Following in the footsteps of Princess Diana, bride-to-be Kate Middleton will exclude “obey” from her wedding vows to Prince William.
According to the Daily Mail, Middleton will instead fulfill the promise to “love, comfort, honour and keep” her spouse. Middleton, who will be the oldest royal bride in history, will take after the late Princess Diana, who bucked royal protocol when she married Prince Charles in 1981 by refusing to include “obey” in her vows. Diana, however, did not start a trend among royals. Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson and Countess of Wessex Sophie Rhys-Jones agreed to “obey” their respective royal husbands in 1986 and 1999.
Prince William and Middleton, who will tie the knot at Westminster Abbey on April 29, decided on a version of their vows weeks ago but have kept this aspect of their highly-publicized royal wedding a secret from the media.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has applauded the couple for the “simple” direction they’ve taken with their ceremony.
“I’ve been very struck by the way in which William and Catherine have approached this great event,” the archbishop told the Daily Mirror. “They’ve thought through what they want for themselves, but also what they want to say. They have a very simple, very direct picture of what really matters about this event.”