To celebrate their eighth wedding anniversary, Meghan took to her official Instagram account to share a stunning “photo dump” of 24 previously unseen photographs. Curated into two separate carousel posts and captured by the couple’s trusted wedding photographer, Chris Allerton, the images offer a beautiful, candid glimpse into the joy, romance, and behind-the-scenes magic of their May 2018 nuptials.
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Smiles, Speeches, and Sentimental Blooms
Meghan’s first post, captioned simply “Eight years ago today…” alongside a sun emoji, focused on the daytime celebrations at Windsor Castle. Accompanied by the nostalgic track Forever Your Girl by Paula Abdul, the images capture the couple at their most relaxed.
One particular photograph has already stolen the hearts of fans: a quiet moment in the cloisters of St George’s Chapel where Prince Harry is seen gently inspecting Meghan’s all-white bridal bouquet. Royal enthusiasts will remember that Harry hand-picked flowers from the couple’s private garden the day before the wedding to honour his late mother, Princess Diana, including her favourite bloom, Forget-Me-Nots.
Notably absent from the collection were any images featuring senior members of the royal family, with the focus remaining entirely on the couple’s tight-knit circle of friends, family, and Hollywood guests.
Dancing the Night Away
The second Instagram post, marked with a moon emoji, transported followers to the couple’s exclusive evening reception at Frogmore House. Set to the energetic beats of Wilson Pickett’s Land of 1000 Dances, the mostly black-and-white images show a stark contrast to the formality of the daytime ceremony.
The Duchess previously opened up about their high-energy first dance in their 2022 Netflix docuseries, describing it as a total whirlwind. “That was our first dance. It was so fun,” she recalled. “Just spinning like a whirlwind. It was so great.”
Home Videos and Penguin Promises
The anniversary celebrations didn’t stop at the grid posts. Meghan also treated her 4.5 million followers to a rare look at their low-key life in California via her Instagram Stories.
In a heartwarming clip, Prince Harry, dressed casually in trackpants and a polo, is seen carrying a large, lemon elderflower cake into their kitchen, complete with four burning candles, while singing “happy anniversary to mama.” The flavour, of course, is a sweet nod to their actual wedding cake from 2018. In the clip, the couple shares a tender kiss before Meghan blows out the candles to the sound of applause from their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
In a subsequent story, Meghan shared Harry’s unique anniversary gift to her: a bronze-looking statue of two penguins. As Meghan explains to the children in the video, penguins are known to mate for life, a fittingly romantic symbol for a couple who continue to rewrite the royal rulebook on their own terms.
