Meghan Markle has more wedding celebrations heading her way than the ceremony itself; she’s also got a royal bachelorette party (or in the U.K., a “hen do”) to look forward to. Here’s what you can expect from her pre-wedding fête before she marries Prince Harry on May 19.
It’s planned already—but she likely has no idea what’s happening.
During her royal trip to Scotland this week, Markle spilled to a fan that asked what she and Harry are doing for their “stag and hen dos,” People reports. Meghan answered, “I’m not sure — it’s sorted but it will be fun.’”
It won’t be "wild."
Since this will be a royal-related affair after all, Markle and her friends won't party Hangover-style. "Meghan will be having a party but won’t be calling it her ‘bachelorette,'" a source told Us Weekly. "Think low-key, think somewhere out of London, good food and drink, a little music. It won’t be wild." She may follow in the footsteps of Kate Middleton, who also had a "quiet night" pre-wedding.
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It could last anywhere from a few hours to a full weekend.
According to the New York Times, some English hen dos consist of a "weekend-long ritual of love and admiration for the bride given by her friends" with some help from the fiancé. The celebration includes "traditional games with a dash of British quirk to create an experience that can be as emotional as the wedding itself."
However, England's premier etiquette expert, William Hanson, suggests that royal hen dos can be even short affairs. "A drinks party (sometimes even the night before) would be held instead and would last only a couple of hours maximum,” he told Bravo's Personal Space. "Today, the younger members of the royal family now do have some form of stag/hen, although these are still a more restrained affair than the rest of the population."
But then again, Meghan and Harry have proven to be a modern couple that's not afraid to bend rules.
Who's invited?
Right now, the bachelorette party guest list (much like the royal wedding gust list) is anyone's guess. However, there are a few probable attendees, such as Markle's friends Jessica Mulroney (bridal stylist, who helped Meghan choose a bridal designer and is also helping with the design of other looks for the wedding day), Lindsay Jill Roth (TV producer and Meghan's BFF), and Markus Anderson (SoHo House consultant who attended Harry's Invictus Games with Markle).
Other celebs we hope attend include Markle's buddies Serena Williams, Priyanka Chopra and, of course, the Duchess of Camrbridge.
Erica Gonzales is the Senior Culture Editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage on TV, movies, music, books, and more. She was previously an editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com. There is a 75 percent chance she's listening to Lorde right now.
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