May 19, 2018, was a big day for the British royal family, as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle finally tied the knot in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Of course, the whole world was curious to see the latest royal wedding, especially considering the fact that the relationship between Harry and Meghan has been a bit controversial. After all, how often does it happen that a member of a European royal family marries an American actress? We know what you are thinking, and you are right – it just doesn’t happen!

However, no matter what the rest of the world might think (including the other members of the royal family), those two fell in love, and Meghan Markle officially became a member of the British royal family known as Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. Of course, royal weddings are usually all about following certain traditions, but this particular royal wedding was slightly different than the more conventional ones we got to see in the past. And while the wedding went pretty smoothly, Meghan and Harry broke a number of protocols that are to be followed during a royal wedding, and today, we are about to take a look at 15 things that those two did differently than they were expected to.

Harry Watched Meghan Walk Down The Aisle

While we are used to seeing (especially in Hollywood movies) the groom’s eyes sparkling and filling with joy as he watches the love of his life walking down the aisle towards him, this isn’t how things traditionally work in British royal weddings. As Myka Meira of Beaumont Etiquette told Good Housekeeping: "In the United States, the groom and entire wedding party will watch the bride walk down the aisle. At a British wedding, the groom and his best man (or supporter) will face the altar as the bride walks down the aisle. He won’t turn to look at her until she is beside him." However, Prince Harry broke this royal protocol, either because he didn’t care for it all that much or because he simply wasn’t able to resist watching his bride walking down the aisle, and he kept his eyes on her for the entire time. The whole world then witnessed a heartwarming moment when he whispered to her how beautiful she was, and how lucky he was to have her. Okay, one must agree that none of that was in accordance to the royal protocol, but can you really blame two people in love for behaving a little bit foolish and forgetting all about protocols and traditions?

Meghan Wasn’t Given Away By Her Father

It is a tradition as old as time that a bride is walked down the aisle and given away by her father but, due to the unfortunate set of circumstances, Meghan had to walk the first half of the walk alone before being joined by her father-in-law-to-be, Prince Charles. However, nobody really planned on this to happen so we cannot blame Meghan for how things played out here. Originally, her father, Thomas Markle, was due to take this important walk alongside his daughter but, unfortunately, three days before the wedding, he had to undergo a surgery, following a heart attack, and he was in no shape to join his daughter on the most important day of her life. And while there is nobody to blame for this unfortunate turn of events, the royal protocol was broken here either way, as the traditional father-daughter walk down the aisle didn’t happen. However, Mr. Markle was able to watch the wedding from California where he was recovering from his surgery and he told TMZ: “My baby looks beautiful and she looks very happy. I wish I were there and I wish them all my love and all happiness. I feel honored and grateful that Prince Charles took my spot.”

The First Kiss

The first kiss between the newlywed royal couple is a very symbolic moment and ever since the weddings of the children of Queen Victoria, it has been a tradition for this kiss to take place in front of the cheering crowds, at the balcony of the Buckingham Palace. If royal weddings are something you enjoy watching, you probably remember the picture-perfect first kiss that Kate Middleton and Prince William shared at that legendary kissing balcony spot. However, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle didn’t get married in London, so it was impossible for them to have their first kiss in this iconic place. Their ceremony was held at Windsor Castle, and they did share a public first kiss, but instead of it happening on the Buckingham Palace balcony, the royal bride and groom shared their kiss in front of the cheering crowd on the steps of the St. George's Chapel right after the ceremony was over. Fun fact: Even though kissing on the balcony is quite an old tradition, the first couple who shared their kiss in front of the cheering masses was Prince Charles and Diana in 1981, and it then became a tradition followed by British royal couples that came after.

Wedding Cake

When you are a royal couple, you cannot simply choose any wedding cake that you like because there are certain traditions to be followed. However, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle didn’t seem to care much about those traditions because they chose a completely different approach when it came to picking their wedding cake than the rest of the royal family members who have gotten married before them. Royal wedding cakes are traditionally multi-tiered fruitcakes, very rich in fruit and marzipan, and covered in the white icing, not to mention the fact that they are usually made by famous British bakers who are based in London. And now, forget everything you have just read about the traditional British royal wedding cakes because the cake Harry and Meghan picked for themselves was something completely different. It was a lemon-and-elderflower cake covered in buttercream, decorated with fresh flowers that were supposed to represent their spring wedding. Also, it was baked by an American baker, Claire Ptak, of Violet bakery. And while there is no denying that the cake looked pretty impressive, one must agree that it wasn’t what we were expecting to see, as basically none of the traditions regarding the royal cakes have been followed here.

No Maid of Honor

Having a maid of honor actually isn’t something that is traditionally a part of the British royal weddings, but it is custom to have a chief bridesmaid, which is basically the same thing, just called by a different name. However, the first person to break this protocol was Kate Middleton when she insisted on having an actual maid of honor, her sister, Pippa, who, at that point, probably became the most famous maid of honor in the world. And while Kate broke the royal protocol when she decided to have her beloved sibling by her side, Meghan Markle broke the protocol too when she decided not to because there was neither the chief bridesmaid nor any other bridesmaid present in the last royal wedding. According to Meghan Markle, she simply wasn’t able to choose which of her friends she wanted there by her side during the ceremony without making the others feel excluded so she decided that nobody should be her bridesmaid. However, she did agree to have pageboys and flower girls present and all of them were children, including Prince George and Princess Charlotte, as well as three of Meghan’s closest friend, Jessica Mulroney's, children.

