Royal Weddings... with a Scottish Twist!
This week's wedding news has been dominated by the engagement of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – and we’re delighted for them! With many royal weddings of late including Scottish flourishes, and with St Andrew’s Day in sight, we’re wondering whether the happy couple might follow in the footsteps of other royals and add a romantic Scottish twist when they celebrate their nuptials.
Having first met at the University of St Andrews, Prince William and Kate Middleton have strong ties to Scotland, and there were a number of Scottish aspects included in their celebrations. For their wedding breakfast, the couple included marinated South Uist salmon and Hebridean langoustines as a starter, and served saddle of North Highland Mey Select organic lamb as a main.
As well as serving the best of Scottish produce to their guests, the couple also included bagpipes, the national instrument of Scotland in the proceedings. Lone piper David Rodgers welcomed the newlyweds to their evening reception at Buckingham Palace with a selection of airs and traditional tunes.
Following their wedding, the Queen gave Prince William and Kate Middleton the titles Earl and Countess of Strathearn to mark their marriage, forging another link between the couple and the country where the first met.
Another royal with Scottish connections, Zara Phillips was educated at Gordonstoun and returned to the Scotland for her wedding ceremony. The Queen’s granddaughter married England rugby player Mike Tindall at a ceremony at Canongate Kirk on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. The reception then took place at Holyroodhouse, where the Royal Scots Association Pipe Band played to welcome the newlyweds. The ceremony was the first royal wedding to take place in Scotland in almost 20 years.
Prior to 2011, the last royal wedding to have taken place in Scotland was Princess Anne’s marriage to Commander Timothy Laurence at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral, in 1992. On this occasion, the bride added another Scottish touch by including lucky white heather in her bouquet.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have already spent time together in Scotland, with Prince Harry first introducing Meghan to his grandmother, the Queen, at Balmoral Castle in Royal Deeside, Aberdeenshire. With one local politician already suggesting the couple might honeymoon in the Borders, we’d love to see the couple incorporate a romantic Scottish twist to their celebrations and will keeping our eyes peeled for wedding inspiration from the happy couple in the Spring.
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