Before Prince Harry proposed to Meghan Markle last year, he first asked for permission from his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, who was required to give her formal consent. But, according to royal expert Katie Nicholl, there’s another very important royal in Prince Harry’s life whom he asked for advice before popping the question: his sister-in-law, Kate Middleton. “Harry and Kate are very close, she’s been like a mentor to him and he wanted her seal of approval,” a source told Nicholl in Grazia U.K. this week.
Beyond merely giving her approval to Prince Harry’s marriage, the Duchess of Cambridge has reportedly also made an effort to take Markle under her wing since her and Harry’s relationship turned serious. “Kate is different to Meghan in many ways, but she has made great strides to help Meghan settle in,” the source told Nicholl. “It’s a friendship that is still slowly blossoming. Kate has gone out of her way to be friendly to Meghan, and Meghan has been very grateful for that.”
Nicholl reports that Middleton has shown Markle “the royal ropes,” introduced her to several of her favorite designers, and told the newly titled Duchess of Sussex that she’s “always welcome” in Apartment 1A of Kensington Palace, where Middleton and Prince William live with their children. “Kate has her hands full with the children and baby, but ensures she makes time to touch base with Meghan,” the source said.
Prince Harry and Middleton have long shared a special bond. Last year, in a profile of Prince Harry, Newsweek‘s Angela Levin noted that his sister-in-law had helped to “fill some of that gap” left by his mother Princess Diana’s death. “When she and William got engaged, Harry called her the big sister he never had. He often pops into their apartment at Kensington Palace, where she cooks him a meal — roast chicken is reportedly a particular favorite,” Levin wrote.
Prince William is currently on a royal tour of the Middle East, and to make up for the fact he’s there without Kate Middleton, he recreated one of her childhood photos from when she lived in Jordan. On Monday (June 25), the Duke of Cambridge visited the exact same site in Jerash that the Duchess of Cambridge’s family went to way back in the day. When Middleton was 4, she and her father and sister posed in front of a particular rock, so Prince William decided to take a photo in front of that exact same rock, too, joking that he’d bring the kids next time, according to Daily Mail reporter Rebecca English. As Hello Magazine reported, he cracked a couple more jokes at the site, saying, “Need to come back with the family for this shot,” and “Michael’s looking very smart in his flip-flops,” in reference to his father-in-law.
Later, the official Kensington Palace Twitter account posted a side-by-side comparison of the two photos, writing, “The Duke of Cambridge visits Jerash, the same site that The Duchess of Cambridge visited, aged 4, with her sister and father when the family lived in Jordan.”
Prince William is currently on day two of his five-day Middle East tour, and so far he’s met the Crown Prince of Jordan, Al-Hussein bin Abdullah II, spoken to students at the Al-Hussein Technical University, visited the TechWorks Fabrication Lab, celebrated the queen’s birthday at a British embassy reception, watched a rerun of England’s World Cup match with the crown prince, and met Syrian refugee children who are receiving psychological support services from Unicef’s Makani program, among other events, according to Kensington Palace’s Twitter account.
“Over the next five days The Duke will visit Jordan, Israel, and the Occupied Palestinian Territories – and is looking forward to building a real and enduring relationship with the people of the region,” Kensington Palace tweeted.
Back in 2011, I arrived in London a week before Prince William and Kate Middleton’s royal wedding and found my first souvenir of their big day at the entrance to the Underground: Transport for London had released a batch of limited edition Oyster cards (a pass used for public transportation) that featured an engagement photo of the happy couple. This time around, though, as William’s brother Prince Harry prepares to marry American actress Meghan Markle on May 19, no commemorative travel cards are being issued—a small but telling sign of how different this wedding will likely be from the one that took place seven years ago.
It’s natural to compare the two occasions: Before William and Kate exchanged vows, the last major royal wedding to capture the public’s attention so spectacularly was that of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. But there’s a lot of key differences between the two, especially in the tone and atmosphere. Prince William, as the second in line to the throne, had much more responsibilities, which played out on his wedding day in the guests, formalities, and traditions that were expected to be followed. But from the moment Harry and Meghan’s engagement was announced, the two have expressed their wish to make this day their own. “This wedding, like all weddings, will be a moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters and values of the bride and groom,” Kensington Palace said in a statement.
