The royal didn't approve of a comment the "Suits" actress made about one of the potential vegan dishes.
Updated on January 02, 2026 10:12AM
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Key Takeaways
- Meghan Markle voiced concerns about a vegan dish during her pre-wedding tasting, prompting Queen Elizabeth to intervene.
- The royal couple’s wedding menu included elegant canapés, “bowl food,” and a four-tier lemon and elderflower cake.
- Their evening reception featured a tiki-inspired theme, “dirty burgers,” and a signature cocktail called “When Harry Met Meghan.”
In the lead-up to your wedding, there’s much to do when it comes to your food and beverage offerings. After booking your caterer, you’ll need to determine what type of dinner you want to serve at your celebration. For example, while some envision a multi-course sit-down meal, you may want to have a more informal cocktail-style reception. Yet regardless of the format of your dinner, many couples opt to have a menu tasting, trying out the various food options recommended by their caterer before the big day. It appears that prior to their nuptials on May 19, 2018, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose to participated in this time-honored pre-nuptial activity. However, they also had a special guest attend this meeting with them: Queen Elizabeth.
In her book, The New Royals, Katie Nicholl, a royal expert, revealed new details about the pre-wedding food tasting, which was held at Windsor Castle in May 2018. When Meghan tried one of the vegan dishes for the upcoming reception, Nicholls wrote that she made her concerns about the meal well-known—much to the surprise and alarm of Queen Elizabeth. "Meghan was at the castle to taste some of the dishes, and told one of the caterers she could taste egg,” Nicholl wrote, according to OK! Magazine. “She got quite upset, saying that the dish was meant to be vegan and macrobiotic, when suddenly the Queen walked in and said, ‘Meghan, in this family we don't speak to people like that.’”
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While it’s unclear whether or not the dish made the final cut for Meghan and Harry’s celebration, the royals did share the menu for their lunchtime reception on the day of their nuptials. The 600 guests were served a selection of canapés at Windsor Castle, including warm asparagus spears, Scottish langoustines, poached free-range chicken, and a tomato and basil tartare. However, “bowl food” was also made available to the attendees, including a pea and mint risotto, ten-hour slow-roasted Windsor pork belly, and a fricassee of free-range chicken with leeks and mushrooms. In addition to their four-tier lemon and elderflower wedding cake, which was created by Claire Ptak, Harry and Meghan offered their guests a selection of sweets, including macaroons and tartlets.
The newlyweds also held another event later on in the day to celebrate their new union. This evening reception, which was hosted by King Charles III at Frogmore House, had a tiki-inspired theme with a “carnival atmosphere,” according to the Daily Mirror. The festivities were attended by a number of stars, including Serena Williams, James Corden, Idris Elba, Priyanka Chopra, and George and Amal Clooney. While the royals did opt to serve a sit-down dinner at the fête, guests also enjoyed “dirty burgers” and a signature cocktail, named “When Harry Met Meghan,” which was made with rum and ginger.
