I don’t think anyone was really expecting the Duchess of Cambridge to have any kind of formal role in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s May wedding. Even if the wedding had been scheduled for long after Kate’s due date, they probably still would not have asked her to do anything. But I guess there are some people out there who are like “oooh, Kate can be Meg’s maid of honor!” No. Meghan has her own friends and helpers. Meghan doesn’t need to force a newly postpartum woman into a bridesmaid’s dress. Katie Nicholl just confirms what we already knew: Kate won’t have a role in the wedding.
The Fab Four that is Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle may be reuniting at the upcoming royal wedding, but expect Kate to take a back seat to the action that occurs at the front of St. George’s Chapel. While Prince William is widely expected to be Harry’s best man, Kate—who is due to give birth to baby No. 3 any day now—has been told there is “no pressure” on her to do anything at next month’s wedding in Windsor. While there has been speculation in the press that Kate might have been asked to be a bridesmaid, Vanity Fair has learned that the postpartum duchess has been relieved of any duties on the day.
“Frankly, Harry and Meghan are just happy that Kate will be there given she will only just have given birth,” said a source. “They have told her there is no pressure on her to do anything, they just want her to enjoy the day.”
Harry and Markle are said to want “small people” in the bridal party, and as ABC News reported, Prince George is set to be a page boy while Princess Charlotte will likely be a flower girl.
The couple are being helped behind the scenes by Meghan’s best friend Jessica Mulroney, whose daughter, Ivy, is also expected to be in the wedding party. Mulroney may also have been given the role of maid of honor, although Palace sources have not confirmed who will be in the bridal party, and say further details will be released in due course.
The couple’s decision not to ask Kate to take a formal role at their nuptials shouldn’t be seen as a snub, however, according to the source. “They just want Kate to be able to enjoy the day and not worry about anything. Harry has said there’s no pressure on her to do anything. They know Kate will have her hands full.”
It has been reported that Kate is due to give birth on Monday, April 23, which is St. George’s Day, but Kate has been late with her two previous pregnancies. The new prince or princess could even arrive on the couple’s seventh wedding anniversary on April 29. Princess Charlotte turns 3 on May 2 so it’s going to be a busy time in the Cambridge household no matter what.
I’ve read in other articles that Kate isn’t even planning on staying beyond the actual wedding ceremony at the chapel, that she’s planning on going back to the newborn baby and chilling out. Which should not be construed as a snub either, if Kate does skip out on the reception and all of that. I’ll criticize Kate for some stuff, but let’s face it: she probably wishes she could skip the wedding altogether, and that’s perfectly fine.
Here are some throwback photos to the last time the Duchess of Cambridge attended a wedding: it was her sister’s wedding last year to Terribly Moderately Wealthy James Matthews. Remember how Kate went out of her way to pull focus from her sister? It was sort of cosmic payback for Pippa’s ass of lies pulling focus from Kate at Kate’s wedding. At Pippa’s wedding, Kate served as the matron of honor, although I’m not sure they actually called her that. She was in charge of fussing over Pippa’s veil and fussing at the misbehaving children, including naughty Prince George.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Pacific Coast News.
Ever since Harry and Megan’s relationship was reveled the media was claiming she and Kate were best friends. I doubt they know each other that well and baffled how people were claiming she was going to be a bridesmaid.
It’s against royal protocol. William is Harry’s Brother and that is fine as they are Blood Royal. Diana was never in a wedding after her own, neither was the Queen. HM not allowed due to her rank as head of State. Diana, as Princess of Wales out ranked all but The Princess Royal. It’s all quite fussy.
I’m sure The 2 Duchesses get along fine as their husbands are quite close and Harry is a doting uncle. Sadly the pressure will forever be on Megan once the honeymoon period wears off. She is an American actress and divorced. She will not be given the leeway that Catherine was/is given. I expect they will have children quite quickly.
She seems to be doing wonderfully & clearly she is going into this with open eyes & wants this lifestyle.
Exactly @snappyfish
It is protocol. Other than for her only sister, Kate is unlikely to ever be in another wedding party.
And while I have no doubt they are cordial, I find it hard to believe Kate and Meghan are friends at this point.
