However, in most of Europe, unless you were the heir to the throne, no one watched the consummation itself! Instead, the
In general, no, royals did not consummate their marriage in front of others. Throughout much of history, marriage was a significant event for which the public would gather, but it did not usually involve the act of consummation, as this was considered a private affair.
The purpose of the ritual was to establish the consummation of the marriage, either by actually witnessing the couple's first sexual intercourse, or symbolically, by leaving before consummation. It symbolized the community's involvement in the marriage.
The customs of these ceremonies varied across cultures and royal families, but they all followed a common theme: the newly married couple would be escorted to bed by certain wedding guests, then they'd be expected to consummate their unions while others were around.
No, it was not a common practice for people to watch Royals consummate. In the past, marriages between Royals were often politically motivated and arranged, rather than consummated willingly by both parties.
ANECDOTE. Seven years after their wedding, Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette still had not consummated their marriage. The queen had abandoned the marriage bed because the king, who suffered from phimosis, could not 'honour' her.
The yichud is a ritual performed during a Jewish wedding immediately after the couple is married. The couple spends a few minutes in a room by themselves away from their family and friends. In biblical times this is when the marriage would be consummated.
In the third episode of Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, Charlotte and King George consummate their marriage multiple times, even when they claim they do not like each other.
They slept in separate beds
Apparently a lot of posh people actually prefer to sleep in separate beds, including the Queen and her man. As etiquette expert Lady Pam and Her Majesty's cousin explained in a biography about her relative: "In England, the upper class always have had separate bedrooms.
droit du seigneur, (French: “right of the lord”), a feudal right said to have existed in medieval Europe giving the lord to whom it belonged the right to sleep the first night with the bride of any one of his vassals.
It's intended to provide evidence that the bride and bridegroom have consummated their marriage. The bedding is commonly held after the wedding feast is over. Male guests carry the bride while female guests carry the bridegroom to the bedchamber, removing items of clothing along the way and making ribald jokes.
The wedding night, also most popularly known as 'suhaag raat', is when newly-weds are expected to consummate their marriage and for many couples, who had never had a physical relationship before, this night might be the first time they would be having sex with the partner.
For proof of consummation, you generally just need to show that you were in the same physical place after your marriage ceremony. For example, evidence could include: Plane tickets. Hotel reservations or receipts.
Celtic barefoot weddings
In the ancient Gaelic and Celtic tradition, the bridal party attended the ceremony with bare feet as a sign of simplicity and humility. This was also thought to represent the natural relationship being consecrated at the ceremony -- “natural” was key.
Commoners aren't supposed to touch royals unless royals initiate contact. Celebrities like Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Allison Janney, and Ed Sheeran have slipped up. It's OK, though. Royals are forgiving and usually enjoy the change of pace.
Although there is no formal law that forbids future monarchs from showing affection, Queen Elizabeth II set a precedent that encouraged royals to keep their hands to themselves. This is why you rarely see Prince William and Kate Middleton smooching in public, or even holding hands.
The monarch isn't a fan of a deep bath either, she is said to bathe in “no more than seven inches of water”, according to royal author Brian Hoey for the Daily Mail.
At Apartment 1A in Kensington Palace, instead of having the bedrooms upstairs and living spaces downstairs, the Cambridges sleep on the group floor, and the staff is upstairs. Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.
Apparently, she heads to bed at 10.30pm each evening in order to get a good night's sleep. The bling is stunning, obviously. Regular exercise is also said to help with sleep and Kate leads an active lifestyle, often talking about how she loves to get outdoors – it's thought that she runs or walks every day.
"You need to bow", the young royal appears to tell the future King as the Queen's coffin passes by. George quickly follows the instruction, and the pair both dip their heads as a sign of respect to their great-grandmother, the Queen.
As Historic Royal Palaces writes, "They shared a happy life together, producing 15 children until their lives were changed and saddened by the King's devastating mental illness. Nonetheless Charlotte remained steadfast and loyal to her husband."
Although not a love match, George and Charlotte's relationship was a strong one from the beginning. At a ball following the wedding, the king told a courtier that he was “too happy” with his new queen. The couple did not lead separate lives, as suggested in the Netflix show.
In the context of marriage, consummation means the actualization of marriage. It is the first act of sexual intercourse after marriage between a husband and wife. Consummation is particularly relevant under canon law, where failure to consummate a marriage is a ground for divorce or an annulment.
In many traditions and statutes of civil or religious law, the consummation of a marriage, often called simply consummation, is the first (or first officially credited) act of sexual intercourse between two people, following their marriage to each other.
Some Christians will argue that the act of living together before marriage is not a sin itself. Rather, sleeping together or engaging in any sexual activity before marriage is the sin. And some unmarried couples may argue that it's okay to live together if they aren't sleeping together.