Last September, Lady Gabriella Windsor announced her engagement to Thomas Kingston. Gabriella is best known (to me) for being the daughter of racist Princess Michael of Kent, and for trying to become a “thing” about 15 years ago. Like, she was really trying to bill herself as the perfect blonde royal/royal-adjacent. Ultimately, few people cared. So Ella spent years working quietly in business (she’s apparently a branding expert?) and now she and Thomas are going to walk down the aisle… one day before Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan’s first wedding anniversary. At the same place too, St. George’s Chapel.
The third Saturday in May is a popular date for royal weddings! One year after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle became husband and wife, Lady Gabriella Windsor is set to wed Thomas Kingston on May 18 in very similar fashion. Like the Duke and Duchess of Sussex (who wed on May 19, 2018), Lady Gabriella will walk down the aisle at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. The spot has been popular for royal weddings – it’s also where Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank tied the knot in October.
Lady Gabriella — the 38-year-old daughter of one of Queen Elizabeth‘s cousins, Prince Michael of Kent, is currently 51st in line to the throne (she’ll move down a spot when Harry’s baby arrives). She will also follow in Meghan and Harry’s footsteps by having her reception at Frogmore House. However, the party is set for the afternoon rather than the evening – which will hopefully mean that Baby Sussex, due to arrive any day, won’t be kept awake! Meghan and Harry recently moved into their new home, Frogmore Cottage, nearby.
Lady Gabriella’s ceremony and reception will be a more intimate affair than the fanfare surrounding Meghan and Harry’s nuptials.
“It will be a private wedding for family and friends,” a Buckingham Palace source previously told PEOPLE, adding there won’t be any carriage ride or view from outside the castle for members of the public. It is also likely that there will only be minimal media access, with only pictures released of the couple and wedding party as they leave the chapel.
It is unconfirmed whether the Queen will attend the wedding, but the 93-year-old monarch did not attend the wedding of Lord Freddie Windsor, the brother of Gabriella (or “Ella” as she is known to pals). However, that wedding was not at one of her homes – and the Queen will be in residence with Prince Philip at Windsor Castle, so they may stop by the festivities.
Even when the engagement announcement came out, I wondered about the guest list. Princess Michael has not made many friends among the royals or the aristocratic set. Gabriella seems well-liked in general, I guess, and most people who will attend will be there for her, not her mom. I still say that the Queen will probably skip it. I think the Cambridges and the Sussexes will skip it too. Which will be especially funny considering that the reception will be just a short walk from Harry and Meg’s cottage. Also: is it sort of tacky to pick a date so close to H&M’s wedding anniversary, and to have the reception at the same place and all that? I feel like it’s tacky, because it’s coming so soon after the Sussex wedding AND Eugenie’s wedding.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
Cute couple.
They look good together.
Tacky? OMG, that was the last thing that popped into my mind
Tacky isnt the word.
But a little weird maybe?
Why get married so close to h&m wedding day but who cares.
It’s weird the way they are framing it as, small, modest, humble… everything Meghan and Harry aren’t (sarcasm). They (RRs) just can’t help themselves
It’s smaller and more modest because outside of seeing more cute photos of the Cambridge kids in a wedding party, no one cares
And her mother is gross…and I believe the ex boyfriend’s stories about her
there’s only so many Saturdays in May and it’s not helpful to look at this through the lens of “Harry & Meghan’s anniversary” when it’s just another day to everyone else. anniversaries only mean something to the couple involved – this woman is what, second cousins to Harry? third?? I highly doubt his anniversary even crossed their minds, nor should it.
@Oh No, there was nothing in that article that was shading the Sussexes. Lady Gabriella’s wedding isn’t involving media, a carriage ride, or as extensive a guest list because that’s how it’s always done with minor royals.
I don’t think it’s tacky. That is a pet peeve of mine on wedding boards, people thinking they own dates – if the parties big enough it’s falling on someone’s anniversary, birthday, name day, whatever. And Windsor is very common for their families weddings. And without a carriage ride is cost effective. Grannys up the road. Frogmore House is gorgeous. Plus late April is perfect time for a spring wedding in picturesque Windsor. It will be much smaller wedding. I see her less of the black and white, and more yellows or pale blues for the page boys and flower girls and decor.
