4 days ago
Princess Eugenie left one chair empty at her wedding and this is the reason why...
Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank 's Great Gatsby wedding at St George's Chapel was pure sophistication from start to finish.
The princess wore a low-back gown in an ivory brocade fabric with shoes by Charlotte Olympia.
Her stunning emerald tiara is known as Margaret Greville's tiara and was inherited by The Queen Mother in 1942.
Eugenie and Jack invited 850 royals, aristocrats, VIPs and friends - 150 more than Harry and Meghan when they married at the same venue five months prior.
Among the guests were celebrities such as Cara Delevingne to Robbie Williams.
Arriving on the arm of her father, Prince Andrew, Eugenie was beaming throughout the hour-long service, while Jack appeared overcome with emotion.
But some eagle-eyed royal observers noticed one 'unusual' detail: One of the best seats in the church was left empty.
People began to speculate why this was with some questioning if it was out of respect to a deceased relative, or that there was a missing guest.
Some eagle-eyed royal observers noticed one unusual detail: One of the best seats in the church was left empty
But the real reason was due to royal protocol - and to keep the late Queen happy.
Traditionally the Queen and the rest of the royals sit in the right hand choir pews at St George's Chapel, closest to the altar.
Royal protocol dictates that no one is allowed to sit in front of the Queen and obstruct her view.
This specific seat is also said to be one the late Queen 'didn't find comfortable'.
Instead it is thought that she preferred to be in the second row alongside her husband, Prince Philip.
For this occasion, Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also joined her in the second row.
The bride's mother, Sarah Ferguson, Princess Beatrice and Zara and Mike Tindall all sat in the front row.
This gave the Queen - who stood at a mere 5 foot 3 inches - an unobstructed view of the nuptials.
Eugenie had a close relationship with the late Queen, affectionately calling her 'Granny'.
They often spent time together when Eugenie was a child, including summers at Balmoral. As an adult, they often attended various royal events together.
Eugenie admired her grandmother's sense of duty, dedication, and love for her people, both in public and private.
The Queen trusted Eugenie to wear the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara on her wedding day, as she had promised her as a child.
It has been reported that Meghan initially wanted to wear this tiara for her wedding, but the Queen ultimately chose a different one.
When Prince Harry married Meghan earlier the same year, he also left a seat vacant in front of the Queen.
It was initially believed that this was in honour of his mother, the late Princess Diana but was later revealed to be for the Queen to have a better view.
The Queen didn't need the accommodation at Prince William and Kate Middleton's 2011 ceremony, however, as she was seated in the front row then.
According to Buckingham Palace sources, the spot in front of the Queen is always left empty.
Queen Elizabeth memorably sat in the same spot at the 2021 funeral of Prince Philip, her husband of 73 years.
Due to Covid restrictions that required social distancing, the monarch sat alone in the pew.
Since Charles became king in 2022, this tradition has continued for him.
At Queen Elizabeth's committal service, 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.
In 2021 following the death of his father, Prince Philip, Charles said there was a noticeably empty seat at his family's table, where his father would have once sat.
The following year, in 2022, Charles left an empty seat opposite him in the Royal Ascot carriage in honour of the Queen's absence.
Royal protocol is not a set in stone set of rules and is often broken for various reasons.
Both King Charles and heir to the throne Prince William are much taller than the late Queen was, standing at 5 foot 10 and 6 foot 3 respectively.
Their view is unlikely to be obstructed by somebody sitting in front of them but the tradition may remain for the sake of tradition.
But for the wedding of Eugenie and Jack, this small detail meant that the Queen was comfortable and could get a full view of her granddaughter as she married the love of her life.
