Getty Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Florence Cutsem is only 3-years-old, but she will be at Meghan Markle’s side as one of her bridesmaids when Markle marries Prince Harry.
Kensington Palace released a list of bridesmaids and pages a few days before the wedding. That statement revealed of Florence Cutsem: “Miss Florence van Cutsem. (Aged 3 – goddaughter of Prince Harry, daughter of Mrs. Alice van Cutsem and Major Nicholas van Cutsem).” Why did Harry and Meghan choose Florence for the honor?
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Florence’s Cousin, Grace, Made Waves as a Bridesmaid for William & Kate
I would like the now ten-year-old Grace van Cutsem to be on the balcony to recreate this moment at the #RoyalWedding2018
Perhaps Harry and Meghan were remembering the star turn that Florence’s cousin, Grace, gave at the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton.
Grace Cutsem “became the subject of memes across the Internet when she covered her ears and made a face while Prince William and Kate Middleton shared their wedding kiss,” reported Town and Country Magazine. Grace is now 10-years-old.
Remember little Grace Van Cutsem, the bridesmaid from Kate and William’s #RoyalWedding? This is what she looks like now. t.co/cCrRifA8Tn
Who can forget that adorable little girl’s reaction? The Mirror reports that Grace is the child of Bernard van Cutsem and Mary Compton.
2. Her Father Is the Son of Prince Charles’ Best Friend
Official photograph taken at the wedding of Ed Van Cutsem & Lady Tamara Grosvenor. Back row from left to right:
Aidan Cooney; Mr Hugh van Cutsem; Lady Edwina Grosvenor; Mrs Hugh van Cutsem; Mr Nicholas van Cutsem; Mr Edward van Cutsem; Lady Tamara van Cutsem; The Duke of Westminster; Mr William van Cutsem; Earl Grosvenor; The Duchess of Westminster; Mr Hugh R van Cutsem. Page boys and bridesmaids from left to right:
Miss Idina Moncreiffe; Lady Viola Grosvenor; Miss Laura Wills; Lord Stanley of Bickerstaffe; Master Euan Moncreiffe; Miss Isabella van Vredenburch; Lady Henrietta Stanley; Miss Jess Harrison; Count Raoul de Liederkerke
Who is Hugh Cutsem, the grandfather of Grace and Florence, and why is his family repeatedly chosen for such a prestigious honor? He was Prince Charles’ best friend, and the families remained close.
There are four van Cutsem brothers who are sons of Hugh van Cutsem, Prince Charles’s best friend from Cambridge, and so William and Harry both grew up with them. William and Kate “are close to them all, along with their wives and children — so not only do the parents socialize together, but George and Charlotte already have plenty of youngsters to play with,” reports Pop Sugar. Harry is close to them too.
According to Hello, Nicholas’ dad “a former officer in the Household Cavalry, first became close to Charles during their time together at Cambridge University in the Sixties.”
3. Florence Cutsem’s Uncle Was a Page in the Wedding of Charles & Diana
GettyPicture of Lady Diana, Princess of Wales with Prince Charles of Wales at their wedding at St Paul Cathedral in London in this file photo dated 29 July 1981. Lady Diana and her lover, the Egyptian millionaire businessman Dodi al-Fayed died after a midnight car crash in Paris 31 August. At far (R) Earl Spencer, father of Lady Diana.
Including a Cutsem child in a royal wedding is a tradition for Charles and his offspring. Movingly, Florence’s uncle was in the wedding of Charles and Diana, Hello Magazine reports.
“Their friendship endured, and when Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981, the van Cutsem’s eight-year-old son Edward, who is also Charles’ godson, was one of their two page boys,” reported Hello. Edward was one of four children of Charles’ best friend.
4. Florence’s Father Is a Wealthy Developer & Military Veteran Who Has Known the Royal Family for Years
(L-R) Alice van Cutsem, Nicholas van Cutsem, Rose van Cutsem and Hugh van Cutsem Jr attend a requiem mass for Hugh van Cutsem who passed away on September 2nd 2013 at Brentwood Cathedral on September 11, 2013 in Brentwood, England.
Who is Florence’s dad, Nicholas van Cutsem? According to the Sun, he “is a wealthy international business developer based in London, has known William since childhood.”
As for her mother? “Nicholas married Alice, a daughter of a former Cavalry officer, in August 2009 in Westminster, London,” The Sun reports.
His LinkedIn page says he served in the British armed forces in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan and describes his business background. He also provided “defence consultancy” and wrote that he provided “Advanced Blast and Ballistics Systems Ltd: Designing cutting edge, world leading mine blast mitigation technology.”
5. Nicholas van Cutsem Was Once Accused of Assaulting a Soldier
Nicholas van Cutsem
Nicholas van Cutsem has had his share of bad headlines. “Nicholas van Cutsem, who guarded the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s carriage at the royal wedding, has been cleared of assaulting a soldier during an Army exercise,” Telegraph reported.
What was he accused of doing specifically? The “major with the Household Cavalry’s Life Guards, allegedly struck the soldier with a horsewhip during training. It was claimed that he beat him so fiercely that the whip snapped,” according to The Telegraph.
During William and Kate’s wedding, Nicholas had played a key role. He “commanded the Captain’s Escort of mounted soldiers who accompanied William and Kate in their carriage from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace,” reported Telegraph.