Here, the biggest differences between the two royal weddings you can expect to see.
PHOTO: Paul Gilham
The scene outside Prince William and Kate Middleton’s 2011 wedding.
The Day
Prince William’s ceremony was on a Friday (April 29), which followed the long-held tradition of royal weddings taking place on a weekday. And, because of this, the day became an official bank holiday—meaning many people got the day off work, something that certainly improved attitudes toward the royal family. Prince Harry and Meghan’s wedding, however, breaks with the tradition: It’s on a Saturday (May 19). It also takes place on the same date as a major sporting event: the FA Cup soccer (or football, if you prefer) tournament. Prince William, who’s president of the Football Association, will be missing it to be the best man at Harry’s wedding.
PHOTO: Epics
The interior of St. George’s Chapel, where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are getting married.
The Location
Getting married at Westminster Abbey, one of the U.K.’s oldest churches with a history stretching back over a thousand years, gave Will and Kate’s day a grandiosity that simply won’t be part of Harry and Meghan’s. The latter have scaled down a bit, opting instead for the intimate St. George’s Chapel nestled within the grounds of Windsor Castle. St. George’s only holds about 800 people, compared to Westminster’s 2,000.
PHOTO: WPA Pool
Prince William and Kate Middleton wed in 2011 at Westminster Abbey.
The Guests
Because Prince Harry is sixth in line to the throne, he’s not expected to include all the dignitaries that his brother had to. In other words, President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Theresa May are not invited. Instead, guests at Harry and Meghan’s wedding will be people who have a relationship with the couple—friends like Priyanka Chopra. (Rihanna, though, will not be there.) 600 guests have reportedly been invited to the ceremony and the lunchtime reception, with only 200 close family and friends attending a party hosted later that night by Prince Charles at Frogmore House. (Prince Charles also hosted an evening party for William.) Additionally, thousands of people—including charity workers, school children, and Windsor residents—have been invited to watch the arrival and departure of the bride and groom.
PHOTO: Rob Ball
Crowds gather outside Westminster Abbey for a view of William and Kate’s royal wedding.
The Spectators
As for the greater public, Kensington Palace has confirmed there will be large screens in Windsor to watch the event, as well as a number of viewing areas and decorations. No doubt many of the royal fans who flocked to London for William and Kate will be there to celebrate—after all, dozens set up tents and camped out ahead of April 29, 2011 event. This time, though, there might be slightly less enthusiastic die-hards: Windsor’s council has advised that camping is forbidden, and tents along the procession route have also been banned.
PHOTO: Chris Jackson
Kate Middleton’s dress was designed by Sarah Burton.
The Dress
Like Kate did in 2011, Meghan is keeping mum on the designer and details of the dress she’ll be saying her vows in. That said, sources claim Ralph & Russo, who made her stunning engagement dress, will be behind her gown. Meghan will likely be wearing two dresses—one for the wedding ceremony, and one for the evening celebration—as Kate did. And just like Kate, the Queen will see the dress before the groom following royal protocol.
PHOTO: WPA Pool
William and Kate’s wedding cake.
The Cake
In what’s being seen as a reflection of their modern views, Meghan and Prince Harry have commissioned Claire Ptak, owner of London-based Violet Bakery, to make a lemon elderflower cake with buttercream frosting and decorated with fresh flowers. This is in place of the traditional fruitcake that’s been at many a royal wedding before, including Kate and William’s. They had an eight-tier one—along with a chocolate biscuit groom’s cake.
PHOTO: WPA Pool
THE BALCONY KISS
The Photo Opps
For all its formalities, Kate and William’s 2011 wedding left us with a fairytale image: that kiss on the balcony. But location logistics means this moment is unlikely to happen for Harry and Meghan. Instead, they’ll take a short carriage ride, from St. George’s Chapel through Windsor Town and back after the ceremony. Still, we’ll surely get something iconic.
PHOTO: OLI SCARFF
Harry and Meghan “free spirit” mugs.
