Back in 2017, Pippa Middleton and James Spencer’s wedding stirred up some controversy for a few reasons.
Not only did her mother Carole — who’s also Kate Middleton’s mom, the Princess of Wales — have to issue a formal apology because of a major disruption that night, but guests Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were kept apart throughout the entire event.
So, let’s start with the first “inconvenience,” shall we?
Just as a quick refresher, Kate’s younger sister Pippa got engaged to James Spencer, a former British professional racing driver and businessman, in 2016, after he proposed during a trip to the Lake District.
(This was also the same year Harry and Meghan, the ex-Suits actress, publicly confirmed their relationship — but that part will come up later…).
One of the most talked-about parts of the wedding was the disruption the afterparty caused to the Middleton family’s neighbors.
The ceremony itself was held in May at St Mark’s Church on the Englefield Estate in Berkshire. Afterwards, Pippa and James hosted their reception at the Middleton family’s former home, Oak Acre, which sits on an impressive 18 acres of land.
However, the huge celebration brought nonstop noise from cars coming and going throughout the day, plus a surprise fly-by by a Spitfire plane.
Because of this, Pippa’s mother Carol had to apologize in advance for any “inconvenience” the event might cause, according to HELLO! magazine.
Moving on to another juicy bit of drama:
Prince Harry and then-girlfriend Meghan — who were themselves preparing to get married the following year — had also been invited to Pippa’s wedding. It’s worth noting that Harry’s older brother, Prince William, is Pippa’s brother-in-law.
While Pippa and James’ wedding wasn’t expected to be as grand or formal as Kate and William’s royal ceremony in 2011, certain royal protocols still applied to the guests.
One of the rules at the time sparked controversy, resulting in the Sussexes being kept apart during the preparations for the celebration.
Reports say Harry arrived at Pippa’s wedding with his older brother William, both being escorted from their royal homes in London.
Meanwhile, Meghan reportedly stayed in an Airbnb somewhere in the south of England, where she did her own hair and makeup for the event.
The separation wasn’t limited to just their arrivals. According to HELLO!, Pippa also made it clear that Harry and Meghan shouldn’t be seated next to each other during the vows.
The magazine noted that the Middletons were worried the media attention on the couple could overshadow Pippa and James’s special day.
So, Meghan ended up sitting next to Mirka Federer, while Harry was placed beside ITV News at Ten’s Tom Bradby.
In fact, no couples were allowed to sit together during the ceremony, and this wasn’t aimed at the Sussexes personally.