Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding reportedly sparked high tensions within the Royal Family over the choice of venue.
Viewers across the nation celebrated as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex exchanged vows in a stunning ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor on May 19, 2018.
However, the choice of location sparked disagreement leading up to their nuptials, as revealed by Harry himself.
His brother, Prince William, was not keen on the idea of Harry and Meghan hosting a grand ceremony in London, reminiscent of his own lavish wedding to Princess Kate in 2011.
When the Duke proposed Westminster Abbey as a potential venue, he swiftly dismissed the suggestion, stating it was “no good” because it had been the site of his own wedding.
The venue discussions for the couple’s wedding took several unexpected turns, as Harry recounted in his memoir, Spare.
After suggesting Westminster Abbey, which his brother, Prince William, quickly dismissed, Harry proposed St Paul’s Cathedral.
The Prince of Wales allegedly replied, “Too grand. Plus Pa and Mummy did it there.”
Then, in a surprising twist, William suggested holding the ceremony in Tetbury, near King Charles’s Highgrove estate, where the brothers spent much of their childhood.
Harry couldn’t help but laugh at this idea, responding, “Seriously, Willy? How many does that place seat?”
To which The Prince of Wales reportedly replied, “Isn’t that what you said you wanted—a small, quiet wedding?”
Tetbury, located in Gloucestershire, is home to the Church of St Mary the Virgin, though it likely wouldn’t have accommodated the 800 guests who attended Harry and Meghan’s wedding.
The brothers’ light-hearted banter revealed Harry and Meghan’s original vision of a more intimate ceremony; they had dreamt of eloping and getting married “barefoot in Botswana, with maybe a friend officiating.”
However, Harry acknowledged the reality of their situation: “We were expected to share this moment with other people. It wasn’t up to us.”