The Souvenirs
Although there won’t be any travel cards bearing the faces of Harry and Meghan, the couple will get a special commemorative five-pound coin, just asWilliam and Kate did. And walking the streets of London, there are still plenty of other trinkets to be found marking Harry and Meghan’s upcoming nuptials, including plates and mugs with their faces on them. And, as a further indication of the welcome change Meghan seems to be ushering in, local artist Emma Bridgewater has created Harry and Meghan mugs with the words “game-changers” and “free spirits” written on them.
The soon-to-be family members arrived for Christmas Day services at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, and the coats alone were probably enough to make the expectant crowd’s wait to see the royal family worth it (some of them had arrived at 2:30 A.M. to catch a glimpse!).
Meghan stepped out wearing a tan wide-collar Sentaler coat and very on-trend circular Chloé bag. She topped of the ensemble with a Philip Treacy fascinator-ish hat, leather gloves, and suede Stuart Weitzman boots.
Kate went super festive in a Christmas tartan Miu Miu coat embellished by a double row of brass buttons and topped off with a delightful fur hat. The $2,200 coat is, of course, sold out now, so a very merry Christmas to all you new Kate coat owners indeed.
PHOTO: Chris Jackson
PHOTO: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
PHOTO: Chris Jackson/Getty Images
We already know that the “Meghan Markle Effect” is very real, which means that you should probably act now if you’re trying to show up at New Year’s Eve dinner with your family looking like, well, royalty. (Or, hey, sneak in some very last-minute changes to your Christmas wish list.)
Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, made her first appearance since announcing her third pregnancy yesterday at Buckingham Palace. (She, Prince William, and Prince Harry were hosting an event honoring mental health workers.) She looked stunning, as always: The Duchess wore a power blue dress with lace sleeves, and royal Family fans even noticed—and freaked out over—the tiny baby bump visible.
PHOTO: Getty Images
But not everyone was nice about this. Because it’s 2017 and the Internet exists, the appearance of the Duchess’ baby bump also brought out the haters. Several people flocked to social media to criticize Middleton’s slim figure and the fact that her baby bump isn’t larger. Cringe, cringe, cringe.
Here are just a few of the awful comments we found:
“Really, Is she pregnant?”
“[She] doesn’t even look pregnant.”
“Of course she doesn’t look pregnant.”
“She hardly looks preg!”
“I can’t believe she’s prego, she looks too thin.”
“Malnourished anorexic”
“Emaciated”
Ugh, people really are the worst. This should go without saying, but people’s bodies should never be up for discussion—especially pregnant women. All women carry their pregnancies differently. Just because the Duchess isn’t showing more doesn’t make her any less pregnant. And on the flip-side: A woman isn’t necessarily unhealthy if she gains more weight than expected during a pregnancy. It varies from body to body—and the fact people think it’s their place to give commentary about this is beyond disgusting.
Kylie Jenner and Khloé Kardashian are going through something similar right now, too. They’re both rumored to be pregnant, and the Internet can’t stop scrutinizing their body, their clothes…everything. Kardashian recently shut down people on social media who thought her arm placement in this photo indicated she’s expecting.
“This is a peplum shirt,” she wrote. “It flairs [sic] out at the bottom. It’s just the way the shirt is designed. In some of the next pictures coming up from the SAME shoot, I’m in a crop top. Showing a lot of skin…”
When news of Kate Middleton’s‘s third pregnancy broke earlier this month, everyone royally (heh) lost it—and for good reason: Not only do we have even more aww-worthy royal family moments to look forward to, but we can also anticipate nine months of especially on-point outfits from the mom-to-be. Never not polished, the Duchess of Cambridge always pulls through with her elegant dresses, sleek outerwear, and sophisticated footwear. We shouldn’t be surprised that Middleton’s style never quits, though—after all, this is the royal who backs our favorite trends and frequently makes budget-friendly brands like J.Crew and Zara look expensive. If the the maternity looks she wore while pregnant with Prince George and Princess Charlotte were any indication, we’ll see some of the Duchess’ best outfits in the months ahead. For now, revisit our favorite of Kate Middleton’s maternity fashion moments.