Not all people connect and bond just because they become related my marriage. I feel a lot of nodding out there! lol 🙂
Truth!…..I can’t stand my brother in law’s soon to be wife!
I’m sort of hoping Meghan doesn’t play along, beyond what’s appropriate to show respect for her husband’s family. Certainly, she should follow tradition while in attendance at royal events, but otherwise why should she defer to protocol? I still tend to not see her as a social climber who craves acceptance to an exclusive club, as much as an ambitious woman who plans to embrace her new global platform. I’ll be disappointed if she gets caught up in the hierarchies of rank.
As someone said in a previous post she will have to toe the line, especially in the presence of Her Majesty.
Whatever,
I’m sure Meg will always adhere to royal protocol while in an official capacity. Anything less would be disrespectful to her in-laws and new nation. But she’s a resident of 2018, where arbitrary class distinctions are increasingly absurd.
I’m sure Meghan will toe the line at official events, and when performing duties on behalf of the monarch, and especially in the presence of the monarch, but otherwise I hope she and Harry set their own standards.
If by “pull focus” you mean “wore the ugliest dress in England”, sure. I see what you meean
And the schoolmarm expressions in most of the photos don’t help either. It’s almost as if she wasn’t used to dealing with children.
Come on, wrangling seven excited kids is rarely a joy. That’s exactly the expression any of us would have when trying to get that many kids of that age to line up.
When you have a full time nanny with your own two kids and a part time assistant then yes I can see how handling even more kids for the cameras can be overwhelming. None of the kids were actually seen to be misbehaving but Kate was putting on a show for the cameras.
Oh please. I have 4 of my own, and when they were little and if we were on a field trip or something where I was in charge of other kids too-they also would have received the “grumpy school marm” look (at the very least) if I was trying to get them to behave. It has ZERO to do with not being used to kids, or used to just having the nannies doing it all.
I wouldn’t want to be judged on my facial expression around kids, mine or anyone else’s.
I just realized Kate’s dress is the same colour as the sashes on the little girls dresses. I never noticed that before.
School marm exprrssion , edging onto Fish Wife!
I’m the last person who should deal with children. Whenever they approach me or ask a question, I respond, “Do I look like I like kids?!” Ok, not really, but my point is, I don’t think that should be a “requirement” for women. However, the royal family is in the public relations business (it’s really their ONLY business), and whenever we see pictures of Kate visiting schools or something, NONE of the kids ever seem to be looking at her. I think she’s just bad at engaging children. Maybe (if she ever “works” in the future), her handlers can suggest she do events with adults, and skip the children stuff.
That dress was awful.
That dress is terrible. Very Wallis Simpson, cheaply made, badly fitted, unlined, unflattering color.
Duchess Kate ranks higher than Markle who will be wife of Diana’s second son.
Therefore being Markle’s bridesmaid would be a down-ranking for Kate.
Oh, and the racists do probably have a field day that Kate doesn’t have to be bridesmaid to …. .
So being in a bridal party for a close friend is considered down ranking for aristos with less posh friends? Geebus. Must be exhausting to navigate so many rules.
Don’t George and Charlotte outrank Megan too? Is it Ok because they are children? (This was for grinning)
🤗
Of course Kate wouldn’t be bridesmaid.
IKR. This is just another idiotic article from Nicholl. The very idea of KM having a role in the wedding is absurd but, then again, Nicholl is absurd on her own.
I think waity is probably overdue now so I wouldn’t be at all suprised if she totally missed harry and meghan’s wedding. Its only 3.5 weeks away now.
It was such a dumb story. I know so much of what is published is speculation, but they could at least make it half way plausible?
Yeah I just skimmed the story,only to come and say-Why would Kate be a bridesmaid?I also get the feeling that the wedding party will be elegantly small ,just my feeling and I don’t care either way,IMO small wedding parties look rather sophisticated.But I’m going to be watching no matter how big ,small,or whatever-I just need some pretty in my life right now 💐
So true that we need pretty in our lives now!
