In the classic fairytale the beautiful princess marries her prince and the two ride off in a carriage to live ‘happily ever after’. 

For American actress Meghan Markle, her world transformed in an instant when she wed British Prince Harry, and in her wedding speech, she referred to it as a ‘modern fairytale’.

But unlike Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, who were fresh-faced teenagers when they met their Prince Charming, Meghan had been married before.

However, unlike traditional fairytales that conclude with ‘happily ever after,’ the love story of the Sussexes veered sharply after the wedding when Meghan realized that the adoring crowds and the grandeur of the palace were not as enchanting as they seemed in storybooks.

Harry and Meghan’s nuptials occurred seven years ago at St George’s Chapel in Windsor – the same venue that has hosted royal weddings since the 1800s, where many princesses have married their Prince Charmings.

Meghan followed in the footsteps of princesses of the past like Alexandra of Denmark, Louise Margaret of Prussia, Alice of Albany and Margaret of Connaught.  

The city-girl-turned-duchess wore a Audrey Hepburn-inspired floor-length gown crafted by French fashion house Givenchy and Clare Waight Keller, their first female artistic director.

For American girl Meghan Markle, her life changed overnight when she married the British Prince Harry – and in her wedding speech she described it as a ‘modern fairytale’

Harry and Meghan’s wedding took place on May 19, 2018, at St George’s Chapel in Windsor – the same church where princess had wed their Prince Charming since the 1800s 

Meghan followed in the footsteps of princesses of the past like Alexandra of Denmark, Louise Margaret of Prussia, Alice of Albany and Margaret of Connaugh

The gown featured long sleeves and a bateau neckline, which was a nod to the iconic Givenchy dress in the 1957 movie Funny Face, and cost £100,000.

The gown referenced the codes of the iconic House of Givenchy, showcasing the expert craftsmanship of its world-renowned Parisian couture atelier which was founded in 1952.

True to the heritage of the house, the pure lines of the dress were achieved using six meticulously placed seams, focusing on the graphic open bateau neckline that gracefully framed her shoulders and emphasised her slender sculpted waist.

Meghan added a personal touch, stitching a piece of blue gingham fabric from the dress she wore on their first date in the hem.

But instead of singing mice and birds, the duchess’s dress involved the work of 50 people and took 3,900 hours – including eight dress fittings over the course of four months.

Ingrid Seward, one of the most prominent and respected writers on the British Royal Family, discussed the nuptials in her book, My Mother and I.

The royal biographer wrote: ‘The Queen never voiced her true opinions except to her close confidants, such as Lady Elizabeth Anson, or Liza as she was known to her friends. 

‘She told me that the Queen had made only one remark about Meghan and Harry’s wedding and that was that Meghan’s Givenchy wedding gown was “too white”.’

The late Queen Elizabeth II allegedly believed the dress was ‘too white’ for a divorcee to wear in a church 

Meghan added a personal touch, stitching a piece of blue gingham fabric from the dress she wore on her first date with Harry in the hem

The royal biographer wrote: ‘The Queen never voiced her true opinions except to her close confidants, such as Lady Elizabeth Anson, or Liza as she was known to her friends’

‘Those two words embraced everything she felt about the dramas in the run-up to the marriage and the Disneyesque spectacle of the day itself’, according to the royal expert. 

‘In the monarch’s view, it was not appropriate for a divorcee getting remarried in church to look quite so flamboyantly virginal.’ 

Meghan had previously been married to Hollywood film producer Trevor Engelson between 2011 and 2013.

Queen Camilla, who had previously been married to Andrew Parker Bowles between 1973 and 1995, stuck with tradition and opted not to wear white for the blessing for her wedding to Charles in 2005. 

Instead she wore a pale blue chiffon dress and coat with gold embroidery.

Fashion designer Clare Waight Keller, then of Givenchy, who worked alongside Meghan on the £100,000 dress said she wanted to create a ‘timeless piece’ but also ‘convey modernity’.

She said: ‘In contrast, the delicate floral beauty of the veil was a vision Meghan and I shared, a special gesture embracing the commonwealth flora, ascending the circumference of the silk tulle.’

Recalling the dress for a Windsor Castle exhibition on the wedding, Meghan said: ‘I had a very clear vision of what I wanted for the day and what I wanted the dress to look like.

Meghan’s wedding dress is pictured at The Royal Collection at Windsor Castle ‘A Royal Wedding: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ exhibition in October 2018

Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson (pictured) pose for a portrait after their wedding at the Chateau de Cande, in Monts, France, on June 3, 1937. Simpson chose a pale blue dress rather than a white one

‘So what was amazing in working with Clare Waight Keller is that sometimes you’ll find designers try to push you in a different direction. 

‘But she just completely respected what I wanted to see for the day, and she wanted to bring that to life for me.’ 

Prince Phillip would also allegedly go on to make comparisons between Meghan and Wallis Simpson, the American divorcee whom Edward VIII abdicated to marry.

Seward claims he was ‘one of the few wary’ of being charmed by Meghan and thought it was ‘uncanny’ how much she reminded him of the socialite Simpson.

He even had a nickname for her – DoW, after Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor.

Although twice-divorced Simpson did not opt to wear white when she married Edward in 1937, instead choosing pale blue.

Katie Nicholl, in her book The New Royals, also reported a similar concern from the late Queen after she was told by a source that the decision to wear white had left her ‘surprised’.

She wrote: ‘Perhaps it’s a generational thing, but she believes if you’ve been married before, you wear off-white on your wedding day, which is what the Duchess of Cornwall did.’

On the day of the wedding, staunch royal observers noticed the Queen’s face looked stern as she looked across at Meghan in her wedding dress.

On the day of the wedding, staunch royal observers noticed the Queen’s face looked stern as she looked across at Meghan in her wedding dress

The wedding ceremony at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle is pictured 

Unlike the Disney films and fairytales which inspired them, the Sussexes’ story did not end at ‘happy ever after’.

The Duke and Duchess had a strained relationship with the Firm, eventually deciding to move to the US in 2020 and later attacking the family in their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey the following year.

The Queen was reportedly saddened at their choice, allegedly confiding to a close friend that she was exhausted by the turmoil of it all.

The source told Nicholl: ‘The Queen was very hurt and told me, “I don’t know, I don’t care, and I don’t want to think about it any more”.’

Seward wrote of the situation: ‘At that point the Queen decided there was no longer any point in worrying about Harry as he wasn’t going to take notice of anyone but his wife.

‘However much she loved Harry – and she did – she couldn’t condone the way he was speaking about the institution of the monarchy she’d spent 70 years preserving.’

The Queen’s funeral was the last time Meghan touched British soil – and that was a notoriously awkward affair. 

The couple’s high-profile security battle and Harry’s emotionally-charged interview with the BBC have further strengthened the rift between them and the Royal Family.

Harry is pictured in April after attending the High Court for his appeal against the rejection of his legal challenge 

Harry is pictured during his bombshell BBC interview in May after losing his appeal over the levels of security he and his family are entitled to while in the UK

In the sit-down, the Duke said he wanted to reconcile with his family, while alleging his father, King Charles III, was not speaking with him.

‘There have been so many disagreements between myself and some of my family,’ Harry said in the interview.

‘Of course, they will never forgive me for lots of things but… there’s no point in continuing to fight anymore.’

As ever, the couple will continue to navigate their lives across the pond in what came after their ‘happily ever after’ marriage.