30 Strict Marriage Traditions The Royal Family Must Follow
No, it doesn't involve tying tin cans to the wedding car
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, take notes.
The bride must wear white on her wedding day.
The well-known tradition actually started with Queen Victoria in 1840.
There's *always* an engagement announcement.
No, getting your mate Dave to film the proposal doesn't count
They must take an official wedding portrait...
...like this one from Prince William and Catherine's wedding.
There's *always* an interview following the royal engagement announcement.
There's actually a big difference between Prince William and Prince Harry's interviews—from the atmosphere to the body language to the outfits. See for yourself here.
Queen Elizabeth sends out the wedding invitations.
The Queen sent out 1,900 invitations for Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding.
The reception includes *two* cakes...
That's just showing off
...and the traditional flavor is fruitcake.
On the left is the royal wedding cake of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981, and on the right Prince William and Catherine's in 2011.
The bride leaves her bouquet at the grave of the "Unknown Warrior..."
...which is a spot in Westminister Abbey that all brides since Queen Elizabeth I have left their bouquets following the wedding.
Speaking of bouquets, the bride always carries a sprig of myrtle.
AKA flowers that have been used in royal tradition dating back to Queen Victoria. It's known as the "herb of love."
The most traditional site for a royal ceremony is the Chapel Royal at St. James Palace.
It housed the weddings of Queen Anne (1683), George III (1761), George IV (1795), Queen Victoria (1840), and George V (1893). Kensington Palace announced Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding will take place at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle—straying from tradition. Kate Middleton and Prince William's wedding took place in Westminister Abbey.
The bride always wears a tiara.
Queen Elizabeth gave the "Cambridge Lover's Knot Tiara" to Princess Diana as a wedding gift and it's often seen on Kate Middleton.
The royal family typically travels in a Glass Coach to and from the wedding venue.
However, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge traveled by car and Princess Diana and Prince Charles took a carriage.
They have designated "page boys" for the wedding.
AKA groomsmen. The page boys and bridesmaids of Prince William's wedding are pictured above. Prince George was a page boy at Pippa Middleton's wedding.
If the bridegroom is a member of the royal family, he has "supporters" instead of a best man.
However, Prince William broke this tradition when he named his brother best man. According to The Guardian, "Bridegrooms in royal weddings traditionally chose a 'supporter' instead of a best man. The Prince of Wales chose his brother Prince Andrew to be his supporter when he married Diana at St Paul's Cathedral in 1981."
All royal wedding bands contain Welsh gold.
This began with the wedding of the Queen's late mother in 1923. It's three times more valuable than gold from Australia or South Africa.
The royal family pays for the wedding...
...even though American tradition calls for the bride's family to pay for the wedding.
The royal family sits on the right-side of the church during the wedding.
The only exception is if the groom is not royal, in which case they sit on the left.
The 1701 Act of Settlement prohibits royals from marrying Catholics.
The royals are the head of the Church of England, which is a Protestant Anglican church. The goal of the Act is to keep the Protestant heritage alive and well. Markle will be baptised into the Church of England before the wedding.
Hats are required for female guests.
They're known to make an appearance at royal events, and weddings are no exception—especially in the spring.
There's typically *two* wedding receptions.
Most British weddings are held at noon and are followed by a seated luncheon called a "wedding breakfast." There's also a gathering in the evening.
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