On Saturday, May 19, months of anticipation culminated with the royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in Windsor. The couple chose to make the moment special not only for themselves alone, but also for the world at large. The idea of inclusivity in the centuries-old institution is evolving, and that was reflected inspiringly throughout the ceremony.
Here are ten coolest things that happened at the Royal Wedding:
1. Father-in-law, Prince Charles joined Markle down the aisle
In a historical first, for a royal bride in the UK, Markle chose not to be attended and escorted for a large part of the procession, down the aisle at St. George’s Chapel. Instead, she walked alone for the first part of the procession, accompanied only by her bridesmaids and page boys. Prince Charles, Harry’s father, then joined her at the Quire. Health problems made it impossible for her own father to attend the wedding. It was the first time any royal bride has ever walked down the aisle of her wedding without an escort.
2. Ode to Princess Diana
Markle's bouquet paid tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales. The spring blooms included 'Forget-Me-Nots' which were her favourite flowers. Markle also sported some meaningful jewellery for the reception. She wore Princess Diana's emerald-cut aquamarine ring. The wedding also featured the song "Guide Me, O Thy Great Redeemer" which had featured at Princess Diana's funeral service as well. Sir Elton, who sang at the funeral service for Harry's mother, performed at the lunchtime reception. Also, Princess Diana's sister Lady Jane Fellowes gave a reading in the church.
3. Bride's veil represented all 53 Commonwealth countries.
Bride Markle's veil featured flowers representing all 53 Commonwealth countries. And, in another vouch for equality, the bride wore British designer Clare Waight Keller, who last year became the first female Artistic Director of Givenchy.
4. "I will"..and they all laughed
For the first time ever in the history of Britain's royals, people laughed out loud. Also, they picked just the perfect moment for it, when Harry said "I will" instead of "I do".
5. The bride's mother
Meghan's mother Doria Ragland was every mother of the bride, holding back her tears. Doria looked overcome with emotion as her daughter married into the royal family. She, not only got love and respect from the Royal family, but also received warmth from the Twitterati.
6. There was no promise to "obey."
The marriage service was from Common Worship (2000), which meant that Meghan didn’t promise to obey Harry. Instead, it celebrated marriage as a sign of unity and loyalty. This was just like what Lady Diana did when she married Prince Charles in 1981. Kate Middleton also did the same when she tied the knot with Prince William in 2011.
7. A Worldwide celebration of love.
All barriers came down with this ceremony. Like most weddings, “love” was a word on everyone’s lips at the ceremony. Across the country, with hundreds of thousands of people gathering in Windsor, and millions more watching on TV, everyone came together to celebrate unity, loyalty and love. Twitterati, too, poured an abundance of love for the royal family.
8. The "iPad" Bishop, Rev. Michael Curry, changed history
It was impossible to escape conversations about race and the royal family with Prince Harry and Meghan’s marriage. The Chicago-born Bishop Michael Curry addressed about love during the ceremony. His U.S. citizenship wasn't the only non-traditional aspect. He also used a tablet to deliver his speech. He gave a resounding speech beginning with a quote from American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr.- “We must discover the redemptive power of love, and when we do that, we will make of this old world a new world".
9. A Celebration of diversity, new and young talent.
Many believe that Meghan and Harry’s wedding will, in important ways, change perceptions about a different race for the better. The guest list for the wedding brought together royals and Hollywood celebrities, reflecting Meghan and Harry’s different and diverse backgrounds.
The ceremony was also an opportunity to showcase some lesser-known but equally talented performers, such as Sheku Kanneh-Mason, the 19-year-old who became the first black winner of the BBC Young Musician competition in 2016, and was invited to perform at the wedding. In another glorious moment, 29-year-old Lance Corporal Kate Sandford helped sound the fanfare to mark the arrival of Meghan Markle when she took her first steps inside St George’s Chapel. Sandford is the first female State Trumpeter to play at a British royal wedding. These events made royal history in the process.
10. Prince Philip, donations and the new Title for the couple!
Another thing which gathered praise was that at 96 years, and a week after a hip surgery, Prince Philip walked towards the church unaided. In lieu of wedding gifts, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle requested well-wishers to instead make donations to one of their favourite charities. Significantly, the Queen gave Prince Harry a Dukedom. Prince Harry is now the Duke of Sussex and Markle, The Duchess of Sussex.
This Royal Wedding rocked the world in end number of ways. The couple, with their union, sends out a strong message across nations - of acceptance, love, diversity and humanity. Most importantly, the Royal family's official website introducing Meghan Markle as the Duchess of Sussex, also mentions her work and states her quote - "I am proud to be a woman and a feminist".
Also: Fairytale Weddings And The Everyday Of Marriage
More stories by Bhawana
Bhawana is an intern with SheThePeople.TV
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