Harry And Meghan: A State Wedding?

Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle was not a state wedding. The couple tied the knot on 19 May 2018 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the United Kingdom. The wedding was not declared a bank holiday, unlike the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. It was also held on a Saturday, breaking with the royal tradition of weekday weddings.

Prince Harry's wedding was not declared a bank holiday

Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle was not declared a bank holiday. The British government told the public that there was "isn't a precedent in this area" for a bank holiday to be declared for the royal wedding. The date fell on a Saturday, so crowds were still able to gather to celebrate the royal nuptials.

The wedding was held on Saturday, May 19, 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the United Kingdom. The groom is a member of the British royal family, and the bride is an American actress. The wedding was a break with royal tradition, which typically holds weddings on weekdays. It also fell on the same date as the FA Cup Final, which Prince Harry's brother, William, normally attends in his role as President of the Football Association.

The royal family announced that they would pay for the wedding, which was expected to cost around £32 million. The security costs were estimated to be between £2 million and £4 million. The event was predicted to trigger a tourism boom and boost the economy by up to £500 million. It was later estimated that the wedding generated £1 billion for the British economy.

The wedding was not declared a bank holiday, but it was a memorable event that departed from some royal traditions and included elements of African-American culture. It was also a more low-key affair compared to other royal weddings, as Prince Harry was sixth in line to the throne at the time.

The wedding cake was lemon and elderflower-flavoured

The wedding cake was a departure from the traditional choice of a multi-tiered fruitcake. Instead, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex opted for a lemon and elderflower-flavoured cake, decorated with peonies in shades of white and cream. The cake was designed by London-based baker Claire Ptak and featured tiers on separate stands, rather than the traditional stacked tiers.

The lemon and elderflower cake was a fitting choice for a spring wedding, with the light and floral flavours of the elderflower complementing the lemon cake superbly. The elderflower flavour was subtle, described as "kissing you" rather than overpowering. The cake was also described as dense but gorgeous, light and airy, and springy.

The cake was baked using a recipe that included all-purpose flour, caster sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, unsalted butter, milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, and elderflower cordial or liqueur. The elderflower cordial is made by bringing water and sugar to a boil and then stirring in the cordial. This can be used to brush over the cake layers for added flavour.

The frosting was an elderflower mascarpone or Swiss meringue buttercream, made with butter, icing sugar, elderflower cordial, and, optionally, lemon curd. The lemon curd should be added slowly and to taste, as too much can overpower the elderflower. The cake was decorated with fresh flowers, such as peonies, dogwood flowers, and heather, and was left with a naked cake effect, so the sponge was visible through the frosting.

The lemon and elderflower cake was a popular choice, with many people attempting to recreate the royal wedding cake at home. The flavour combination was described as "heavenly", and the cake was said to be "stunning" and "gorgeous". It was also speculated that the choice of cake would be influential for other British brides planning their weddings.

Meghan Markle's father did not walk her down the aisle

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was not a state wedding. It was, however, a royal wedding, with Meghan Markle becoming a princess of the United Kingdom and Duchess of Sussex.

Now, on to the topic of Meghan Markle's father, Thomas Markle, not walking her down the aisle.

In May 2018, it was announced that Thomas Markle would not be attending the wedding due to his recent heart surgery and a paparazzi scandal. Thomas Markle was supposed to walk his daughter, Meghan, down the aisle, but due to these circumstances, he was unable to attend. In his place, Meghan asked her father-in-law, Prince Charles, to escort her. She recalled saying to him, "'I've lost my dad in this.' So I asked him to walk me down the aisle and he said 'yes.'". Prince Harry also asked his father to lead his bride to the altar, to which Prince Charles agreed.

On the day of the wedding, Meghan walked down the aisle unescorted until she reached the Quire, where Prince Charles joined her. This marked the first time a royal bride walked the first part of the aisle solo.

Thomas Markle later expressed regret for not being able to walk his daughter down the aisle. He said, "I can't think of a better replacement than Prince Charles...I was jealous, I wish it was me, but thank God he was there and I thank him for that...It was a very emotional moment. I regretted it because I really wanted to walk her down the aisle. But I'm thankful for how it all went."

The wedding was held at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was held at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on Saturday 19 May 2018. The chapel has been a special place for the royal family for centuries, dating back to the 1300s, and has hosted royal weddings since 1863. It was chosen by the couple for its intimate space, as it can hold 800 people, compared to Westminster Abbey's capacity of 2,000.

The chapel is particularly significant to Prince Harry, who was christened there in December 1984. It is also a very special place for his grandmother, the Queen, as she spent her early years in Windsor Castle.

The wedding ceremony was an intimate affair, with around 600 guests in attendance, including members of the royal family and close friends of the couple. The bride, Meghan Markle, walked down the aisle unescorted until she reached the Quire, where she was joined by Prince Charles, who escorted her to the altar.

The wedding service was conducted according to the Christian liturgy for Holy Matrimony, with the Dean of Windsor, David Conner, officiating the service, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, performing the marriage ceremony. The couple exchanged vows and rings, with Prince Harry's ring made of platinum and Markle's fashioned out of Welsh gold.

Following the ceremony, the newlyweds embarked on a carriage procession through Windsor, riding in an Ascot Landau carriage pulled by Windsor Grey horses. They then returned to Windsor Castle via the Long Walk, a straight tree-lined path. The procession was accompanied by a travelling escort of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment and lasted approximately 25 minutes.

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, was a historic and intimate celebration, marking the beginning of their lives together as a married couple.

The couple did not kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was held on Saturday, 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor. The couple chose this location as it is where Prince Harry's uncle, the Earl of Wessex, and cousin, Peter Phillips, were married, and where the marriage of the then Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, Harry's stepmother, was blessed.

However, St George's Chapel is about an hour's drive from Buckingham Palace, which meant that the couple missed out on the signature photo opportunity of the balcony kiss. Previous generations of royal newlyweds have waved from the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as their churches were closer to the royal residence. For example, Westminster Abbey, where Prince William and Kate Middleton were married, is just a few blocks from the palace.

Although the couple did not make the hour-long trip back to London and Buckingham Palace, they did not miss out on a public display of affection. Instead, they shared their first kiss as a married couple just outside St George's Chapel.

The wedding was not declared a bank holiday, and there was no procession through London, but the public were still able to gather and celebrate the nuptials. Approximately 2,640 members of the public were invited to Windsor Castle to greet the couple, and the wedding was televised.

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