- Meghan Markle wore a veil as she walked down the aisle at the royal wedding Saturdat at England's St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.
- This decision falls in line with a longstanding tradition for the British monarchy.
- Kate Middleton, Princess Diana, and Queen Elizabeth all wore veils at their weddings.
- Queen Victoria set the trend in 1840 for royal brides to wear veils when married.
- Here's how you can watch the royal wedding live.
You may have noticed that headpieces have a special significance for the royal family, and Meghan Markle is not immune to this phenomenon.
For Markle's wedding Saturday at England's St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, the newest addition to the royal family paired her stunning Givenchy gown with a 16-foot, silk tulle veil with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers — and this accessory is just one major example of the power of etiquette and tradition. Prince Harry's bride chose to follow in the footsteps of royals before her, like Kate Middleton, Princess Diana, and Queen Elizabeth.
As the British publication Express has noted, this traditional accessory is not necessarily mandatory for royal brides.
"In all my research on royalty, I've never come across anything that dictates what a royal bride should wear on her wedding day," a royal expert told the publication. "I think the veil adds to the tradition, fantasy and pageantry surrounding a big wedding, especially a royal one."
That doesn't mean, however, that Markle's veil has no significance.
Royal protocol dictates that women must wear hats to all official occasions. It's a stipulation that dates back to before the 1950s, when upper class and royal women rarely showed their hair in public, according to the BBC.
Custom has clearly changed since then. Kate's hair, for example, is often seen unencumbered, cascading flawlessly. But a royal wedding is a once-in-a-generation event. The stakes are presumably higher than average — and formal wear is required.
Although Prince Harry's bride has made waves before by eschewing royal protocol, especially when it comes to her own personal style, today's event is a different beast. As Marlene Koenig of Royal Musings previously noted in an interview with INSIDER, "This is a royal wedding in a historic chapel in the presence of the queen — and televised."
It's also worth noting that this modern bridal image has its roots in the royal family.
When Queen Victoria said her vows in 1840, she became the first modern queen to be married in a veil, according to Brides. Her now-famous ensemble also launched the tradition of white wedding dresses.
As far as we know, the trendsetting monarch didn't intend for her white dress or lacy veil to represent purity — but that symbolism has been applied in the years since. As Bustle notes, it did seem to creep up during Queen Victoria's reign, as sentimental Victorians idolized innocent and "unsullied" brides.
Certain ancient traditions had a similar thought. Many ensured veils "wrapped brides from head to toe to represent the delivery of a modest and untouched maiden," according to wedding historian Susan Waggoner in BRIDES.
In addition to the symbolization of virginity, wedding veils were often used in the case of arranged marriages, so that the groom was forced to marry his stranger bride sight unseen. It seems veils are a holdover from a time in which weddings were more about financial transaction than love.
Despite these vaguely disturbing origins, however, Meghan's decision to follow royal tradition is nothing to scoff at. She is voluntarily joining a long line of poised, powerful women who take the crown's history very seriously.
More on the royal wedding:
- Meghan Markle has broken her silence on her family drama — and says her dad definitely isn't coming to the wedding
- Commoners invited to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding are being asked to bring their own food — and people aren't happy about it
- Meghan Markle's dad reportedly staged paparazzi photos and there's a video that basically proves it
- Meet Meghan Markle's half-sister Samantha Grant, who recently lashed out at Meghan for being 'unqualified'
- Meet Meghan Markle's bridesmaids — all of whom are under 10 years old
You can read all of INSIDER's royal wedding coverage here.
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SEE ALSO: Here's why British people wear hats to every major occasion — including the royal wedding
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