Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s excitement for Pippa Middleton’s wedding faded after bride’s odd request

ENGLEFIELD GREEN, ENGLAND: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's excitement to attend Pippa Middleton's eagerly awaited wedding faded after the bride made an unforeseen and rather unusual request.

Harry and Meghan, who had been together for under a year and were not yet engaged at that time, were looking forward to spending the day as a couple. However, an odd request from Kate Middleton's sister meant they had to be seated at different tables at the wedding.

Pippa Middleton's strict wedding seating arrangement

Pippa Middleton, who married hedge fund manager James Matthews on May 20, 2017, implemented a strict seating arrangement at her wedding. According to this arrangement, couples had to be seated separately, per The Mirror.

This arrangement placed Harry beside 'ITV News at Ten' presenter Tom Bradby, while Meghan, his girlfriend at the time, was seated with Mirka, the wife of Roger Federer. The intention behind this seating was to foster better acquaintance among the guests.

Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie wrote in their book 'Finding Freedom', "Sitting together in the custom glass marquee that had been erected on the 18-acre property should have been a fun night for the couple, but, per Pippa's request, no couples sat together."

Harry and Meghan reunited on the dance floor following the meal, and as the evening concluded, they managed to spend time together.

Meghan did not attend the church ceremony as there were concerns that her and Harry's relatively new relationship would overshadow Pippa's special day. It was decided that Harry and Meghan would devise a plan, which involved driving to Berkshire on the wedding day.

Meghan Markle's solo stay and media scrutiny ahead of Pippa Middleton's wedding reception

Former 'Suits' star Meghan Markle resided in an Airbnb arranged by a close friend, as Prince Harry went to the church service in Englefield.

Meanwhile, Meghan applied her own makeup and donned a black dress. Upon Harry's return, they had lunch together before proceeding to the reception at the Middleton residence in Bucklebury.

Omid and Carolyn asserted that a headline that appeared on the wedding day, comparing the figures of Pippa and Meghan, was the last straw. In their book, they wrote, "Harry and Meghan agreed that she couldn't possibly turn up at the church, only fifty metres away from a specially arranged media pen, after such a crass cover story."

"If they worried their arrival might create a media circus despite taking every precaution, now they had no doubt that it would. Meghan's church outfit and Philip Treacy hat would have to be worn another time," they added.

Upon arrival at the wedding reception, guests were required to have their photo ID verified and provide a unique password for entry. They were welcomed by a 140-foot glass marquee set up in the garden, adorned with decorations to create an enchanted forest ambiance.

The guests engaged in various entertaining games and enjoyed a spectacular light show, after which they were offered a selection of food and beverages, including mini haggis, deer carpaccio, langoustine claws, and asparagus with Hollandaise sauce.