Harry's Wedding: Date And Details

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding took place on Saturday, 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The ceremony was attended by senior members of the royal family, including Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Duchess Camilla, and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The bride's mother, Doria Ragland, was also in attendance, while her father, Thomas Markle, was notably absent due to health reasons. The wedding was a grand affair, with a traditional ceremony, a luncheon reception hosted by the Queen, and a private evening celebration. The couple exchanged vows in a standard set of vows, with Meghan notably omitting the word obey. They shared their first married kiss on the steps of St. George's Chapel and rode in an open-top Ascot Landau horse-drawn carriage through the streets of London. The wedding was a highly publicised event, with an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion people, and it marked a significant departure from traditional royal weddings, incorporating African-American culture and modern elements.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got married on 19 May 2018

The wedding was a traditional yet intimate affair, with around 600 guests in attendance, including A-list celebrities and other members of the British royal family. The ceremony was officiated by Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and included elements of African-American culture. It was also noted for its departure from some royal traditions, such as being held on a Saturday instead of a weekday.

The bride's bouquet featured a special tribute to Prince Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, with forget-me-nots included in the arrangement. The couple's wedding bands were also noteworthy, with Meghan wearing a band made from Welsh gold gifted by the Queen, while Harry's platinum band broke with royal tradition.

Following the ceremony, the newlyweds made their way through Windsor in an open-top Ascot Landau horse-drawn carriage, greeting the crowds outside. The celebrations continued with a lunchtime reception hosted by the Queen and an intimate evening reception for their closest friends and family. The wedding cake, created by Claire Ptak, was a lemon sponge cake with elderflower syrup, departing from the traditional fruitcake typically served at royal weddings.

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a historic and memorable event, with an estimated 1.9 billion people tuning in worldwide. It marked the beginning of a new chapter for the couple, who would later welcome their son, Archie, and daughter, Lilibet, and step down as senior working royals.

The wedding took place at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, on Saturday, 19 May 2018. The chapel, founded in the 14th century, is a Royal Peculiar, a church under the direct jurisdiction of the monarch, and the Chapel of the Order of the Garter. It is located in the Lower Ward of the castle, which is the oldest and largest occupied castle in the world.

St George's Chapel has been the setting for many royal weddings, including those of Queen Victoria's children. It was also the venue for the weddings of Prince Harry's uncle, the Earl of Wessex, and his cousin, Peter Phillips. The then-Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, Harry's stepmother, also received a blessing there.

The chapel is steeped in history and has served as the final resting place for several monarchs, including King George VI, the Queen Mother Elizabeth, Henry VIII, Charles I, King Edward IV, King Edward VII, King George III, King William IV, and King George V. More recently, Prince Harry's grandparents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, were also laid to rest in the chapel.

The choice of St George's Chapel as the wedding venue reflected the couple's desire to begin their married life together in a place with significant royal history. The beautiful grounds and ancient architecture provided a fitting backdrop for the fairytale wedding, which captivated the world and was watched by an estimated 1.9 billion people.

The wedding ceremony itself incorporated both traditional and modern elements, including a gospel choir and a special sermon by American Bishop Michael Bruce Curry, who quoted Martin Luther King Jr. The couple's vows were those published in Common Worship, and they exchanged rings created by Cleave and Company. Following the ceremony, they shared their first married kiss on the steps of the chapel.

The bride wore a custom Givenchy Haute Couture gown

The dress was designed in collaboration with Markle, who wanted to highlight the success of a leading British talent. Markle chose Waight Keller because of her "timeless and elegant aesthetic, impeccable tailoring and relaxed demeanour". The dress was made in Paris by a small team of ateliers in just five months, with Markle and Waight Keller meeting for eight fittings. The dress was without lace or any other embellishments and was designed to convey "modernity through sleek lines and sharp cuts", while paying homage to the history of the Givenchy house. The dress was also inspired by a gown worn by Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy shortly before her death in 1999.

Prince Harry wore a Blues and Royals frock coat uniform

Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle on 19 May 2018 was a highly anticipated event, with an estimated 1.9 billion viewers tuning in to watch the ceremony. For the occasion, Prince Harry wore a Blues and Royals frock coat uniform, a dashing dark uniform that contrasted with Meghan's bright white gown.

The Blues and Royals, also known as the Royal Horse Guards and 1st Dragoons, is a cavalry regiment of the British Army and the second-most senior regiment in the army. The uniform chosen by Prince Harry is particular to the Household Cavalry, which consists of two regiments: The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals. The frock coat uniform is also worn by the Foot Guards, albeit with slightly different cuffs. The style of the knee-length coat evolved from 19th-century men's fashion and was influenced by Ottoman design.

Prince Harry's uniform was made by Dege & Skinner, gentleman's tailors and uniform makers on Savile Row in London. It took over 100 hours to stitch and tailor the uniform by hand. The primary fabric used is doeskin, a fine satin-weave woollen cloth, and the lining is silk. The uniform is closed with hidden hooks instead of buttons. The intricate interwoven braid on the sleeves, barely visible on television, took a skilled craftsman over a week to create. While the uniform appears to be a very dark navy, the primary fabric is actually doeskin, which is a type of fine satin-weave woollen cloth.

The Blues and Royals frock coat uniform is typically worn in Full Dress, but Prince Harry wore the "Undress" version as the choice of Windsor Castle as the wedding venue made the occasion less formal. This was not a state occasion, and Prince Harry would not become king. The uniform included a blue lanyard on the left shoulder and a Sam Browne belt with a whistle. The Waterloo Eagle, part of the dress traditions, was worn on the left arm.

Prince Harry served as a Captain in The Blues and Royals and retired from active duty in 2015. He received the honorary military title of Major from the Queen, as signified by the crown on his shoulder. In addition to the rank of Major, Prince Harry's uniform included the star of the Royal Victorian Order, of which he is a Knight Commander. He also wore 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, as well as Army Air Corps wings.

Prince Harry requested and received express permission from Queen Elizabeth II to wear the Blues and Royals frock coat uniform on his wedding day. This was a departure from the prediction made by royal expert and officer of arms Alastair Bruce, who stated that it was unlikely for Prince Harry to wear a uniform since he was no longer a serving officer in the Armed Forces. However, as a member of the Royal Family, Prince Harry was granted permission to wear the uniform.

The wedding cake was a lemon and elderflower cake

The cake was made with 200 Amalfi lemons, 500 organic eggs from Suffolk, 10 bottles of Sandringham Elderflower Cordial, 44 pounds of butter, 44 pounds of flour, and 44 pounds of sugar. The layers were soaked with elderflower cordial, and the cake was decorated with an elderflower Swiss meringue buttercream and 150 fresh flowers, including three types of peonies and roses.

The cake was made up of two single-tiered cakes and one two-tiered cake, displayed on ornate gold stands from the royal family's collection. It took Ptak and her team five days to bake and ice the cake in the kitchens at Buckingham Palace. The cake was estimated to cost $70,000, or about $100 per slice.

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