10 Bizarre But True Traditions of the English Royal Wedding

English royal weddings are not your average nuptials. Even though high-profile royal weddings like Prince William and Kate Middleton's upcoming ceremony occur only once every few decades, these epic events make world history and teach us a thing or two about the customs and traditions of the British Monarchy. Here are 10 bizarre but true traditions of the English royal wedding:

1. Bride Arrives to Wedding in Glass Coach: Most high-profile British weddings have the bride transported to the church or wedding venue in a horse-drawn carriage, known as the Glass Coach. Instead of taking the Glass Coach like Princess Diana did, Kate Middleton has opted to arrive at Westminster Abbey in the Queen's Rolls Royce Phantom with her father, so onlookers can get a better view.
2. A Wedding Breakfast Will be Served, Regardless of Time of Day: An ongoing tradition at English royal weddings is to serve a wedding breakfast immediately following the ceremony, regardless of what time it is. Wedding breakfast is a British term that refers to any meal that's eaten after a wedding. However, it's not your traditional eggs and toast breakfast. It is more like a cocktail party with hors d'oeuvres and drinks.
3. The Royal Wedding Cake is Always a Fruitcake: Forget red velvet, vanilla or chocolate, traditional British royal weddings always have a fruitcake as the wedding cake. For the upcoming royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, there will be a multi-tiered fruitcake decorated with cream and white icing and a British floral theme. They also requested William's favorite chocolate biscuit cake to be served at the reception.
4. Wedding Menus are Written in French: It is customary for British royal weddings to have menus written in French. This tradition began long ago when the British Monarchy only had French chefs in the kitchen. Most royal functions include a French menu and no translation, which is fine by the Queen and Prince William, who both happen to speak French fluently.
5. A Wedding Dish is Named After the Bride: Guests at British royal weddings traditionally dine on at least one dish that's named after the bride. It's up to the head chef to name the delectable dish. The upcoming royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton will be featuring traditional British fare, in which her new name, Princess Catherine, will grace one of the signature dishes being served on the evening of the wedding.
6. Young Wedding Party: A tradition of English royal weddings is to have a younger wedding party that includes child bridesmaids, typically between the ages of 10 and 12, and young boys as pageboys. However, the upcoming royal wedding is breaking this tradition because Kate Middleton has made her 27-year-old sister, Pippa, maid of honor. She will be the oldest main bridesmaid in recent royal wedding history.
7. Women Wear Hats to the Wedding: Hats are the British accessory of choice, and its tradition for women to wear hats to English royal weddings. This fashion statement has been kept alive for decades, thanks to Queen Elizabeth II, who is rarely seen without a hat on. The upcoming royal wedding will follow this trend where colorful, ornate hats are the norm.
8. The Bride's Bouquet is Left at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior: It is English tradition for royal brides who get married at Westminster Abbey to leave their flowers on the black marble memorial of the First World War soldier. This memorial covers the remains of the unknown warrior. The tradition was started by the Queen Mother, who first left her bouquet in memory of her brother, who was killed in conflict in 1915.
9. Brides Assume Their Royal Husbands' Titles: It is British tradition for the bride to assume her royal husband's title. The Earl and Countess of Wessex or the Duke and Duchess of York are examples of royal husband and wife titles. Prince William and Kate have not decided on a title yet, but their options include: Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Duke and Duchess of Connaught and Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
10. Royal Bridegrooms Wear Wedding Ring on Pinky Finger: Another odd tradition followed by several male royals is to either not wear a wedding band, or wear their wedding ring under a signet ring on their pinky finger. In fact, Prince William will not wear a wedding band after he marries Kate because he simply doesn't wear jewelry, not even his signet ring.

 (source:onlinecertificateprograms.org)
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