Meghan’s wedding dress rehearsal (but lovestruck groom’s no prince)
IN three weeks’ time, millions around the world will watch as Meghan Markle walks down the aisle with Prince Harry.
But it will not be the first time the actress’s vows have been broadcast to a large audience.
In her final appearance in legal drama Suits, which aired in the UK yesterday, her character Rachel Zane marries on- screen lover Mike Ross, telling him ‘you’re the husband I’ve always wanted’.
However, if Harry felt any flicker of jealousy watching the gushing scripted scenes, he need not worry too much about being upstaged.
The TV wedding was a rather more modest affair than the pomp and pageantry of Windsor Castle in which the couple will marry for real on May 19.
While around 600 dignitaries from around the world will gather in St George’s Chapel for their big day – with thousands of well-wishers cheering outside – Miss Markle’s on-screen wedding was an intimate last-minute ceremony for the characters’ close friends and family.
The set was minimally decorated with fairy lights and wooden chairs and the gown was a simple beaded affair costing £4,800. It featured a cascading beaded bodice with a full tulle skirt and a daringly deep V-cut perhaps not quite in keeping with royal tradition. The Versailles dress was made by leading American designer Anne Barge.
We still do not know which designer Miss Markle, 36, has chosen for real, but British label Ralph & Russo has led the odds with bookmakers since she wore one of their £56,000 evening gowns in her engagement portraits.
In her last Suits episode, aptly titled ‘Goodbye’, Miss Markle reads her vows to co-star Patrick J Adams, who is also leaving the US drama, saying: ‘ You’re the husband I’ve always wanted and I can’t wait to begin our adventure together.’ They then share a passionate kiss as guests applaud. Miss Markle, who was married to film producer Trevor Engelson for two years, had been a regular on Suits since its 2011 debut, appearing in 107 out of 108 episodes. Last year she said departing the show to join the Royal Family was not a ‘ sacrifice’ as it marked a ‘new chapter’.