Meghan makes her mark

STOP the clocks: Meghan Markle, left, is planning to deliver a speech at her wedding to Prince harry.

Why is this remarkable, rather than the weird tradition of the groom, best man and father of the bride downloading terrible jokes from the internet while smart, funny women sit silently at the table?

Many of them helped pay for the wedding. Plenty more organised every last detail. And at the first wedding I attended as an adult, both bride and groom made speeches of deliberate competitive corniness.

‘It wasn’t exactly a proposal as such,’ said the bride.

‘We went out for a romantic meal in a Chinese restaurant, and when he asked, “Would you like your rice fried or boiled?” I looked him in the eye and told him, “Thrown”.’