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Royal Wedding 2018: Turns Out That Spare Seat Wasn’t For Diana

Royal Wedding 2018: Turns Out That Spare Seat Wasn’t For Diana

Many speculated that the vacant seat was a nod to the late Princess but it's actually for a more boring reason

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

While emotions were high yesterday as the world watched Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tie the knot, there was a particular moment which touched everyone's hearts.

As photos from inside St George's Chapel were released, people noticed that there was a spare seat next to Prince William - the seat positioned closest to Hazza and Megs, in fact.

People quickly speculated that more than two decades after her death, the Duke of Sussex wanted that seat saved for his late mum, Princess Diana.

Awwwww.

PA

It seemed to be the cherry on top of a faultless day with an outpouring of positive emotions. However, now that the dust has settled on the big occasion, it appears that the spare seat had nothing to do with Diana at all.

Royal correspondents from the UK media have shut that rumour well and truly down, saying that leaving the seat vacant is designed to allow the Queen an unobstructed view of the ceremony.

What's more, according to the Daily Mail's Rebecca English, the seat in front of Her Maj is always left empty at royal weddings.

To be fair, I think we all liked the other reason better.

PA

Some might question why she wasn't in the front row considering, you know, that she's the Queen and all. But apparently where Her Majesty was sitting yesterday is her favourite seat at St George's Chapel.

But although party poopers may have ruined that special moment with their cold, brutal facts, it's not as if the happy couple didn't pay tribute to Princess Diana in other ways.

The bouquet she was holding was filled with forget-me-nots and the chapel was decorated with a bunch of white roses, which were two of the late Princess' favourite flowers.

Diana's sister, Lady Jane Fellowes, gave a reading during the ceremony and siblings Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Earl Charles Spencer were in the crowd.

Not only that, but Prince Harry grabbed a few of his mum's diamonds to create the engagement ring that he gave Meghan. After the jewels' origins were revealed, the Duchess of Sussex told the BBC: "It's so important to me to know that she's a part of this with us."

There was also a hymn, 'Guide Me, O Thy Great Redeemer', that was sung at both the royal wedding and Diana's funeral.

When the pair stepped out before the evening reception hosted by Prince Charles, Meghan gave photographers a wave and showed that she was wearing Diana's aquamarine ring.

The former Princess of Wales wore that very ring in 1997 to an auction of her own clothes at Christie's. So while Diana didn't get an actual seat at the wedding, she was certainly remembered in other places.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, Royal Wedding, Interesting, The Queen, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle