The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are celebrating their sixth wedding anniversary, and when the pair tied the knot the big day was filled with moving tributes to Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana
When Meghan and Harry tied the knot in a star-studded, fairytale wedding ceremony in Windsor six years ago, no detail was spared.
From the flowers selected to the readings and songs used in the ceremony, even the seemingly smallest things often had poignant, subtle meanings behind them.
This included tributes to the late Princess Diana, Harry’s mother who tragically died when he was only 12 years old. Harry’s been transparent about the huge impact that this early loss had on his mental health, especially given him and William’s grief was played out on the public stage.
While landmark milestones in life like getting married will always be a moment when most people sorely miss those who are no longer with them, Harry and Meghan found a myriad of ways to make Diana’s presence felt on the special day.
Wedding expert Alison Hargreaves, the director of the wedding directory Guides for Brides, noted that of all the tributes paid to Diana during Harry’s wedding, three stood out. The first was the inclusion of Forget-Me-Nots, well known to be one of Princess Diana’s favourites in Meghan’s wedding bouquet.
It was reported at the time that Harry picked these out himself. Kensington Palace confirmed that this was a nod to Diana, saying: “The couple specifically chose them to be included in Ms. Markle’s bouquet to honour the memory of the late Princess on this special day”.
And this wasn’t the first time the Duke paid tribute to his late mother with the flower. A charity that he co-founded alongside Prince Seeiso of Lesotho back in 2006, is also named after the lovely blooms. It’s titled Sentebale, with the name meaning ‘Forget Me Not’ in Sesotho, Lesotho’s official language.
Another moving tribute to the late Princess was the inclusion of the hymn Guide Me, O Thy Great Redeemer, which was also sung at Diana’s funeral in 1997 because it was reportedly one of her favourite hymns. Prince William also chose to include it in his own wedding ceremony seven years before to Kate. Harry seemed a little overcome with emotion as the hymn was ending and appeared to wipe away a tear or two.
Equally, Harry made sure to include members of his maternal family in the big day, so the Spencers also helped pay tribute to Diana. Her sister, Lady Jane Fellowes gave a moving reading from Song of Solomon, which touchingly included the words, “For love is as strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.”
At the time a spokesperson said that “Prince Harry and Ms. Markle both feel honoured that Lady Jane will be representing her family and helping to celebrate the memory of the late Princess on the wedding day.”
Wedding expert Alison said: “Harry and Meghan followed and respected so many of the wedding traditions we are familiar with, but in every case they thought carefully about how to both personalise and modernise each tradition to make every element of the day an expression of their shared values.
“It’s a good way for any couple to approach wedding traditions and etiquette; they can form a helpful framework around which their wedding day is built, but should not feel restrictive.
“Meghan and Harry demonstrated how personal touches could bring a reflection of themselves as a couple, and others can follow their lead in confidently making age-old traditions their own.”
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