Palace and the Queen's Guard, there's a whole different world waiting for Meghan Markle.
And when it comes to her wedding, there's a lot of different rules she has to follow. There's only a few days before her big day arrives, and in this time, she's being put through a crash course of royal tradition. You'd be surprised at how many intricacies and procedures must be followed by a royal bride in the days leading up to her wedding. The people around Meghan Markle are no doubt encouraging and supporting of her, but at the same time they are strict and unyielding. The traditions of the Royal Family must be followed. There is no negotiation possible. Meghan Markle must have the wedding their way, or not at all…
16 She Must Wear White
Meghan Markle's big day is arriving fast, and one thing that she's undoubtedly excited about is the wedding gown she will wear on the day of her wedding. This is the thing that most women and girls dream about when it comes to weddings, and the wedding dress simply must be perfect. But when it comes to Meghan Markle's wedding dress, she might not have much say in the matter.That's because her wedding dress simply MUST be white, and there can be no exceptions.
Some brides go for a cream, off-white, or perhaps even a light shade of pink, but Meghan Markle will be forced to choose white.
This is because British Royal tradition states that the dress must be white. This is probably due to the old tradition that only virgins can wear white on their wedding day.
15 She Must Allow Queen Elizabeth To Handle The Wedding Invitations
One of the most exciting things about a wedding is sending out invitations. It's another way of announcing your wedding to your closest friends and family, and it's something a lot of couples really look forward to. Many couples put a lot of time and effort into their wedding invitations, and it's truly a labor of love. But in the case of Meghan Markle's wedding, she will have absolutely no control over her wedding invitations.
That's because according to a long-standing royal tradition, the Queen will be taking care of the wedding invitations. It is her responsibility to send out the invitations, and hers alone. Presumabl, Meghan Markle still has some say in who gets invited, but you can expect the Queen to invite many royals that Meghan Markle hasn't even met yet. But who knows, maybe Meghan is happy someone is doing this job for her!
14 She Must Have Two Fruitcakes For The Wedding Reception
Another detail many couples look forward to on their wedding day is the cake. Of course, they're not the only ones looking forward to this detail! Most guests at the wedding can't wait to get a bite of that delicious wedding cake, and it's definitely one of the highlights of most weddings. Most couples take a lot of care and effort in ordering their cake to their own unique tastes and specifications.
But in the case of Meghan Markle's wedding, she just won't have that same level of control when it comes to her cake. In fact, she will have pretty much no control.
That's because it's a long-standing royal tradition that weddings must include not one but two cakes, and both of them must be fruitcakes. What if Meghan Markle doesn't like fruitcake? Well, that's just tough, because this is one royal tradition that isn't going to change.
13 She Must Hold The Wedding At Windsor Castle
Choosing a venue is another important detail to any good wedding. This is another thing that most couples take a lot of time and consideration into when planning their wedding. You know what they say: Location is everything. And that definitely applies to weddings, too. People in the past have had weddings in all sorts of locations: On ships, on the beach, or just in their own homes.
But Meghan Markle won't have the luxury of being able to choose where her wedding takes place. This is yet another thing about the royal wedding that has already been preordained, and yes, this is another long-standing royal tradition that must be followed. There is a church in Windsor Castle which has housed royal weddings for over a hundred years, and there's no way it's happening anywhere else but there.
12 She Must Place Her Wedding Bouquet On The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier
The Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier is a special monument in Britain which pays respects to the many fallen dead soldiers who have not been named or honored with special memorials. So many soldiers have died over the years, and many have not been given a grave due to the circumstance of their passing, and the lack of confirmation of their deaths. This is a longstanding monument that has existed in Britain for many years.
And when Meghan Markle's wedding comes around, she will be expected to leave her wedding bouquet at the foot of the monument, like so many of the other royal brides before her.
This is again a longstanding royal tradition that will undoubtedly be carried on with this wedding. It's interesting to note that this means Meghan Markle will not be tossing her bouquet behind her head like so many other brides today.
