She was there in spirit. Prince Harry paid tribute to his late mother, Princess Diana, many times during his wedding weekend. However, the red-headed royal commemorated Diana in a powerful way by subtly including her in his official portraits with Duchess Meghan.
After the newly minted Duke and Duchess of Sussex tied the knot on Saturday, May 19, at St George’s Chapel, they joined their bridal party and the royal family for a photo shoot in the Green Drawing Room at Windsor Castle.
Kensington Palace released three official photos of the newlyweds on Monday, May 21. One snapshot was of them posing alongside their adorable page boys and bridesmaids, which included Prince George, 4, and Princess Charlotte, 3.
While the former actress, 36, kneels on the floor alongside the children, Harry, 33, reclines on an emerald green couch that he once sat on as a child with the late Princess of Wales. After Harry’s christening in 1984, he was photographed on Diana’s lap as she sat beaming on the same piece of furniture alongside Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles.
The Captain General Royal Marines found many other sweet ways to include his late mother in his special day. Meghan’s bouquet featured Diana’s favorite flowers, forget-me-nots, which Harry handpicked from the couple’s garden at Kensington Palace. Even more, the archway of St George’s Chapel was adorned with white peonies and white garden roses, the same flowers planted at the palace’s White Garden on the 20th anniversary of Diana’s death.
The couple surely felt Diana’s presence when they tied the knot on Saturday in front of 600 guests. Meghan also honored her late mother-in-law in a touching way by wearing her aquamarine ring to an evening reception at Frogmore House, hosted by Prince Charles. The Suits alum’s engagement ring, designed by Harry, also features Diana’s diamonds.
“The little diamonds on either side are from my mother’s jewelry collection to make sure that she’s with us on this crazy journey together,” Harry told BBC News in November 2017, after the duo announced their engagement. Added Meghan: “It’s so important to me to know that [Diana] is part of this with us.”
