Nice day for a ‘woke’ wedding?
‘Normal’ people, celebrities invited to share in royal couple’s big day
There are now fewer than 11 weeks to go before the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle and exact details of the day remain largely mum. Based on what we do know, however, for all the inevitable pageantry associated with the fifth in line to the throne tying the knot, we could well be set for the first “woke” — millennial-speak for anything that is politically correct or has a social conscience — royal wedding in history.
Traditionally, of course, an event like this could be seen as possibly the least modern, progressive event imaginable. But Meghan and Harry are not traditional royals, and all the signs point to them doing it their way as much as possible.
The first sign that this will be the case is who they want to invite.
The couple have made clear they wanted to share their big day with the public as much as possible, and they made good on that platitude recently, announcing that 2,640 “normal” people will be invited into the grounds of Windsor Castle to get a close-up look at the couple. Of that carefully screened batch, more than 100 will be students from two local schools; 200 from the charities and organizations the couple support; 610 from the Windsor Castle community; 530 staff members from the Royal Household and Crown Estate; and, 1,200 members of the public from all over the U.K., nominated by nine regional Lord Lieutenant offices.
But, of course, we can also expect the guest list on May 19 to make it the most star-studded royal wedding ever.
Through his charity work and other patronages, Harry is good friends with everyone from former U.S. president Barack Obama to Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl to current British superstar Ed Sheeran.
And given her acting background, half of Markle’s phone book will also likely be famous faces.
Will the happy couple take the bold, and thoroughly modern, move of filling the place with their actual friends? Probably.
As for who will walk Markle down the aisle, she’s planning on throwing a few “curveballs” on her wedding day, according to a “source.” One of them is rumoured to eschew tradition and have her mother, Doria Ragland, give her away, rather than her father, Thomas Markle.
Markle’s parents divorced when she was six years old, and it was Doria, a “free-spirited” social worker and yoga teacher, who raised her and with whom Markle is closest, while her father still keeps a low profile. Thomas Markle will, of course, be invited.
Mel B (a.k.a. Melanie Brown) recently revealed on a U.S. talk show that she and the four other Spice Girls have been invited to the wedding, leading to speculation that they may have been booked to perform at the reception.
Both Meghan and Harry are self-professed fans from their youth, and at a time when gender equality is the prevailing issue, the message of Girl Power is perhaps more prescient than ever.