11 Her Bachelorette Party Must Be Top Secret
You might think that Stag Parties and Bachelorette Parties (also known as "Hen Nights" In Britain) are too unseemly to be allowed in the Royal Family. You would be wrong. This tradition does in fact happen in the case of royal weddings, and both Prince William and Kate Middleton experienced them. How rowdy do these parties get? We'll probably never know, because they are kept extremely secret from the public.
Prince William's stag party was at a walled-off country estate, while Kate Middleton's Bachelorette party was in a completely unknown location.
The same level of secrecy will no doubt accompany Meghan Markle's "Hen Night," and rightly so. If images of this party were ever exposed to the public, it would be extremely embarrassing to the royal family. You can expect the secrecy of this party to be fully handled by the royal family themselves, and they will probably provide or suggest a very secretive venue for this party.
10 Her Bridesmaids Must Be Very Young Girls
One of the most exciting things about planning a wedding for many brides is the picking of the bridesmaids. These are usually the bride's best friends, and choosing matching dresses for them to wear is a pretty big deal. The maid of honor is the equivalent to the best man when it comes to the bride, and she is usually the bride's closest friend. But things are done slightly differently when it comes to Royal Weddings.
If you saw images from the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, you might have noticed that almost all of Kate's bridesmaids were small girls. That's because when it comes to royal wedding tradition, the "wedding party" as it's known is made up of children. That tradition will undoubtedly continue with Meghan Markle's wedding, and we can be pretty sure that one of the bridesmaids will be Kate Middleton's daughter, Princess Charlotte.
9 She Must Pose For An Official Wedding Portrait
Another thing that Meghan Markle must do before her wedding day is pose for a royal portrait. The portrait is essentially just a photograph, but the word of course comes from the good old days when the royal family was actually painted before each wedding. This tells you all you need to know about how old this tradition is, and it simply must be carried on.
Of course, Prince William and Kate Middleton also had to go through the same thing, and we're sure that posing for a picture will be the least of Meghan Markle's worries on her big day, especially considering the fact that she is used to a life in front of camera - her being an actress and all. You can expect everyone to be looking their finest when this memorable picture is taken.
8 Her Family Is Not Allowed To Sit With The Royals During The Wedding
The moment when the bride walks down the aisle is a moment that most women remember for the rest of their lives. But their family also cherish the moment, with many of them reduced to tears in this special moment. One of the key themes of a marriage is the coming together of not only two people, but also two different families. It's a chance for members of both families to interact and get to know each other.
But that might be hard during a Royal Wedding.
That's because members of the royal family sit on one side of the church, while everyone else sits on the other side. It's another tradition which must be adhered to during Meghan Markle's wedding,
and this also means that her family will be very removed from the royal family that they are supposedly joining.
7 She Must Get Her Wedding Bouquet From A Special Shrub
A wedding bouquet is another detail which is something that a lot of brides obsess over. Details are the most important thing when it comes to weddings. A simple bouquet of flowers might not seem like a huge deal to some people, but brides know that this is one thing you don't skimp out on. But in the case of a royal wedding, there are some very specific rules when it comes to the all-important flower bouquet.
When Meghan Markle has her wedding, she will be holding a bouquet of flowers that adhere to some very strict specifications. It must contain a "sprig of myrtle," and not just any old myrtle either.
The myrtle must come from a special shrub located in a place where Queen Victoria used to relax and paint. Ever since Queen Victoria's eldest sister was married, every single royal bride has put a sprig of myrtle from that shrub in their wedding bouquet. And Meghan Markle will be strongly encouraged to do the same.
6 She Will Probably Be The Only One Wearing A Ring
If you're a keen observer of royal weddings and royal couples, you might have noticed some… inconsistencies when it comes to the royal spouses wearing their wedding rings. While Prince William is almost never seen wearing his wedding ring, Kate Middleton almost never takes her ring off. Prince William cites his hatred for jewelry as reason for his aversion to wearing his wedding ring, but in truth he's hardly the first royal husband to do this.
