The reserved seat in the front row was not for Princess Diana.
As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle recently celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary, royal fans have remembered one of the most surprising details of their wedding in 2018, which is the empty seat next to Prince William during the ceremony.
Many speculated that this gesture could be a tribute to the late Princess Diana, mother of Prince Harry. However, the real reason behind this decision has to do with royal protocol and Queen Elizabeth's visibility during the wedding.
According to royal expert Rebecca English, King Charles' youngest son's decision to leave the seat empty was to allow the queen a clear view of everything happening in St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. This is a common practice in royal ceremonies, where the aim is to ensure the comfort and perspective of the monarch.
Although this gesture was not related to a tribute to Lady Di, the couple did pay tribute to the princess through other significant details. For example, during the ceremony the song "Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer" was sung, which was also used at Diana's funeral in 1997. At that moment, Prince Harry could not contain his emotion.
Likewise, Meghan Markle chose the prince's mother's favorite flowers to compose her bridal bouquet: peonies and white garden roses. These small but symbolic gestures showed that, although the empty seat was not a tribute to Diana, the couple kept the beloved princess in their minds on one of the most important days of their lives.
After announcing their engagement, Prince Harry had expressed: "It's days like today when I really miss having her around and missing the opportunity to share the good news. I'm sure she's with us." This sentiment was reflected in multiple details of the royal wedding.
