Harry And Meghan's Wedding Prayer Book

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday 19 May 2018 at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, officiated by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby. The ceremony followed the standard Anglican church service for Holy Matrimony, published in Common Worship, a liturgical text of the Church of England. Notably, Meghan did not promise to obey her husband in her vows, continuing a modern tradition established by Princess Diana and Prince Charles in 1981.

Meghan Markle's decision not to promise to 'obey' Prince Harry

Meghan Markle's decision not to promise to "obey" Prince Harry in her wedding vows is part of a long tradition. The original Book of Common Prayer, developed during the Reformation, included different vows for the husband and wife, with the wife promising to "obey" and "serve" her husband. However, this has evolved over time, with the Church of England offering multiple versions of marriage vows, some with "obey" and some without.

Markle, a long-time advocate for women's rights, chose to follow in the footsteps of Princess Diana and Kate Middleton by omitting the traditional promise to "obey" her husband. During the ceremony, officiated by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Markle pledged to love, comfort, honour and protect Prince Harry, and to be faithful to him.

This decision is not surprising given Markle's commitment to gender equality and empowering women. She has worked with organizations like One World Vision and served as an ambassador for United Nations Women. At just 11 years old, she wrote to Procter & Gamble to change a sexist advertisement, which was successful.

The choice to omit "obey" from wedding vows has been a controversial one, with some arguing that it is archaic and goes against the idea of equality in marriage. Dr. Edward Carpenter, the Dean of Westminster Abbey, expressed support for this decision, stating that marriage should be a relationship between two equal partners. However, not everyone agreed, and the wording continues to be a matter of debate.

In recent years, the Church of England Archbishops' Council has acknowledged the problems with the "obey" wording, noting that it contributes to problematic standards and expectations of women and men within marriage. Ultimately, Markle's decision to forgo the traditional vow of obedience reflects her personal values and her commitment to modernizing royal traditions.

The inclusion of African-American culture in the service

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was noted for its inclusion of African-American culture. The ceremony, which took place on 19 May 2018, was conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and followed the standard Anglican church service for Holy Matrimony. However, the service also included elements of African-American church tradition.

The Most Reverend Michael Curry, the Episcopal Church's presiding bishop, delivered the sermon. As the first black presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, his presence was significant. Curry's 14-minute address, which quoted Martin Luther King Jr., focused on the theme of "love" and left the royal family looking stunned and uncomfortable. The music during the ceremony also reflected the inclusion of African-American culture, with Karen Gibson and the Kingdom Choir singing "Stand By Me" in a gospel version.

The wedding was widely reported as a “landmark" moment for African Americans, Black British, black and mixed-race women, and the royal family itself. Meghan Markle, an American actress of mixed-race heritage, became the first person of mixed-race to marry into the British royal family. The inclusion of African-American culture in the wedding service was seen as a powerful symbol of the bringing together of cultures and the surmounting of old barriers.

The music chosen for the wedding

For Markle's entrance, Prince Harry chose the angelic operatic composition, "Eternal Source of Light Divine" by George Frideric Handel. This choice held special significance for the couple, as Harry explained:

> I was looking for something completely different and ended up stumbling across this piece of music. Something that epitomizes the whole day, the whole feeling that I have for her, and this incredibly impactful music with no organ whatsoever, with a soloist who actually did the most incredible job, to the orchestra.

Other music during the ceremony included the hymn "Lord of All Hopefulness", the motet "If Ye Love Me" by Thomas Tallis, and "Stand By Me" by Ben E. King, performed by Karen Gibson and The Kingdom Choir.

During the signing of the register, 19-year-old cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason performed a selection of pieces, including "Sicilienne" by Maria Theresia von Paradis, "Après un rêve" by Fauré, and "Ave Maria" by Schubert.

The procession featured music by William Boyce and Etta James's "Amen/This Little Light of Mine", a nod to the American influence on the day.

At the reception, the couple opted for more contemporary music, with their first dance to "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston.

The bride's wedding dress

The bride's hair was rolled up with "face-framing fringe tucked behind her ears", and was done by Serge Normant. Dior make-up artist Daniel Martin did Markle's makeup for the occasion. The look was described as "a soft brown eyeshadow" with minimal makeup on the face. Her nails were painted in a "neutral pink-y beige" for the ceremony.

The bride's bouquet, designed by Philippa Craddock, contained "forget-me-nots, scented sweet peas, lily of the valley, astilbe, jasmine and astrantia, and sprigs of myrtle from a plant grown from the myrtle used in the Queen's wedding bouquet". The flowers were chosen by the groom, who handpicked forget-me-nots in honour of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

For the customary bridal themes of "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue", Markle had a piece of fabric from Diana's wedding dress sewn into her dress (the "old"), her bracelet and earrings (the "new"), the Queen's tiara (the "borrowed"), and a piece of fabric from the dress she wore on their first date stitched into the veil (the "blue").

The wedding's cost and economic impact

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on 19 May 2018 at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, with a reception at Frogmore House. The royal family announced that they would pay for the wedding, with taxpayers likely responsible for security costs. The total cost of the wedding was estimated to be around £32 million, with security being the most expensive factor, costing around £30 million.

The breakdown of the wedding costs includes:

• £470,000 for the venue
• £286,000 for catering
• £110,000 for flowers
• £67,000 for the cake
• £400,000 for music
• £175,000 for decorations
• £22,000 for photography and videography
• £8,000 for wedding rings
• £2,287 for bridesmaid and page boy outfits
• £13,000 for hair and makeup
• £74,000 for entertainment
• £4,000 for wedding favours
• £160,000 for the honeymoon

The wedding dress, designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy Haute Couture, was likely to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The bride's makeup and hair styling were estimated to cost £10,000. The glass marquee for the reception was valued at $600,000. The jewellery worn by Meghan, including Cartier earrings and bracelet, and Princess Diana's aquamarine ring, was valued at $227,000.

The economic impact of the royal wedding was significant. It was predicted that the wedding would boost the British economy by up to £500 million, with an estimated £300 million brought in by foreign tourists for travel and accommodation, and £50 million spent on merchandise and souvenirs. The wedding also triggered a tourism boom and generated approximately £1 billion for the British economy.

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