'Do you remember when Mum used to say...?' William said as they waited for the bride. Photo / Getty
'Do you remember when Mum used to say...?' William said as they waited for the bride. Photo / Getty
Sadly she could not be there but the spirit of William and Harry's late mother Diana was felt throughout the ceremony.
"Do you remember when Mum used to say...?" William said as they waited for the bride. "Yeah, I know," replied Harry, smiling.
Harry had chosen readings, music and even the ring in his mother's memory. Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer was sung at her funeral.
When Diana's sister Lady Jane Fellowes gave the reading from the Song Of Solomon, Palace aides said it was to celebrate her memory.
Diana's brother Earl Spencer and sister Lady Sarah McCorquodale were among the guests. Forget-me-nots, Diana's favourite flower, were in the bouquet, the MailOnline reported.
Even the church was a reminder, as it was at St George's Chapel where William and Harry were last together with both their mother, father and the Queen. That was March 9, 1997, a sunny day five months before Diana's death.
'Do you remember when Mum used to say...?' William said as they waited for the bride. Photo / Getty
Announcing his engagement in November, Harry, who says he thinks about Diana every day, spoke of his sadness that she would not be there on the happiest day of his life.
The diamonds on Meghan's engagement ring were taken from Diana's jewellery collection: "With the ring and with everything else that's going on, I'm sure she's with us."
A tear in William's eye...and the birth of a new Fab Four
Before the wedding, Prince William quipped that 'revenge was sweet'. After Harry's turn as best man at William's 2011 wedding, it was now finally time to return the favour – and no doubt he was relishing the thought of the traditional after-dinner speech.
But when it came to his younger brother's marriage yesterday, the significance of the day proved almost overwhelming for the future king.
William, 35, appeared visibly moved as he watched Harry, with whom he has shared so much, exchanging vows with his bride.
Prince Harry with mother Princess Diana in 1987. Photo / Getty
It was a suitably poignant moment for the two brothers, marking a new chapter in their close relationship. Harry, in settling down, was finally set to enjoy the benefits of a loving and secure relationship – benefits which William has long understood.
The night before the wedding, they had spent the final night of Harry's bachelorhood at Coworth Park, a luxury hotel near Ascot that holds memories for the pair as they have previously played polo there together. Yesterday morning they stepped into an anonymous people-carrier for the short journey to St George's Chapel. If Harry was nervous, there can have been no one better qualified to calm him down than his elder brother.
Both appeared relaxed, if rather serious, as they walked before the assembled well-wishers into the chapel. The two men had a murmured conversation together as they sat at the end of the aisle.
Harry's marriage heralds a new and formidable campaigning force. For years, they were the tremendous trio: Prince Harry appearing alongside the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to promote their shared charity work for the Royal Foundation. With his elder brother and sister-in-law, Prince Harry campaigned to raise awareness of mental health.
He was never a spare wheel – his brother made sure of that – but nor did he seem entirely comfortable on his own. Now, however, they are a team of four.
Yesterday, as guests walked to the chapel ahead of the ceremony, the home page of the foundation's website was changed to include a picture of Meghan with the trio under the heading 'Making a difference together'.
In the run-up to the Royal Wedding, the new Duchess of Sussex has become even closer to Kate and William.
It's just as well. Not only will they be her colleagues in their shared charitable enterprise, they are also neighbours. Meghan and Harry currently live in Nottingham Cottage, close to Kate and William's vast apartment within the grounds of Kensington Palace, but will be moving into their own 21-room apartment in the palace once renovations are completed.