The Best Man

Having a best man at the British royal wedding isn’t actually a traditional protocol, but Prince Harry decided to throw the protocol out of the window, and he asked his brother, Prince William, to be his best man anyway. In all fairness, Prince Harry isn’t the first member of the royal family to break this protocol. Back in 2011 when Prince William was marrying Kate Middleton, he also asked his brother to be his best man so right now, they are basically equal – they both broke the royal protocol and they are both each other’s best men. As for the protocol, the royal groom usually has a group of men called the supporters by his side during the wedding instead of the best man. The official statement by Kensington Palace read: “Prince Harry has asked his brother The Duke of Cambridge to be his best man at his wedding to Ms. Meghan Markle. Prince Harry served as best man to The Duke of Cambridge at his wedding to Miss Catherine Middleton in 2011. The Duke of Cambridge is honored to have been asked, and is very much looking forward to supporting his brother at St George's Chapel, Windsor on May 19th.”

Meghan Is Divorced

Once upon a time, if a member of a royal family was in a relationship with a divorcee, it was considered not only completely inappropriate but borderline disastrous. Let’s just take a quick look at the past. If you are a fan of the popular Netflix series, The Crown, you are probably already familiar with the love story between Queen Elizabeth’s younger sister, Princess Margaret, and a divorced royal equerry, Peter Townsend. It was Peter’s divorced status that made it impossible for him to marry Princess Margaret when both the parliament and the Church stated they were against the match. Roughly 50 years later, the new ruling from the Church of England finally allowed Prince Charles to marry his long-term girlfriend, Camila Parker-Bowels (who was also divorced). But even though the Church allowed the two to get married, there was still quite significant public conflict about the two tying the knot. And all of this brings us to today, and to the fact that Meghan Markle was previously married to Trevor Engelson. After being in a relationship for 6 years, Meghan and Trevor got married in 2011, but they decided to part their ways two years later and were officially divorced in August 2013.

Public Displays Of Affection

When it comes to public displays of affection, the royal protocol is pretty clear and strict – the couple should avoid all forms of public displays of affection at all times. For example, Prince William and Kate Middleton are well-known for closely following this protocol, and you definitely won’t be seeing them kissing in the middle of the street. On the other hand, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have broken this royal protocol more than once – even during the wedding. Even before the wedding, Meghan and Harry used to be more open about displaying their relationship than most royal couples, and they have been seen holding hands on multiple occasions. On their wedding day, the couple couldn’t resist holding hands either, and they did it throughout the ceremony even when at the moments when hand-holding wasn’t necessary for the ceremony. This seems like a minor thing, but for the members of the royal family who follow every single royal protocol very closely, it might have seemed like a really big deal. After all, the protocols are there for a reason because they are a part of a certain royal tradition, and what is left of basically any tradition if it’s not followed? Well, nothing.

The Wedding Date

Traditionally, the British royal weddings take place on weekdays rather than during the weekend – and British people appreciate that very much because it means a bank holiday for them, which is basically a day off work. After all, the royal wedding ceremony is something that shan’t be missed, especially if you are British, and people all around the world watch as the bride and the groom join their lives in matrimony. Since it is such a big day for the people of Britain, they have traditionally gotten a free day to be able to enjoy the royal wedding to the fullest. But, unfortunately for those who were looking forward to one extra day of the holiday, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided not to follow the royal tradition and they had scheduled their wedding for Saturday, May 19^th. For royal fans across the globe who watched the televised event and who would not have been granted a bank holiday, it was probably good news that the couple chose the weekend to tie the knot. For British people, however, it must have been slightly disappointing if they were hoping for an extra day off. Hopefully, they enjoyed the ceremony either way.

Meghan Is Not Anglican

A while back, it would be almost impossible for a member of the British royal family to marry someone who isn’t Anglican, and it doesn’t really have much to do with the nationality like some people think. In fact, it is all about religion. The Act of Settlement of 1701 made it impossible for any Roman Catholic (or even a person married to one) to ascend to the British throne, and it was like that for roughly 300 years. We can’t be sure what religion Meghan belongs to because she never discussed it publicly, but according to the Reader’s Digest, she attended an all-girls Catholic school in LA, while her father is believed to be Jewish. Luckily for Meghan and all other future members of the British royal family, as of 2015, being Anglican is no longer a necessary requirement for one to become a royal spouse. Being that as it may, Meghan decided to get baptized into the Church of England anyway in a secret ceremony at St James's Palace in London. According to Daily Mail: “Miss Markle had asked the Archbishop, Justin Welby, to lead the service after forming a close bond with him in recent weeks as he instructed her on the rites and sacraments of the Church. Her baptism was followed immediately by her confirmation.”

