Why Prince William sat by an empty seat at the royal wedding

The royal wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle had the world watching and talking on Saturday. Whether you loved all the celebrities in attendance and what they wore, Markle’s wedding dress, her reception dress or just the majesty of it all, there was something for everyone to smile about on the big day.

Yet many people wondered if and how Prince Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, would be honored and recognized on her son’s special day. When television cameras showed an empty seat next to Prince Harry’s brother (and best man) Prince William, many people were convinced it was a tribute to their mother.

Social media posts flooded the internet with people whose hearts were full of love and eyes filled with tears at the thought. One Twitter user said they couldn’t deny the tears at the apparent realization:

It’s a sweet thought, but the empty seat has everything to do with tradition and nothing to do with a tribute to a beloved mother.

Take another, closer look at the photos above. Do you see who is sitting in the seat behind the empty spot? It is none other than Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. And, if the queen sits in the second row, the seat in front of her is left empty so she has an unobstructed view.

But why would the reigning queen of England sit in the second row? There were two reasons, actually.

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First, since Prince William and Prince Charles both were in the wedding party, they would be moving during the ceremony and would have had to squeeze past the Queen in order to sit down. It wouldn’t be proper to cut in front of the queen, right?

Also, it turns out that Queen Elizabeth has a favorite seat in the chapel!

https://twitter.com/RegalFille/status/997886620849311745

Queen Elizabeth is going to sit where she wants — so other seats are arranged accordingly. Just one of the perks of being the queen!

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But, don’t worry, the late Diana was still an important part of the royal wedding festivities. Prince Harry reportedly picked forget-me-not flowers from the castle gardens to put into his bride’s bouquet — those were one of Diana’s favorite flowers.

Prince Harry Marries Ms. Meghan Markle - Windsor Castle
Getty Images | WPA Pool

Meghan also wore Princess Diana’s gorgeous aquamarine ring with her second wedding dress. She proudly wore it (and showed it off a little) as the happy couple drove off to their evening reception.

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Finally, Lady Sarah Fellowes, one of Princess Diana’s two sisters, read from Song of Solomon in the Bible. Watch it below if you missed it:

That’s so sweet. Congratulations to the happy couple on a beautiful ceremony that made many people across the world smile.

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About the Author
Marie Rossiter
Marie is a freelance writer and content creator with more than 20 years of experience in journalism. She lives in southwest Ohio with her husband and is almost a full-fledged empty nest mom of two daughters. She loves music, reading, word games, and Walt Disney World.

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