A Fairytale Wedding
The royal wedding between Prince Harry and former American actress Meghan Markle took place on the 19th May 2018. The couple was in a relationship since 2016 and was engaged in November 2017. After their wedding, Queen Elizabeth II conferred the titles Duke and Duchess of Sussex on the newly-weds. The royal wedding was held in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle with a seating arrangement for 800 guests. Windsor Castle also happens to be one of the oldest and largest castles in the world which remain inhabited to this day. The Queen Mother is known to spend many of her weekends here. The wedding turned out to be a classy affair, attended by eminent guests from all over the globe.
The entire theme of the wedding was inspired by spring and summer. The flowers that decorated the venue were peonies, white roses, hornbeam, and birch. Interestingly, they were collected from the gardens of the Crown Estate. The cake had a light pink hue, and we hear it was a lemon elderflower cake decorated with creamy flowers. The flavors of spring were incorporated in the cake by the Violet Bakery.
When Harry Met Meghan
The details of the courtship of the royal couple are not known. But it was revealed that the couple’s mutual friend set them up for a blind date. Violet Von Westenholz was a childhood friend of Harry who came to know Meghan Markle as she became a regular at the London social scene. Prince Harry was ready to commit, but he couldn’t find someone to spend the rest of his life with. Violet came to know of this, and thought of setting up Meghan and Harry. The couple met for drinks the first time in July 2016. They must have liked each other for within a couple of weeks, the couple went to Botswana together. Camping under the stars, Prince Harry and Meghan felt their connection grow stronger than ever. No wonder that Meghan’s engagement ring came from Botswana.
Soon, the media got an inkling of what was going on. Meghan was subjected to a lot of harassment which ended when the royal family officially announced their relationship. Meghan was acting in the TV series Suits at that time. Born to Thomas Markle Jr. and Doria Ragland who are caucasian and African-American respectively, Meghan is of mixed ethnicity, making her quite the unconventional bride when compared to others in the royal family. Her father was a lighting director in Hollywood, and Meghan was no stranger to the ways of tinsel town. Her marriage to producer Trevor Engelson ended in a divorce in 2013.
Breaking Traditions
Looks like Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are turning out to be one of the most unconventional royal couples. Prince Harry was a rebel of sorts when he went to a rehab at the age of 17 after he confessed to having marijuana and alcohol problem. For the next few years, various controversial photos that came out of the sixth in line to the throne established him as the charming prince who was fun to be with. Looks like Prince Harry has found his perfect soulmate in former American actress Meghan Markle.
Times are a changing for sure in the royal house of England. The Queen Mother clearly approves of this charming young American lady who has been breaking all kinds of traditions and conventions of the royal family. There were a lot of firsts for the Duchess of Sussex, but this is the second time that a person of color has been welcomed into the family. Meghan had chosen to walk alone as she entered the wedding venue since her father was recuperating from a heart surgery. She requested Prince Charles to join her at the Quire. She has truly set a precedent for feminists from all over the world.
A Happily Ever After
The guest list contained the who’s who from the world of entertainment, politics, and even sports. Serena Williams and husband, Reddit co-founder, Alexis Ohanian, George and Amal Clooney, Victoria and David Beckham, and Oprah Winfrey were some of the most well-known faces from the guest list. A total of 1200 guests attended the wedding to raise a toast to the newly-wed couple. It was a grand affair that will hopefully modernize various customs and traditions of the royalties of England. May the royal couple have a blissful married life and live happily ever after! A fairytale with a fitting end.