Meghan Markle Broke Protocol With Intimate Wedding Photos — But Princess Kate May Have Done It First
Did Meghan Markle really break a royal rule with her wedding photos? A former palace insider thinks there’s more to it.
Thanks to Meghan Markle, fans finally have an intimate look at her wedding day with Prince Harry from 2018. Romance, drama, a grand affair—you name it, you've got it. Those pictures have everything royal watchers have been craving. But did the Duchess break a major rule by posting the images? Well, a former palace butler thinks otherwise.
Markle posted a series of photos to mark her 8th wedding anniversary with Prince Harry. She jumped on Instagram and shared two separate batches of wedding photos from her big day, including several intimate moments that fans had never seen before. She kept the caption short and sweet, simply writing, “Eight years ago today,” alongside a sun emoji for the daytime celebrations and a moon emoji for the evening party.
Now, the release of those photos has sparked a fresh royal debate. While some believe Markle may have crossed an unspoken royal line by posting such personal moments, one former palace insider thinks there is more to the story. According to Grant Harrold, who worked for King Charles for seven years, she may have simply taken a page out of her sister-in-law’s playbook.
Harrold was much more than just a butler during his years at Highgrove House. Along with serving the now-King, he also acted as a valet, house manager, housekeeper, and even driver. Over the years, he regularly spent time around Prince William, Princess Kate, and Prince Harry whenever they stayed at the royal residence.
“These are intimate and personal moments, and while they are beautiful photos, they’re also very interesting. I don’t think we’ve ever seen internal scenes from a senior royal wedding to this degree. It’s unprecedented,” Harrold told Showbiz Cheat Sheet. However, the former staff explained that the royal family has traditionally been extremely protective of private moments, especially at weddings. While a handful of photos from Princess Beatrice’s wedding were released, he pointed out that “she’s not a senior royal, so it’s very different.”
Harrold emphasized, “If we ever caught someone using a camera inside a royal home, we had to take the phone and delete the photos. They were really, really strict about it.” He also feels the Sussexes could be following a similar social media approach to Prince William and Kate. In his view, the Waleses have become much more personal online over the years while still keeping that traditional royal image intact.
“Long gone are the days of formal birthday photos, and they’ve taken to sharing a lot of ‘behind the scenes’ clips from key events… It’s not a big anniversary… One photo would have been enough. This is a real celebrity move and very much shows their place as in the royal world,” Harrold added. Whether it was a power move by Markle or simply celebrating a big day, rest assured that it will keep the royal community talking for days.
