Meghan Markle's Wedding Bouquet Was Laid On The Grave Of The Unknown Warrior

Meghan Markle's wedding bouquet was simple and beautiful, much like her white gown for the big day.

Featuring scented sweet peas, lily of the valley and jasmine, the bouquet was also a nod to Prince Harry's late mum, Princess Diana, as it also included her flower, forget me nots. The now Duke of Sussex also handpicked some of the stems from the private garden in Kensington Palace.

As you watched the bride and groom tie the knot back in May, you will probably have noticed that former Suits actress Meghan didn't throw her bouquet for the crowds.The move is usually one of the big parts of the wedding day, as whoever catches the flowers is supposedly the next person of the group to get married.

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But there was actually a heartbreaking reason Meghan didn't toss her gorgeous bouquet away - or keep it for herself - as she actually followed a very special royal tradition.

The flowers were sent to Westminster Abbey after all of the nuptials, and laid on the grave of the Unknown Warrior, which commemorates a British man who lost his life in the First World War on the battlefield.

Symbolic poppies usually surround the gravestone, commemorating not only this man died while at war, but thousands of others too.

Kensington Palace confirmed that Meghan had followed the century long tradition with a tweet, which read: "The Duchess of Sussex has sent the bouquet she carried during yesterday's #RoyalWedding to Westminster Abbey to rest on the Grave of the Unknown Warrior."

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Meghan isn't the first royal bride to put her flowers of the gravestone, as it was actually the Queen mother who started the tradition back in 1923 when she married King George IV.

But rather than putting them on the grave after she had wed, the bride actually placed them there on her way into the Abbey to commemorate her brother, Fergus, who sadly died in the Battle of Loos in 1915.

Queen Elizabeth II then did the same when she married Prince Philip in 1947, as did her sister, Princess Margaret when she tied the knot with the Earl of Snowdon in 1960.

Princess Diana put her flowers on the grave following her 1981 marriage to Prince Charles, as did Kate Middleton when she wed Prince William in 2011.

Hopefully this is a royal tradition that will continue for many years more.

Topics: Celebrity News, Royal, Queen, Prince Harry, Meghan Markle

Rachel Andrews

Rachel Andrews is an NCTJ trained Journalist at PRETTY52. She specialises in Fashion and Beauty Journalism, and has experience at a range of online and print publications and joined the team in 2017. Contact her - [email protected]

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