Harry's Wedding Weekend: May Madness

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding date broke with royal tradition. The couple married on Saturday 19 May 2018, which was unusual because royal weddings historically take place during the week. The ceremony took place at St George's Chapel, Windsor, and was attended by around 1,200 members of the public, who had been invited to greet the couple outside the chapel.

Harry and Meghan's wedding date broke royal tradition

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding date of 19 May 2018 broke with royal tradition in several ways. Firstly, the wedding took place on a Saturday, which is unusual for British royals, who traditionally hold their ceremonies on weekdays. For example, Prince William and Kate Middleton married on a Friday, and Prince Charles and Princess Diana tied the knot on a Wednesday.

Another break with tradition was the couple's decision to marry in Windsor Castle, rather than in London. This meant that they did not appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as is customary for royal couples. However, they did share a kiss in front of the cheering crowds in Windsor, and their wedding was one of the biggest televised events in history, with an estimated 1.9 billion viewers worldwide.

The wedding also had a significant multicultural content, with the inclusion of African-American culture in the ceremony. The address was given by the presiding bishop of the American Episcopal Church, Bishop Michael Curry, who quoted civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. in his speech about the power of love. The gospel singers, the Kingdom Choir, also performed a rendition of the Ben E. King classic "Stand By Me".

In addition, the bride's father, Thomas Markle, did not walk her down the aisle, as is traditional. Instead, this honour was bestowed upon Prince Charles, who accompanied Meghan halfway down the aisle, after her own father was unable to attend due to medical reasons.

The wedding venue had tons of royal history

The wedding venue of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, St George's Chapel, is located within the grounds of Windsor Castle and has a rich royal history. The chapel was founded in the 14th century by King Edward III and has been shaped by the history of the royal family over the centuries.

St George's Chapel is a place of worship for the royal family and has been the site of numerous royal weddings, particularly during the reign of Queen Victoria. The chapel has also been the setting for royal burials, with ten former sovereigns laid to rest there.

The construction of the chapel began in 1475 by Edward IV and was completed by Henry VIII in 1528. The architecture is a fine example of the 'Perpendicular Gothic' style. The interior of the chapel has been developed over the years to commemorate key figures in royal history, such as the octagonal Bray Chapel, named after Sir Reginald Bray, a friend and benefactor of Henry VIII.

The choice of St George's Chapel as the wedding venue held special significance for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as it is a place steeped in royal history and has been the site of important royal events for centuries.

Their wedding invitations were traditional

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding invitations were indeed traditional. The invitations were produced by Barnard & Westwood, a company that has held a Royal Warrant for Printing & Bookbinding by Appointment to Her Majesty The Queen since 1985. The invitations featured the three-feathered badge of Prince Charles in gold ink.

The invitations were text-only, with a simple monogram at the top of the page, a common feature of English royal wedding invitations. The invitations also followed royal protocol, with Prince Harry's name appearing before Meghan Markle's. For a first marriage, the bride would traditionally be addressed on the invitation as "Miss", but in the case of a second marriage, this would be replaced by "Mrs." or "Ms.". As Meghan Markle had been married once before, she was addressed as "Ms. Meghan Markle".

The invitations also used the word "with" to join the names of the bride and groom, which is traditional for the royal family and sometimes chosen by modern couples as it is seen as less patriarchal than "to".

Meghan's wedding bouquet featured a tribute to Princess Diana

Meghan Markle's wedding bouquet was a beautiful tribute to her new husband's late mother, Princess Diana. The bouquet, designed by florist Philippa Craddock, featured forget-me-nots, which were Diana's favourite flower. Prince Harry hand-picked these flowers himself from their private garden at Kensington Palace.

The bouquet also included sprigs of myrtle, a royal tradition dating back to Queen Victoria's wedding in 1840. The myrtle sprigs were cut from stems planted by Queen Victoria in 1845, and Queen Victoria's eldest daughter, Princess Victoria, was the first royal to carry them in her bouquet.

The bouquet also featured scented sweet peas, lily of the valley, astilbe, jasmine, and astrantia. It was described by Kensington Palace as "a petite design, pulled together in a gentle, ethereal, relaxed style."

Following the wedding, Meghan followed royal tradition by placing her bouquet on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey. This tradition was started by Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in 1923 as a way to honour her brother, Fergus Bowes-Lyon, who died in World War I.

Harry and Meghan's wedding bands were mismatched

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding date of May 19, 2018, was unusual for British royalty as it fell on a Saturday. Typically, royal weddings are held during the week. For example, Prince William and Kate Middleton got married on a Friday, while Prince Charles and Princess Diana tied the knot on a Wednesday. Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip exchanged vows on a Thursday.

Harry and Meghan's wedding bands were also mismatched. Meghan's wedding band was made from a piece of Welsh gold gifted by Queen Elizabeth II, while Harry's band was platinum with a textured finish. This broke with royal tradition, as the royal family has used pure Welsh gold for their wedding rings since the Queen Mother's wedding in 1923.

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