The royal weddings have always been subject to change one or more traditional rules, since the wedding of the late Princess Diana. Although the British Royal Family is expected to adhere to strict traditional rules, it seems that this has been changing over time.
Many royal couples have organized their weddings the way they wanted, which has led to breaking with some of the traditional rules. For example, royal brides usually have to borrow their wedding tiaras from the Queen’s treasury. However, some brides have broken this tradition by choosing their own tiaras, including Princess Diana when she married Prince Charles in 1981.
Here are some other traditions that have been altered by famous royal couples in the British monarchy
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
On May 19, 2018, American actress Meghan Markle married Prince Harry, the second son of the late Princess Diana, at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor. Meghan Markle walked down the aisle alone, without her father or mother by her side, which is an unprecedented occurrence for a royal wedding.
Unlike his grandfather Prince Philip and his brother Prince William, Prince Harry decided to wear his wedding ring after marrying Meghan, something not all royal grooms do. Moreover, Harry continued to break tradition by choosing a wedding ring made of platinum, rather than the traditional Welsh gold from the Clogau St. David’s mine.
Diana Spencer and Prince Charles
Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana were married on July 29, 1981, at St. Paul’s Cathedral. It had been 100 years since the last wedding of a Prince of Wales at that time.
The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer attracted a massive television audience from around the world. In fact, it was one of the most traditional royal weddings in many ways, except for the fact that Lady Diana Spencer created a new tradition for herself by not vowing to “obey” her husband during the wedding ceremony. Thirty years later, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, also did not include the vow to “obey” in her wedding vows when she married Prince William.
Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank
Princess Eugenie, the daughter of Prince Andrew, had a major change in protocol when she appointed her sister, Princess Beatrice, as her maid of honor, which is unusual for Beatrice’s current position.
As Princess Beatrice is ahead of her sister Eugenie in the line of succession to the throne, according to the rules of precedence, she should not be a maid of honor. However, an exception was made for Beatrice because the sisters are only one place apart in the line of succession.
Kate Middleton and Prince William
The future King and Queen of England were married at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. Millions of people watched online as William and Kate’s wedding was different from previous royal weddings.
Most royal brides go on their honeymoon on the day of their wedding. For example, the Queen and Prince Philip spent their wedding night at Broadlands, Hampshire. However, Prince William and Duchess Kate spent their wedding night at Buckingham Palace and started their honeymoon ten days later in the Seychelles.
In conclusion, many royal couples have broken with tradition in various ways during their weddings, which has led to changes in the traditional rules. These changes have made royal weddings more personal and unique, and have allowed the couples to add their own touch to their special day.