More than 600 guests watched on as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle exchanged vows and rings at St George’s Chapel on May 19, 2018.
Notable attendees included tennis superstar Serena William, Hollywood actor George Clooney, British treasure Sir Elton John and, of course, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
But of all the guests at the royal wedding, Jessica Mulroney, a Canadian stylist who turns 45 years old today, arguably played the most significant role.
As well as being phoned by Meghan on the night of Harry’s proposal, Jessica is understood to have been close to the couple throughout the wedding planning process, even flying to the UK four days before the big day to help her friend get fitted for her dress.
‘She’s the one helping Meghan to make all the key decisions,’ a source told Vanity Fair. ‘They are on the phone daily discussing every element of the wedding, from the dress to the flowers to the canapés and the photography.
‘She is Meghan’s best friend and the person Meghan trusts with helping to plan every detail.’
It seems Jessica served as Meghan’s unofficial wedding planner.
As a token of appreciation, Meghan asked Jessica’s three children – Ivy, then four, and seven-year-old twins John and Brian – to be in her wedding party alongside Prince George and Princess Charlotte – while the stylist was given a starring role as she entered St George’s Chapel alongside the Princess of Wales.
It is clear that Jessica and Meghan thought through even the smallest of details relating to the royal wedding – so, here, MailOnline asks why the Duchess’s best friend wore the colour blue.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were married in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on May 19, 2018
Jessica Mulroney, wearing blue, and Princess Catherine walk into the chapel while holding the hands of the flower girls
For the fairytale occasion, Jessica wore a royal blue tea-length fit-and-flare dress with cap sleeve button detail.
It was designed by Montreal-based designer Di Carlo Couture especially for her and it was even called the ‘Jessica’ dress in her honour.
‘It is an absolute honour to have designed this dress for Canadian style icon, Jessica Mulroney,’ the designer said in a statement. ‘Her dedication to supporting Canadian brands has always been incredible and for her to choose to wear Di Carlo Couture for such a major occasion is truly humbling.’
With an eye for detail, Jessica accessorised the elegant look with a navy blue fascinator, nude Christian Louboutin heels and a pair of sapphire drop earrings by Birks, a Canadian jewellery designer.
But the vice president of the Canadian-owned jewellery brand theorised that Jessica chose the eye-catching colour blue for her dress and accessories for a reason. ‘Jessica was dressed in blue and wearing blue sapphire earrings, so it was almost that she acted as [Meghan’s] “something blue”‘, Eva Hartling told People Magazine.
As she entered the church, Jessica looked striking against the white dresses worn by the flower girls, the pale pink frocks worn by Meghan’s other friends, and the primrose yellow Alexander McQueen coat dress worn by Princess Catherine.
Eva continued: ‘The children were officially her bridesmaids, but she [Meghan] made sure that Jessica was sitting in that first seat closest to where Harry and Meghan were standing.’
In footage from the royal wedding, Jessica can be seen sitting opposite Queen Elizabeth and other senior members of the Royal Family in her bright blue dress.
Meghan’s best friend Jessica smiles as she arrives in her Di Carlo Couture dress
As she entered the church, Jessica looked striking in blue against the white dresses worn by the flower girls, the pink frocks worn by Meghan’s other friends, and the primrose yellow Alexander McQueen coat dress worn by Princess Catherine
In footage from the royal wedding, Jessica can be seen sitting at the front, opposite Queen Elizabeth and other senior members of the Royal Family, in her bright blue dress
In the shots of Prince Harry and Meghan at the altar, Jessica is seen smiling
While Jessica may have been the more obvious ‘something blue’, Meghan later revealed in a HBO documentary Queen of the World that she had another one hidden in her gown.
‘Somewhere in here,’ the Duchess said, ‘There’s a piece of blue fabric stitched inside. It was my something blue. It’s fabric from the dress that I wore on our first date.’
Claire Waight Keller, the first-female artistic director of Givenchy and the mastermind behind Meghan’s dress, told Vanity Fair: ‘We basically sewed it into the hem of the wedding dress, so she was the only one that knew that it was there.
‘It was a little blue gingham check,’ Clare explained. ‘It was the perfect personal memento that was secretly hidden inside the dress.’
