HARRY’S SECRET WEDDING!
They didn’t want a fuss, so fooled the media by plumping for $300 Vegas marriage
PRINCE HARRY has married his girlfriend Meghan Markle in a secret ceremony in Las Vegas. and, in what will surely go down as the most unlikely Royal Wedding of all time, there was no pomp, no pageantry . . . and not a single VIP guest.
Today the Mail publishes exclusive pictures and details of the extraordinary event that happened earlier this week.
Meghan, 35, looked elegantly beautiful in a plain, mid-length white wedding dress. Her face was covered by a veil and she carried a simple posy of white peonies.
The Prince, 32, looked very dashing in the white tropical uniform of the Blues and Royals and sported a short, stubbly beard at the request of his bride, who reportedly prefers this look on him.
Registrar Mrs Lira Foplo performed the 15-minute ceremony in the downtown Vegas wedding chapel where the couple opted for a $300 package (£240) that included flowers, music and a souvenir photograph.
The couple walked down the aisle to the Diana Ross classic Why Do Fools Fall In Love? Harry told the receptionist at the chapel that it was the first song they danced to on the night
they met. The Prince, fifth in line to the throne, and American actress Meghan, have been dating for just under a year.
Insiders say that while they both wanted to marry, neither wanted the fuss, expense or attention of a big, public wedding.
Our source said: ‘Harry prefers to stay out of the limelight and didn’t want to detract from the Queen’s Sapphire Jubilee celebrations this summer.
‘As this is her second marriage, Meghan also preferred the idea of keeping things low key.’
They flew to Las Vegas separately and then donned disguises as they waited in line for their $55 marriage licence at the city’s Marriage Bureau.
The following day they made things legal at the Viva Las Vegas wedding chapel — built in 1963 and decorated in Grecian style, complete with fake pillars.
It’s a far cry from the gothic beauty of Westminster Abbey, where Prince Harry was expected to have married.
Following the short ceremony they headed off for a quick wedding breakfast celebration at the exclusive Friday Las Polo restaurant.
There was to be no honeymoon for the newlyweds as Meghan was due back in Toronto, where her TV show Suits is filmed, and Harry had to break the news of his unconventional wedding to his grandmother, the Queen.
Our insider said: ‘Harry hopes Her Majesty will understand his reasons — she certainly can’t be as cross with him as she was the last time he was in Vegas!’ A reference to the Prince’s notorious wild weekend in the city in 2012 when he was photographed naked in a hotel room.
It is believed that Meghan will make the move to the UK in the summer and join her new husband at Kensington Palace when the Queen is expected to bestow the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex on them.
Congratulations, Your Royal Highnesses!