Eugenie left an empty seat at her wedding - and it was all down to late Queen
When Princess Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank, many were left puzzled by an empty seat in the front row of guests. As people speculated on the reason behind the unoccupied chair, it turns out the cause was a strict royal protocol from the Queen herself.
When Princess Eugenie tied the knot with Jack Brooksbank, the joyous affair saw all the royal family in attendance to celebrate their union. Eugenie and Jack married in St. George's Chapel in Windsor almost seven years ago, with the guest list boasting Queen Elizabeth and other senior royals, as well as superstar royal friends such as singer Robbie Williams and supermodel Cara Delevingne.
While more than 850 people were in attendance to watch Eugenie and Jack exchange vows and rings, one unusual detail caught the eye of many royal fans. Although the busy chapel was filled with guests, one prime seat directly in front of Queen Elizabeth was left empty, despite it being the best seat in the house.
Many were quick to speculate on the reason behind the unoccupied seat, with some believing it was due to a no-show on the day, and others claiming it was left empty to pay respect to a deceased relative.
However, it was actually due to tradition that the seat in front of her was kept empty so her view of the altar was not obstructed. This specific seat is also said to be one the late Queen 'didn't find comfortable', explaining why she opted to sit in the second row of pews.
Historically, the Queen and the royal family would sit in the right hand choir pews at St George's Chapel, with the Queen sitting on the far-right as the rest of the senior royals sat to her left.
For the occasion of Eugenie's nuptials, the then-Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle joined her in the second row.
The bride's parents, Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, sat in the front row alongside Princess Beatrice and Zara and Mike Tindall, but they all sat further along the pew.
This gave the late Queen, who stood at a mere five foot and three inches, an unobstructed view of the wedding ceremony. The same seat was also left empty months earlier when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married in the same chapel.
The late monarch also memorably sat in the same spot at the 2021 funeral of Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years, sitting alone in the pew due to Covid social distancing restrictions. According to sources at Buckingham Palace, the seat is still kept empty as the tradition has continued since Charles became King.
At Queen Elizabeth's committal service in 2022 shortly after her passing, the chair in front of Charles was kept empty. There have also been occasions when the Royal Family has honoured the deceased by leaving a chair vacant.
Since their star-studded wedding in 2018, Eugenie and Jack have welcomed two children. Their eldest son, August, was born in February 2021, and he became a big brother in May 2023 when Ernest was born.
At the time of Ernest's birth, Eugenie explained the significance of his full name: Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank. She said: "He is named after his great great great Grandfather George, his Grandpa George and my Grandpa Ronald."
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Edinburgh Live
3 hours ago
- Edinburgh Live
Moving reason Princess Eugenie left an empty seat at her wedding
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info When Princess Eugenie wed Jack Brooksbank, the joyous occasion saw the entire Royal family gather to celebrate their union. The couple exchanged vows at St George's Chapel in Windsor nearly seven years ago, with a guest list that included Queen Elizabeth II and other senior royals, as well as celebrity friends like singer Robbie Williams and supermodel Cara Delevingne. Despite over 850 guests witnessing Eugenie and Jack exchange vows and rings, one peculiar detail caught the attention of many Royal enthusiasts. Although the bustling chapel was packed with attendees, one prime seat directly in front of the Queen remained vacant, despite it being the best spot in the house. Speculation was rife about the reason for the unoccupied seat, with some suggesting it was due to a no-show on the day, while others believed it was left empty as a tribute to a deceased relative. However, the real reason was actually rooted in tradition - the seat in front of the Queen was kept vacant so her view of the altar was unobstructed. This particular seat is also said to be one that the late Queen "didn't find comfortable", explaining why she chose to sit in the second row of pews. Historically, the Queen and the Royal family would occupy the right-hand choir pews at St George's Chapel, with the Queen seated on the far-right as the rest of the senior royals sat to her left, reports the Mirror. For Eugenie's wedding, the then-Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were seated in the second row. The bride's parents, Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, were positioned in the front row with Princess Beatrice and Zara and Mike Tindall, albeit further along the pew. This arrangement allowed the late Queen, who was only five foot three inches tall, a clear view of the ceremony. The same seat had been left vacant months earlier at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in the same chapel. The late monarch also notably occupied the same spot at Prince Philip's 2021 funeral, her husband of 73 years, sitting alone due to Covid social distancing measures. Buckingham Palace insiders reveal that the tradition of leaving the seat empty has continued since Charles ascended the throne. At Queen Elizabeth's committal service in 2022, shortly after her death, the chair in front of Charles was kept vacant. There have been instances where the Royal Family has paid tribute to the deceased by leaving a chair unoccupied. Since their glamorous 2018 wedding, Eugenie and Jack have become parents to two children. Their eldest son, August, was born in February 2021, and he became an older brother in May 2023 when Ernest was born. When Ernest was born, Eugenie revealed the meaning behind his full name: Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank, stating: "He is named after his great great great Grandfather George, his Grandpa George and my Grandpa Ronald."