The designer revealed it took 3,900 hours to design Meghan’s 16.5-foot silk tulle veil which was embroidered with flowers from all 53 Commonwealth countries.
Jessica’s twins Brian and John served as page boys, carrying Meghan’s breath-taking veil as she made her way into St George’s Chapel.
And it was Brian who threatened to steal the bride’s thunder when he accidentally photobombed her as she arrived at the door of St George’s Chapel on her wedding day.
A picture of him flashing a gap-toothed grin as he popped up on screen behind the radiant bride went viral.
Jessica’s twins Brian and John served as page boys at Harry and Meghan’s wedding, carrying her breathtaking veil as she made her way into the chapel
Meghan had a piece of blue fabric from the dress she wore on her first date with Harry stitched into her wedding dress
The designer revealed it took 3,900 hours to design Meghan’s 16.5-foot silk tulle veil which was embroidered with flowers from all 53 Commonwealth countries
Harry and Meghan kiss on the steps of St George’s Chapel
Jessica and Ben Mulroney’s three children feature in Harry and Meghan’s wedding photos
Jessica’s daughter Ivy was a flower girl – alongside Harry’s niece and nephew Princess Charlotte and Prince George – and both the couple’s godchildren.
On the day of the royal wedding Jessica shared snaps captioned: ‘Proud friend. Proud mom.’
Jessica met Meghan at a yoga class when the actress first moved to Toronto in 2011 to film the legal drama Suits.
As the wife of TV presenter Ben Mulroney – who is also the son of former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney – Jessica was able to introduce Meghan to the city’s elite.
According to royal biographer Tom Bower, Jessica introduced her to singer Michael Bublé and Sophie Grégoire-Trudeau – the then wife of future Canadian president Justin Trudeau.
‘[Meghan] was mixing with an elite,’ Bower wrote. ‘Compared to her financially-strapped struggle in Los Angeles and a loud-mouth husband unable to deliver fame, her new life in Toronto was what she had always dreamed of.’
In Finding Freedom, the authors Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie write that Jessica and her husband Brian were the city’s ‘hottest young power couple.’
They explain: ‘Jessica not only encouraged Meghan to follow the same path but also introduced her to an exciting, fizzy social scene filled with high-profile charity events, the openings of new hotspots, fabulous restaurants and fancy friends like Michael Bublé.
Jessica met Meghan at a yoga class when the actress first moved to Toronto in 2011 to film the legal drama Suits
Jessica is happily married to Ben Mulroney, who is the son of former prime minister Brian Mulroney
While she was still living in Toronto, Meghan was regularly pictured at glamorous events with Jessica.
Meghan was all over the stylist’s social media page years ago, and Jessica is even understood to have helped pick out the wedding dress for Rachel Zane – the Duchess’s character on Suits.
In 2013, Meghan founded her now-defunct lifestyle blog, The Tig – where she gushed about her bestie.
In a resurfaced post from December 2015, the Duchess said that ‘the room stops’ whenever her friend ‘shows up at an event’.
Referencing the 1980s US sitcom Out Of This World, Meghan compared Jessica to the show’s heroine Evie (played by Maureen Flannigan) – who has the ability to freeze time.
Gushing about the effect Jessica has on people, Meghan described her as ‘savvy and fashionable and tres cool, and also va va va voom pritaaaay’ – in a post featured on a fan-run archive website of The Tig.
She continued: ‘And here’s the other thing – she also happens to be an incredible stylist, clothing the likes of Canada’s First Lady, Sophie Trudeau.’
The purpose of the post was to give Meghan’s readers some fashion advice over what to wear on that upcoming festive season. She continued: ‘So when I asked her what I should wear for Christmas parties and New York soirees, I thought you may enjoy the same sage and chic advice. You’re very welcome darling!’
Jessica and Meghan mixed in the same social circles in Toronto
Jessica Mulroney and Abigail Spencer from Suits leaving a restaurant in Los Angeles
The best friends amped up their social media presence of each other in 2016 and 2017.
Posting in February 2016, Jessica teased a trip to the Cayman Islands with her gal pal. She said: ‘Girls trip has officially begun with @meghanmarkle (which means don’t bother me unless you have to).’
That summer, Jessica shared a slew of candid photos showing her and Meghan on holiday in Italy – a month after her first date with Prince Harry.
