Five months after Prince Harry’s fairytale wedding to Meghan Markle, Princess Eugenie married her Prince Charming.
There were echoes of Harry’s wedding throughout the day, not least because both nuptials took place at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank’s wedding on October 12, 2018, was attended by more than 850 guests including Naomi Campbell, Liv Tyler, Demi Moore, Robbie Williams, Ellie Goulding, James Blunt and Kate Moss.
The groom read a touching speech for his new wife and he said how he was ‘filled with devotion to Eugenie who ‘lights up his life and makes him feel complete’.
Eugenie’s cousin Harry and wife Meghan were thrilled for the couple and had even postponed the departure of their Royal Tour to Australia to attend the ceremony, the Duke wrote in Spare.
Keen not to overshadow the bride and groom, Harry and Meghan entered St George’s Chapel via a side door, followed by William and Kate.
But the presence of the Sussexes was not without its controversy.
In a moment captured on camera, the late Queen Elizabeth is seen leading the family out of St George’s Chapel and instructing them to move down from the doorway.
In a moment captured on camera, the late Queen Elizabeth is seen leading the family out of St George’s Chapel and instructing them to move down from the doorway
Five months after Prince Harry ‘s fairytale wedding to Meghan Markle, Princess Eugenie married her Prince Charming
As matriarch, the late Queen would lead her family at events like this.
William and Kate are seen taking the instruction from the Queen and stand to the right.
The Queen keeps her head craned towards the door, instructing people to move along as they leave.
The royals are seen lining up outside in a loose order of precedence.
As Harry and Meghan exit the chapel, they place themselves next to the late Queen.
Harry can be seen bending down to listen to the queen, seemingly sharing a joke.
But the mood changes when the Queen turns and gestures for the couple to move down – and the Sussexes take no more than two steps to the right.
They appear to be asked again and attempt to move down further but get stuck in the middle and end up causing more of a blockage near the door.
Keen not to overshadow the bride and groom, Harry and Meghan entered St George’s Chapel via a side door, followed by William and Kate
Queen Elizabeth keeps her head craned towards the door, instructing people to move along as they leave
As Harry and Meghan exit the chapel, they place themselves next to the late Queen
Eventually, Harry is more assertive and signals to others that he wants to move further down.
But it wasn’t this difficult for other royals, such as Zara and Mike Tindall, who seemed to get the message straight away and moved quickly down.
As a relatively new member of the Royal Family it would not be surprising for Meghan not to know where to stand.
But for Harry, who will have had royal protocol drilled into him since childhood, should have known better.
It is possible that there was already tension between the Sussexes and the rest of the Royal Family.
Meghan reportedly wanted to wear the £10million Greville tiara worn by Eugenie on her wedding day when she married six months earlier.
The tiara, which was a Greville family heirloom, had been promised to Eugenie, and Queen Elizabeth reportedly said that Meghan would receive the tiara she was given.
There were also reports that the Queen’s dresser, Angela Kelly, told Harry that it wasn’t possible due to security protocols.
It is possible that there was already tension between the Sussexes and the rest of the Royal Family
Meghan reportedly wanted to wear the £10million Greville tiara worn by Eugenie on her wedding day when she married six months earlier
The tiara, which was a Greville family heirloom, had been promised to Eugenie, and Queen Elizabeth – pictured – reportedly said that Meghan would receive the tiara she was given
The Art Deco design boasts a 93.70 carat emerald and six further faceted emeralds set on either side.
It was created in 1919 by Boucheron for Margaret Greville, a British philanthropist, and later inherited by the Queen Mother.
The emerald and diamond design was stashed in a black tin trunk and delivered to Buckingham Palace in 1943, along with a number of jewels that Margaret had bequeathed to her friend.
The piece remained in the Queen Mother’s jewellery collection until her death in 2002.
When Queen Elizabeth inherited the tiara, she revised the top edge so that it no longer resembled a traditional kokoshnik.
Princess Eugenie is the only royal to publicly wear the piece and it has since been returned to the vault.
And this wasn’t the only eyebrow-raising moment from Harry and Meghan at Eugenie’s wedding.
The Sussexes used the joyous get-togethers surrounding the marriage as an opportunity to share their own good news.
The mood changes when the Queen turns and gestures for the couple to move down – and the Sussexes take no more than two steps to the right
Prince William and Kate Middleton are seen taking the instruction from the Queen and stand to the right
Eventually, Harry is more assertive and signals to others that he wants to move further down
They were pregnant with their first child, Archie, and though some were delighted, the timing of their announcement to family members left others a little disgruntled.
‘The various gatherings connected to the wedding would give us a chance to pull aside family members one by one and tell them our good news,’ Harry wrote.
They told Prince Charles shortly before Eugenie and Jack’s drinks reception at Windsor while he was in his study.
Charles was ‘delighted to learn that he was going to be a grandfather for a fourth time,’ Harry wrote.
