Will Meghan Markle attend Priyanka Chopra's wedding? How a royal masters a celebrity wedding

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas are preparing to tie the knot at the Taj Umaid Bhawan Palace in India this weekend. But the choice of regal venue should come as no surprise, as one of her closest friends is none other than the Duchess of Sussex.

With future sister-in-law Sophie Turner and actress Lupita Nyong’o on the guest list, it’s sure to be a star-studded ceremony.

But after leaving the Hollywood hills for Kensington Palace, will the newly-crowned Duchess of Sussex attend the celebrity wedding?

And if she does head to Marks and Spencer for a fascinator, is there a set of royal rules she must follow?

Will Meghan Markle attend Priyanka Chopra’s wedding?

The Duchess of Sussex first met fellow actress Priyanka Chopra at Elle magazine’s annual Women in Television dinner back in 2016.

On their fledgling friendship, Chopra revealed: “We bonded as actors. We just became friends, like two girls would.”

It’s hard to imagine that just a mere two years ago, Chopra was the more famous of the pair having starred in over 50 Bollywood films and leading FBI series ‘Quantico’.

Fast-forward to 2018 and Meghan has wed Prince Harry, gained a regal title and the couple are now expecting their first child.

But the duo are still firm friends with Chopra famously attending the royal wedding at St George’s Chapel in Windsor on May 19.

So will Meghan return the favour? Let’s investigate the possibilities.

Priyanka Chopra and Meghan Markle are firm friends

Due to the fact that Chopra famously headed to the chapel hand-in-hand with ‘Suits’ star Abigail Spencer, the actress is sure to have extended an invitation to Meghan.

“I think it is important to point out that once you marry into the royal family, your social life doesn’t quite end,” editor-in-chief of Royal Central, Charlie Proctor, tells Yahoo UK. “Royals often privately attend the weddings of friends and I don’t see why it would be any different for Priyanka Chopra’s upcoming nuptials.”

The Windsor clan are no strangers to a non-royal wedding, as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex famously attended Prince Harry’s friend Charlie Van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenk’s nuptials back in August 2018.

While the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge recently watched close pals Sophie Carter and Robert Snuggs tie the knot.

“Providing her wedding doesn’t clash with another big royal occasion, I think it is likely Meghan will attend,” adds Proctor.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams agrees that the Duchess of Sussex’s appearance is not beyond the realms of possibility.

However, the fact that the couple are expecting their first child in spring 2019 may pose as a dilemma.

“Meghan may attend as they are close friends though she will obviously be balancing activities because of her pregnancy,” Fitzwilliams tells Yahoo UK.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are expecting their first child

Due to the far-flung wedding destination, the Duchess of Sussex may decide against travelling to India for medical reasons.

Let’s not forget that during Harry and Meghan’s debut overseas tour of Australia, Fiji and New Zealand, the mother-to-be cancelled a series of engagements due to fatigue.

At the time, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace announced: “The Duke and Duchess have decided to cut back the Duchess’ schedule slightly for the next couple of days, ahead of the final week and a half of the tour.”

Today, rumours are rife that the royal newlyweds will skip the upcoming ceremony as a consequence to the pregnancy.

A royal insider told US Weekly, “Meghan will not be going to Priyanka’s wedding, especially now that she’s pregnant.”

However, multiple reports have also indicated that the former actress is not planning to slow down in the run-up to welcoming her first child, as she will continue to carry out forthcoming engagements up until her due date.

Are there rules a royal must follow at a celebrity wedding?

Although there are no official rules of protocol for A-list weddings, the Duchess of Sussex may take measures to ensure that she does not steal the spotlight.

“If she does attend the wedding, Meghan will obviously take good care not to overshadow the bride,” Fitzwilliams tells Yahoo UK.

According to the royal commentator, this could entail recycling a previous outfit and avoiding photographs.

This first sartorial tactic is one Duchess of Cambridge is familiar with, as she re-wore a previous ensemble for Sophie Carter and Robert Snuggs’ September nuptials.

For the ceremony, the 37-year-old recycled a Catherine Walker dress coat she was first photographed in during the royal tour of Germany back in July last year.

Though that may be easier said than done for the Duchess of Sussex, as the ‘Meghan Effect’ has undoubtedly captured the hearts of the nation.

“I’m sorry to say it, but there is no way Meghan can avoid upstaging the bride (at least on the world stage),” Proctor admits. “The paparazzi and journalists will want to get pictures of Meghan arriving at the ceremony, certainly in the UK, little is known of Priyanka Chopra, so readers will hardly care about the bride.”

“As for Meghan herself, if she does attend, I’m sure she would prefer to be a subtle guest and I suspect she will try and avoid being spotted by the media.”

Royal etiquette expert, Grant Harrold, agrees: “There will be the possibility that her attendance may overshadow the bride, as precious weddings have shown that when a royal attends it does indeed get noticed by the media.”

“But the bride is still the star of the big day and I am sure the Duchess of Sussex would want it any other way,” he added.

When Yahoo UK reached out to Kensington Palace for confirmation on whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend Chopra’s wedding, the couple’s representatives refused to comment.

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