Prince Harry & Meghan Markle's Wedding Gave Future Hints About Their Relationship With British Press

When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married in 2018, they were already giving hints to what the British tabloid access was going to look like. It was no secret that Harry did not have a fondness for the Royal Rota, and he did not want them up close and personal on his big day. 

Photographer Arthur Edwards complained to The Sun about the Sussexes’ wedding being a “miserable day” for him. “I can tell you now it was the worst royal wedding I ever did. Because Harry was determined to keep the newspapers away from it as much as possible,” he revealed. Edwards whined that while the hired wedding photographers received access that was only “five feet away” from the guests, he had to do everything with “long lenses,” and described it as “hopeless.” 

He felt that the British press was “badly treated” by Harry and Meghan without acknowledging how intrusive the tabloids have been in the past with the royal family. That decision may have set an even bigger stage for the eventual showdown between the couple and the U.K. media outlets, which created an unbearable situation for the duo in England.

It’s why he released an official statement in 2016, which was recently removed from the Royal.uk website. He knew exactly how they were going to proceed with coverage of Meghan after they discovered she was dating Harry, and it’s why Jason Knauf, his then-communications secretary, broke royal protocol with an official statement. “He knows that it is unusual to issue a statement like this, but hopes that fair-minded people will understand why he has felt it necessary,” the statement concluded.

Meghan even spilled the tea during the couple’s sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 after they left the royal family. “There’s a reason that these tabloids have holiday parties at the palace,” Markle shared. “They’re hosted by the palace, the tabloids are. You know, there is a construct that’s at play there.” One look at Queen Camilla sidling up to controversial TV host Piers Morgan at her Christmas luncheon is all you need to know. Plus, Prince Harry’s legal battles against Mirror Group Newspapers and Associated Newspapers Limited for phone tapping and accessing private details shows just how far they were willing to go for a negative headline.

So, while Edwards was likely inconvenienced on a royal wedding day, it’s easy to understand where Prince Harry is coming from. The tabloids have been a part of his narrative for decades and he just wanted one day of peace with his bride Meghan.

Before you go, click here to see the 100 best photos of the royal family from the past 20 years.