Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly making sure that their fast-approaching wedding is imbued with the legacy of the late Princess Diana. Vanity Fair reports that the groom-to-be has seen to it that Diana’s side of the family is well-represented at the royal wedding and has invited “the entire Spencer clan.”
Harry and Meghan appear to have decided to make their nuptials a more personal and intimate event than most royal weddings are known to be. Despite St. George’s Chapel having a capacity of 800, the couple have reportedly invited only 600 guests to the wedding, choosing not to fill the church. Only 200 guests are said to have been invited to the evening reception.
This week, reports came out that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle refrained from inviting heads of state, dignitaries, and members of other royal families to the wedding. Neither Prime Minister Theresa May nor President Donald Trump were invited. Even Barack Obama, who has worked closely with Prince Harry for years, was reportedly left out.
Instead, Harry and Meghan have filled the wedding guest list with close friends and family. According to Vanity Fair , Harry has made sure that the family of the late Princess of Wales will be there to see him tie the knot. Among those invited are Harry’s uncle, Earl Charles Spencer, his aunts, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale, their partners, and all of his cousins from the Spencer side.
UK’s Prince Harry and Meghan have chosen New York-based Alexi Lubomirski to photograph their wedding pic.twitter.com/u99ZPFA2A5
— Reuters (@Reuters) April 14, 2018
“Harry has always kept in close touch with the Spencers and they have all received invitations,” a family friend told the outlet.
“Harry gets on well with his aunts and uncle and they have met Meghan. His cousins all have the golden ticket — an invite to the ceremony and reception and the evening party.”
Earl Spencer will be accompanied by his wife, the Canadian-born Lady Spencer. His older children, Kitty, Amelia, Eliza, and Louis, are also expected at the nuptials.
Lady Jane Fellowes will be joined by her husband and three children. One of them, Laura Fellowes, is the godmother of Harry’s niece, Princess Charlotte, who is expected to be the flower girl at the wedding.
Lady Sarah McCorquodale’s three children, Emily, George, and Celia, will also be in attendance. George McCorquodale’s 2016 wedding in South Africa was one of the first events where Harry and Meghan were photographed together.
Here’s everything we know about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding plans https://t.co/AAfhblilDa
— TIME (@TIME) April 13, 2018
In addition to ensuring that Princess Diana’s family will be at his wedding to Meghan Markle, Harry is also reportedly paying tribute to his mother by filling the church with her favorite flower.
According to People , official wedding florist Philippa Craddock has confirmed that white garden roses, one of Diana’s favorites, will be used in the bouquets and flower arrangements on May 19. White garden roses also fill the temporary garden that was opened at Kensington Palace to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death in 2017. The memorial garden was where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle hosted a photo call after breaking the news of their engagement in November.
Aside from white roses, the florists will also incorporate peonies, Meghan’s favorite flower. The floral arrangements will also include foxgloves and branches of birch, beech, and hornbeam, according to AP .