Harry And Meghan's Wedding: Catholic Ceremony?

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018 was not a Catholic ceremony. Markle, who attended a Catholic school, was baptised and confirmed in the Church of England before the wedding. The ceremony was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and followed the standard Anglican church service for Holy Matrimony.

Meghan Markle was baptised and confirmed in the Church of England before the wedding

Meghan Markle was baptised and confirmed in the Church of England before her wedding to Prince Harry. The ceremony took place in early March 2018, just a few months before the wedding on 19 May.

Markle's baptism was a private ceremony at St James's Palace in London, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. The Archbishop described the sacrament as "beautiful, sincere, and very moving". Holy water from the River Jordan was poured on Markle's head during the ceremony.

The baptism was also attended by Markle's fiancé, Prince Harry, as well as Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Markle's parents were also expected to join her for the ceremony, although it is unclear if they attended.

Markle was confirmed immediately following her baptism, which meant that she was able to participate in the sacrament of Holy Communion during her wedding. While a formal baptism into the Church of England is not necessary, it is a traditional step for those marrying into the royal family.

Markle was raised Episcopalian, which has similarities to the Church of England, and attended a Catholic high school in Los Angeles. However, she was not raised Roman Catholic. By being baptised and confirmed in the Church of England, Markle followed in the footsteps of Kate Middleton, who also underwent a private confirmation ceremony at St James's Palace before her wedding to Prince William in 2011.

Prince Harry wore a military uniform for the ceremony

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding was not a Catholic ceremony. Although Markle attended a Catholic school, she was not raised Catholic. In fact, she was baptised and confirmed into the Church of England by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, at St James's Palace on 6 March 2018, before her marriage to Prince Harry.

The wedding took place on Saturday 19 May 2018 at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the United Kingdom. The ceremony was officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, using the standard Anglican church service for Holy Matrimony.

Harry wore the rank of major with the star of the Royal Victorian Order, of which he is a Knight Commander, along with the ribbons of the Royal Victorian Order, Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan, Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, and Army Air Corps wings. The Duke of Cambridge, also with the rank of major, wore the EIIR cypher on his shoulder straps and gold aiguillettes on his right shoulder, indicating his position as an aide-de-camp to the Queen. He also wore the star of the Order of the Garter, the ribbons of the two jubilee medals, and his RAF wings.

The page boys wore uniforms resembling the uniform of the Blues and Royals worn by the groom and best man. Each page boy had his initials on the shoulders in place of rank badges.

The wedding cake was a lemon and elderflower sponge

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was not a Catholic ceremony. Although Meghan Markle attended a Catholic school as a child, she was raised Protestant and was baptised and confirmed into the Church of England before the wedding. Prince Harry is a member of the Church of England, as is every single other member of the royal family in England.

The Wedding Cake

The cake was inspired by the spring wedding date, with the lemon and elderflower flavours celebrating the season. The cake was made with 200 Amalfi lemons, 500 organic eggs from Suffolk, and plenty of butter, flour, and sugar. The special ingredient was 10 bottles of Sandringham Elderflower Cordial, made from flowers harvested at one of Queen Elizabeth's private homes. The cordial was used to soak the cake layers, giving them a floral flavour, and was also incorporated into the frosting.

The cake was made up of multiple cakes, with two single-tiered cakes and one two-tiered cake, displayed on ornate gold stands from the royal family's collection. The cakes were frosted with a stark white exterior of elderflower Swiss meringue buttercream and adorned with 150 fresh flowers, mostly British peonies and roses, and green foliage.

The cake was estimated to have cost $70,000, with the care put into the recipe, the sourcing of local and organic ingredients, and the assembly and decorating.

The ceremony included a tribute to Princess Diana

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle included several tributes to the groom's late mother, Princess Diana of Wales.

Princess Diana's favourite flower was the forget-me-not, and Prince Harry handpicked some from their private garden at Kensington Palace to be included in Meghan's bouquet. The couple also chose to include white roses in the flower crowns of the bridesmaids and throughout the decorations of St. George's Chapel, as this was another flower closely associated with Diana.

In addition, the hymn "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer" was played during the wedding ceremony. This hymn was also played during Princess Diana's funeral in 1997 and was a favourite of hers. The couple also chose to include two charities that focused on causes close to Diana's heart among the list of organisations to which they asked wedding guests to donate in lieu of gifts: helping children dealing with HIV and AIDS, and fighting to end homelessness.

Princess Diana's older sister, Lady Jane Fellowes, read from the Song of Solomon during the ceremony, and all three of Diana's siblings attended the wedding.

Meghan's wedding dress also included a subtle tribute to Princess Diana: a piece of fabric from Diana's 1981 wedding dress was sewn into Meghan's dress.

The couple exchanged vows in a backyard ceremony three days before the wedding

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was held on Saturday, 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in the United Kingdom. The ceremony was officiated by Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and used the standard Anglican church service for Holy Matrimony.

However, three days before the wedding, the couple exchanged vows in a private, backyard ceremony. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan revealed that she and Harry "got married" in the presence of the Archbishop of Canterbury. She said:

> "We called the archbishop and we just said, look, this thing, this spectacle is for the world, but we want our union between us... So the vows that we have framed in our room are just the two of us in our backyard with the Archbishop of Canterbury."

While this private ceremony was not a legally recognised marriage, which requires two witnesses, the couple did exchange "personal vows". Their marriage certificate states that they were married on 19 May, with Harry's father and Meghan's mother as witnesses.

The Archbishop of Canterbury confirmed that he had "a number of private and pastoral meetings" with the couple before the wedding, but would not give details.

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