Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Surprising, Modern Wedding-Cake Choice Has Been Revealed

Josh Duboff
Updated

As we near the forthcoming social event of the spring . . . the date marked on all of our calendars . . . by which we mean, of course, May 13, when the Harry & Meghan: A Royal Romance Lifetime movie airs (kidding, kidding, we obviously mean May 19, the date of their actual wedding), we are beginning to get a better sense of what this grand occasion is actually going to look like. We know a few things—who will be officiating, what sort of procession they’ll be making through Windsor, whether or not “commoners” have a chance of taking part (they do!)—and now we’re getting some reception-related nuggets, as well.

A statement released by the Palace Tuesday morning announced that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have chosen London-based pastry chef Claire Ptak, who runs Violet, to make their wedding cake. The couple have asked Ptak to devise a “lemon elderflower cake to incorporate the bright flavours of spring.” The dessert will be “covered with buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers.”

Now this might not seem a particularly revolutionary pick, at first—a trendy London pastry chef!—but in fact the decision indicates the way in which Markle’s background and interests are being woven into the proceedings. Ptak was raised in California (she previously worked for Alice Waters at the famous Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California). She moved to London and worked at a series of shops before starting her own business, and opening Violet Bakery in 2010, with “a focus on using high quality, seasonal and organic ingredients in her cakes.” And, most notably—oh yes—Markle once interviewed Ptak for her now-defunct lifestyle website, The Tig.

"I can’t tell you how delighted I am to be chosen to make Prince Harry and Ms. Markle’s wedding cake. Knowing that they really share the same values as I do about food provenance, sustainability, seasonality and most importantly flavour, makes this the most exciting event to be a part of,” Ptak said in a statement.

Does this mean the Tig archives—which, distressingly, are not available online—held the clues to all sorts of other details about the wedding, as well!? She regularly posted playlists, favorite artists, and culinary picks on the site—who could have predicted years ago that these entries may have served as a road map for one of the most highly-anticipated weddings of all time.

See Meghan Markle’s Vanity Fair Cover Shoot

Meghan Markle in London.
Meghan Markle in London. “She has the ability to be smart and sharp but without losing her sweetness,” says Suits creator Aaron Korsh.
Photograph by Peter Lindbergh. Styled by Jessica Diehl.
Meghan Markle wears a turtleneck by Salvatore Ferragamo.
“I’ve never defined myself by my relationship,” says Markle, who adds that she and Prince Harry were “quietly dating for about six months before it became news.”
Photograph by Peter Lindbergh. Styled by Jessica Diehl.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Peter Lindbergh. Styled by Jessica Diehl.</cite>
Photograph by Peter Lindbergh. Styled by Jessica Diehl.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Peter Lindbergh. Styled by Jessica Diehl.</cite>
Photograph by Peter Lindbergh. Styled by Jessica Diehl.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Peter Lindbergh. Styled by Jessica Diehl.</cite>
Photograph by Peter Lindbergh. Styled by Jessica Diehl.
Meghan Markle wears a shirt and pants by Giorgio Armani; shoes by Jimmy Choo.
“The people who are close to me anchor me in knowing who I am,” Markle says. “The rest is noise.”
Photograph by Peter Lindbergh. Styled by Jessica Diehl.
Markle wears a coat by Max Mara and dress by Gabriela Hearst.
“It’s just wonderful to see her so in love,” says actress Abigail Spencer, a close friend.
Photograph by Peter Lindbergh. Styled by Jessica Diehl.
<cite class="credit">Photograph by Peter Lindbergh. Styled by Jessica Diehl.</cite>
Photograph by Peter Lindbergh. Styled by Jessica Diehl.