Harry And Meghan: A Wedding Glance

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first met in 2016, after being set up on a blind date by a mutual friend. The couple kept their relationship very private for a few months, but the press got wind of the news in October 2016. Prince Harry proposed in November 2017 with a bespoke engagement ring made by court jewellers Cleave and Company.

The royal wedding took place on 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The ceremony was attended by 600 guests, including A-list celebrities such as Serena Williams, Priyanka Chopra, and George and Amal Clooney. The couple exchanged vows in front of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and Meghan's wedding dress was designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller.

Harry and Meghan's first meeting

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle first met in 2016 when they were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend. However, in their documentary, the couple revealed that they were set up after Harry spotted a picture of Meghan on a friend's Instagram feed, complete with a Snapchat dog filter.

Meghan was in London promoting the latest season of her TV series, Suits, while Harry had just returned from France, where he had helped commemorate 100 years since the Battle of the Somme. The pair headed to Soho House's Dean Street Townhouse, where Meghan was staying, to enjoy some beers and martinis.

Things evidently went very well—in their later engagement interview on the BBC, Harry admitted that he fell for Meghan "so incredibly quickly" and that it felt like the "stars were aligned" for their future relationship. Meghan teasingly accused Harry of being late for their first date—luckily, she forgave him, and they had a second date the very next night!

One thing remains a mystery: who set Harry and Meghan up on their first date? While no one has confirmed this, it was rumoured to be Violet Von Westenholz, a close family friend of Harry's and a friend of Meghan's through her work as a Ralph Lauren PR Executive.

The couple's secret wedding

The couple explained that they wanted a private moment to exchange their vows, away from the spectacle of the royal wedding. Meghan 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." Harry confirmed this, stating, "just the three of us."

The Archbishop of Canterbury has since declined to comment on the ceremony, and it has been noted that the backyard wedding was not an official marriage, as it did not comply with the strict rules of the Church of England. However, Meghan and Harry's private exchange of vows was a special moment for the couple, allowing them to celebrate their union in an intimate and personal way before their public wedding.

Meghan's wedding dress

Meghan Markle's wedding dress was designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller for the fashion house Givenchy. The dress epitomised "timeless minimal elegance", with a simple, sleek and sharp cut. It was made of double-bonded silk cady, with a boat neckline, three-quarter-length sleeves and a train with a built-in triple silk organza underskirt. The dress was made in Paris by a small team of ateliers, who had just five months to create it.

The dress was inspired by Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, whose wedding style Meghan had previously admired. It was also similar to a dress worn by Angela Brown at her wedding to Prince Maximilian of Liechtenstein in 2000, and Mary Donaldson at her wedding to Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark in 2004.

The dress was accessorised with a 16-foot-long silk tulle veil, embroidered with flowers from all 53 Commonwealth countries, along with Wintersweet from Kensington Palace and the California poppy, Meghan's home state flower. The veil took hundreds of hours to make and was hand-washed every 30 minutes to keep it immaculate.

Meghan's bridal look was completed with the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau Tiara, on loan from the Queen, along with a pair of Cartier earrings and a Cartier diamond bracelet. Her shoes were also custom-made by Givenchy.

The ceremony

The wedding service was conducted according to the Christian liturgy for Holy Matrimony as set out in Common Worship of the Church of England. 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, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church (the American member church of the Anglican Communion). Curry quoted Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1957 "Love Your Enemies" speech, saying, "We must discover the power of love, the redemptive power of love. And when we discover that, we will be able to make of this old world a new world. Love is the only way."

Meghan's father, Thomas Markle Sr., was not in attendance due to medical reasons. Instead, Prince Charles walked Meghan halfway down the aisle. The couple exchanged vows, in which they promised to "have and to hold" each other from their wedding day forward, "for better, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health." Meghan did not promise to "obey" Harry, however — something his late mother, Princess Diana, and sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, also forwent at their ceremonies.

Hymns sung at the wedding included "Lord of All Hopefulness" and "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer". Prince Harry was seen wiping away a tear during the congregational singing of the latter, which was a favourite of his mother, Princess Diana, and was sung at her funeral in 1997.

Two choirs, an orchestra, the chapel organ, played by Luke Bond, and fanfare trumpeters provided music for the service. The orchestra was made up of musicians from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the English Chamber Orchestra and the Philharmonia Orchestra. In addition to the Choir of St George's Chapel, the Kingdom Choir, a gospel group led by Karen Gibson, sang "Stand By Me" in what was described as "an incredible and powerful moment", as the couple were sitting down.

The bride walked down the aisle to "Eternal source of light divine" (from Handel's Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne), sung by soprano Elin Manahan Thomas, with the trumpet obbligato performed by David Blackadder. Other music during the service included the motet "If Ye Love Me" by Thomas Tallis; the song "Stand by Me" by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller and Ben E. King, arranged for choir by Mark Delisser; and "The Lord bless you and keep you" by John Rutter. During the signing of the register, 19-year-old cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason and the orchestra played Sicilienne attributed to Maria Theresia von Paradis, Fauré's Après un rêve, and an arrangement for cello and orchestra of Schubert's "Ave Maria". For the procession, the musicians performed the Allegro from the Symphony No. 1 in B-flat major by William Boyce and "This Little Light of Mine" by Etta James, Jester Hairston and Harry Dixon Loes.

The reception

A second, more intimate reception was held later in the day at Frogmore House, hosted by Prince Charles for the couple and their 200 closest friends. The newlyweds arrived in a vintage blue Jaguar E-type convertible, adorned with a special license plate bearing the date of their nuptials.

Guests at the evening reception included George and Amal Clooney, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, James Corden, Elton John, Serena Williams, and Oprah Winfrey. Idris Elba served as DJ, and George Clooney acted as bartender, serving up cocktails to guests.

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