Sophie, Countess of Wessex and Prince Edward’s wedding was watched by more than 200 million TV viewers back in 1999. The day was a simple affair in comparison to the splendour of recent royal weddings, but the absence of a public kiss set their nuptials apart from the rest. Read on to find out why the newlyweds declined photographers’ requests for a post-wedding smooch.

Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones began dating after the two met at a charity event in 1993.

Their engagement was announced in January 1999, with the pair marrying only five months later in June.

The wedding of Prince Edward and Sophie was distinctly different from that of Edward’s older siblings in many ways, not least because of the absence of a kiss.

The wedding’s of Prince Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew all took place at either Westminster Abbey or St Paul’s Cathedral.

Breaking with the precedent set by his siblings, the pair decided to marry at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Since Sophie and Edward’s wedding in 1999, the Chapel has also served as the backdrop for the future royal weddings, including Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, and later Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank.

Although a horse-drawn, open-topped carriage took the newly-married couple to their reception, the whole affair was rather private.

The Earl of Wessex declined the requests of photographers to kiss his new bride.

According to reports from HELLO!, they didn’t share a public kiss on their wedding day, but a friend revealed they shared one at the wedding reception.

The wedding guest said: “When they left the main room, they gave each other a kiss.

“It was a great private moment.”

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Instead, the pair could be seen beaming and waving at the crowds.

Unlike the first marriages of Edward’s siblings, the Earl and Countess of Wessex have remained married since 1999.

They welcomed a daughter, Lady Louise Windsor, in 2003, and a son, James, Viscount Severn, in 2007.

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