Queen Elizabeth Was Worried Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Marriage Wouldn’t Last — Here’s Why
More than one person expressed their reservations about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship before they got married. The alleged feud between the Duke of Sussex and his brother was at least partially because Prince William urged him to proceed with caution and not rush into marriage. One of Prince Harry’s close friends supposedly said the same and now he’s no longer friends with him (though his relationship advice isn’t necessarily to blame).
But what about Prince Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth? It turns out she also had some words of caution for lovestruck grandson. Now that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle celebrated their first wedding anniversary, it’s time to reevaluate the Queen’s warning. Might her prediction still come true?
Queen Elizabeth was worried about this one issue for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
There are traditions, there are superstitions, and then there’s the line where these two things blur together. Marrying during the month of May is somewhere on this spectrum.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle raised a few eyebrows when they chose to schedule their royal wedding for May 19. Despite being a popular month to get married, royal family members traditionally don’t choose it for superstitious reasons, and it’s likely that Queen Elizabeth tried to talk them out of it because of these long-held views. It’s believed that Queen Victoria, Elizabeth’s great-great-grandmother, strictly forbade her children from choosing that month for weddings.
Why is it unlucky to marry in May?
The tradition of avoiding May weddings goes back to Victorian times and the spread of Christianity. Apparently, the pagan festival of Beltane began in May, so practicing Christians were taught to distance their wedding celebrations from that time to avoid associations. Churches booked up in April with engaged couples hoping to tie the knot before May 1.
But does Queen Elizabeth really believe Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding date matters? She might. Her sister, Princess Margaret, married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones on May 9, 1960 and went on to become the first senior member of the royal family to divorce in 77 years when they split in 1976.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex broke other traditions when they married
The month wasn’t the only break in protocol on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding day. Instead of choosing a weekday, which the public looks forward to as an automatic national holiday, the pair chose to get married on a Saturday. The Queen was allegedly surprised that the bride wore white even though she’s been married before. Traditionally, divorcees opt for blush or cream-colored gowns for second weddings.
Ultimately, Queen Elizabeth approved the marriage, the date, and everything else about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s union, so it’s unlikely she puts as much stock in rumors as he great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria did. Still, if the Duke and Duchess of Sussex do end up separating in the future, it may cause people to wonder if their wedding date was the thing to blame.
Let’s just hope that never happens!
