British royal wedding traditions: Bizarre customs including fruitcake, a child bridal party, and no wedding ring for men

Royal weddings are undoubtedly a lavish affair, with every single detail down planned meticulously for months.

But many of the wedding decisions the royals have stuck by for centuries are the most questionable to the rest of us.

For example, many of us have abandoned the tradition of having a fruitcake as a wedding cake – but not the royals.

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Fruitcake as the wedding cake

Even Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, who made headlines with their decision to have a lemon and elderflower flavoured cake for their 2018 wedding, still had to have a fruitcake on the table.

Nick Bramer from Country House Weddings says this tradition dates “back to Queen Victoria’s day.

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“This stodgy, brandy-soaked confection is a mainstay at royal weddings. Charles and Diana’s eight-tier beast was adorned with 900 sugar-paste flowers!”

The tradition is not just for the royals, being dated back to the 16th century and most commonly in Britain.

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The fruitcake was favoured for its dense structure, that allowed for more intense decoration, and for its longevity.

Many would keep slices as keepsakes and bring them out on other significant occasions.

Child-only bridal parties

One thing you won’t see in British royal weddings is best men and bridesmaids clogging up the front of the church.

Instead, royal weddings feature bridal parties exclusively made up of children – namely a set of pageboys and young bridesmaids and flower girls in matching white outfits.

For example, Prince George was a page boy and Princess Charlotte was a flower girl at Harry and Meghan’s wedding, with many of the others being the children of their closest friends.

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However, there are exceptions to the rule.

Kate Middleton chose her sister Pippa Middleton as her maid of honour, and the late Queen Elizabeth chose her sister Princess Margaret and her cousins of roughly the same age as her bridesmaids for her 1947 wedding to Prince Philip.

It is believed children are included as they are symbols of innocence and purity, as well as fertility, which wishes the newlyweds luck as they start their married life.

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No wedding rings for men

While it is expected for most married men to have their wedding ring secured on their left hand, this isn’t the case for men of the British royal family.

If you looked at the hands of the late Prince Philip or even Prince William, you’d find their ring fingers were empty.

“The general trend of men wearing rings can be traced back to British military customs during the World Wars, when rings were sometimes worn by soldiers abroad,” Bramer explained.

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“But for the royals, the tradition never really caught on.” 

To some degree this is about personal preference, with King Charles wearing his wedding ring along with his signet ring, and his son Harry proudly wearing his own silver wedding ring.

In general, however, Bramer says ”many of these customs are less about personal preference and more about preserving heritage”.

“Traditions like child-only bridal parties and fruitcake may seem strange today, but they’re part of a long narrative of continuity within the royal family,” he continues.

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“What’s interesting is how symbolic these decisions become. Choosing not to wear a ring or to have a fruitcake isn’t just a stylistic choice – it sends a message about status, duty, and identity within the institution.

“That’s why even the smallest break with tradition can make headlines.”

But as times change, so do traditions, said Bramer.

“Younger royals like William and Harry have made minor but meaningful tweaks to reflect their modern values, while keeping with tradition in other areas.”

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