We love nothing more than delving into the details of royal weddings - even the historical ones. Every detail is carefully considered, and loaded with meaning and significance and each wedding is the result of months, if not years of planning. It's true that many brides and grooms choose to put their own stamp on proceedings - take Princess Diana buying her engagement ring from a catalogue, instead of having it made bespoke for instance - but for the most part British royal couples tend to follow long-established wedding traditions for their big day, some more unusual that others. Here we take a look at some of the royal wedding traditions that just might surprise you!
You Need the Monarch's Permission
Asking permission to marry the love of your life might seem a little old-fashioned these days, but it's still expected if you're a royal and want to wed. The rule is that if you're one of the first six in line to the throne, you must have approval from the monarch to marry. This means as it stands today, Princes George, Louis, and Archie and Princess Charlotte all have to seek permission from Prince Charles. Even Charles would have had to had the nod from his mother the Queen to marry Camilla.
Royal Grooms Wear Their Military Uniform
It's widely known that the white wedding dress trend originated with Queen Victoria, but her husband Prince Albert was also something of a trend setter. He chose to wear his military uniform on his wedding day, and ever since royal grooms now wear their military dress attire complete with their sashes and medals. The reason comes from the period of military service that senior royal men undergo in order to hold military ranks throughout their public royal careers. Prince William wore the Irish Guards Mounted Officers uniform while Prince Harry chose the Blues and Royals.
Royal Brides Must Have Two Bouquets
This unusual royal wedding tradition originated with Princess Diana but was a result of a mishap on Queen Elizabeth II's wedding to Prince Phillip in 1947. Princess Diana had two identical bouquets at her St Paul’s wedding for very practical reasons. The late Queen's bouquet was misplaced on the day, meaning she had no bouquet to hold when the state photographs with the bridesmaids and royal guests were being taken on the day. Rather strangely, this mean that the royal couple had to get dressed up in their wedding attire again, with a new bouquet on hand for their official wedding portraits.
The Bouquet is Laid on the Grave of the Unknown Soldier
This is a poignant tradition that the royal couples observe. Royal brides take a moment to honor fallen soldiers by laying their bridal bouquet on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior. Located at the west end of the nave of Westminster Abbey, it conains an unidentified member of the British armed forces killed during the First World War, who was brought back from France in November 1920. This royal family wedding tradition dates back to the Queen Mother's wedding in 1923, who did it in memory of her own brother who was killed in action.
All Bouquets Have a Special Flower Included
There's a very special small white flower that has pride of place in the bouquets of royal brides and that is myrtle. A sprig of myrtle is a symbol of love and good fortune in marriage, and since the time of Queen Victoria, royal brides carry a sprig of myrtle in their bouquets. But it's not just any myrtle, it is cut from a plant at Queen Victoria's former 170-year-old holiday home on the Isle of Wight, and that plant is descended from a gift given to the Queen from her husband's grandmother.
Royal Wedding Bands are Made from the Same Gold
There are so many increidble pieces in the royal jewel collection, but there's one nugget (literally!) in particular that carries generations of meaning. All royal couples have their wedding bands made from a specific type of Welsh gold. The Queen Mother began this tradition in 1923, and since then the Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, Princess Anne and Princess Diana, all had their wedding bands made from the same nugget of gold. However, only a tiny sliver of this nugget remains so more recent royal wedding bands such as Prince William's and Kate Middleton's were crafted from a new nugget of Welsh gold to continue this tradition.
The Monarch Sends the Invites
Most couples end up haggling with their parents about the guestlist - but imagine if your mother or father just happened to be a reigning monarch? As royal wedding invitations come from the King or Queen as the event is hosted by the monarch, they tend to get the final say on who will be there on the day.
Love reading about royal weddings? Here are what 27 Iconic Royal Brides Wore on their Wedding Day plus check out these 17 Gorgeous Celebrity Wedding Bouquets.
