Lunch with the queen! Queen Elizabeth II hosted a lunchtime reception at St George’s Hall in Windsor Castle on Saturday, May 19, shortly after Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan tied the knot.
All 600 guests — including Prince William, Duchess Kate, Prince Charles, Duchess Camilla, George and Amal Clooney, David and Victoria Beckham, Serena Williams, Priyanka Chopra, and Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland — were invited to attend the luncheon.
Harry and Meghan’s lemon elderflower wedding cake, which was made by London’s Violet Bakery’s Claire Ptak, was served at the lunch, according to Kensington Palace. Charles, who walked the former Suits star down the aisle and Harry are all set to make speeches at the reception. Harry’s best man and brother, William, will “act as compere for the reception,” according to the palace. Meghan, meanwhile is set to give a speech at the second reception.
Sir Elton John, who was close friends with the late Princess Diana, also performed at the reception. He famously sang “Candle in the Wind” at Diana’s 1997 funeral.
Guests were served a selection of canapés including grilled English asparagus wrapped in cumbrian ham, Scottish langoustines wrapped in smoked salmon with citrus crème fraiche, and heritage tomato and basil tartare with balsamic pearls, according to the palace.
A section of “bowl food,” including 10-hour slow-roasted Windsor pork belly with apple compote and crackling and with morel mushrooms and young leeks was also on the menu.
Later in the evening, the newlyweds and 200 of their closet family and friends will attend a second, private reception hosted by Prince Charles at Frogmore House. Sources confirmed to Us Weekly on May 16 that Meghan’s former Suits castmates —including Patrick Adams, Gina Torres and Rick Hoffman — did not score invites to the second reception, but were all smiles at the ceremony.
Noticeably missing from all of the royal wedding festivities is the new Duchess’ father, Thomas Markle, who did not travel to London after he underwent heart surgery days before the wedding and seemingly staging photos with the paparazzi. The former lighting director told TMZ on Saturday that his daughter looked “beautiful” during the nuptials.
