This Important Person Is Doing A Reading At Harry & Meghan's Wedding & I'm Emotional
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding is just two weeks away — TWO WEEKS! — and I seriously cannot wait to watch these two beautiful humans tie the knot. Yes, they are pretty stunning people. But by "beautiful" I am actually referring to the two do-gooders' souls. Not only are they both incredibly charitable, but they're also determined to lovingly incorporate Harry's late mother's family into the wedding. For starters, all three of Princess Diana's siblings will be present for the May 19 nuptials, and one of them will even be giving a reading. So just who is Lady Jane Fellowes? Because it looks like we'll be seeing a lot of her on the big day, and it's such an amazing tribute!
Fellowes is the youngest of Diana's sisters, and is not well known by the public, so that probably explains why I've never heard of her! According to Town & Country, her brother and sister, Earl Spencer and Lady Sarah McCorquodale, explained in a BBC documentary that Fellowes was the one who first told them Diana had died in a car crash back in 1997. She was apparently also with Prince Charles when he brought Diana’s body back from Paris, and she read a poem by Henry Van Dyke Jr. at her Diana’s funeral. But she has pretty much stayed out of the public eye ever since. Now, it looks like she'll be taking on a lead role!
"Prince Harry is also keen to involve his mother's family in his wedding," explained Prince Harry's press secretary in a statement. "Prince Harry and Ms Markle both feel honoured that Lady Jane will be representing her family and helping to celebrate the memory of the late Princess on the wedding day."
According to Hello!, Fellowes was born Cynthia Jane Spencer. She was educated at West Heath boarding school in Kent like her sisters, then later married her late husband Robert Fellowes — private secretary to the Queen from 1990 to 1999 — when she was 21. The wedding took place in 1978 at Westminster Abbey, and Diana served as a bridesmaid. In 1999, when the Queen gave Robert the title of Baron Fellowes of Shotesham in the County of Norfolk, Jane officially became a Baroness.
Markle revealed in her very first interview as Prince Harry's fiancée with the BBC how strongly she and Harry felt about including tributes to Princess Diana. "It's so important to me to know that she's a part of this with us," she explained. So sweet! And to that end, it's also been reported that the bride- and groom-to-be will honor Diana with their wedding flowers, by including special white garden roses in the bouquet Markle carries down the aisle.
The floral arrangements — which will be crafted by London florist Philippa Craddock — will also include wildflowers, in a nod to Meghan's dedication to sustainability and environmentalism. "The floral displays in St George's Chapel will be created using locally sourced foliage, much of which will be taken from the gardens and parkland of The Crown Estate," Kensington Palace announced on Twitter. "Where possible, Philippa will use flowers and plants that are in season and blooming naturally in May."
The couple, who got engaged in November 2017 after meeting in July 2016, has also asked all their guests and well-wishers to send donations to the following charities instead of giving them wedding gifts: Chiva Projects, Crisis, Scotty’s Little Soldiers, Myna Mahila Project, Surfers Against Sewage, Street Games, and Wilderness Foundation UK.
Like I said, Harry and Meghan are truly two beautiful souls, and I cannot wait to watch them get hitched on May 19!
