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New details about how Meghan Markle snuck into Pippa Middleton's wedding reception

The Duchess of Cambridge's younger sister married James Matthews in May 2017


meghan harry pippa wedding
Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
August 12, 2020
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A new royal biography has detailed how Meghan Markle snuck undetected into Pippa Middleton and James Matthews' wedding reception in May 2017. At the time it was widely assumed that Prince Harry had driven back to Kensington Palace to pick up his then-girlfriend after attending the wedding ceremony at St. Mark's Church in Englefield, Berkshire. However, Finding Freedom claims the pair had come up with a "clever work-around" to avoid a 150-mile trip. 

READ: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have bought their first house!

WATCH: Meet the Middletons - everything you need to know about Kate's family

The book says that the Prince dropped Meghan off at an Airbnb in Berkshire, which a close friend and fellow wedding guest had rented. An extract reads: "While all the other guests were at the ceremony, Meghan changed into a decidedly unflashy long black gown and did her own makeup."

william harry pippa wedding

Harry was pictured arriving at the wedding ceremony with brother William

Harry then popped back to the Airbnb after the church service to have lunch with his future wife and the pair snuck into the wedding reception on the grounds of the Middletons' Bucklebury home, "just as a Supermarine Spitfire fighter plane was launching into an aerial performance for guests."

prince harry meghan markle finding freedom

Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, £13.60Amazon

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The biography adds that, per Pippa's request, no couples sat together at the reception and Meghan shared a table with Roger Federer's wife, Mirka. Harry and Meghan were then reunited after dinner, where they caught up about their evening apart by the dance floor. The pair were then driven back to Harry's home Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace in the early hours. 

Pippa and husband James were among the guests at Harry and Meghan's wedding in May 2018. The Duchess of Cambridge and her younger sister Pippa also shared a fun day out with the Duchess of Sussex when they attended Wimbledon in 2019.  

MORE: All the adorable times Prince George and Princess Charlotte have been pageboy and bridesmaid

kate meghan pippa wimbledon

Kate, Meghan and Pippa enjoyed a day out at Wimbledon in 2019

Pippa's nephew and niece, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, were among the adorable bridal party at the wedding. A then three-year-old George looked smart in a button-down shirt with a Peter Pan collar and sage green shorts with knee-high socks from Pepa & Co on the day, while his two-year-old sister Charlotte wore an ivory dress with a large blush pink bow from the children's label. 

Mum Kate, who chaperoned the young bridal party to the church, looked elegant in a blush pink Alexander McQueen dress, which matched the colour of the sash on her daughter's flower girl outfit.

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