A MODERN MARRIAGE
On 19 May, when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marry in the splendour of Windsor Castle, they will break the mould of royal weddings. Daisy Goodwin, who brought the story of Harry’s great-great-great-great-grandmother to television with Victoria, celebrat
What Harry and Meghan’s big day means for us all
The nation has been in love with Prince Harry ever since the funeral of his mother. Who can forget the little boy in a slightly too-big blazer walking behind Diana’s coffin, trying not to cry? Amid the public grief, here was a poignant reminder that the real victims were two young sons who had lost ‘Mummy’. Today, there is a sense of relief that the sad little boy has found happiness at last. And that he has followed his heart rather than his head and fallen in love with a strong, feminist woman – one who has made a career in Hollywood and whose mixedrace heritage is a first for the royal family.
What would Harry’s great-great-greatgreat-grandmother, Queen Victoria, make of the new addition to the royal fold? As a woman who enjoyed a happy marriage with her beloved Albert, she would have appreciated the obvious affection between Harry and his fiancée. While she would have been horrified by the idea of Harry marrying a divorcée, Victoria would have been more sanguine about Meghan’s heritage – after all, the last great love of her life was her Indian servant Abdul Karim. I think she would have appreciated Meghan’s charm and poise, and the fact that, as a team, the couple are going to give the monarchy an injection of glamour. Victoria and Albert were the first royals to be photographed, and they knew the importance of presentation.
The casting of Meghan Markle as a new character in the real-life version of Netflix’s The Crown is a stroke of genius. What better way to refresh the brand? But what makes the whole thing even better is that this is clearly a love match. No one who saw their engagement interview can doubt the strength of their feelings for one another. As Harry was fifth in line to the throne when he popped the question to Meghan over a roast chicken dinner, he had to ask his grandmother’s permission. The Royal Marriages Act was introduced by George III to stop his brood of unruly children following their hearts. The rule is that the six in direct line to the throne have to ask the sovereign for permission before they can marry. So far, so traditional...
As they were divorced, Prince Charles and Camilla got married in a civil ceremony that the Queen did not attend, but Harry and Meghan will be married by the Archbishop of Canterbury in St George’s Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle, under the gaze of the entire royal family. Just two generations ago this would have been unthinkable, as Princess Margaret discovered in the 1950s when she fell in love with divorcé Peter Townsend. The fact that Margaret’s subsequent marriage ended in divorce was a bitter postscript to the way that the royal family has, until now, lagged behind the tide in social norms. How refreshing for us as a nation that Meghan’s previous marriage has not been considered an obstacle.
The royal family faces big challenges in the years
ahead – the Queen is virtually irreplaceable in the public’s affections – and to survive it will need to adapt. I notice that Meghan, who on her first formal appearance with Harry at the Invictus Games was wearing ripped jeans, has now started wearing hats to public events. I wonder if that’s through choice or whether subtle pressure has been brought to bear? I hope that the life experience that makes Meghan such an refreshing addition won’t be ironed out by the weight of protocol and tradition.
The future of our newest royal couple looks fascinating. What will Meghan choose to go on her coat of arms – a TV monitor and a yoga mat? Will she and her husband find roles that give the royal family new relevance in the 21st century? There are reports that Meghan has been secretly visiting the victims of the Grenfell Tower disaster, and you can see how she might feel more relatable than Theresa May and other VIP sympathisers.
Whatever the future may hold, on 19 May I will be sitting in front of the television and I fully expect to sob when Harry and Meghan promise to love and cherish one another in sickness and in health. In a troubled world, there is something glorious about a couple who are so radiantly in love. And at a time when our society seems more divided than ever, our new royal bride shows that Britain is hopelessly romantic at heart.
THE WEDDING PROVES BRITAIN IS ROMANTIC AT HEART