It's actually a longstanding tradition that royal husbands do not wear wedding rings. Prince Harry will probably continue this tradition, meaning that Meghan Markle will be the only one in the relationship who wears a wedding ring. This might seem a little weird, but hey, that's the royal family! On the plus side, I doubt any woman will get the wrong impression that Harry is available, seeing as how public this wedding will be.
5 She Must Cease All Political Activity
Those who know anything about the royal family know that there has long been a strict separation between monarchs and any sort of political activity whatsoever. This all stems from the historical moment when the British Royal Family lost control over Britain, and the governance of the country was taken up by a government that was a representative of the people.
Ever since then, involvement in politics has been considered as taboo for the royal family, since it might be misconstrued as a grab for power.
Although Meghan Markle was never really that involved in politics, she will have to say goodbye to any ambitions for a future career in politics, however faint they may be. She will have to be content with involving herself in charities and other avenues of humanitarian involvement, but these are genuine vehicles for change as well.
4 Her Wedding Band Must Be Made Out Of Special Welsh Gold
Although there are many things to get excited about with an upcoming wedding, there's one thing women definitely obsess over, and that's the ring. With its diamond and flashy details, the engagement ring usually gets all the attention, and this is understandable. But its the wedding ring that is exchanged on the day of the wedding, and many feel more strongly about this plain, simple ring. And as you might expect, when it comes to wedding rings in the royal family, they up the ante quite a bit.
When it comes to wedding rings exchanged by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, they will all have to made of the same material. Even though we've previously stated that Harry will probably not be wearing his wedding ring after the ceremony, rings will still be exchanged by both people. And according to royal tradition, they must be made out of a special type of Welsh gold that has been used to make wedding rings for royal weddings since the Queen Mother.
3 Her Guests Must Bring Expensive Gifts In Order To Avoid Embarrassment
Meghan Markle is one of the few "commoners" that has ever been married into the royal family. While it's not unheard of, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are one of the very few examples. And the fact that both princes have married commoners seems to suggest a changing mentality in the British Royal Family. But how does this affect the royal wedding?
Well, Meghan Markle will undoubtedly have quite a few guests that are commoners just like her (including her own mother). And this presents somewhat of a predicament, seeing as each attendee to a royal wedding is expected to come bearing expensive wedding gifts. Her guests will have to spend some big bucks on wedding gifts, although rumor has it that a donation of "only" $500 to a charity is a perfectly acceptable gift as well.
2 She Will Have To Prepare For Her Upcoming Royal Duties
Perhaps the greatest thing of all that Meghan Markle is having to get used to in the days leading up to her marriage is just… being a royal. This includes a lot of different things, and they're all lumped together in the category of "royal duties."
And rumor has it that Meghan Markle is desperately trying to learn everything there is to know about being a royal in the few months she has before she gets married.
Some of these things are expected, like which fork to use in which situation and how to eat soup. But there are tons of other things which Meghan must learn, because everything must be perfect. She's reportedly being encouraged to "soften" her strong American accent, and stop referring "trousers" as "pants." In addition, she's also being baptized as a Protestant to fit in with the religion of the Royal Family. But there are many things Meghan Markle is already a pro at, like handling large crowds.
1 She Must Delete Her Instagram And Quit Acting
What's the saddest part about Meghan Markle getting married to Prince Harry? She won't be able to act any more, at least not professionally. The star gained fame for roles in huge TV shows like Suits, but she's leaving that whole life behind, trading in Hollywood for Buckingham Palace. You can see why this might be a problem. If there was a scene in which she had to kiss another man, this could cause serious problems for the Royal Family. It's not clear whether this was her decision or something forced upon her.
Another thing she's going to have to change is her social media presence. Meghan Markle does in fact have Instagram, although it hasn't been updated for many, many days. Many experts see this as a sign that the ex-actress has been told to stop posting by her new royal family members, so she's going to have to kiss her Instagram selfie days goodbye forever…