Any celebrity guest list is going to raise a few eyebrows but hardly anyone had anticipated Pippa Middleton’s wedding to financier James Matthews would stir up quite so much controversy thanks to a rule. It has all the ingredients of a juicy wedding dispute involving a TV presenter Vogue Williams and a member of the Royal family.
When Kate Middleton’s sister walked down the aisle at St. Mark’s Church in Englefield, the guest list was carefully restricted to 150 individuals. This allowed Pippa to hold the wedding at a more intimate 150-guest service in an exclusive part of the English countryside.
The policy meant that only those married or already engaged were permitted to bring along a partner. This move was seen to be in an effort to avoid fresh relationships getting ‘in the way’. But it sparked an immediate reaction with rumours spreading thick and fast.
Was Vogue Williams Actually Banned?
Perhaps one of the immediate victims of this wedding rule was TV presenter Vogue Williams, who was dating Spencer Matthews (the groom’s brother) at the time. Because the pair had only been dating for a few months at the time of the nuptials, Vogue didn’t meet the ‘no ring, no bring’ criterion. Tabloid media quickly picked up on the story, spreading rumours of a major family falling out.
It was said Pippa was nervous about being upstaged by a TV personality but this was later denied by representatives of Vogue, who revealed that the television presenter actually had a pre-existing engagement.
She was due to work as an instructor for a structural fitness class on the day of the wedding, therefore could not have attended anyway. Spencer and Vogue got married in 2018 and maintain good relationships with the family.
While Pippa made an exception for Spencer, a number of others who were in serious relationships were still not invited – including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The pair were not engaged, meaning the Suits star wasn’t invited to the traditional wedding service at the church.
According to a royal source, Prince Harry drove back to London after the service to collect Meghan, who joined the bridal party for the private reception at the family home in Bucklebury.
Royal Family – Latest News and Updates
Ultimately, the wedding rule was more about security and avoiding unnecessary drama rather than a personal issue between Pippa and Vogue. What could have turned into a wedding guest list-related royal catastrophe was skillfully navigated with careful boundary-setting and communication.