Marie Claire UK Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Women in Sport 2026
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Spring Summer 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    • Digital Issues
    • Women Who Win
    1. Culture
    2. Celebrity News
    3. Royal News

    These are the royal wedding rules that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s guests have to follow

    No swords, no phones, no presents and no catching the bride's bouquet...

    Jenny Proudfoot's avatar
    By Jenny Proudfoot
    Published 15 May 2018 In News

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    meghan markle dad internet cafe
    (Image credit: Rupert Hartley/REX/Shutterstock)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    No swords, no phones, no presents and no catching the bride's bouquet...

    Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding is days away with the couple set to tie the knot on Saturday at St George’s Chapel, at Windsor Castle.

    The wedding ceremony will see around 600 guests attend, before sitting down to a reception in Windsor Castle. Then for a select 200, there will be the party of all parties at Frogmore House - hosted by Harry’s father Prince Charles, and boasting festival food truck grub, an excellent music line-up and some very famous faces.

    Geoff Pugh/REX/Shutterstock
    (Image credit: Geoff Pugh/REX/Shutterstock)

    With so many events to co-ordinate on the day, it’s hardly surprising that the royal family have got their hands full with wedding prep.

    But it’s not just the bride and groom who have a lot to remember, with their wedding guests also having to comply to a long list of rules on the big day, with the Mail on Sunday even reporting that guests have been offered seven pages of ‘critical guidance’.

    You may like
    • The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Colombia Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Had a Secret UK Home in the First Year of Their Marriage
    • Meghan Markle in 'With Love, Meghan' Meghan Markle’s Sweet Glimpse Into Sussex Family Life Is Going Viral
    • Dua Lipa attends the wedding Of Simon Porte Jacquemus And Marco Maestri Did Dua Lipa Use Astrology to Plan Her Wedding? Here's Why the Internet Thinks So

    Here are the rules that the guests will have to comply to on the wedding day...

    No cameras or phones:

    As much as we wish that guests could keep us updated with what’s going on in the chapel and record Prince William’s best man speech at the reception, social media has been banned from the wedding. And going a step further, guests will be asked to surrender their phones and cameras before making their way to the reception to protect the couple and their guests’ privacy.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    No straying from the dress code:

    Guests were reportedly sent a dress code in their invitations, instructed to wear dress uniform, consisting of a morning coat or lounge suit for men, and a day dress and a hat for women. While hats aren’t a strict rule, they are recommended, with Princesses Eugenie and Beatrice generally opting for fascinators instead.

    Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice at the 2011 royal wedding. Credit: REX
    (Image credit: REX)

    No bulky bags:

    Guests have reportedly been asked not to bring bulky bags, with attendees going through security and ID checks three miles away from the wedding venue, before travelling to Windsor Castle on buses.

    No wedding presents:

    The royal couple have asked their guests not to give them a wedding present, instead choosing seven charities for their attendees to donate to. And for guests who are eager to give the couple something personal, they will have to find another time to bestow their present, with Kensington Palace confirming that gifts cannot be brought to St George’s Chapel or the reception at Windsor Castle.

    What to read next
    • The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Isles of Mull and Iona Royal Experts Predict a Major Milestone From Princess Kate This Autumn
    • Andy Burnham and Marie-France van Heel entering 10 Downing Street “Are We Just Jealous?” Victoria Moss Unpacks the Sexist, Ageist Commentary Around Marie-France van Heel’s Victoria Beckham Dress
    • Fathers Day Gifts The Ultimate Father’s Day Gift Ideas for the Tech Fiend, the Foodie & Every Dad in Between

    No swords:

    This isn’t your typical wedding rule, but for royalty it seems necessary. The dress code instructions are said to include ‘no medals’ and ‘no swords’. We’re going to assume the latter is a safety precaution.

    princess diana queen elizabeth

    Prince Charles and Princess Diana's wedding. Credit: REX
    (Image credit: REX)

    No approaching the Queen:

    Guests at royal weddings must follow the Queen’s protocol - essentially following her lead. She is not to be approached, guests must instead wait for the monarch to approach them, and if she does, they must curtsy.

    No catching the bride’s bouquet:

    While most weddings involve the famous bouquet toss, determining who is going to be the next to walk down the aisle, royal weddings are a little different. And while royal brides have two bouquets - just in case one gets lost after personal experience from the Queen - they always leave a bouquet at the grave of an Unknown warrior in London’s Westminster Abbey - a tradition started by the Queen Mother. Meghan is of course marrying at Windsor Castle rather than Westminster Abbey, but we’re sure the tradition will still be kept in some way. So it's a no-no to the bouquet toss.

    No messing with the seating plan:

    Most weddings are pretty relaxed in terms of seating plans, but unsurprisingly it’s not the case for royalty. Harry’s family will sit on the right, and Meghan’s on the left, with a strict seating plan for all friends. It’s no wonder people will start entering the church hours before - seating all 600 guests will be a nightmare.

    Not much to remember, right? We don't envy those royal party planners!

    Jenny Proudfoot
    Jenny Proudfoot
    Social Links Navigation
    Contributing Features Editor

    Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. After working at Marie Claire UK for seven years - rising from intern to Features Editor - she is now a freelance contributor to the News and Features section.

    In 2021, Jenny was named as a winner on the PPA's '30 under 30' list, and was also listed as a rising star in journalism.

    Read more
    The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Colombia
    Royal News Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Had a Secret UK Home in the First Year of Their Marriage
    Meghan Markle in 'With Love, Meghan'
    Celebrity News Meghan Markle’s Sweet Glimpse Into Sussex Family Life Is Going Viral
     
     
    Dua Lipa attends the wedding Of Simon Porte Jacquemus And Marco Maestri
    Relationships Did Dua Lipa Use Astrology to Plan Her Wedding? Here's Why the Internet Thinks So
    The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Isles of Mull and Iona
    Royal News Royal Experts Predict a Major Milestone From Princess Kate This Autumn
     
     
    Latest in Royal News
    The Prince and Princess of Wales visit the Isles of Mull and Iona
    Royal News Royal Experts Predict a Major Milestone From Princess Kate This Autumn
    The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Colombia
    Royal News Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Had a Secret UK Home in the First Year of Their Marriage
     
     
    The Prince and Princess of Wales visit Southport
    Royal News Prince William Has Given an Emotional Update on Princess Kate
    The Prince and Princess of Wales attend a state visit by the President of the French Republic in 2025
    Royal News Why Prince William and Princess Kate ‘Won’t Change" Their Minds on the Buckingham Palace Situation
     
     
    Latest in News
    Kinda Chic Trend
    Shopping Is "Kinda Chic" Kinda Cringe? Everyone's Favourite Fashion Word Just Went Completely Out of Fashion
    Beauty Digest
    Beauty The Beauty Digest: The Foundation Using Exosome Technology, the Treatment That Transformed My Skin Texture—Plus, the Ever-Earlier Advent Calendar Race
     
     
    Kaia Gerber
    Shopping Everything Kaia Gerber Wears Is a Masterclass in Minimalism—These Are the Pieces and Brands She Always Goes Back to
    Copenhagen Fashion Week street style
    Shopping Kitten-Heel Sandals, Lace Dresses and the Season's New Favourite Shade of Blue— These are the Copenhagen Fashion Week Street Style Trends to Note
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.