Prince Harry attended Pippa Middleton and James Matthews' wedding without his actress girlfriend Meghan Markle on Saturday, May 20. For weeks, there has been speculation over whether or not Meghan would attend the wedding of the year. Initially, there were reports that Pippa was implementing a "no ring, no bring" policy, which means only married and engaged people would attend the wedding.
Then it was reported that Meghan had been invited to the reception and not the wedding because Pippa didn't want the actress to upstage her on her wedding day.
At the wedding reception
Meghan did not attend the wedding at St. Mark's Church in Englefield, England, but she did attend the private evening reception with Prince Harry and about 300 other guests. The lavish reception was held inside a palace tent at the home of the bride's parents, Michael and Carole Middleton in Bucklebury.
Being together at the wedding reception was a major milestone for the couple. Meghan got to see Harry's brother, Prince William, Duchess Kate, and their children.
The adorable children were in the wedding as well. Prince George, 3, was a page boy, and his 2-year-old sister was a flower girl for their aunt Pippa.
Together over the year
Meghan took a week off from filming "Suits" in Toronto. She arrived at Kensington Palace last Tuesday. The 35-year-old actress probably didn't mind missing the wedding as long as she could be with Prince Harry before and after the wedding.
Being together at the reception was the first official public appearance that Prince Harry and Meghan have attended. They have been to other places together before, but it was nothing that formal. They were spotted earlier this month at a charity polo match. Meghan cheered Harry on, and later they were photographed kissing in public.
For almost a year the pair has been either getting together in England or in Toronto. Meghan spent the first two months of the year with Harry, 32, and they managed to get together for every holiday. He visited her in Toronto for the Easter holiday. In March, they met in Jamaica to attend the wedding of Harry's best friend.
People have noticed how close the prince and the actress have become. Some have predicted that the pair would be engaged by the end of the year, if not sooner. News came out this week that a law had been changed so that if they do decide to get married, they will be able to get married in Westminster Abbey where Prince William and Kate Middleton got married, as well as Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Because Meghan is divorced, she would not have been able to get married there if the law had not been changed.