Queen's Take On Harry's Wedding

Queen Elizabeth II's attendance at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding was highly anticipated. While the couple beamed with joy, the Queen's expressions throughout the ceremony were notably less enthusiastic. A viral video and photos from the event show her looking less than pleased, with some speculating that she had a bad feeling about Meghan. However, others attributed her expressions to exhaustion or discomfort with certain aspects of the wedding.

Indeed, royal author Ingrid Seward revealed three things the late Queen took issue with. Firstly, she believed Meghan's Givenchy gown was too white and flamboyantly virginal for a divorcee. Secondly, she was uncomfortable with the then-Prince Charles walking Meghan down the aisle. Lastly, she disliked Archbishop Michael Curry's lengthy sermon, with both her and Prince Philip reportedly desperate for him to finish.

Queen Elizabeth's outfit

Queen Elizabeth II's outfit for her grandson Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle was a bright and colourful choice. The Queen wore a flared dress in lime, lemon, purple, and grey floral printed silk, topped with a lime silk tweed coat. Both the dress and coat were designed by Stuart Parvin.

The Queen's hat was designed by Angela Kelly, using the same lime silk tweed with sinamay adorned across the crown with handmade lace crystals and pearls made by Lucy Price. The brooch the Queen wore is known as the Richmond Diamond Brooch with a pearl drop.

The Queen's choice to wear bright colours is often interpreted as a way to stand out in a crowd. In the documentary 'The Queen at 90', Sophie, Countess of Wessex, explained that the Queen chooses rainbow shades for a specific reason: "She needs to stand out for people to be able to say 'I saw the Queen,'... Don't forget that when she turns up somewhere, the crowds are two, three, four, ten, 15 deep, and someone wants to be able to say they saw a bit of the Queen's hat as she went past."

The Queen's biographer, Robert Hardman, also quoted her as saying, "I can never wear beige because nobody will know who I am."

Colour consultant and author of 'Color Psychology Today', June McLeod, interpreted the Queen's colour choice for Prince Harry's wedding as having a deeper meaning. According to McLeod, "Green is the colour of growth and rebirth. A person who wears green is the regulator and open-hearted... Green is a highly significant colour worn as a sign of respect and intention for the future."

McLeod also interpreted the purple accents in the Queen's outfit as symbolic: "Purple is a proud colour. It also symbolizes cleansing and indicates a passion for creativity."

The Queen's arrival time

Queen Elizabeth II's arrival time at her grandson Prince Harry's wedding was carefully orchestrated, as is the case with all senior royal family members' movements. Normally, the Queen would arrive last at any event or engagement, but weddings are an exception to this rule.

On the day of the wedding, the Queen arrived at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, just before Meghan Markle, the bride, drove up. The Queen was accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip, who had undergone hip surgery just weeks before the wedding. Despite her husband's recent surgery, the Queen still arrived just before the bride, as is customary.

The Queen's arrival just before the bride is a testament to her seniority within the royal family and is in line with standard royal protocol.

Meghan Markle's wedding dress

The dress was designed in collaboration with Markle, who wanted a female designer to embrace her new British home. The dress epitomised a "timeless minimal elegance", according to Kensington Palace, with a "graphic open bateau neckline" and "slim three-quarter sleeves". The dress was also designed to be comfortable, as the silk cady fabric would have been difficult to move in if the dress had been more form-fitting.

The dress was revealed to the public when Markle stepped out of the car outside St. George's Chapel with her mother, Doria Ragland. The dress made an immediate fashion statement and became one of the most celebrated royal fashion moments in history.

However, the dress received mixed reviews from the public, with some describing it as "beautiful" and "stunning", while others called it "boring", "baggy", and "ill-fitting".

Queen Elizabeth II was reportedly not a fan of the dress either. She believed it was "too white" for a divorcee like Markle to be "looking quite so flamboyantly virginal".

Prince Charles walking Meghan down the aisle

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding was a grand affair, with the world watching as the couple tied the knot at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. One of the most talked-about moments of the ceremony was when Prince Charles walked Meghan down the aisle.

Meghan's father, Thomas Markle Sr., was initially supposed to walk her down the aisle. However, due to medical reasons, he was unable to attend the wedding. Thomas had undergone heart surgery just days before the ceremony and was unable to travel from the United States to London. In a statement, Meghan expressed her love and concern for her father and her understanding of his absence.

With Thomas unable to attend, the question arose as to who would walk Meghan down the aisle. It was eventually announced that Prince Charles, the father of the groom, would accompany Meghan. This decision was met with appreciation and gratitude by Thomas, who told TMZ that he was "honoured and grateful" for Prince Charles' willingness to step in.

In the documentary "Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70", Prince Harry opened up about the moment he asked his father to walk Meghan down the aisle. According to Harry, his father immediately agreed, saying, "Yes, of course, I'll do whatever Meghan needs, and I'm here to support you." Harry also expressed his gratitude to his father during the ceremony, whispering, "Thank you, Pa."

The moment between Prince Charles and Meghan was indeed a special one, showcasing the support and love within the royal family. It demonstrated Prince Charles' willingness to step up and be there for his son and new daughter-in-law, even in challenging circumstances.

Archbishop Michael Curry's 14-minute sermon

Queen Elizabeth's feelings about her grandson Prince Harry's wedding have been the subject of much speculation. While the late monarch did not publicly comment on the wedding, a video of her "uncomfortable" expressions has gone viral, and royal authors have revealed several things that may have bothered her about the ceremony. One of these was Archbishop Michael Curry's 14-minute sermon, which the Queen reportedly found too long.

Curry's sermon emphasised the redemptive potential of love and used fire as a metaphor for its power and significance. He promised the couple, "with this I'll sit down, we got to get y'all married", but then continued for another three minutes, exploring the relevance of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin to modern technology and the concept of love.

The sermon was described as "electrifying the wedding", with Curry's enthusiastic style winning smiles and some quizzical glances. His address upstaged the bride and was seen as a break from the reserve typically associated with the Anglican establishment at a royal wedding. It was a moment when the enduring seat of colonialism was brought before the Lord and questioned in its own house.

The expressions on the faces of the congregation ranged from empathy to bemusement to confusion and downright scorn. While some attendees, such as Oprah, swayed along to the sermon, others, like Camilla Parker Bowles, appeared to be stifling laughter. The Queen herself straightened in her chair, purse-lipped, when Curry exclaimed, "Oh, that's the balm in Gilead!"

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