There has been recent speculation that Kate Middleton handed Meghan Markle her bouquet as she readied to walk down the aisle when she wed Prince Harry earlier in the year, according to a previous Inquisitr article. However, some people are also wondering why royals don’t throw their bouquets, as per social tradition, after the wedding. But, there is a very good reason why Meghan Markle didn’t throw her bouquet at her wedding reception.
Meghan’s bouquet was a simple arrangement which consisted of ” sweet peas, lily of the valley, jasmines, sprigs of myrtle and forget-me-nots – Princess Diana’s favorite flower,” according to the Express . And, while the normal tradition for new brides is that they throw their bouquet into the crowd at their wedding reception in order to indicate who will be the next to get married, this tradition is not upheld by the royal family. However, it is not because of any stuffy tradition.
Instead, the royal family prefers to place wedding bouquets on the Grave of the Unknown Warrior.
According to royal tradition, Meghan Markle’s bouquet was taken to Westminster Abbey the following day and placed on this grave as a sign of respect.
According to the Express , this gravestone “commemorates an unidentified British soldier who died on the battlefield during the First World War.” It is also considered a “symbol for all those who have died during the conflict.” As a result of this, the royal family feels that it is their obligation to place wedding bouquets on this gravestone as a show of respect for those who have fought under the name of the crown.
This tradition started in 1923 when the Queen’s mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, placed her wedding bouquet on the gravestone during her wedding to King George IV. At the time, it was to show respect to her brother, Fergus, who had died at the Battle of the Loos in 1915. However, she also did it to show respect to others who had lost their lives during times of war. The tradition has been upheld since then.
And, for the record, no, it wasn’t Kate Middleton who handed Meghan Markle her bouquet before her wedding. When the mystery woman gave Meghan her bouquet, Kate was already seated alongside her husband, Prince William. Instead, it was one of the queen’s former special advisors, Samantha Cohen. Even though Cohen resigned in September of last year, she agreed to stay on a little longer as an interim secretary to Meghan Markle in an effort to help her adjust to royal life.
