Prince William wanted to give Prince Harry a poor wedding in ‘small church’

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, celebrated globally in 2018, reportedly caused tensions within the Royal Family over their choice of venue, according to revelations made by Prince Harry himself.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex exchanged vows in a beautiful ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor on May 19, 2018, but the decision to host their nuptials there wasn’t without disagreement. As Prince Harry recounted in his memoir Spare, his brother, Prince William, was not thrilled about the couple’s initial venue suggestions, and the discussions became a source of tension.

When Harry first proposed Westminster Abbey as a possible location, William immediately rejected the idea, stating it was “no good” because it had been the site of his own wedding to Princess Kate in 2011. Not deterred, Harry suggested St Paul’s Cathedral, where their parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, had tied the knot. However, William dismissed that idea as well, calling it “too grand” and adding, “Plus Pa and Mummy did it there.”

In a surprising twist, William suggested the brothers consider holding the wedding in Tetbury, a town near King Charles’s Highgrove estate, where they had spent much of their childhood. Harry was taken aback by the suggestion and laughed, responding, “Seriously, Willy? How many does that place seat?” William reportedly quipped, “Isn’t that what you said you wanted—a small, quiet wedding?”

Tetbury, while picturesque and home to the Church of St Mary the Virgin, would have been far too small to accommodate the 800 guests who attended Harry and Meghan’s wedding.

Despite the disagreements, the brothers’ banter revealed Harry and Meghan’s original desire for a more intimate celebration. The couple had initially envisioned eloping and getting married “barefoot in Botswana, with maybe a friend officiating.” However, Harry acknowledged the reality of their situation, saying, “We were expected to share this moment with other people. It wasn’t up to us.”

Ultimately, Harry and Meghan’s wedding at St George’s Chapel went off without a hitch, but the behind-the-scenes discussions offer a glimpse into the compromises that had to be made.