Recovering from childbirth alone would be cause for Kate to take a backseat at the wedding, never mind the protocol. I would be surprised if Kate attended the reception. Its critical, private time, her newborn needs her and v versa of course.
I can’t believe that at just a few weeks postpartum Kate would even feel much like partying the night away. She usually nurses the first few months as well. I’d want to just go home after the ceremony, get out of the restricting undergarments/dress, pull on sweats and cuddle my little one(s). But that’s me 😊
I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what Kate does—go to the ceremony and then retreat for a few hours. Then make a short appearance at the reception.
Think I’d do the same.Partying after pregnancy does not seem fun to me!
I didn’t see any indication that Kate tried to “pull focus” at Pippa’s wedding. Some of the criticism of Kate is warranted (not working enough) and some of it is so ridiculous it’s actually kind of startling.
Isn’t that the truth?
It has gotten to the point of ridiculousness, hasn’t it?
I totally agree with you. It often seems that anything Kate does is wrong–her marriage sucks, she’s a bad mother, she has a rivalry with Pippa, it goes on and on and on.
Agreed. It’s unnecessary and blatantly hypocritical. So offputting.
+6
Add me to this list
Agreed. I didn’t see any evidence of Kate pulling focus, either. If anything, she just seemed really happy for her sister and was enjoying the day…
I must say I am finding it really annoying too
Here, here. Kate can’t do anything right around here, it seems.
Agreed.
You’ve got it spot on!
Yep. Rather nasty to imply that she’d be anything other than happy for her sister that she appears to be close to.
Why on earth would Kate serve as a bridesmaid? Not sure how the royals do it, but usually the bride is very close to the bridesmaids and maid of honor, so why the heck would Kate be in that mix? Just the media trying to make a headline out of nothing. And yes, I would rather retire to my bedroom and be waited on after have my child too. No shade thrown to Kate here. We get it.
Of course! Why should she be? Never understood why future in-laws somehow think they’re entitled to be in the wedding party—probably not the case here.
P.S. Please cover more of the Beckhams! Do you guys think they’re preparing for the end of their marriage?
Anyway, here’s to hoping that Kate and Meghan form a better bond and stick together and not one that puts them against each other.
They’ve been preparing for that for at least a decade. They are a stronger brand together though. So I doubt they will ever split up. Especially since they’re now trying to foist their kids on us as superstars in their chosen hobbies. Just like the Smiths.
It must be a regional thing in the US. I’m from the south and you would be shot on sight if you didn’t have the future in laws such as brothers and sisters of the person you are marrying in your wedding party. My husband had six brothers and I have two so my wedding party was huge and I hated it.
Nah I don’t think she will and should take part at whatever part of the wedding. Just showing up would be enough at this point. And the bride needs support during her most important day so of course she will want to be surrounded by her friends and family. Why should she choose someone she barely knows?
On a superficial note I am curios to see IF she will be at her usual shape as before pregnancy as she was with the first two. I find it fascinating in fact how she does it so quickly. I don’t seem to loose 2 kg to save my life and I haven’t given birth or anything. I know I know I am shallow but I am curious also.
I’m right with you on the superficial note. I’m guessing it’s partly genetic (I’m envious of the low body fat of the Middleton women), partly lifestyle— the whole Middleton family seems to have been athletic & outdoorsy pretty much always. And partly personal self-discipline & hard work, both as to diet/nutrition & exercise.
Wow! Even by this site’s record this is a particular snarky jab at Kate. If she was in charge of the kids, who were being photo’d as they usually are, it would be difficult for her to keep out of camera shot. And she wasn’t matron of honour at all.
Does anyone remember how cute Lady Louise was at Will and Kate’s wedding?
Yes, she was adorable. And most royal weddings only have children in the wedding party. Pippa was the maid of honour for Kate but usually even the maid of honour is usually some well connected teenage daughter of another royal.
This question goes out to the British celebitches: are these fascinator hats a common thing for British people in general or is it more of something for royalty and/or famous people? Just curious.
It is more of a wedding thing.
Just came by to say Kate had a baby boy – congrats to them.
Agree she wasn’t pulling focus on Pipas wedding and would enjoy less anti-Kate sentiment going forward as well