VOWS THAT WOWED WORLD
PRINCE Harry and wife Meghan have embarked on married life together after a wedding hailed for modernising the royal family.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will take up their first official duties as a royal duo tomorrow at a garden party at Buckingham Palace.
That gives them little time to recover from their groundbreaking wedding, which celebrated Meghan’s heritage as the first woman of colour to marry into the royal family.
The newlyweds partied with 200 friends and family members as fireworks erupted over 1000-year-old Windsor Castle.
Music boomed across the castle grounds as guests ate, drank and danced in a $600,000 glass marquee.
Harry’s father Prince Charles gave an emotional speech at the lunch reception, concluding with, “My darling old Harry, I’m so happy ppy for you.’’ Charles also welcomed elcomed Meghan’s mother Doria ria Ragland into the royal family. ily.
When Harry cheekily eekily asked, “Does anyone here know how to play the piano?”, pop legend Sir ir Elton John, a close e friend of his late mother Diana, belted out Your Song, Tiny Dancer, Circle of Life and I’m Still Standing.
Charles and wife Camilla hosted the e evening party, where re cameras were banned ned and guests could let loose ose in the privacy of the castle. e.
Harry, 33, and his bride, ride, 36, arrived in an open-topped ped 1968 E-Type Jaguar, a car said aid to reflect Meghan’s US heritage.
The bride had changed from her wedding dress by Clare Waight Keller of Givency into a daring, halter-neck gown by British designer Stella McCartney. She also wore an aquamarine ring that had belonged to Diana.
The ring was thought to have been a wedding gift from Harry, who swapped his military uniform for a tuxedo.
The pair still looked giddy after their wedding service in St George’s Chapel in front of 600 guests and a TV audience of 1.9 billion, all captivated by the modern love story between the bi-racial A American and the English princ prince who lost his mother at the age of 12.
The UK press hailed Meghan’s modernising influence, with newspapers using the headline “Kisstory’’ and writers praising the diversity of a service that included a gospel choir and an electrifying speech from black US preacher Michael Curry.
The newlyweds spent the night at Windsor Castle, the private home of Harry’s grandparents the Queen, 92, and Prince Philip, 96.
Harry spoke at lunchtime, cracking jokes in what one guest said was a “very off-thecuff’’ and “lovely’’ speech.
“Harry promised that all the Americans wouldn’t steal the swords, and said, ‘Please, when
you leave, be quiet as you don’t want to wake the neighbours,’ which was quite fun.’’
An organic three-course dinner was served, while speeches were made by best man Prince William and Meghan.
Two of Harry’s mates Tom “Skippy’’ Inskip and Tom van Straubenzee, collaborated on another amusing speech but reportedly avoided mentioning some of Harry’s antics from the years before he met Meghan.
In the US, Meghan’s father Thomas Markle said the service was “beautiful and it’s history’’ and called on Meghan’s half-siblings to leave her alone.