Meghan Markle’s Royal Wedding Bouquet Laid at Westminster Abbey in Moving Tradition

Meghan Markle’s wedding bouquet was laid on the grave of an unknown British soldier as part of an obscure royal wedding tradition.

Markle married Prince Harry on Saturday in one of the biggest wedding ceremonies of the decade, officially becoming a member of the Royal Family. According to a post on Westminster Abbey’s website, Markle followed a tradition set forth by numerous other royal brides before her by sending her bridal bouquet to the church in London.

The massive cathedral houses a memorial to the British soldiers killed in World War I. Bridal bouquets have been sent there and laid on the plaque ever since 1923, when Queen Mother married the Duke of York, who eventually became King George VI. The idea was to honor the queen’s brother, Fergus, who was killed in the war in 1915.

Since then, royal brides, including Kate Middleton in 2011, have left their bouquets in the abbey after their weddings, or sent them there for those like Markle, who was married elsewhere.

The bouquet that Markle carried was designed by Philippa Craddock. The florist included sweet pea forget-me-not, lily of the valley, astilbe, jasmine, astrantia and myrtle.

Myrtle in particular is a traditional element of the arrangement. The custom dates back to 1858, when Princess Victoria carried it in her own wedding. It is meant to symbolize the innocence of a bride before her wedding.

Queen Victoria was given a nosegay including myrtle by Prince Albert’s grandmother during a visit to Germany. That year, she and the prince bought a family retreat called Osborne House. They planted a posy against a terrace wall, which is still growing there to this very day.

While the bridal bouquet gesture was meant to honor the Queen’s brother, it sits on a monument called The Warrior’s Grave. The tribute was conceived by Reverend David Railton, a padre in World War I. He suggested that an unidentifiable soldier from the grizzly battlefield be brought home to London and buried in Westminster Abbey to represent the countless others who lost their lives there. It is the only grave in the sprawling church that is never walked over.

Markle is reportedly working to learn more about the culture she has just joined. The American born actress is undertaking the years-long process of attaining British citizenship through the normal channels. She has been granted Leave to Remain, an unrestricted immigration status that will allow her to live with her new husband while she studies for her citizenship test.