A bishop was the star at the royal wedding
Isaw a photograph of a British household on Instagram yesterday. A bunch of friends and neighbours had crammed into a living room and they were all looking at the TV. The women had worn their wedding dresses — all white gowns — and were raising toasts sitting around a sofa. Miniature blue-red-white flags of the country were being waved, displayed. Some of the ladies in their bridal dresses were on the carpet, backs against the sofa, all in high spirits, beaming at the wedding ceremony of Harry and Meghan, now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The men, a degree less enthusiastic, some in nice dinner jackets, were milling about in the background of the photograph. A barbecue was somewhere beyond the lens finder, I imagined, maybe their focal point.
In America, too, despite the aftermath of yet another school shooting, and where President Donald Trump was misspelling his wife’s name as she returned from hospital, there were similar gatherings taking place. “Millions,” reports had it, millions were watching the wedding. What is it about the occasion that had so many people hooked? Do horse-drawn carriages have such a lure? Do we all vicariously want to wave at large crowds in Windsor screaming our names, wishing us well? Are we all dreamers? Or is it just nice, in a world of so much everyday bleakness, to celebrate something on a summer day? There was no getting away on social media either. Harry and Meghan and #RoyalWedding were what was trending. Some hilarious nasty memes have emerged — about poor Prince George, and his great granddad Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, sitting besides his Queen.
Here in Dubai, not to be left out, a KT work group was busy exchanging views on the wedding, some obsessing over Meghan Markle’s dress. Givenchy it was. In the world of fashion, some thought it too plain. Some felt it to be the epitome of timeless grace, reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn, etc, etc. I liked that long lace trail, very royal. I like Meghan Markle and would happily have watched the entire wedding but, well, weekend plans.
After getting home from a long day out, I finally caught up with the wedding shenanigans. Those adorable kids hanging on very professionally to Meghan Markle’s train. I thought it was adorable how lip readers had translated for us what Harry told
At some point, the Bishop said, “We’re going to sit down, we gotta get y’all married!” So refreshing! This could easily have been a stuffy affair Meghan once he finally saw her up there next to him: “You look amazing, I missed you.” All very ‘awww’ moments, wouldn’t you say?
Can I just say unapologetically, what a delight it is to see fit, good-looking people, so well-turned out? As much as I loved seeing Elton John’s pink glasses, like a six-year old’s swimming goggles frankly, I thought David Beckham and Amal Clooney stole the show. I know they aren’t together. But one’s allowed to cherry pick their favourite guests from a publicised wedding. I thought George Clooney’s grey and his wife’s “buttercup yellow” Stella McCartney dress was lovely. Their coordinated colours — yellow-grey reminded me of an upholstery combination I’m partial to.
Midway, I thought of poor Lady Diana and allowed myself to wonder, could she be looking at this, her younger kid all grown up? Both the bride and groom had a parent each missing at the wedding and I wondered if it must have made them both a bit emotional or were they too busy keeping a straight face in front of all those cameras?
Did anyone notice how Diana’s brother, Earl Spencer looked — aged, of course, but unchanged and still good? But the star, really, the absolute star was — no, not Priyanka Chopra, pal of Meghan — but Bishop Michael Curry. If everyone hasn’t already heard his speech, there’s a clip on YouTube. He talks of Rev. Martin Luther King Bishop and he talks of fire and he talks of love. Bishop Michael Curry, in millennial speak, killed it: “There’s power in love. Don’t underestimate it. Don’t even over-sentimentalise. There is power in love.” The Bishop was laughing, talking effusively, doing everything to make his sermon relevant and not boring.
Meghan’s mum, Doria Ragland, had this benign expression throughout and I felt she was loving what the Bishop was saying. She was nodding and had misty eyes.
At some point, the Bishop said, “We’re going to sit down, we gotta get y’all married!” So refreshing! This could easily have been a stuffy affair. And really, it’s a lovely sound, wedding bells. Soon, several news alerts lit up “millions” of smartphones announcing Harry and Meghan were now man and wife.
nivriti@khaleejtimes.com