The stylist was there during the early days of Meghan’s romance with Harry as the fledgling couple spent time with the Mulroneys, part of the Canadian political dynasty, before their relationship was made public in 2016.
A source years ago told E! News: ‘When Harry first started going to Toronto to visit Meghan, it was Ben and Jessica who had them over at their house for dinners because it wasn’t easy for them to go out in public without the risk of getting spotted.’
In Finding Freedom, the authors claim Harry and Meghan ‘hid out’ at the family home when the news first broke.
They wrote: ‘It was there that Meghan got a first-hand glimpse of how Harry might be as a father, falling hard as he expertly won over the Mulroneys’ then six-year-old twins, Brian and John, and three-year-old daughter Ivy.
‘Already experienced in charming little ones, he never turned up empty-handed, instead arriving with small presents each visit.
Jessica, Ben and Meghan shared a close bond for a number of years – up until 2020
The pair looked very similar when they attended the Instagram dinner in Toronto in 2016
‘But it wasn’t just his generosity that endeared him to the kids. Harry was also willing to get on the floor with them to play or smush up his face against the window, his funny expressions never failing to earn a giggle.’
Jessica was also there for Meghan’s first royal appearance at the Invictus Games in 2017.
She continued to offer guidance as to what Meghan should wear for significant occasions – from meeting the Queen to her final engagements as a working royal in early 2020.
The Finding Freedom authors wrote: ‘Meghan and Jessica had discussed what an appropriate outfit would be for the all-important meeting with Her Majesty.
‘As they often did, they went back and forth over iMessage with photos and voice memos. At one point, Jessica kept a second phone only Meghan had the number for – it meant they could chat safety and securely without any worries about hacks. After reviewing dozens of ideas, they settled on a conservative pastel dress.’
And months later, it is thought that Jessica may have even been one of Meghan’s first calls to announce her engagement to Harry.
In never-before-seen footage of the romantic proposal shared in the Sussexes’ Netflix documentary last year, Harry can be seen getting down on one knee in the grounds of Kensington Palace, while ’15 electric candles’ surround him as he holds a ring.
Kneeling on a blanket in a garden with Meghan’s dog and a large bouquet of white roses at his side, Harry asked the former actress for her hand in marriage.
Jessica was also there for Meghan’s first royal appearance at the Invictus Games in 2017 (pictured)
The stylist continued to offer Meghan guidance on what she should wear – from meeting the Queen to her last few engagements as a working royal in 2020 (picutured here with Harry in March of that year at The Endeavour Fund Awards in London)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrive at the Royal Albert Hall on March 7, 2020
Harry and his wife arrive at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey, London. on Commonwealth Day in 2020 – their final official engagement before they quit royal life
Despite their close relationship, insiders claimed that the Duchess had permanently cut ties with Jessica in 2020, after she became embroiled in a race row with influencer Sasha Exeter
In the candid clip, Meghan can be heard phoning her friend Jess and excitedly whispering ‘Oh my God Jess. It’s happening. He told me not to peek,’ as the Prince prepared to to get down on one knee.’
Later, a palace insider suggested to the Mail on Sunday that Meghan frequently confided in the stylist as her and Harry began to solidify their plans to step down as royals.
The source said: ‘Jessica was more influential on “Megxit” than anyone really realised.’
Following the announcement that Harry and Meghan were stepping back from royal duties Jessica said: ‘A strong woman looks a challenge in the eye and gives it a wink.’
But although Canadian socialite Jessica turns 45 today, the Duchess of Sussex will likely not be invited to her birthday celebrations.
Over the past few years, rumours of a rift between the two women have been swirling – as the Duchess of Sussex appeared to distance herself from her former BFF after Jessica was caught up in a ‘white privilege’ race row with blogger Sasha Exeter in 2020.
Jessica is said to have ‘wrongly assumed’ that a ‘generic call to action’ Sasha shared about the Black Lives Matter movement ‘was a direct and blatant callout to her’.
After allegedly sending Sasha a string of ‘offensive messages’, Jessica issued three public apologies before she was dropped by numerous television networks including ABC and CTV.
Ever since then, Meghan’s friendship with her stylist bestie has cooled – with no mention of Jessica in Prince Harry’s memoir Spare, or the Duchess’s new lifestyle series on Netflix, With Love, Meghan.
