Exclusive

Prince Charles' Goddaughter Compares the Royal Wedding to Princess Diana's in 1981

Exclusive! India Hicks, bridesmaid to the late Princess of Wales, called in to E! News to break down the big day

By Billy Nilles May 19, 2018 4:36 PMTags

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's big day had some big shoes to fill.

With two major modern royal weddings in recent memory—brother Prince William's nuptials to Kate Middleton in 2011 and his parents' own lavish affair 30 years before that—there was a lot to compare the May 19 celebration to. And for one person directly involved with one of those earlier festivities, the ceremony held at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle hit exactly all the right notes.

India Hicks, goddaughter of Prince Charles who served as a bridesmaid to the late Princess Diana, called in to E! News' live coverage of the big day, where she broke down all that she saw with her insider perspective.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Royal Wedding Day Photos
DOMINIC LIPINSKI/AFP via Getty Images

"Oh my God, all I do, of course, is compare one wedding to the other one that I was on. Completely different thing," she told hosts Giuliana Rancic, Brad Goreski, Melanie Bromley and Sarah-Jane Crawford. "This one is absolutely fairy tale to the last moment. Very low-key compared to that 1981 one of over-the-top '80s fashion, over-the-top pomp and circumstance. Amazing for a future king, but I think this one is very reflective of both Harry and Meghan. We're seeing all those little low-key differences that Meghan is already putting in place, which is amazing because, of course, that's the Royal Family and it's hard to tinker with their framework."

Hicks, who founded lifestyle brand India Hicks, Inc. in 2015, couldn't help but hone in on Markle's bridesmaids, given that she's been in their place. "The bridesmaids particularly, of course, I'm looking at them, having had the experience of having ridden in that glass carriage myself," she said. "What I loved was the shoes, the little bridesmaid shoes, and the way that Meghan gave them as a gift to the bridesmaids and they had those initials embroidered on the front. So there were really charming little moments that we saw from today."

She also opened up about what it was like to see her godfather rise to the occasion and step in to walk his new daughter-in-law down the aisle after Markle's father Thomas Markle's health prevented him from attending his daughter's big day due as he recovered from a recent surgery. "Of course,  because I love a woman who stands on her own two feet and I've got a business that's all about women finding themselves, I love the fact that Meghan walked that first bit down the aisle by herself. She did not look alone. I thought she looked wonderful there," Hick said. "And I then loved the tender moment when Charles comes out and walks her down that last bit. It really was a moment that sealed the family connection, and the fact that she's going to get a lot of support having come from something that was quite difficult into a family that's obviously steeped in history and tradition. But hopefully she's going to have that support beside her so it won't feel lonely at any moment for her."

For more from Hicks, including what it means to her to see a true advocate for women marry into the monarchy, be sure to check out the video above!