The Wedding Florist

Meghan Markle has always been especially fond of flowers, and while she was living back in Toronto, she used to create her own floral arrangements that she had been posting on Instagram on a regular basis. Vanity Fair writes: “Meghan has been very hands-on with all elements of the wedding, but especially the flowers, says a royal source. She met with the Queen and some of her staff at Windsor back in February to have some early discussions about what could be done at the church and at the receptions in terms of flowers. She seemed to have a pretty clear idea of what she wanted. It was lots of springtime whites and pastels and very romantic flowers.” However, the British royal family has their so-called Royal Warrant holders – the companies or the people that have served the royal family for at least five years. One of them, Shane Connolly, was the designated wedding florist of Harry and Meghan’s wedding but the couple decided to stray from the tradition and choose their own florist, Philippa Craddock. And while the royal family might have been questioning their choice, according to Tatler, Craddock is a true floral mastermind who did an excellent job.

Prince Harry Designed The Engagement Ring

When it comes to engagement rings, a popular choice in the royal family has been gemstones. For example, the gorgeous engagement ring currently worn by Kate Middleton that used to belong to Princess Diana is a 12-carat sapphire, while both Princess Margaret and Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson wore ruby rings. Historically speaking, gemstones have always been a tradition in the British royal family. Even Queen Victoria’s ring was made of diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. However, when it came to choosing an engagement ring for Meghan Markle, Prince Harry decided to take a different approach, and he designed the ring himself. However, the interesting part is the story behind the ring. According to Reader’s Digest, the three diamonds featured on the gold band Meghan is wearing on her ring finger have been carefully chosen by Prince Harry as a tribute to his late mother, Princess Diana. People reports that the two smaller diamonds were originally a part of Diana’s personal diamond collection, while the large diamond in the middle came from Botswana, which is a very dear place to Prince Harry, and he often calls it his second home. It was a place he first visited after his mother’s death, and he’s been going back there ever since.

The Wedding Location

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are not the first couple to stray from this tradition, but they still sort of broke the royal protocol when they decided not to have their wedding ceremony at the capital's, Westminster Abbey. You probably remember Prince William and Kate Middleton’s gorgeous wedding that took place at this iconic location but, no matter how lovely the place and no matter the royal tradition, Harry and Meghan decided to get married at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, a little outside of London. However, they did not choose this location randomly. In fact, according to People, Windsor is one of Harry’s favorite places, and he and Meghan have been visiting it and spending time there on a regular basis. They also aren’t the first British royal couple to say their “I dos” at St. George's Chapel. Harper’s Bazaar explains: “The non-traditional choice of venue is not a full break from royal protocol—the duo will follow a number of royal couples who walked down the aisle at the Windsor Castle locale. More recently, Harry's cousin, Peter Phillips, and wife, Autumn Kelly, were married at St. George's Chapel in 2008. Harry's father, Prince Charles, and stepmother, Camilla Parker Bowles, shared a special blessing ceremony at Windsor Castle after their civil service marriage in 2005.”

The Guest List

Considering the fact that Meghan Markle used to be an American actress, the royal wedding guest list included more celebrity guests than we are used to seeing usually attending British royal weddings. Some of the bigger names on the list included Oprah Winfrey, Idris Elba and Sabrina Dhowre, David and Victoria Beckham, George and Amal Clooney, Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian, and many others. However, having celebrities at the wedding is not what broke the royal protocol. In fact, Prince Harry and Meghan strayed from the royal tradition when they invited 2,640 members of the public to watch the carriage procession at the Windsor Castle after the ceremony. Harper’s Bazaar explains: “This doesn't typically happen—traditionally, royal wedding invitations are only issued to guests attending the ceremony and the reception. For his wedding to Kate Middleton in 2011, Prince William did not issue any invitations to the public—he invited 1,900 guests to the Westminster Abbey ceremony. St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle has a maximum capacity of 800 people and does not accommodate the 2,000 guests traditionally invited to attend the royal weddings held at Westminster Abbey. This may be why Harry and Markle sent public invitations for honored citizens to join in the pre- and post-ceremony processionals.”

The Music Selection

When it comes to the music performed during the royal wedding ceremony, the couple doesn’t really have much of a choice, and they traditionally rely on the classic organ music plus, the sound of the famous wedding bells. However, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided not to follow this tradition, and they hand-picked the songs to be performed during the ceremony. A statement from Kensington Palace said: "Both Prince Harry and Ms. Markle have taken a great deal of interest and care in choosing the music for their service, which will include a number of well-known hymns and choral works."As CNN reports: "The rich tones of the cello played by award-winning young musician, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, again emphasized the couple's desire to break the mold. The ceremony ended with the Etta James version of 'Amen/This Little Light of Mine,' a gospel song that became synonymous with the US civil rights movement." As Meghan Markle walked down the aisle, she was accompanied by the sounds of Eternal Source of Light Divine sung by a Welsh soprano singer, Elin Manahan-Thomas. According to BBC, the music was arranged to reflect the personalities of Harry and Meghan as individuals, while celebrating a common theme – love.