Meghan attended the marriage of Celia McCorquodale and George Woodhouse at St Andrew and St Mary’s Church in Stoke Rochford along with Prince Harry making it her first family wedding as a royal for.
A video of them arriving:
Celia is the first cousin of Prince Harry. Her parents are Lady Sarah McCorquodale, who is one of Diana, Princess of Wales’ siblings (Diana was the fourth of five children, making Celia the late Princess’ nieces, and Neil McCorquodale)
Meghan and Harry were greeted by the Spencer family, with Prince Harry’s cousin, Louis Spencer, giving him a bear hug and kissing Meghan on the cheek.
Celia arrived at the church and walked into the church on the arm of her father, Neil McCorquodale. Her bridal train was carried by a flower girl and she was accompanied by an array of bridesmaids. She carried a bouquet featuring white roses.
Celia included a stunning tribute to the late Diana in her wedding look by wearing the Spencer Tiara, which Diana wore in 1981 when she married Prince Charles.
⦁ “Diana famously wore the Spencer tiara on her wedding day in July 1981. The tiara, a Spencer family heirloom, was a wedding present given to Diana’s grandmother Cynthia Spencer, Countess Spencer by Lady Sarah Spencer in 1919. In 1937, the tiara was remounted with new elements created by Garrard, resulting in the floral diamond design seen today. Parts of the tiara are believed to have come from a jewel that once belonged to Frances Manby, who was the last known Viscountess of Montagu in the 18th century, People reports. It’s unclear how those pieces ended up in Lady Sarah Spencer’s possession.
The Spencer tiara has been worn by generations of Spencer women in addition to Princess Diana. Diana’s two sisters chose the heirloom on their wedding day, and the tiara was also worn by the wives of their brother Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer.”
The Church of St Andrew & St Mary was built around 1300 and has been designated as a Grade I listed building.
The current church was built on the site of an earlier Saxon church. The tower has a square first stage, an octagonal belfry, and a lead covered spire
The ceremony lasted around 45 minutes and afterwards the wedding guests were invited back to a reception at Celia’s parents’ home nearby.
Meghan wore the Oscar de la Renta Long Sleeve Cocktail Dress for the wedding. The dress is from the Resort 2019 Collection.
The dress is made from silk and viscose and features a cinched in waist and a high/low hemline. This marks the first time the Meghan publicly worn Oscar de la Renta – an American fashion house known for its elegance. You will recall Doria wore the label choosing it for Meghan and Harry’s wedding.
While Meghan in my opinion looked stunning in the dress several royal fans and reporters were quick to comment calling it “too big” and “ill-fitting,” while others thought it was “too casual” for a such a formal wedding.
I liked Telegraphs respond to that:
⦁ “Meghan is a woman who knows her fashion audiences. Wearing spotless, figure-hugging white Givenchy couture on her first solo engagement with the Queen this week provided a wow-factor that the crowds of Runcorn will likely have never seen.
But today, she’s trying to embed herself in Harry’s crowd, maybe cement relations with her new British girl friends. This was a dress for them. If she’d pulled one of her razor-sharp, bodycon power dresses from her cupboard (the type that we might associate with her Suits character Rachel Zane) she wouldn’t have looked so approachable.
She’s also trying not to outdo another bride. Celia McCorquodale, a niece of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, was marrying George Woodhouse, less than a month after her cousin Harry married Meghan in one of the most high profile weddings ever. This was McCorquodale’s moment – indeed she looked incredible, and wore the Spencer tiara, the same as Diana did for her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981.
While McCorquodale completed her look with vintage jewels, the Duchess found her topper on the high street. Marks and Spencer’s Pillbox Bow Fascinator is priced at £29.50, and is still available in both cream and black on their website. In January, Meghan made headlines when she wore a £45 bell-sleeve jumper from the retailer, and the feeling is mutual; ahead of the royal wedding, M&S changed the name of its Windsor stores to ‘Markle and Sparkle’.
Meghan’s choice for this wedding was easy on the eye, and not overpowering in any way. Judging by the numerous pictures of her air-kissing with members of the Spencer family, its softness was also entirely successful.
Meghan rewore her wedding reception Aquazurra pumps for the wedding. The silhouette is sleek, with a slight V forming at the toe box to create a leg-elongating effect. The toe box is made of mesh, so it is slightly see-through.
Meghan added a Carolina Herrera clutch to the outfit and completed it with the £29.50 Pillbox Bow Fascinator by Marks & Spencer. The designer described the piece as s “style fascinator is a timeless design that will never date. This gorgeous headpiece features a swirling bow design sure to lift any special occasion outfit. Whether pairing with a floral dress or accenting a sleek tailored suit, this fascinator will be the perfect finishing touch to your look.”
In total a lovely day with a all happy Harry and Meghan 🙂