Casual vs. Formal! Comparing Harry and Meghan's Official Wedding Portrait with William and Kate's
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and Prince William and Kate Middleton may both be royal couples, but they’ve got totally different relationship styles that they show to the public — and their official wedding portraits are the perfect example.
Two days after their royal wedding at St. George’s Chapel, Harry and Meghan released three of their official wedding portraits, photographed by Alexi Lubomirski, who also snapped their engagement pictures.
Along with the two photos of Harry and Meghan with their wedding party, the couple also released a solo shot of the couple sitting on the steps of the East Terrace at Windsor Castle. The candid black-and-white shot shows Harry and Meghan both wearing big smiles, with Meghan sitting between Harry legs and looking off into the side, as Harry beams at the camera.
William and Kate’s official photo, taken in the throne room at Buckingham Palace after their 2011 wedding, is much more formal than Meghan and Harry’s. Kate and William stand side-by-side, arm-in-arm and smile at the camera in a dignified, but a bit more stiff portrait. Photographer Hugo Burnand took their portraits.
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So why is Harry and Meghan’s photo so much more relaxed than William and Kate’s? It’s likely because of William’s status as the future king, which made his entire wedding a more formal affair. His nuptials were held at Westminster Abbey, a bigger church than St. George’s Chapel. William and Kate’s wedding was also declared a bank holiday in the United Kingdom, giving many citizens the day off work to partake in the festivities, while Harry and Meghan’s was not.
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However, both couples’ other wedding portraits were much more alike. Each newlywed duo posed with their wedding party sitting around them — though Meghan and Harry had two more page boys and two more bridesmaids than William and Kate did.
In both portraits, everyone was well coordinated with their backdrop: Meghan and the bridesmaids carried bouquets filled with greenery that matched Windsor Castle’s Green Drawing Room, while the red outfits William and Kate’s page boys wore matched the red walls of the the Buckingham Palace throne room.
Both couples also took an official photo with their families, too.