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Eugenie left an empty seat at her wedding - and it was all down to late Queen
When Princess Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank, many were left puzzled by an empty seat in the front row of guests. As people speculated on the reason behind the unoccupied chair, it turns out the cause was a strict royal protocol from the Queen herself. When Princess Eugenie tied the knot with Jack Brooksbank, the joyous affair saw all the royal family in attendance to celebrate their union. Eugenie and Jack married in St. George's Chapel in Windsor almost seven years ago, with the guest list boasting Queen Elizabeth and other senior royals, as well as superstar royal friends such as singer Robbie Williams and supermodel Cara Delevingne. While more than 850 people were in attendance to watch Eugenie and Jack exchange vows and rings, one unusual detail caught the eye of many royal fans. Although the busy chapel was filled with guests, one prime seat directly in front of Queen Elizabeth was left empty, despite it being the best seat in the house. Many were quick to speculate on the reason behind the unoccupied seat, with some believing it was due to a no-show on the day, and others claiming it was left empty to pay respect to a deceased relative. However, it was actually due to tradition that the seat in front of her was kept empty so her view of the altar was not obstructed. This specific seat is also said to be one the late Queen 'didn't find comfortable', explaining why she opted to sit in the second row of pews. Historically, the Queen and the royal family would sit in the right hand choir pews at St George's Chapel, with the Queen sitting on the far-right as the rest of the senior royals sat to her left. For the occasion of Eugenie's nuptials, the then-Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle joined her in the second row. The bride's parents, Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, sat in the front row alongside Princess Beatrice and Zara and Mike Tindall, but they all sat further along the pew. This gave the late Queen, who stood at a mere five foot and three inches, an unobstructed view of the wedding ceremony. The same seat was also left empty months earlier when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle married in the same chapel. The late monarch also memorably sat in the same spot at the 2021 funeral of Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years, sitting alone in the pew due to Covid social distancing restrictions. According to sources at Buckingham Palace, the seat is still kept empty as the tradition has continued since Charles became King. At Queen Elizabeth's committal service in 2022 shortly after her passing, the chair in front of Charles was kept empty. There have also been occasions when the Royal Family has honoured the deceased by leaving a chair vacant. Since their star-studded wedding in 2018, Eugenie and Jack have welcomed two children. Their eldest son, August, was born in February 2021, and he became a big brother in May 2023 when Ernest was born. At the time of Ernest's birth, Eugenie explained the significance of his full name: Ernest George Ronnie Brooksbank. She said: "He is named after his great great great Grandfather George, his Grandpa George and my Grandpa Ronald."
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Jack Daniel's fans are just realising 'Jack' didn't create iconic whisky
Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey is one of the most popular alcoholic spirits in the world, often enjoyed mixed with soft drinks, but many fans are only just discovering the brand's odd history Jack Daniel's is a name anyone with a penchant for whisky will recognise and is arguably the most recognisable brand of Tennessee whisky in the world. Founded in Lynchburg, Tennessee in 1875, the spirit uses a distilling technique known as 'sour mash', using fermented ingredients to generate a slightly sweeter and more robust flavour. Despite more than 14 million nine-litre cases of the drink being sold around the world in 2023, it seems many fans of the whisky are unaware of the history of Jack Daniel's. In fact, despite the moniker being synonymous with the alcohol industry, Jack wasn't the founder's name at all. Taking to Reddit, one booze connoisseur confessed: "Today I learned 'Jack Daniel' founder of Jack Daniel's real name was Jasper Newton Daniel." Indeed, American distiller and entrepreneur, Jasper was born in on September 5, 1849 in Lynchburg, where he died aged 62 in 1911. "Sounds better than a Jasper and Coke," explained one Reddit user in response, referencing the soft drink the whisky is most commonly enjoyed alongside. Another pointed out that contrary to popular belief, by definition Jack Daniel's isn't a bourbon whiskey. "Interesting," they said. "A lot of people also don't know that Jack Daniels is not a bourbon, but a Tennessee whiskey!" Master of Malt clarifies this online, meanwhile, stating: "The two [bourbon and Tennessee] are often confused. The short answer is, no, Jack Daniel's is a Tennessee whiskey. The slightly longer answer is yes, because Tennessee whiskey is a subtype of bourbon that meets all of the legal requirements for the spirit, but has additional requirements specific to its production in Tennessee." Elsewhere on Reddit, in a separate post, a user claimed they'd just discovered Daniel didn't come up with the whisky's recipe. "Today I learned Nathan 'Nearest' Green, a slave, taught Jack Daniel how to brew whisky," they penned. "He became Daniel's Master Distiller, and is now known as 'The Godfather of Tennessee Whiskey'. His son George also became a Master Distiller and some of his descendants STILL work for Jack Daniel's Whiskey to this day." Green is regarded as the first African-American master distiller on record in the United States. Jack Daniel's website clarifies this, revealing that a young Daniel befriended Green whilst working on Reverend Dan Call's farm in the 1850s. "It was through this relationship that Jack learned about whiskey making, the Lincoln County Process of charcoal mellowing, and developed life-long friendships with the Green family," the website states. It continues: "Eventually when Reverend Call's congregation and wife gave the preacher an ultimatum: walk away from making whiskey or walk away from his work as a minister, he made the decision to sell his business to Jack. And so Jack hired his friend and mentor, Nathan Green, who was now free as his first head distiller – or what we'd call a master distiller today." Responding to the Reddit post, one user penned: "Thank you for sharing this! I love my bourbon and this is a super cool story to tell while I drink it." A second proposed: "So Nathan Green created whiskey but the brand is called Jack Daniel... the Green family should create their own line of high end whiskey called Nathan Green."
