Queen Elizabeth II’s opinions on royal weddings were often kept private, but a royal expert has recently revealed some intriguing details about the late monarch’s thoughts on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding.
In My Mother and I, royal biographer and editor Ingrid Seward discusses Queen Elizabeth’s alleged reactions to Meghan and Harry’s May 2018 wedding, revealing that the monarch had a subtle but pointed remark regarding Meghan’s wedding dress. Seward claims that the Queen told close confidant Lady Elizabeth Anson that Meghan’s Givenchy gown was “too white” for a divorcee remarrying in a church. According to Seward, the Queen believed that the dress’s choice of an all-white design was inappropriate under such circumstances, adding a layer of traditional royal sensibility to the late monarch’s view.
While it was Meghan’s stunning Givenchy gown, designed by Clare Waight Keller, that became iconic, complete with a bateau neckline and a veil adorned with Queen Mary’s Sapphire Bandeau Tiara, the Queen reportedly wasn’t as enchanted by the “Disneyesque spectacle” of the event itself, though this was not directly confirmed by the monarch herself.
The Queen’s opinions didn’t stop there, as she reportedly shared a critical view on the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton as well. A lip reader deciphered comments made by the Queen following their 2011 wedding. After the ceremony, the Queen was reportedly heard saying, “I wanted them to take the smaller carriage,” which seemed to suggest a preference for a less extravagant display. Queen Camilla is alleged to have responded, acknowledging that the day “went very well.”
These revelations offer a glimpse into the Queen’s private thoughts on moments that were integral to the monarchy’s public image, shedding light on the contrasts between the modern-day royal weddings and the more traditional elements that Queen Elizabeth upheld throughout her reign.
