Prince Harry's Cousin Weighs in on Meghan Markle's 'Inappropriate' Wedding Dress: 'It Wasn't...'
Meghan Markle, who was previously married to Trevor Engelson, tied the knot with Prince Harry in 2018.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding became one of the most talked-about affairs, given the family drama that went on behind the scenes. One of the biggest controversies was the late Queen Elizabeth’s reaction to Markle’s dress. The former monarch reportedly found the gown ‘too white’ for a divorcee. Seven years later, a cousin of Harry’s has defended Markle for her choice of wedding outfit.
The Queen's stance on the wedding gown came to light when royal expert Ingrid Seward claimed that the monarch voiced her displeasure with the dress to her close friend Lady Elizabeth Anson. According to the Daily Mail, Seward penned, “She [Anson] told me that the Queen had made only one remark about Meghan and Harry's wedding and that was that Meghan's Givenchy wedding gown was 'too white.'” The expert explained, “In the monarch's view, [the dress] was not appropriate for a divorcee getting remarried in church.” Commenting on the same, Harry’s third cousin, Maddison May Brudenell, disagreed with the Queen and defended Markle. Maddison, who quoted Seward's words about the Queen's alleged displeasure, said, "In the monarch's view, it was not appropriate for a divorcee getting remarried in church to look quite so flamboyantly virginal."
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Taking to her Instagram handle, Brudenell shared a picture from her wedding day featuring her and her mother, Edwina Brudenell, the goddaughter of the late Queen. Sharing that she was ‘unsurprised’ by Seward’s claims, she penned, “Because my mother, our late Queen’s goddaughter, had said exactly the same to me. Other family members would agree, she said.” While Brudenell was not offended, she was ‘sad’ to see the dress be an issue as she wanted the day to be joyful. She eventually overcame her feelings and realized her mother meant well and was ‘speaking out of love.’ Brudenell further shared how she has always loved the ‘concept of marriage,’ but that does not mean she is against divorce. Defending a person’s life choices, the 31-year-old penned, “So I understand the notion, however, as I told my mother, we may as well just splash some muddy water, drip some blood, sweat, and tears on it for good measure.”
Brudenell continued, “As it happens, my dress did have a lot of unique components to it, but these were because of what I chose and not in any way what I felt I must choose. My mother listened to my wisdom and respected my style.” She concluded in her statement, “I am blessed to have had that freedom; the pressures on the immediate royal family are extreme, and we must pray for them.”
Meanwhile, Markle has, over the years, opted not to comment on the same. On her big day, she wore not one but two white gowns for the wedding and the reception afterwards. For the church wedding, the former actress wore a bateau-neckline white gown with a fitted bodice, designed by Givenchy’s Clare Waight Keller. According to Hello! magazine, the dress was a reflection of her American style. For the reception, she changed into a halter-neck dress by Stella McCartney.
