It's been eight years since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.
The historic building was decked out in beautiful white blooms as the royals exchanged vows in front of the late Queen, now King Charles, Prince William and Princess Kate.
It was a magical day for the couple, whose ceremony was watched by some 18 million people in the UK - and now that same sense of magic has been enjoyed by another lucky pair.
Over the weekend, photos from another wedding inside the chapel were shared by photographer Neil Jackson, including one showing the new husband and wife at the altar. Writing in the caption, Neil described it as an "extraordinary privilege" to photograph a wedding inside St George’s Chapel - and he's not wrong.
The King's permission
Anyone wishing to marry at St George's Chapel must get the permission of the sovereign because it is a Royal Peculiar - a building directly governed by the monarch rather than a local diocese. Even members of the royal family, such as Prince Harry, must formally ask the monarch for approval before holding their wedding there.
You must also have ties to the chapel or the royal household, with eligible individuals including Members of the British Royal Family, residents and employees of Windsor Castle, residents of the College of St George, and Knights and Dames of the Order of the Garter, along with their immediate family members.
Sussexes' celebrations
To mark their eighth wedding anniversary back in May, Meghan released a selection of previously unseen photos from their big day.
The post included several photos of the couple taking centre stage on the dance floor during the wedding reception, while another showed the pair sharing a passionate kiss while surrounded by their guests.
In a separate post, the Duchess of Sussex shared a carousel of snaps from the ceremony held at Windsor Castle, including one of the newlyweds sharing a tender moment after their nuptials, and another behind-the-scenes photo of the pair having their official wedding portrait taken.
While some of the photos were shown in the Harry & Meghan Netflix documentary, which was released in 2022, Meghan also shared some previously unseen images.
In the caption for both posts, Meghan wrote: "Eight years ago today," before crediting their "wonderful" photographer Chris Allerton.
The royal family fall-out
A great deal has changed since that day. Less than two years later, Harry and Meghan stepped down as working royals and moved to California. They then took aim at the royal family, speaking publicly about private fall-outs and issues they had while part of the monarchy in a series of tell-all interviews, on Netflix and in Harry's memoir Spare.
It saw them essentially estranged from the royal family. As such, it came as a huge surprise when the couple unexpectedly decided to return to the UK just last month, and set up home.
© Matt Dunham - WPA Pool/Getty ImagesSpeculation about a royal reunion quickly resurfaced. But it's clear that tensions remain.
The King's 'shot across the bow'
Just last week, a letter was sent at the direction of the King to military and government figures, reminding them that the Sussexes remain "private citizens" who did not represent the monarchy.
In the "letter of guidance" to senior stakeholders, made public last Monday and sent on behalf of the monarch, the Lord Chamberlain stated there is "no change" to the Sussexes' status, and their Royal Highness titles should not be used.
The message also confirmed that the couple will operate separately from the Royal Household.
© GettyThe letter was shared with the Duke and Duchess - but a spokesperson said the couple "were a little surprised not to have been told about this in advance". But royal sources said they were made aware of the letter, before it was made public.
Just two days later, Uganda withdrew from the Duke’s Invictus Games two days later, blaming the “Harry and Meghan nonsense”.
The letter has been seen by many as something of a shot across the bows, making it clear that any visits the couple undertake should not be treated as royal engagements.
And it came a short time before the Sussexes are expected to embark on a series of public appearances this autumn.
Prince William ignoring Sussex 'circus'
It's believed William, 44, and Harry, 41, have not been in contact for the past two years following bombshell comments made by the Duke in his Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, and in his memoir.
And according to royal expert Robert Jobson, Prince William "wasn't prepared" to let the comments made by Harry about his wife slide.
© Getty ImagesThe Prince of Wales "could take" comments being made about himself, but it was another story when it came to Princess Kate, claims Robert Jobson, author of The Windsor Legacy.
In his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry described Kate as "the sister I'd always wanted" – but later detailed moments of tension, especially after the Prince met his future wife, Meghan Markle, and they began dating in 2016.
When asked if William would ever be able to "forgive Harry" now that he's back on British soil, Robert told HELLO!: "I don't think that went down too well.
"I think he could take a lot of things being said about him, but he wasn't prepared to have things said about her when she's not in a position to answer back."
© Andrew Parsons / Kensington PalaSpeaking about the Sussexes' shock move back, Robert added: "I think they're going to rise above all this. I don't think they're going to be involved in a tit-for-tat.
"I don't think that, because Harry and Meghan are here making a bit of noise, that's going to necessarily make them do anything.
"I think that they'll probably think, well, we've been down this road before; It creates a circus, and we're not going to get involved."
Harry confirms his first UK engagement
While the Sussexes have been lying low since landing back on British soil, Harry confirmed his first official public engagements last week. HELLO! revealed that the Duke of Sussex will attend both the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards and the annual WellChild Awards.
HELLO! is a proud media partner of the WellChild Awards, which will take place in London on 21 September.
“It is always a privilege to be part of the WellChild Awards and to meet the extraordinary children, young people, families and professionals whose courage and determination inspire us all," the Duke said in a statement.
"This year feels particularly special as we celebrate 20 years of the WellChild Nurse programme; two decades of supporting thousands of children and families and helping them to live more of their lives at home. These Awards are a wonderful opportunity to celebrate that impact, but above all to celebrate the incredible people at the heart of it. Their stories are a powerful reminder of what can be achieved through compassion, connection and community.”
