A Royal Wedding: Witnessing Prince Harry's Nuptials

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on 19 May 2018 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the United Kingdom. The wedding was widely televised and streamed online, with an estimated 1.9 billion people tuning in worldwide. The ceremony was attended by 600 guests, including celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams, George and Amal Clooney, and David and Victoria Beckham. The wedding was noted for its inclusion of African-American culture and its departure from traditional royal customs.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding date

The wedding was a break from tradition in several ways. It fell on a weekend, whereas royal weddings typically take place on weekdays. It was not declared a bank holiday, and it was held on the same day as the FA Cup Final, which Prince Harry's brother, William, usually attends. The wedding also had a more intimate feel than previous royal weddings, with a smaller ceremony and reception at St. George's Hall.

The couple exchanged vows in a traditional ceremony that incorporated African-American culture. The bride wore a custom gown by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, and the groom wore the frock coat uniform of the Blues and Royals. The wedding cake, designed by Claire Ptak, was a lemon elderflower cake, departing from the usual fruitcake served at royal weddings.

The day was filled with special moments, including a performance by Elton John at the luncheon reception and a speech by Prince Harry. The couple shared their first kiss as a married couple outside St. George's Chapel, and later, they drove off to the evening reception in a vintage blue Jaguar.

The wedding venue

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding venue was St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in the United Kingdom. The couple chose this location for its intimacy, as it is a much smaller space than Westminster Abbey, where Prince William and Kate Middleton wed. St. George's Chapel has a capacity of 800 people, while Westminster Abbey can accommodate 2,000.

The chapel, which dates back to the 1300s, has a rich history of hosting royal weddings. It was the site of the union of Prince Charles and Camilla in 2005 and Princess Anne's son, Peter Phillips, and Autumn Kelly in 2008. The first wedding to take place in the chapel was in 1863 between the future King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra.

St. George's Chapel is also significant to the royal family as it is located on the grounds of Windsor Castle, where the Queen and Prince Philip lived for most of the year. The castle holds a special place in Prince Harry's heart, as he and Meghan Markle spent a significant amount of time there in the year and a half leading up to their wedding.

The chapel is described as "one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in England" and is renowned for its magnificent stone fan vaulting. It is both a Royal Peculiar, governed by the monarch, and a chapel of the Order of the Garter. While it is typically reserved for royals, knights, residents of Windsor Castle, and residents of the College of St. George can also tie the knot at this historic venue.

Meghan Markle's wedding dress

The dress was inspired by Markle's affinity for Audrey Hepburn, particularly Hepburn's iconic off-the-shoulder neckline Givenchy dress from the 1957 movie Funny Face. Markle's gown was also inspired by Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy's wedding dress, which she wore shortly before her death in 1999. Markle and Waight Keller collaborated for five months on the design, with the latter noting that the process was "very collaborative". Markle wanted a female designer, and she wanted a British designer to "embrace [her] new home in that way".

The dress was estimated to cost about $265,000, which Markle paid for herself. It required 3,900 hours of design for the veil, eight fittings, and five months of collaboration between the bride and the design team.

The wedding cake

The cake was made up of multiple smaller cakes, including two single-tiered cakes and one two-tiered cake, which were displayed on gold ornate stands from the royal family's collection. The cake was baked and iced in the kitchen at Buckingham Palace, but assembled at Windsor Castle on the morning of the wedding.

The recipe for the cake included 200 Amalfi lemons, 500 organic eggs from Suffolk, butter, flour, sugar, and 10 bottles of Sandringham Elderflower Cordial, made from flowers harvested at one of Queen Elizabeth's private homes. The cake was estimated to cost $70,000.

The wedding ceremony

The wedding was a traditional ceremony with the inclusion of African-American culture. The ceremony was officiated by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, using the standard Anglican church service for Holy Matrimony. The Dean of Windsor, David Conner, conducted the service, with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, performing the marriage ceremony. The sermon was delivered by Michael Curry, the presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church.

The wedding party included Prince Harry's niece and nephew, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, as well as his godchildren and the children of Meghan's close friends. The bride's bouquet included a sprig of myrtle, a tradition that began with Queen Victoria, as well as Forget-Me-Nots, which were Princess Diana's favourite flower.

The ceremony began at 12 pm BST (7 am ET) and was followed by a carriage procession through Windsor at 1 pm BST (8 am ET). The couple exchanged rings made by Cleave and Company. Meghan's ring was crafted from Welsh gold, and Harry's was a platinum band.

The wedding was televised and live-streamed worldwide, with an estimated 1.9 billion viewers, making it one of the biggest televised events in history.

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