Royal wedding has a few new touches
Queen Elizabeth confers the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex Prince Charles walks Meghan to the altar
Windsor ( England), May 19: Prince Harry and his bride Meghan married on Saturday in a dazzling ceremony that blended ancient English ritual with African American culture, watched up close by royals and celebrities and from afar by a global TV audience of millions.
Wearing a veil, diamond tiara and a sleek dress with a long train, Meghan was accompanied up the aisle at St George’s Chapel in Windsor by Harry’s father, Prince Charles, before she and Harry exchanged vows and were proclaimed husband and wife.
The union of Harry, a former royal wild child and sixth- in- line to the British throne, and actress Meghan, a divorcee whose mother is African- American and father is white, brought a measure of modern glamour and diversity into the monarchy.
The couple kissed on the steps of the chapel as they emerged into the sunlight after the ceremony, delighting vast crowds who had descended on the genteel town to witness a spectacular show of British pomp and pageantry.
Newly styled the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after Queen Elizabeth II bestowed those titles on them, the couple then sat in an open- top horsedrawn coach for a tour of Windsor, cheered by a sea of well- wishers along every inch of the route.
The local authority said just over 100,000 people were in Windsor for the occasion.
While typical of royal weddings in some ways, the ceremony also broke with tradition, in particular when US Episcopalian bishop Michael Bruce Curry delivered a passionate sermon that was a far cry from the sober tones of the Church of England.
“There’s power in love,” he boomed at a congregation that included Queen Elizabeth II and senior royals.
Windsor, United Kingdom: Britain’s Prince Harry and Meghan Markle became husband and wife in a star- studded Windsor Castle ceremony on Saturday, filled with traditional pomp and modern twists — and watched the world over.
The new Duke and Duchess of Sussex exchanged vows at the altar in St. George’s Chapel in an emotional event that brought the biracial US TV star into the heart of the British monarchy.
As some 100,000 packed the sun- baked Windsor streets outside, Queen Elizabeth II and the royal family were joined by stars including Oprah Winfrey, Elton John, George Clooney, David Beckham, Serena Williams and Idris Elba.
The couple held hands throughout and exchanged vows in a traditional Church of England wedding featuring unusual turns.
US pastor Michael Curry delivered an impassioned address and a gospel choir sang Stand By Me. With the words “I will”, 33- year- old Harry, and Meghan, 36, declared they would love, comfort, honour and protect each other.
Markle’s mother, Doria Ragland, looked visibly moved. Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, the Church of England’s spiritual leader, declared them legally wed, saying: “They have declared their marriage by the joining of hands and by the giving and receiving of rings. “I therefore proclaim that they are husband and wife.”
With her father recovering from a heart operation in Mexico, Markle walked down the aisle on her own, before being accompanied to the altar by Harry’s father Prince Charles.
Her flowing white dress was designed by Clare Waight Keller at the French fashion house Givenchy. Made from a double bonded silk cady, it contains floral designs from all 53 Commonwealth countries. The new Duke and Duchess will spend much of their time working with youth in the Commonwealth.
Her bouquet included flowers hand- picked by Harry from the gardens of Kensington Palace.
Waiting at the altar, Harry was wearing the blue doeskin frockcoat uniform of a major in the Blues and Royals. His brother and best man Prince William wore a matching uniform, emphasising close bond.
Harry looked at Meghan and smiled as they heard how marriage is “the foundation of family life in which children are born”. The couple held hands, giggled and smiled as they heard Curry’s firebrand address.