Why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Didn't Kiss After Saying 'I Do' at Their Royal Wedding

There's a reason Prince Harry and Meghan Markle saved their first smooch as a married couple for their chapel exit

By Char Adams May 19, 2018 09:20 AM

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Most weddings are sealed with a kiss in front of family and friends inside the venue. But there’s a reason Prince Harry and Meghan Markle saved their first smooch as a married couple for their chapel exit.

That’s because it’s not tradition for royal couple’s to kiss in church during their wedding ceremony.

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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex kept with that tradition on Saturday, locking lips outside St. George’s Chapel after saying “I do” at Windsor Castle. In doing so, they followed in the footsteps of Prince William and Kate Middleton and even the late Princess Diana and Prince Charles.

“Some view the church as a holy place so they won’t kiss in the church out of respect, but many vicars throughout the church of England will ask the couple if they want to kiss,” Myka Meier, Beaumont Etiquette founder and expert in all things proper, tells PEOPLE.

It’s the event of the year! Be sure to keep up with all of PEOPLE’s royal wedding coverage and don’t forget to check out everything you need to know about Meghan Markle’s perfect style.

RELATED VIDEO: Harry and Meghan’s Love Story

At their 2011 wedding, William and Kate shared two kisses from the Buckingham Palace balcony after marrying at Westminster Abbey. Nearly 40 years earlier, Charles and Diana did the same on their wedding day.

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RELATED VIDEO: Harry and Meghan Exchange Vows

The crowd went wild Saturday as the new husband and wife locked lips just before their carriage procession through the town. Meghan and Harry’s moment marked the first time the couple has kissed in public since he sweetly planted a kiss on Meghan’s cheek during the Invictus Games closing ceremony last September.

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After greeting the crowd on the stairs, the couple embarked on their first horse-drawn journey through the streets of Windsor. The rest of the bridal party will head to the castle from the church for the luncheon reception in the State Rooms.