The Queen isn’t her granny. The Queen is her second cousin, her father’s first cousin. The queen’s father and Prince Michael’s father were brothers.
You are right. I’m just used to writing granny. Even though I doubt she’ll show (increases security cost) she has the option by being close by. No one went to Freddie’s wedding from the Queens children line so I imagine it’ll be similar.
Absolutely! There are only 365 days on the calendar. Everything is someone else’s anniversary or birthday. Unless it’s one of the public holidays celebrating the Queen, there’s no reason why an entire chunk of the month of May should be off limits just because that’s when Harry and Meghan got married. May is a very popular month for royal weddings.
Color me shocked that Princess Pushy didn’t insist (or try to insist) on a carriage ride for her daughter!
Damn, those Windsor genes are STRONG!!
I like that green dress.
I like those 2 outfits.
Windsor is where minor royals get married. Nothing tacky about it at all.
Is that an attempt at shading Harry and Meghan as “minor royals”? If so, you need a few more facts.
Anne married in Scotland, second wedding. Zara married in Scotland. Lord Freddie at Chapel Royal Hampton Court. Lord Linley married at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster. Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones married at St. Stephen Walbrook, London. Duke and Duchess of Gloucester married at St Andrew’s Church at Barnwell, Northamptonshire. Duke and Duchess of Kent at Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York (York Minster). Peter and Autumn married at Windsor, as did Lady Helen Taylor.
It is true that minor royals get married at Windsor – that doesn’t mean *only* minor royals get married there.
Harry is the son of the Prince of Wales. He could have had the full Westminster Abbey/Buckingham Palace/balcony kiss/military flyover/public holiday wedding just like his brother. It was Harry and Meghan’s choice to do things in a more low-key way and have their wedding at the more intimate venue of Windsor Chapel.
Seriously, everybody needs to stop being so hypersensitive. Not everything everybody says is an attack on Harry and Meghan.
No shade intended. I was actually surprised Harry and Meghan picked Windsor.
But Edward/Sophie, Peter/Autumn, Eugenie/Jack… Windsor seems the default pick. Can’t fault Gabriella for making such a normal choice.
Did her brother Lord Frederick Windsor and actress Sophie Winkleman do a carriage ride?
I can’t remember.
I only remember seeing some photos of the bride and groom after the ceremony.
P.S. anyone see the Mail article that its Prince William’s friend hanging with , dating a teacher at Prince George’s school.
After the William works out with mothers Article days ago, this new tidbit on the best friend dating Georges teacher, seems a convienent leak, since the photo is from Christmas and a private photo that someone had to have passed to the Mail recently.
I don’t think they did. They did sell the photos though. HELLO magazine I think? But QEII, her kids, and her grandkids were all absent. It was more their immediate family and friends.
If the Queen is her father’s 1st cousin, then the bride is the Queen’s 1st cousin once removed. She and the Queen’s children are second cousins. Just an FYI, if anyone cares, lol.
Ha ha. I do and it gives me a headache to try and figure it out, so thanks. Although, overall I don’t care much about the wedding.
Yes, so she and Harry are second cousins once removed? Right? Because she would be second cousins to Charles.
Yes that’s right.
There are only so many weekends in May and June and how do we know she hasn’t had her heart set on this location for years?
I don’t think it comes across as weird and nothing close to tacky.
I agree. I don’t think it’s tacky at all.
Only so many dates and who knows which other brides , grooms already reserved date she may have wanted. Also it’s a great month for a wedding.
May is a good month for marriage over here. Not too hot, not too cold, and there will be the best chance of a sunny weekend. Also, come June – August, people will be on holiday.
I agree. It’s tacky and also weird
It’s weird, but I don’t know if it’s tacky.
Not tacky at all, people must not who seen how her brother and other cousins have done weddings.
Quite normal actually.
I want to see her wedding dress.