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Harry and Meghan’s Wedding Invitations Surprisingly Include a Subtle Nod to Her Divorce
Did you catch this? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s wedding invitations were recently sent out on Thursday, March 22 and eagle-eyed royal fans have just noticed something very interesting about the invites. Surprisingly, the card’s text actually includes a subtle nod to Meghan’s first marriage to Trevor Engelson and makes reference to her being a divorcée.
On the traditional invitations, Meghan is referred to as “Ms. Meghan Markle,” while Kate Middleton was previously referred to as “Miss Catherine Middleton” on the invites for her 2011 royal wedding to Prince William. The Daily Mail‘s etiquette expert William Hanson explained that while etiquette dictates that Ms. is the correct way to refer to a divorced woman, the royal household has “never before” acknowledged the [prefix].
“The royal household, in particular, [Queen Elizabeth], has never before acknowledged the honorific Ms. — regardless of whether it was being used to signify a divorced woman or one who did not feel her marital status was of importance,” Hanson said. “It was first used in connection to Meghan in the November engagement announcement and since then has been used throughout the royal household’s communications, on press releases, invitations, and social media.”
He continued, “I would imagine Meghan herself has asked to be styled accordingly and that there is no slight intended on Prince Harry’s fiancée. It is another subtle sign that the royal household is moving with the times.” Meghan was previously hitched to Hollywood producer Trevor for two years from 2011 until 2013. Though it has been reported that Meghan is planning for some aspects of her May 19 royal wedding to be non-traditional, she clearly didn’t get much leeway when it came to the design of their invites.
Kensington Palace recently released details about the stationery via their Twitter account. “Invitations to the wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle have been issued in the name of His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales,” the account revealed. “Guests have been invited to the service at St George’s Chapel and to the lunchtime reception at St George’s Hall, which is being given by Her Majesty The Queen. Later that evening, around 200 guests are being invited to the reception at Frogmore House given by The Prince of Wales.”
The palace even released a photo of the invites with details about how they were made. “The invitations follow many years of Royal tradition and have been made by @BarnardWestwood. They feature the Three-Feathered Badge of the Prince of Wales printed in gold ink. Lottie Small, who recently completed her apprenticeship, printed all of the invitations in a process known as die stamping, on a machine from the 1930s that she affectionately nicknamed Maude,” the message explained.
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
The statement continued, “Using American ink on English card, the invitations are printed in gold and black, then burnished to bring out the shine, and gilded around the edge. @BarnardWestwood have been making Royal invitations since 1985, and Managing Director Austen Kopley said he was thrilled and honored to be making them.” One notable reason why royal wedding invites are typically kept pretty classic is that they’re sent from the Queen, not the bride and groom themselves. When Kate and William tied the knot at Westminster Abbey, the details of their nuptials were printed on thick, eight-by-six-inch white cardstock with the Queen’s royal cypher stamped in gold.
“The Lord Chamberlin is commanded by The Queen to invite [Name] to the Marriage of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales, K.G. with Miss Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey on Friday, 29th April, 2011 at 11:00 a.m.,” the invitation’s black printed text read. The card also included a reply address and a note on the “Uniform, Morning Coat or Lounge suit” dress code.
William and Kate’s wedding invitation. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
When Queen Elizabeth’s son Prince Andrew married his now ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York back in July 1986, their royal wedding invitation looked very similar to William and Kate’s. However, their cards also included a mention of Prince Philip, perhaps because he was the father of the groom, and not the grandfather of the groom, for that occasion.
“The Lord Chamberlin is commanded by The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to invite [Name] to the Marriage of His Royal Highness The Prince Andrew with Miss Sarah Ferguson in Westminster Abbey on Wednesday, 23rd July, 1986 at 11:30 a.m.,” the text — which was printed on the same eight-by-six-inch white cardstock with the Queen’s gold royal cypher — read.
Andrew and Fergie’s wedding invitation. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)
However, Meghan and Harry’s invites are coming from Prince Charles, not Queen Elizabeth. “His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, K.G., K.T. requests the pleasure of the company of at the marriage of His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales with Ms. Meghan Markle at St. George’s Chapel. Windsor Castle on Saturday, 19th May, 2018 at 12 Noon followed by a Reception at Windsor Castle,” the text read. We can’t wait for Harry and Meghan’s wedding in just a few months!
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