Harry's Wedding: Celebs Galore

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding was a star-studded affair, with a slew of celebrities from the worlds of acting, music, and sports in attendance. The guest list included the likes of Oprah Winfrey, George and Amal Clooney, Victoria and David Beckham, Priyanka Chopra, and Serena Williams, among others. Many of these celebrities had personal connections to the couple, such as long-time friendships, and some even performed at the wedding. The wedding took place at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, with 600 guests in attendance and over 2,000 others waiting on the castle grounds.

Oprah Winfrey's wardrobe malfunction

In 1986, Oprah Winfrey had a wardrobe malfunction at the Oscars. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Color Purple but lost to Anjelica Huston. However, her dress ended up stealing the show.

Winfrey revealed that the 1986 Oscars were "one of the most horrible nights of my life" due to her ill-fitting frock. She explained that she had used Dolly Parton's dressmaker but did not try on the dress before the event. As a result, when she went to put it on half an hour before the Oscars, it didn't fit over her hips. Her hairdresser had to lie her on the floor and push her into the dress, and she had to ride to the Oscars planked in the back of a limousine.

Winfrey also couldn't sit comfortably during the ceremony, praying that someone else would win so she wouldn't have to get out of her chair.

The Clooneys' easy commute

George and Amal Clooney were among the 600 guests at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding. The Clooneys live in Sonning, Berkshire, which is close to Windsor, where the royal couple lived at Frogmore Cottage before they stepped back from their senior royal roles. The Clooneys were also among the 200 guests at the exclusive Frogmore House reception following the wedding ceremony.

George Clooney has been one of Harry and Meghan's most vocal supporters since their wedding. He has publicly voiced his support for the couple and has described them as "just really nice, fun, kind people". The actor also revealed that he and his wife had dinners with Harry and Meghan. "We live not too far from one another and we have dinners and stuff and we’re friends with them for all the reasons that you’re friends with anybody," Clooney explained.

However, despite their seemingly close friendship, it has been claimed that the Clooneys were less close to Meghan and Harry than previously thought. According to journalist Rachel Johnson, George and Amal confessed to Princess Diana's friend Carolyn Bartholomew at the wedding that they didn't know the couple well. When Bartholomew asked how they knew Harry or Meghan, the Clooneys reportedly replied, "We don't".

Despite this, the Clooneys were given a "prime pew" at the wedding ceremony and were among the guests at the exclusive Frogmore House reception. They were also invited to join the royal couple at Lake Como just weeks after the wedding.

Serena Williams' maternity leave

Williams' ranking had dropped to No. 451 by the time of her return, which affected how she was seeded at tournaments. This sparked a broader conversation about the Women's Tennis Association's (WTA) maternity leave policies. Under the system implemented at the time, players who took time off for pregnancy were eligible for a "special ranking", which granted them access to eight events, including two Grand Slams, and wildcard entries into tournaments they had previously won. However, this special ranking had no effect on seeding, meaning that Williams was likely to face top-ranked opponents in early rounds.

Williams faced this situation at Indian Wells and the Miami Open, where she lost to her sister Venus Williams and rising star Naomi Osaka, respectively. This prompted further discussion about the fairness of the WTA's maternity leave policies, with some arguing that players returning from maternity leave should be granted protected seedings.

Williams herself criticised the system, writing in an editorial for Fortune magazine: "When I returned to tennis from maternity leave, I was penalised for taking time off: my ranking dropped from No 1 in the world to No 453. That required me to face tougher competition earlier in the French Open, which led to a pectoral injury that forced me to drop out... We must stop penalising women when they return to their careers after having children."

In response to the debate, the WTA introduced additional advantages for players returning from maternity leave, allowing them to use their previous ranking to enter 12 tournaments over a three-year period. However, they stopped short of granting protected seedings, leaving the decision of whether to hand returning players a seeding to tournament directors.

Williams' experience sparked a wider conversation about the challenges faced by women who take maternity leave, with surveys suggesting that as many as one in seven women lose their jobs during this time, and many others facing demotion or penalties upon their return.

Idris Elba's early arrival

The British actor and DJ, Idris Elba, was one of the first celebrity guests to arrive at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018. Elba attended the wedding with his fiancée, Sabrina Dhowre, and was photographed waving to photographers as he entered St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Elba had a unique connection to the royal couple, as he had been asked by Prince Harry himself to DJ at the wedding reception. During an appearance on the Smartless podcast, Elba recalled his surprise at being approached by Harry while he was DJ-ing in London clubs. He agreed to the request but stipulated that he "doesn't do requests."

Elba's presence at the wedding was particularly notable given his close relationship with the couple. He had spent time with Harry before the wedding through the Prince's Trust, a charity that had supported him as a young actor. Elba also revealed that Meghan sent him a playlist with "some bare tunes on it," including some West Coast tracks.

Elba's early arrival at the wedding may have been a strategic move to ensure he had time to set up his equipment and prepare for his DJ set. As a seasoned actor and DJ, Elba likely understood the importance of being well-prepared for such a high-profile event.

Priyanka Chopra's outfit choice

For the wedding ceremony, Priyanka Chopra wore a lavender skirt and blazer combo by Vivienne Westwood, paired with a fascinator, or fitted hat. Chopra's stylist, Mimi Cuttrell, shared photos of the actress in her look for the ceremony on Instagram.

Chopra then changed into a beige-coloured, off-the-shoulder, shimmery gown by Christian Dior for the wedding reception at Frogmore House. Cuttrell also shared several photos of Chopra in this look on Instagram.

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