Pippa Middleton’s 'rule' at her wedding that kept Meghan Markle and Prince Harry 'apart'
Everything had to be perfect for Kate's sister!
Pippa Middleton’s wedding wasn’t a great occasion for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, according to reports.
In fact, the bride made two big demands which apparently affected Harry and Meghan’s experience.
Here is everything you need to know…
Did Harry and Meghan go to Pippa Middleton’s wedding?
On May 20, 2017, Pippa Middleton tied the knot with James Matthews in a stunning ceremony at St Mark’s Church in West Berkshire.
Pippa wore a beautiful lace Giles Deacon gown, reportedly worth £10k ($13k), whilst sporting a flowing veil.
Being Princess Kate’s sister, it wasn’t surprising that a string of royal family members attended her big day.
Kate’s children Prince George and Princess Charlotte were stars of the show as a page boy and flower girl whilst, of course Kate and William also attended.
Prince Harry and his new love, Meghan Markle, were also on the guest list. But unfortunately for the couple there were some slight inconveniences when it came to their attendance.
According to reports, Pippa and her mother Carole Middleton were concerned that Harry and Meghan’s attendance might overshadow Pippa and James’ special day.
Meghan Markle ‘banned’ from church ceremony
Prince Harry and Meghan had only been together a handful of months at the time and they were already being swamped with speculation about their budding romance.
Ultimately, it was decided that it would be for the best for Meghan to avoid the church and media, effectively splitting the couple up.
Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, authors of Harry and Meghan biography Finding Freedom, explained in the book that Harry and Meghan planned out their day around Pippa’s requests.
Meghan stayed at an Airbnb where she prepared for her attendance. At the church, Harry arrived with his brother, Prince William.
In the meantime, Meghan did her own makeup before Harry returned to the Airbnb and drove them both to the reception at the Middletons’ home in Bucklebury.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘split up’ at reception
The couple expected to enjoy a lavish evening in the £35k glass orangery set up for Pippa’s big day, together. However, that wasn’t meant to be.
The bride swooped in again with another rule that kept Harry and Meghan apart, reportedly.
She had implemented a strict seating plan that separated every couple on the guest list.
Harry was seated with ITV News at Ten presenter Tom Bradby. Meanwhile, Meghan sat with tennis star Roger Federer’s wife, Mirka.
Scobie and Durand detailed: “Sitting together in the custom glass marquee that had been erected on the 18-acre property should have been a fun night for the couple, but, per Pippa’s request, no couples sat together.”
Harry and Meghan, who were still in the early days of their relationship, eventually reunited near the dance floor after the meal.
Being apart for most of the day wasn’t the only issue with Pippa’s wedding day for Harry and Meghan. Her extravagant planning apparently haunted them down the line.
Pippa Middleton’s portaloos at her wedding
To match the luxurious nature of her reception, Pippa ensured guests could enjoy a swanky bathroom.
“Throne rooms,” estimated to cost £6k ($7.9k) were provided for guests, designed to resemble a permanent fitted luxury bathrooms.
And when Harry and Meghan’s royal wedding came around, they were said to be inspired by Pippa’s fancy toilets.
Reports ahead of their own wedding in 2018 claimed that the couple would be “providing the poshest Portaloos on earth” with “porcelain basins” and “gold-plated seats”, as inspired by Pippa’s nuptials.
In his tell-all memoir, Spare, Harry cleared the rumours up. He said: “In reality, we didn’t notice anything different about how or where people went pee or poo at Pippa’s, and we had nothing to do with choosing the Portaloos for ours.
“But we sincerely hoped that everyone would be able to do their thing in comfort and peace.”
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