Harry And Meghan: A Wedding Called Off

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married on 19 May 2018 at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle. The couple, who first connected on Instagram, had a private wedding ceremony in their backyard three days before their official royal wedding.

Harry and Meghan privately exchanged vows three days before their wedding

During their interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle revealed that they had privately exchanged vows three days before their official wedding ceremony. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared that they wanted an intimate union between themselves, away from the spectacle of the royal wedding.

The couple clarified that they privately exchanged personal vows a few days before their legal wedding on May 19, 2018. Meghan shared that they called the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and expressed their wish to have a private ceremony. 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." Harry added, "Just the three of us."

The private ceremony took place in the backyard of Nottingham Cottage, their home on the grounds of Kensington Palace. This ceremony was not legally binding, as a legal marriage in the UK requires two witnesses in addition to the couple. The Archbishop of Canterbury confirmed that the legal wedding took place on May 19, when he signed the wedding certificate.

The revelation that Harry and Meghan privately exchanged vows before their official wedding added to the list of bombshell moments from the interview, which also included discussions about racism within the royal family and the impact on their relationship.

Meghan's wedding dress was designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy

Meghan Markle's wedding dress was designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy. The dress epitomised "timeless minimal elegance" and referenced the "iconic codes of Givenchy throughout its history". The dress was made of "double-bonded silk cady cushioned by an underskirt in triple silk organza" and had a bateau neckline, long sleeves, and a sweeping train. The silk veil was 16 feet long and was embroidered with 55 flowers, representing the 53 countries of the Commonwealth, as well as Wintersweet, which grows in front of Nottingham Cottage, and the California Poppy, the state flower of California.

Waight Keller, who was the first woman to be the artistic director of Givenchy, said that the dress was a "vision Meghan and I shared". The designer also dressed the Duchess for Ascot, the trooping of the colour ceremony, and Remembrance Sunday. Meghan chose Waight Keller because she wanted her dress to be timeless and perfect, given that billions of people would be watching the wedding.

The wedding cake was a lemon and elderflower cake, breaking from royal tradition

The wedding cake of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a lemon and elderflower cake, breaking from the traditional fruit cake served at royal weddings. The cake was created by Claire Ptak, owner of Violet Cakes in London, and her team. Ptak was given free rein by Markle, who had interviewed the California-born chef for her lifestyle blog, The Tig, before she married into the royal family.

Ptak and her team spent five days making the cake in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace. The cake was comprised of 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 soaked with the elderflower cordial and topped with Swiss meringue buttercream and 150 fresh flowers, including British peonies and roses.

The cake was displayed as two single-tiered cakes and one two-tiered cake, a departure from the towering cakes of previous royal weddings. The display cakes were shown on gold ornate stands from the royal family's collection.

The choice of a lemon and elderflower cake was inspired by the spring wedding date, with the couple wanting to "incorporate the bright flavours of spring".

The ceremony was attended by A-list celebrities including Serena Williams, George and Amal Clooney, and David and Victoria Beckham

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a star-studded affair, with A-list celebrities from both sides of the Atlantic in attendance. The ceremony, which took place on 19 May 2018 at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, was attended by the couple's close friends, including Serena Williams, George and Amal Clooney, and David and Victoria Beckham.

Serena Williams, a close friend of Meghan Markle, was one of the celebrities in attendance. Williams is a renowned tennis player and has won multiple Grand Slam titles. Her presence added a touch of sporting glamour to the event.

George and Amal Clooney, the famous actor and filmmaker duo, were also among the guests. George Clooney's friendship with the royal couple is well-known, and he even served cocktails at the evening reception. Their presence added a touch of Hollywood glamour to the event.

David and Victoria Beckham, the iconic British couple, were also part of the celebrations. David Beckham, a former football star, and Victoria Beckham, a fashion designer and former Spice Girl, added a touch of British celebrity culture to the occasion.

The presence of these A-list celebrities at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle highlighted the couple's popularity and the global interest in their union. It also showcased the diverse range of guests, from royalty to Hollywood stars, who came together to celebrate the special day.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, officiated the wedding

Welby, who was born in 1956, has served as the Archbishop of Canterbury since 2013 and is the 105th person to hold the position. He was previously the vicar of Southam in Warwickshire and later served as the Dean of Liverpool and Bishop of Durham. Welby's theology is considered to represent the "open evangelical" tradition within Anglicanism.

In addition to officiating the wedding, Welby also baptised and confirmed Markle into the Church of England in March 2018. Markle, who is American, is the second person from the United States and the first person of mixed-race heritage to marry into the British royal family.

The wedding ceremony included a mix of British and African-American cultural traditions. Welby used the standard Anglican church service for Holy Matrimony published in Common Worship, a liturgical text of the Church of England. The ceremony also featured a gospel choir, which performed a rendition of "Stand By Me."

In a break with tradition, the wedding took place on a Saturday, rather than a weekday, and the bride gave a speech at the reception. The couple also requested that, in lieu of wedding gifts, donations be made to several charitable organisations.

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