The Duke and Duchess also informed Prince William later on, after the drinks reception, and then Princess Kate who congratulated them.
MailOnline reported at the time that the Queen and Prince Philip were also told in person at the wedding celebrations.
However, the news coming at the same time as the bride and groom’s celebrations was not welcomed by everyone in the Royal Family.
‘Many wondered why Meghan chose to reveal her news on the bride’s big day,’ Tom Bower wrote in his book, Revenge: Meghan, Harry And The War Between The Windsors.
Prince Philip, Meghan Markle, Prince William and Kate Middleton attend the wedding
The Sussexes used the joyous get-togethers surrounding the marriage as an opportunity to share their own good news
Sarah Ferguson – pictured – was particularly displeased by the timing and was said to be ‘furious’
Eugenie and her mother, Sarah Ferguson, were particularly displeased by the timing and were said to be ‘furious’.
‘Meghan put her foot in it when she decided that it would be the ideal moment to announce that she and Harry were expecting their first child.
‘This was a huge social gaffe, even if you were not a Royal stealing the limelight from Eugenie, who was furious, as was her mother, Sarah,’ wrote Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett in Royals at War: The Untold Story of Harry And Meghan’s Shocking Split With The House Of Windsor.
Rumours of bad feeling went into overdrive when Eugenie’s mother tweeted a picture of her royal wedding outfit at the exact moment the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were having a baby.
Kensington Palace officially revealed the pregnancy on October 15, 2018, on the 59th birthday of Eugenie’s mother Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York.
And at the exact time of the announcement, Sarah posted a tweet thanking the designer of her dress for the outfit worn on her daughter’s big day just days earlier.
She then posted three further messages saying how ‘proud’ she was of her daughter and new son-in-law Jack – but made no mention of Harry and Meghan.
Eugenie’s father the Duke of York, who wished his ex-wife Sarah a ‘very happy day’ on her birthday, also retweeted one of Sarah’s tweets featuring Eugenie and Jack.
Sarah then posted three further messages saying how ‘proud’ she was of her daughter and new son-in-law Jack – but made no mention of Harry and Meghan
The groom read a touching speech for his new wife and he said how he was ‘filled with devotion to Eugenie who ‘lights up his life and makes him feel complete’
Eugenie and Harry are pictured after the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023
Despite Harry previously having a close relationship with Eugenie, he has opened up about how their relationship ‘soured’ and the two have distanced themselves from each other.
Eugenie appeared briefly in the royal’s record-breaking debut Netflix docuseries, Harry and Meghan, during a visit to the US in 2022.
However, the longstanding friendship has ‘soured’ after she was photographed with Piers Morgan, a strong critic of Harry and Meghan, last April, according to claims made by the Sun.
‘A dim view was taken of this, as Piers has clashed with Meghan and Harry in the past,’ a source told The Sun.
‘Eugenie has been supportive of Harry and Meghan for years and was right there at the beginning of their relationship – but it has now soured.’
Meghan’s Royal Faux-Pas
Wearing White for a Second Marriage
Wearing a bright white Givenchy wedding gown Meghan broke a major royal rule with the shade of her dress being too-white, which was deemed inappropriate for a divorcee getting remarried in church.
Queen Elizabeth was quite surprised at the ‘whiteness’ of Meghan Markle’s wedding dress
As per royal tradition, divorced women should avoid wearing white, as the colour is reserved for first-time brides only.
Ripped Jeans
Royals only wear jeans on casual occasions, and for any event ripped jeans are one step too far.
The appearance of Meghan Markle with Prince Harry at the Toronto Invictus games made news around the world as together with the ripped jeans she wore a “Husband Shirt,” from designer Misha Nonoo
But that didn’t stop her from wearing a pair of Mother ripped and distressed jeans while making her first public appearance with Prince Harry at the Invictus Games in 2017.
No Tights
Exposed legs are a big no-no among the royals. Protocol dictates that any time you wear a skirt or dress, tights are a must.
Meghan’s bare legs surprised everyone at the official photo call to announce their engagement as it’s not protocol for royal women to go without tights and it was a cold day in October
Queen Elizabeth wore them, Kate Middleton wears them, and Princess Diana wore them. Yet from the first moment Meghan announced her engagement to Prince Harry she was changing it up choosing to flash her bare legs.
Sheer Gown
Even their engagement photos were a deviation from royal fashion protocol.
The sheer dress by Ralph and Russo was another surprise especially when the price was revealed to be £56,000
Meghan chose a Ralph and Russo gown with sheer detailing across the bust for the occasion, and while the gown was still respectfully demure, the transparent material was certainly a break from tradition.
Holding Hands
There’s not an official rule about PDA, but royals usually keep it to a minimum because they’re working representatives of the monarchy.
The couple started as they meant to go on with the hand holding and even at the reception of Queen Elizabeth’s coffin at Westminster Hall they were spotted hand in hand
However, Meghan and Harry stood in stark contrast to the typically restrained behaviour expected of royal couples, always holding hands when attending engagements together.
