Meghan Markle Made History As She Married Prince Harry Six Years Ago This Month
The stunning bride wore Givenchy for her May 19, 2018 wedding—and did something no royal bride before her had ever done.


Now that Meghan Markle and her husband, Prince Harry, live in California, she rarely spends any time with her father-in-law, King Charles—at least in person. (Only they know how much they speak on FaceTime or Zoom.) But in the leadup to her royal wedding to Harry six years ago this month, the then Prince Charles and Meghan had a warm relationship, and in her and Harry’s six-part Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, she reminisced on the moment she asked her soon-to-be father-in-law to walk her partway down the aisle as she married Harry in Windsor on May 19, 2018. (Meghan’s estranged father, Thomas Markle, was not in attendance at the wedding, but her mother, Doria Ragland, was there; the mother and daughter duo share a very tight bond.)
Charles escorted Meghan partway down the aisle at St. George's Chapel and right to her groom at the altar.
In episode four of the Liz Garbus-directed series, Meghan said of Charles that “Harry’s dad is very charming. And I said to him, ‘I’ve lost my dad in this,’ so him as my father-in-law was really important to me, so I asked him to walk me down the aisle, and he said yes.”
As footage of Charles and Meghan walking together played, Meghan said that “The whole thing was surreal. It was at that moment I could also see H,” her pet name for Harry.
When Meghan married Harry on May 19, 2018, she made history as the only royal bride to walk herself down the aisle.
Meghan made the decision to walk herself halfway down the aisle at St. George’s Chapel before she was met by Charles, who accompanied her the rest of the way to the altar. “It was the first time any royal bride had walked down the aisle of her wedding on her own,” The Mirror reports.
On the eve of Harry and Meghan’s wedding, Buckingham Palace announced that Meghan had asked Charles to accompany her, and a statement released at the time said that the then Prince of Wales was “pleased to be able to welcome Ms. Markle to The Royal Family in this way.” (It was no doubt an emotional moment for all, as Charles never had a daughter of his own.)
Harry and Meghan said Charles was extraordinarily important in the planning of their wedding in Windsor.
Meghan wore Givenchy for her big day, in a gown designed by Clare Waight Keller.
Harry himself spoke of his father’s role in his wedding in the documentary Prince, Son, and Heir: Charles at 70: “I asked him to and I think he knew it was coming, and he immediately said, ‘Yes, of course, I’ll do whatever Meghan needs, and I’m here to support you guys,’” Harry said. “For him that’s a fantastic opportunity to step up and be that support and, you know, he’s our father, so of course he’s going to be there for us.”
Harry and Meghan headed off to their wedding reception, hosted by Charles at Frogmore House.
That wasn’t Charles’ only contribution to the 2018 royal wedding. “My father helped us choose an orchestra, which made all the difference,” Harry said. Charles also helped select the Kingdom Choir, the gospel choir that famously sang “Stand By Me,” which Harry said was “More help from my dad on that one.” That evening, Charles hosted the couple’s evening reception at Frogmore House, and reportedly gave a moving speech at the party “which left the audience in tears,” The Mirror writes. “Referring to him as ‘my darling old Harry,’ he was apparently emotional about the marriage of his youngest son, who he said he still remembered so clearly as a baby.”
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.
-
Why Duchess Sophie Allegedly Feels "Snubbed" by King Charles
"There should be an opportunity for Sophie to be allowed to do more," a royal expert claimed.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Dua Lipa Swaps Her Valentino Dress for a Marni Mini Skirt
The singer accessorized her outfits with more than $120,000 of jewelry.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Harry Was Allegedly Crushed When William Received "Special Treatment"
"Poor Harry's face across the table," Princess Diana's former butler recalled.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Meghan Markle and Her Makeup Artist Confirmed All Her Royal Wedding Beauty Products
And yes, you can shop them all here.
By Kayleigh Roberts Published
-
Meghan Markle and Gwyneth Paltrow Open Up About Their "Rift" Over Pie
Expect a Goop x As Ever collab in three… two..
By Lia Beck Published
-
Meghan Markle Confirms Skinny Jeans Are Back by Finally Revealing Her Favorite Frame Denim
It's never been easier to dress like a duchess.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
New Prince Archie Photo Proves He Takes After Dad Prince Harry in Two Very Important Ways
Father and son have much more in common than their vibrant red hair.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Meghan Markle Shared a Rare Video Filmed by Prince Harry on Instagram
And she used her nickname for him in the shoutout she wrote in the video's caption.
By Kayleigh Roberts Published
-
Meghan Markle Sent a Handwritten Note to a Podcaster Who Said She Was "Scared" for the Royal Before Her Netflix Show Premiered
Mailing a handwritten note to reply to an Instagram comment might be the most Meghan Markle thing of all time.
By Kayleigh Roberts Published
-
Why Gwyneth Paltrow Supports Meghan Markle's Goop-style Reinvention Despite Not Knowing Her Personally
Book her for season 2 of 'With Love, Meghan' right now.
By Lia Beck Published
-
Did Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet Just Make an Adorable Waffle Version of Queen Elizabeth's Face?
The Duchess of Sussex shared a fun St. Patrick's Day video that had fans making queenly connections.
By Kristin Contino Published