Is this a clue to Harry’s unusual wedding cake?
Prince’s love of the fruit and image tweeted by Markle drives speculation over wedding fruitcake
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s love of bananas – as exemplified by Ms Markle’s Instagram snap of cuddling fruit – may be a clue to the key ingredient in their wedding cake in May.
THIRTEEN months ago, Meghan Markle’s cryptic Instagram post of two bananas “cuddling” prompted a frenzy of speculation over her whirlwind romance with Prince Harry.
The picture – accompanied by the message “sleep tight” and two kisses – sent fans into overdrive as they suggested tit was a symbol of their long-distance love.
Now, it seems, the fruit is set to play a central role in their wedding too, for The Daily Telegraph can reveal that the couple, who last week announced their engagement, are planning on marking their big day with a wedding cake made from bananas.
“This will be the first royal wedding cake made from bananas,” a source close to the couple told this paper.
As well as acting as a symbol for their affection, Prince Harry is said to love “anything with banana”.
Darren Mcgrady, his former royal chef, has previously spoken about making the young Prince a caramel and banana cake. He cooked for the Prince and his brother until the death of their mother, Diana, liaising with her about what he was serving up on a daily basis. In a separate interview with Hello! magazine, he said Prince Harry, along with the Duke of Cambridge, “loved banana flan, anything with banana really, banana ice cream”.
Wedding tradition dictates that the top tier of the cake is a fruit cake, because it is long-lasting and is then served at the christening of the couple’s first child.
Their apparent decision to go with a banana cake, instead of the typical fruit cake, follows in the footsteps of the Duke and Duchess. They had a groom’s cake made of chocolate biscuits for their reception at Buckingham Palace as well as a traditional eight-tiered cake.
Rosalind Miller, the award-winning wedding cake designer, said traditional fruit cakes were no longer the typical choice of couples, who are increasingly opting for flavoured sponges, largely influenced by American preferences. “A traditional wedding cake is a rich fruit cake, like a Christmas cake, where all the cake is soaked in alcohol first,” she said. “But with Meghan being American, they are used to sponge cakes. We find that most couples who come to us also want sponge cakes these days. The rich fruit cake is not very popular now.” Ms Miller said the Prince and Ms Markle were far from the only couple opting for a different taste, with banana, vanilla, lemon and lavender popular choices. “People are becoming more aware of different flavours,” she said.
The Prince and Ms Markle, 36, have been tight-lipped about their wedding preparations, with much of it still in its very early stages.
Royalists are waiting in anticipation for any fresh announcements beyond what we already know – that the ceremony will take place at St George’s Chapel in Windsor in May. The couple have said it will be a “moment of fun and joy that will reflect the characters of the bride and groom”.
It was reported that Prince George, four, and Princess Charlotte, two, will join their aunt-to-be’s wedding party after being given the roles of pageboy and bridesmaid. The children have both met Ms Markle many times. Kensington Palace would not comment on speculation about the cake.