Crossbody Bags
This isn’t a strict rule, but Kate Middleton always uses a clutch bag since you aren’t allowed to offer a handshake to a royal without them offering first.
Meghan Markle certainly looked the part in her tartan coat when visiting Edinburgh, but we had never seen a Royal on a walkabout with a crossover bag before, so this was a first
A cross-body bag leaves Meghan’s hands free to accept handshakes which breaks with tradition in a big way and she chose a Burberry coat and Strathberry bag which left her hands free when visiting Scotland.
Off-The-Shoulder Dress
At Trooping the Colour in 2018, which was Meghan’s second official appearance after her royal wedding, she tore up the royal rule book.
The Carolina Herrera off-the-shoulder outfit for Trooping the Colour was possibly showing a little too much flesh according to royal fashion protocol experts
She completely ignored royal protocol and wore an off-the-shoulder dress on the famed Buckingham Palace balcony at the official ceremony to mark the Queen’s 92nd birthday. Opting for a Carolina Herrera dress, Meghan’s dress silhouette lacked modesty considering it was a daytime event.
Going Hat-less
Queen Elizabeth was a firm believer that ladies should keep their heads covered during official engagements.
The hat-less Duchess of Sussex caused a stir when she appeared with the Queen in 2018 without one at the opening of the Mersey Gateway Bridge
She would even wear a scarf when she wasn’t in a hat, so it was particularly bold when Meghan went hat-less to the opening of the Mersey Gateway Bridge in Runcorn, Cheshire. They arrived on the Royal Train and she was seated beside the Queen who was of course, wearing a hat.
Dressing In Black
The late Queen allegedly preferred for royal family members not to wear all black unless they’re in mourning or at evening events, but Meghan has worn all-black outfits on multiple occasions breaking this tradition.
There was a surprise at Meghan’s choice of colour dress at the summer party at the British Ambassador’s residence in Ireland
At a summer party at the British Ambassador’s residence in Dublin in July 2018 she chose an Emilia Wickstead dress paired with all black accessories.
Trousers At Wimbledon
During the Wimbledon women’s finals, Meghan donned a pair of white trousers and a striped shirt from Ralph Lauren.
The Duchess of Sussex appeared at Wimbledon in Ralph Lauren which included a pair of trousers which are not the usual dress code for the Royal Box
For official appearances skirts and dresses are the usual dress code, which is what Kate Middleton opted to wear while attending the event alongside Meghan. Meghan also wore a Panama-style hat to the event, which she carried as hats are discouraged in the Royal Box because they could block the view of people sitting behind them.
Super Short Hemline
Bare-legged in a black Judith & Charles mini dress, Meghan attended a gala celebrating a charity performance of Hamilton in London in 2018.
Meghan appeared, wearing black, no tights and a Judith & Charles mini dress when attending a gala performance of Hamilton in 2018
Royal women are generally expected to wear skirts or dresses that are around knee-length, and never more than three or four inches above the knee to keep hemlines conservative and appropriate for the occasion, a rule flaunted by Meghan.
Going Barefoot
During a visit toa local surfing community group on Bondi Beach, Meghan broke protocol regarding keeping your shoes on.
Unlike Kate Middleton and Princess Diana, Meghan chose to remove her shoes on Bondi beach
Members of the family, from Kate Middleton who kept her shoes on at Manly Beach in 2014, to Princess Diana, who did the same at NSW Beach in Terrigal in 1983, have always adhered to the royal rule, but not Meghan who ditched her Castaner espadrille wedges.
Dark Nail Polish
It’s an unspoken rule that royal women should either wear no nail polish or neutral colours, with the late Queen always wearing the same light ‘Ballet Slippers’ shade by Essie, or no polish at all.
A pregnant Duchess of Sussex looked radiant on the stage at the British Fashion Awards, 2018
Yet Meghan broke precedence by wearing a dark burgundy polish with her Givenchy gown to The British Fashion Awards in December 2018.
Wearing Dior to Royal Christening
Typically the royal mother wears a piece by a British designer for the christening, however Meghan chose to dress in Dior which was a departure from royal protocol.
For Prince Archie’s christening the Duchess wore Dior and her sister-in-law Princess Kate wore British Designer, Stella McCartney
Kate Middleton has worn Alexander McQueen to all three of her children’s christenings, yet Meghan opted for French designer Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior.
Blue Eyeshadow
Meghan often flouted beauty guidelines during her time as a royal and her final royal engagement seemed like the subtlest way to continue breaking tradition.
Meghan Sussex looked beautiful in bold green Emilia Wickstead for her last official Royal engagement at Westminster Abbey in March 2020
She dressed in bold green Emilia Wickstead with daring cobalt blue eyeshadow. Royal women should avoid bold make-up in public, yet the look created by her personal make-up artist Daniel Martin certainly made a statement.
